Governor Christie wanted the parade in New Jersey, since that is where the Giants play their home games, but I say lets let New Jersey reap the tax revenues and let New York City pay for the parade, which we cannot afford.
Now, some are calling for a parade to honor the returning veterans of the war in Iraq. I respectfully disagree. While I certainly appreciate the desire to honor the sacrifices of those who gave so much, a day of jingoistic flag-waving is not the way to do it.
These veterans are coming home physically, mentally, and emotionally injured. They are coming back to a place where job prospects are weak. What they need is access to health care and job opportunities, not a parade.
As long as the war in Afghanistan continues, as long as drone attacks continue to kill innocent civilians and conduct targeted assassinations, including American citizens, as long as saber rattling replaces diplomacy with Iran, Syria and elsewhere, how about we hold off on the parades.
Let's end this state of perpetual war, and then we'll have something to celebrate.
President Obama's remarks today announcing a drawdown - to zero - of American troop presence in Iraq is not directly New Jersey news.
But more than 100 people with ties to New Jersey have died in the allied wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. And at least 539 New Jerseyans died at the World Trade Center attack tied to both wars. For them, for NJ soldiers deployed in Iraq and veterans of 2 wars there, and for the $40 billion spent by NJ on the Iraq War, here is the speech ostensibly ending it, from the President:
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
ON ENDING THE WAR IN IRAQ
James S. Brady Press Briefing Room
12:49 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon, everybody. As a candidate for President, I pledged to bring the war in Iraq to a responsible end -- for the sake of our national security and to strengthen American leadership around the world. After taking office, I announced a new strategy that would end our combat mission in Iraq and remove all of our troops by the end of 2011.
While Governor Christie will hobnob today with influential power brokers in NYC, LG Kim Guadagno will attend five 9/11 events in our state. One of them will be at Bergen County's spacious Overpeck Park on the banks of a creek. Befitting the loss of life of so many county residents, the park has its own World Trade Center Memorial. Engraved stones along its paths commemorate those who died.
For me it was not a political leader, but Bruce Springsteen in his song "The Rising" who vividly captured the 9/11 experience and expressed the hope that out of the horror some good would come. It is narrated by a fireman, one of many heroes during this awful moment. He is climbing the World Trade Center stairs through the fire and chaos, "Lost track of how far I've gone, how high I've climbed. On my back's a sixty pound stone. On my shoulder a half mile line." He sees the dead and injured: "Faces gone, black, eyes burnin' bright. May their precious blood forever bind me." Thinking perhaps about the effect this event will have on so many remaining friends and family members, he speaks of "Sky of memory and shadow. Sky of longing and emptiness." Released a year after the event, the song has as its refrain "Come on up for the rising," suggesting not only the fireman's excruciating climb upward, but also a religious exhortation that people come on up for a renewal or resurrection, life after death, which provides meaning and hope where initially there was only despair.
In finding Bin laden and bringing him to justice, we have struck a serious blow to Al Qaida's leadership that has allowed us to reevaluate the wisdom of pursuing a broad and open-ended strategy, where the mounting costs are far too high - in lives lost, blood spilled, traumatic injury to our brave men and women in uniform, and in real dollars spent. Nearly 1,500 brave men and women have lost their lives in Afghanistan, nearly 12,000 have been wounded in action. The price tag, at a time when we are scrutinizing every dollar in Washington and making cuts to critical domestic programs, is a staggering $10 billion a month.
Remarks by the President on Osama Bin Laden East Room, White House
11:35 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Good evening. Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda, and a terrorist who's responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children.
It was nearly 10 years ago that a bright September day was darkened by the worst attack on the American people in our history. The images of 9/11 are seared into our national memory -- hijacked planes cutting through a cloudless September sky; the Twin Towers collapsing to the ground; black smoke billowing up from the Pentagon; the wreckage of Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where the actions of heroic citizens saved even more heartbreak and destruction.
And yet we know that the worst images are those that were unseen to the world. The empty seat at the dinner table. Children who were forced to grow up without their mother or their father. Parents who would never know the feeling of their child's embrace. Nearly 3,000 citizens taken from us, leaving a gaping hole in our hearts.
What "the great deficit debate" really boils down to is one thing: priorities.
Deficits weren't a priority when nearly all Republicans and a good number of Democrats voted for the ill conceived and ill advised invasions and occupations in Afghanistan and Iraq close to a decade ago. They weren't a priority when tens, if not hundreds of billions went to waste or were just "lost" in Iraq - not knowing if they ended up in the hands of those who were the stated enemy. They weren't a priority when billions of no-bid contracts were handed out like candy, with no accounting.
There were some in Congress, including my Representative, Scott Garrett, who weren't yet elected when the first vote was taken to start the folly in Iraq. However, he, and his ilk have been present for all or most of the subsequent economy killing votes to continue funding these disasters with our children's, grandchildren's and great-grandchildren's money. There wasn't even a hesitation on most of this - even with the very basic premise that cutting taxes in conjunction with a war is unheard of and pretty much unprecedented.
Like many Republicans, my Representative Frank LoBiondo is proud to support the Middle East wars at the cost of a trillion dollars but opposed loaning money to American banks during a financial crisis. A new story in the New York Times indicates his "principles" are about to collide:
Fraud and mismanagement at Afghanistan's largest bank have resulted in potential losses of as much as $900 million - three times previous estimates - heightening concerns that the bank could collapse and trigger a broad financial panic in Afghanistan, according to American, European and Afghan officials.
The bank is used by our military to pay Afghans nominally part of their own government payroll. Time's Joe Klein thinks China should bail out the bank, which I'd be happy to bet against. No, this is an expense that is going to be added to the occupation.
I'm looking forward to see if Republicans will vote to bail out these crooks and how they will keep it as quiet as possible.
After WW II Johnny's return was greeted with "Hurrah Hurrah." After Vietnam his return was not so happy. Yesterday the last combat troops left Iraq, and gradually Johnny and Jane will return to New Jersey. They leave behind a country with significant unresolved issues and a war for which the results are yet to be determined. Of the 50,000 (plus contractors) who are staying in Iraq, many will not be immune to combat. Of those who are leaving, many will be reassigned to Afghanistan or other theaters. Other New Jerseyans will continue to be assigned there to join the "non-combatants."
Most returning to New Jersey are excited to be reunited with loved ones and friends and feel a huge sense of relief. However, they face an unemployment rate about double our 9.7%. (Nationally for veterans the rate is 21%.) Many have physical wounds and ailments requiring treatment from our overburdened VA hospitals. Most will experience some level of post-traumatic stress disorder, in some cases severe enough to lead to suicide. Earlier this month, Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) hosted a forum for hundreds of Central New Jersey veterans addressing concerns about health care, the GI Bill, veterans employment, and other issues.
A NJ Senate committee released this week a non-partisan bill that would provide an income tax credit up to $10,000 to veterans who require psychological counseling and treatment. Senate Majority Leader Barbara Buono (D-Middlesex) said she will also introduce a separate measure calling on Congress to pass a bill requiring that returnees receive a telephone call from properly trained personnel to determine their emotional, psychological, medical, and career needs and concerns at least once every 90 days.
"Vet-2-Vet," a toll-free confidential help line, created five years ago by the NJ Department of Military and Veterans Affairs and UMDNJ responds to over 3,000 calls a year, but operates on year-to-year funding. Sen. Fred Madden (D-Turnersville) introduced legislation that would require the state to permanently fund the program.
What can we do? Welcome vets home with open arms. Support legislation for better medical care, counseling and job services. Encourage employers to hire vets. Urge our government to withdraw even more troops from Iraq and start the process immediately to bring an end to our fruitless war in Afghanistan.
For those who haven't been following the latest Afghanistan funding news (other than the huge WikiLeaks story showing how horrible things really are there), it goes something like this:
Democrats in the House swore they wouldn't pass a funding bill. Then they swore that it wouldn't be passed without PAYGO. Then they swore it wouldn't be passed without adding domestic spending for some very necessary programs in it. Which they did pass. Then the Senate rejected the funding (without PAYGO), sending it back to the House for a standalone vote - no PAYGO, no domestic spending.
Make this clear - this was a vote to continue wasting tens of billions of dollars on what has become a clusterf**k of an operation with no defined mission or goal or endgame - at a time when families are barely hanging on here in the US. And it comes at a time when 90,000 documents were just released showing just how much of a disaster the occupation has become, and at a time when casualties are ever increasing.
And at a time when Republicans in the House have screamed about the deficit and helping those here in the US, it is ironic but expected that only 12 voted against the funding (all 5 here in NJ voted for it, no shocker there). But of the 102 Democrats to vote against it, three were from New Jersey, and should be singled out for their patriotic and brave stand against this waste of money, priorities and lives.
So a big thank you to Congressmen Pallone, Holt and Payne. You did real good with this vote.
Here is their contact info if you want to thank them as well:
Here's a link to analysis from Princeton prof Julian E. Zelizer to go along with this diary. Paragraphs 10 & 11 particularly cogent. Promoted by Rosi.
Our War of Independence which we are proud to celebrate today was hard fought and successfully won. Most, not all, of our other many military engagements have been ill-advised, cost too many lives, wasted money, and proven to be non- productive, and some have ended in embarrassment. Once begun presidents and legislators have a hard time stopping wars, as some form, and often a changing form, of "Victory" is foremost in their minds. Such is our sad history in Afghanistan and Iraq, where no pre-established exit plan was created and the goal posts to justify continuation keep changing.
Five months after elections, Iraq has still not formed a government, adding another impediment to our withdrawal. Mutterings within the military imply the possible need for extending our stay. In reality shortly after we reduce troops to a "holding" number, whenever that occurs, Iraqis will do as they wish, not as our leaders proclaim. So now is the time to to hasten our withdrawal.
In Afghanistan what started as a counter-terrorism action (kill al-Qaeda and its leaders) has morphed into a counter-insurgency activity (strengthen the government and people) which requires a timeframe of another ten years not the one year which the President advocated. Indeed, interpretation of the July 2011 deadline seems constantly in flux. Most of al-Qaeda has left to greener pastures, so much of our effort is in fighting different anti-government elements, which upon our departure, whenever that is, will do as they wish anyway. While a limited counter-terrorism action in the border area has some merit for us, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, our government's notion of creating a stable government and nation in such a short time frame is a pipe dream. So now is the time to hasten our withdrawal.
So today while we enjoy this weekend and celebrate the independence one war brought us, let's have no illusions: now is the time to hasten our withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Tod is a candidate for Congress in NJ-5. Promoted by Rosi Efthim
My military service best falls under the heading better late than never. I had hoped to enter the Army or Marine Corps after college but acquiesced to my parents' wishes to attend law school. It meant a great deal to them as I would be the first "professional" in our family. Upon graduating law school in 1987, I once again flirted with entering the military. Unfortunately, my father suffered a massive heart attack that summer and I opted to take care of my family. Two decades later, I would be given another chance to give something back to my country as a soldier.
In January 2007, I was commissioned into the New York Guard (the "Guard") as a 1st Lieutenant. The Guard was created during WWI in response to homeland security concerns. The prospect of German U-boats surfacing off the shores of Long Island and Brooklyn were enough to have the State of New York charter what amounted to a State Militia. The Guard allowed men and women such as me who were too old to serve in the "regular" armed forces an opportunity to participate in domestic defense initiatives.
I had initially attempted to enter the Guard in 2004, but the particular unit I was applying through made errors with my paperwork. I was frustrated, yet never gave up the dream I harbored since childhood. In 2006, I reconnected with the Guard through a fellow attorney who served as recruitment coordinator for the 7th Civil Affairs Regiment. I told my wife that I wanted to join and explained the nature of and duties inherent in the Guard. I also told her how much this meant to me. With her blessing, I entered the Guard.
My unit is a remarkable collection of men and women. Our personnel include Judges, partners at major New York law firms, attorneys from various backgrounds and non-professionals who bring myriad experiences to bear in performing their duties. We receive no compensation for our service and provide anywhere from $300,000 to $400,000 in legal services to soldiers and their families every year. We also receive training in numerous areas of homeland defense. I have received certifications in suicide bombing prevention and response along with completing nearly a dozen learning modules in emergency preparedness. I have also been trained at a very basic level in dealing with weapons of mass destruction.
This training is critical given that I and my comrades are first and foremost soldiers. The fact that I work just a few blocks from Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan brings a sense of immediacy to my service. My BDUs (battle dress uniform) often hang in my office and I have made my peace that in the event we are attacked again, I will put them on and do whatever is necessary to protect our nation and save as many lives as possible.
My tenure in the Guard has had an indelible impact on how I view not only war, but peace. When my unit travels to Fort Hamilton, Floyd Bennett Field or some other military facility to perform what we affectionately refer to as "will drills," we are confronted with a reality most Americans never witness. It is a sobering experience to sit down with a young man or woman to discuss things like the disposition of their remains or draft a health care proxy in the event they return from Iraq or Afghanistan incapable of making decisions regarding medical care. It is heart rending to make small talk with a twenty-year-old about how he wants his kid brother to get his prized hot rod if he doesn't make it back. Even more difficult is addressing issues involving children and what happens to them when mommy or daddy comes home in a flag-draped casket.
Our soldiers are not action movie characters or cartoonish fodder for our entertainment. They are flesh and blood. They are our brothers and sisters. They are our sons and daughters. They have precious dreams that they sacrificially defer in order to preserve our liberties. I often find myself looking for a quiet place amidst the frenzy of our legal services operation to bow my head, say a prayer and shed some tears at the prospect that some of these soldiers will not be coming home or that their lives will be forever changed by the hell that is war. That their families will sit down for Christmas dinners to come with an empty place setting that will never be filled. That their children will grow up never knowing their mothers or fathers. That they will leave a piece of their soul in an Iraqi desert or Afghani mountain range.
Sending servicemen and women into the line of fire is the most solemn decision any elected official will ever make. Before such a decision is made, it is incumbent upon those in power to consider exactly what they are placing at risk. I subscribe to a very simple standard for whether to commit troops to the field - would I send my own son or daughter to fight. Most politicians could not answer this question in the affirmative. Yet they wrap themselves in the flag and reflexively send other people's children across the globe to fight for causes not worthy of their own progeny's blood. I hope there is a special corner of hell carved out for these hypocrites.
My service in the Guard has, more than anything, taught me to value our troops at a very human level. I pray on this Memorial Day that I never discount who they are for the sake of political expedience.
Tod Theise
Democratic Candidate for Congress
5th District - NJ
To require a plan for the safe, orderly, and expeditious redeployment of the United States Armed Forces from Afghanistan.
The vote failed 18-80 with both Frank Lautenberg and Bob Menendez voting for limitless war, or if you prefer, trusting the President and our generals. In a rational world the 80 Senators would not complain about the deficit ever again, but we know it's quite the opposite in the world we've got. I'm with Booman, I don't have any confidence. It seems even McChrystal acknowledges failure but no one will ever consider the "off ramps" (...though see this discussion of what the general said.) Call me conservative, but just because talented, hard-working people in the government want to do something doesn't mean it will work. Don't mistake me, I certainly hope I'm wrong.
I am writing this message with a heavy heart; I regret to inform you that yesterday Jeremy Kane was killed in Afghanistan. Jeremy was an outstanding role model and representative for military and veteran students at Rutgers-Camden. Jeremy had a great sense of humor, a vibrant personality and he truly cared about his fellow brothers and sisters in arms. Jeremy was a stellar student and an active member of Veterans for Education. Jeremy can be seen in this picture on the far right helping to raise funds for our military and veteran's scholarship. Veterans for Education are going to sincerely miss him and our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends and may he Rest in Peace.
Jeremy was 22 years old and a student at Rutgers Camden. Our condolences go out to his friends, family and fellow soldiers. This news follows on the heels of the funeral earlier this week for Bergen County Marine Sgt. Christopher Hrbek, who lost his life in Afghanistan on January 14.
Rush Holt says that yet another classified briefing he and fellow congressmen got raises questions that need answers before our country commits further troops and resources to that conflict. These are good questions, and I want those answers, too.
I'm getting to be a huge fan of Star Ledger's well-made, and very direct video news coverage. But I missed this one the other day when I was compiling the news roundup, because my mind just wasn't attuned to video. Dunno. But this one - the return from Afghanistan of NJ Marine Lance Cpl. Owen Curry to his family in West Orange - is such a pointed reminder that our soldiers in war have families on the homefront, and their days soar or sink with news from their loved ones. Nice job capturing that, Nyier Abdou:
Let me preface this post by saying that I strongly support the gay rights movement and applaud their effective and aggressive activism. Their willingness to confront issues, organize, passionately advocate their rights, and engage in activism to move a political agenda is inspiring and should serve as a model for other communities. The recent Trenton demonstration and lobby effort is impressive and truly inspiring.
But, I am deeply troubled about our current politics and priorities.
On Tuesday of this week, we all know that President Obama announced the escalation of the Afghanistan war.
Outraged by this decision, I felt compelled to act. Old enough to remember that US campuses erupted in protest in the wake of Nixon's escalation of the Vietnam war, and hoping for some kind of similar spontaneous outpouring of concern, I went to the belly of the beast, West Point.
But apparently only 275 or so of my fellow citizens felt so moved and joined a candlelight vigil and protest there. There must be 10 million people within a reasonable driving distance of West Point, so that small of a turnout is an indication of something deeply wrong in our politics. http://www.lohud.com/article/2...
The next evening, I joined an even smaller candlelight vigil in Princeton. Although it was raining and cold, I would guess there were only about 30 people or so. Where were the Princeton students? Where was Dr. Cornel West and other prominent Princeton faculty? Where was the clergy and progressive communities of faith and goodwill? http://www.nj.com/mercer/index...
So, in the wake of these disappointments, the huge 700+ turnout to Trenton to advocate for marriage equality led me to think of Dr. King's famous 1967 speech, where he came out against the Vietnam War and joined a burgeoning anti-war movement.
Many in the civil rights movement opposed King's linking of the war with domestic issues and civil rights:
Over the past two years, as I have moved to break the betrayal of my own silences and to speak from the burnings of my own heart, as I have called for radical departures from the destruction of Vietnam, many persons have questioned me about the wisdom of my path. At the heart of their concerns this query has often loomed large and loud: "Why are you speaking about the war, Dr. King?" "Why are you joining the voices of dissent?" "Peace and civil rights don't mix," they say. "Aren't you hurting the cause of your people," they ask? And when I hear them, though I often understand the source of their concern, I am nevertheless greatly saddened, for such questions mean that the inquirers have not really known me, my commitment or my calling. Indeed, their questions suggest that they do not know the world in which they live.
Senator Frank Lautenberg put out this statement following President Obama's speech:
"We have to finish the job in Afghanistan that President Bush largely abandoned, and make sure that country never again becomes a haven for Al-Qaeda to plot terrorist attacks against Americans. I support President Obama's strategy, but we must have clear measurements for progress and demand improvements in both the Afghan government and security forces."
In seeking a range of informed and varied opinions and taking the time to carefully work through them, it is clear that President Obama understands the meaning of war, the lives that are at stake and the impact it has on thousands of families here at home. I know that he thought deeply about those risks and weighed them against the risk posed by threats to our homeland that remain in Afghanistan before coming to his decision.
I will not make a final judgment on this plan until I have had a chance to reflect upon it fully and, just as importantly, draw critical information from Admiral Mullen, Secretary Gates and Secretary Clinton, who we will have in front of the Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday. From the time I voted against authorizing the Iraq War, I have said that our focus should have instead remained on the base of operations for Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda - the terrorists who killed 3,000 people on our homeland in 2001 and are eager to kill more innocent Americans. That base is now the area along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. I believe if we had not lost our focus by diverting troops and resources to Iraq, we could have captured or killed bin Laden and exterminated al Qaeda by now.
Though we lost precious strategic advantages and international support in the years since, I still believe today that we must finish the job by capturing or killing bin Laden and dismantling al Qaeda. I do not, however, believe that acting as a national police force for Afghanistan on an indefinite basis is worthwhile - American troops will be killed unnecessarily and it will further drain our national budget during an economic recession. Therefore, my preference has been toward a targeted military operation that emphasizes counter-terrorism and focuses on routing al Qaeda, rather than engaging in other flare-ups around Afghanistan. This strategy goes hand-in-hand with what I have insisted upon in our Pakistan policy, which is more pressure on the Pakistanis to go after the terrorists on their side of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
I will measure the president's plan and the testimony that will be presented before the Foreign Relations Committee on the basis of these principles, and based on that, I will make a final assessment of the plan. As always, our thoughts and prayers are with our troops currently serving in harm's way.
The President's speech on Afghanistan and Pakistan begins in a few minutes. This thread is for anyone who wants to discuss the speech, the plan, or what New Jersey's Senators and Representatives should do.
Actually, thanks to the White House press office, I can tell you it is a well-written speech. What I am not convinced of is that it is a good policy. I hope the President really begins to withdraw in July 2011.
Today, Americans pause to remember the sacrifice of the countless heroes who, through our country's 228 years of existence, took up arms in defense of liberty and our national interest. We mark this Veterans Day embroiled in the longest conflict in American history, one that pits our women and men in uniform against an adaptive, dangerous, and determined enemy. Regardless of one's politics, we ought to honor the sacrifices of those still living, and remember the fallen heroes who are no longer among us.
According to the Congressional Research Service, at least 1,009,041 Americans have died in major combat operations since the first shots sounded at Lexington and Concord in 1775. That number is staggering, especially when one considers the thousands of wounded veterans who returned home, many physically and mentally broken, never to live the life they intended to live. Indeed, the pain and suffering borne by so many families was and continues to be a festering wound that refuses to heal. These heroes sacrificed to secure a permanent peace as precious as it is elusive.
Unlike any other arena of human endeavor, soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen put their lives on the line to defend that which we hold dear. And we, by many measures the most prosperous and free people in the history of humanity, have those warriors to thank for the liberties we continue to enjoy. Yet, as a country, our thanks is too often half hearted. 1/3 of all homeless Americans, a number equal to 260,000 people, are veterans. Nearly two mllion veterans lack access to basic medical care. The greatest thanks we can offer the heroes still among us are the guarantees that they will be cared for in the shadows and twilight of their lives. Thus far, we have failed to honor that simple but profound commitment.
The nature of military conflict may have changed, but that nobility of service and the selfless devotion to one's country remains. For the echoes of Breeds Hill can be heard in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan. The bugle call heard at Antietam still summons heroes to our nation's cause. These heroes, along with those who fought at Verdun, Normandy, Khe Sanh, and Anbar, did so that their children might live in a world unaware of the horrors of war. At the dawn of the twenty-first century, as the United States faces security threats from all corners of the world, some may say it was a hope born out of ignorance. Perhaps, however, it was born from the experience of those who saw the most degrading and base aspects of the human condition. War is terrible, unjust, and should be avoided at all costs. Those who wore the uniform at Yorktown knew it then, and those riding convoy duty this very moment know it now.
So today, let us thank our veterans and say a collective prayer that these wars end, expeditiously, and with honor. In the words of Oliver Wendell Holmes,
"Lord, bid war's trumpet cease; Fold the whole earth in peace."
