Posted on 10/17/2004 6:56:37 AM PDT by Phsstpok
The earlier thread about the October Surprise "Mutiny" hit piece on this mornings Today show prompted me to do some Googling to try to see if there were any connections of note. I felt that even the little evidence I found warranted a quick heads up and (forgive me) a separate thread as a call to action. I have no particular standing to do this, but this concerned me enough to fire off a flare.
It looks like the extreme left is orchestrating an October Surprise propaganda campaign against the war in Iraq and President Bush by staging a "mutiny" of reserve troops (appears to be 5 of 'em, when you get down to it) and playing it the way they played Abu Gharib.
First, the basic story. Reports surfaced on Friday, the 15th, that troops in Iraq had refused a "suicide mission" and were under arrest and held in close guard. A small handful of "frantic" family members began reporting "unfair practices" and "unsafe conditions," desperately calling on (the usual suspects) politicians to save their loved ones from cruel fate.
Some excerpts:
Daily News, October 17, 2004:
Calls, E-mails explain troops' alleged mutiny
The military has begun punishing some of the 19 Army reservists who balked at what they called a "suicide mission" and a "death sentence" in Iraq last week.
Some members of the South Carolina-based 343rd Quartermaster Company refused to transport fuel between the Iraqi cities of Tallil and Taji Wednesday morning, saying they had no protection for the dangerous trip.
now here's the kicker from the Daily News piece:
Citizen Soldier, a New York-based, nonprofit military rights group, has offered ... its help.
Citizen Soldier is not a "military rights group." It is a virulently anti-American and anti-Military extreme left front group. Their motto on their web site is: "Prepared to Challenge U.S. Militarism in the New Millenium."
Citizen Soldier also has close ties to John Kerry, as it's director Tod Ensign, was one of the organizers of Kerry's discredited Winter Soldier propaganda event in 1969, along with Jeremy Rifkin. This connection is the one that set off my alarm bells.
I couldn't figure the Mississippi angle till I found this in The Clarion-Ledger of Hattiesberg, Mississippi:
Platoon with Mississippi soldiers defies orders 17 soldiers placed under arrest in Iraq
A 17-member Army Reserve platoon with troops from Jackson and around the Southeast deployed to Iraq is under arrest for refusing a "suicide mission" to deliver fuel, the troops' relatives said Thursday. The soldiers refused an order on Wednesday to go to Taji, Iraq - north of Baghdad - because their vehicles were considered "deadlined" or extremely unsafe, said Patricia McCook of Jackson, wife of Sgt. Larry O. McCook.
and again, buried in the piece, is the clue to the source and spin:
U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson said he plans to submit a congressional inquiry today on behalf of the Mississippi soldiers to launch an investigation into whether they are being treated improperly.
Bennie Thompson is one of the more radical members of the Black Caucus. He is a leader in the "fair play for Fidel Castro" movement in Congress. He is often the designated "hit man" in attacking minority members of the Bush Administration, particularly Dr. Condoleezza Rice. He was a rabid Deaniac, but shifted his loyalty to Kerry when Dean fell on his own scream.
The Salon hit piece ties this squarely to the Washington/DNC/Carville slime machine:
The inside story of the Army platoon that refused to carry out a "death sentence" mission.
is by Mary Jocoby, Salon's Washington Correspondent. Jacoby is one of Salon's "reliable" writers who can always be counted on to spew hate at George Bush, in particular, and Republicans in general. She rates Seymour Hersh as a "crack investigative reporter" and has authored anti-Bush hit pieces such as "The Dunce," "George W. Bush's Missing Year" and "Swaggering toward Election Day."
What is truly amazing about these pieces on the "mutiny" is that they appear to have been ready to go before the incident took place. These folks had their stories straight and remarkably consistent in record time, even before the news had reached the regular news cycle on CNN, who jumped on this in record time.
Folks, this is a set up. But it's a set up that, like many of the Kerry camps dirty tricks, they've had to fire off prematurely to try to distract the news media from a Kerry gaffe. Pulling the trigger on this was timed to try and keep the disastrous Mary Cheney attack off of the Sunday morning talk shows. These soldiers are pawns who were told that they would be used to unseat a sitting President (with undoubted hints of vast rewards from a Kerry administration) but they are being sacrificed, just like pushing a pawn, to protect the dims' king.
As in 'disgusting' or as in 'attempting to overthrow this nation'?
We are not as lucky here, but I'm in the suburbs, which is solid Bush.
I'm not in his district, but Harold Ford Jr. is the congressman for much of this area. Ironically, though I think he's as partisan as the day is long, I respect him and would probably vote for him if I were in his district. He isn't anything like the rest of his family, at least it doesn't appear that way to me, and I can tell you from direct experience that he knows how to do his job, specifically taking care of constituents when the beuracracy has stomped on them. I think he's partisan, but also honest. Diogenes might have been pleased... nah. He's a politician. What am I thinking!
I actually look on Harold Ford Jr. much the way I viewed Daniel Patrick Moynihan. A partisan Democrat liberal, but an honest one who wasn't afraid to challenge dogma, even when it worked against his party. I miss him.
My late uncle was a "mover and shaker" in Nashville, and appearntly looked exactly like Senator Frist's father. They eventually met up and became fast friends. Of course, my uncle was an old line "yellow dog" southern Democrat.
FYI Ping !
I'll refresh this as I get more names, links and quotes
Other FR threads:
Unit That Refused Iraq Duty Said Released - AP ^ | 10/16/04 | REBECCA YONKER
MSM articles:
All of us refused to go' New York Daily News
Revolt in the ranks in Iraq Salon, Mary Jocoby
Unit That Refused Iraq Duty Said Released - AP ^ | 10/16/04 | REBECCA YONKER
5 troops may get general discharge (Clarion-Ledger)
Platoon defies orders in Iraq (Clarion-Ledger via Marine Corps Times)
Six Degrees of John Kerry lists of names (for research):
"Mutineers"
| Name | quoted relative | Article referenced | Information / quote |
| Sgt. Justin Rogers | Harold Casey (grandfather) | Unit That Refused Iraq Duty Said Released (AP) | his grandson told him Saturday that he and other soldiers had been detained by military authorities but were later released his grandson, Justin Rogers, 22, called him Saturday to tell him that he and other soldiers were put under armed guard after refusing to deliver the supplies "The fuel was contaminated for the helicopters," Casey said his grandson told him. "It would have caused them to crash. ... They saved lives." |
| Spec. Joseph Dobbs | Beverly Dobbs (mother) | All of us refused to go (NY Daily News) | told online magazine Salon she got a panicked call from her son Wednesday. "Mama, we're in a lot of trouble," he said. "We had some contaminated fuel. We went out on this mission, and they turned us back, and our captain got mad and was gonna send us out on another mission," Beverly Dobbs recalled her son saying. "We refused to go because our vehicles were in awful shape. The place they wanted to send us was dangerous. We had to go without guns. All of us refused to go. We're not risking our lives like that." |
| Sgt. Larry McCook | Patricia McCook (wife) | Unit That Refused Iraq Duty Said Released (AP) | her husband called Friday and said the soldiers had been released after being detained her husband said five members were reassigned because "they said these five really instigated the entire process." |
| 5 troops may get general discharge | Thompson said he reviewed a faxed plea from Patricia McCook to his office after a Clarion-Ledger reporter called it to his attention. | ||
| Sgt. Michael Butler | Jackie Butler (wife) | Platoon defies orders in Iraq | “I got a call from an officer in another unit early (Thursday) morning who told me that my husband and his platoon had been arrested on a bogus charge because they refused to go on a suicide mission,” said Jackie Butler of Jackson, wife of Sgt. Michael Butler, a 24-year reservist. “When my husband refuses to follow an order, it has to be something major.” |
| Pfc. Colin Durham | Nadine Stratford (godmother) | All of us refused to go (NY Daily News) | Citizen Soldier, a New York-based, nonprofit military rights group, has offered her its help. "I haven't heard a word. I feel worried," said Stratford, 46, who spent the morning scouring newspaper accounts of the alleged mutiny. "It had to be something bad for him not to want to go," she said. |
| Amber McClenny | Teresa Hill (mother) | Platoon defies orders in Iraq | McClenny, 21, pleaded for help in a message left on her mother’s answering machine early Thursday morning. “They are holding us against our will,” McClenny said. “We are now prisoners.” The convoy trucks the platoon was driving had experienced problems in the past and were not being properly maintained, Hill said her daughter told her. |
| Spc. Scott Shealey | Ricky Scott (father) | 5 troops may get general discharge | "My son said they are getting ready to be discharged and would be home in three or four weeks," said Ricky Scott of Quinton, Ala., father of Spc. Scott Shealey. "It's just a boot ... some way to put some type of close to this while using them as scapegoats." |
Military personnel involved or referenced
| Name | Position | Article referenced | Information / quote |
| Brig. Gen. James E. Chambers | commanding general of the 13th Corps Support Command | U.S. general promises to review protective measures for supply vehicles after reservists refuse mission in Iraq | all soldiers involved in the incident had returned to duty and it was ''too early'' to determine whether any of them will face disciplinary action. Chambers told reporters the command will ''assess armor'' on supply vehicles, which are often subject to insurgent attack, and add steel plating if necessary. He denied claims by some of the soldiers to their families that the fuel they were to deliver was contaminated. |
| Gen. Vows Review of Iraq Safety Measures | |||
| Col. Darrell Roll | deputy to Brig Gen. James E. Chambers | ||
| Brig. Gen. Charles J Dunlap Jr | formerly Lt Col., deputy staff judge advocate currently Brig. Gen. Air Combat Command |
The US military: A creeping civilian mission | published an article titled "The Origins of the American Military Coup of 2012" |
Politicians/Pundits pushing the story
| Name | Position | Article referenced | Information / quote |
| Rep. Bennie Thompson, | Congressman, D Miss | KnoxNews.com: | Thompson's office received a letter from Patricia McCook of Jackson, Miss., on Thursday, relating concerns about her husband, Sgt. Larry McCook, and 16 others "being detained or possibly arrested in Iraq," said the congressman's legislative assistant, Karis T. Gutter. The office had received earlier correspondence concerning "ill-equipped vehicles," he said. |
| 5 troops may get general discharge | Thompson said he reviewed a faxed plea from Patricia McCook to his office after a Clarion-Ledger reporter called it to his attention. |
.
Contradictions / Changes in the Story
| Source | 1st version | Source | 2nd version |
| KnoxNews.com: | Thompson's office received a letter from Patricia McCook of Jackson, Miss., on Thursday, relating concerns about her husband, Sgt. Larry McCook, and 16 others "being detained or possibly arrested in Iraq," said the congressman's legislative assistant, Karis T. Gutter. The office had received earlier correspondence concerning "ill-equipped vehicles," he said. | 5 troops may get general discharge | Thompson said he reviewed a faxed plea from Patricia McCook to his office after a Clarion-Ledger reporter called it to his attention. |
The only thing I was suspicious about was the phone call home from a young woman purporting to be among those who had refused her orders, and which the media played over and over. Right after that, some dem congresscritter came on purporting to have received a message about the incident, and I just assumed it was from the woman's mother.
Remember this .. some people join the National Guard because the duty is easy - even though the training is good - and it supplies money for people to go to school. This is a great program .. but some people get into it with the idea they get a free education .. and they don't have to give anything back. But .. when their country calls, the parents and the child are in shock - the parents hate Bush for taking their child away.
While I'm not sure these actions in Iraq were pre-planned .. I'm quite sure the dems will do most anything to distract from Kerry's recent gaffes - and by calling for an investigation - it gives the dems another opportunity to preen in front of the camera and call the Bush admin names. What could be better than that.
Thompson is a Democratic Socialist of America icon!
I haven't heard any of that but haven't been watching. My info on Kerry and the VVAW using poor black Mississipians was from the minutes of the VVAW meetings. Someone had them posted, from the FBI files, and I spent a whole day reading them. It was so apparent that the rhetoric of the VVAW was communist and that the work in Mississippi, settiing up health clinics, etc, was part of a revolution, sort of like the Sandinistas.
thanks for the ping.... pinging.... hummmmmm!!!!
Wow! You're working your little bum off! Thanks so much!!!
I wish, and it ain't that little. ;^>
Thankyou for the compliment (and the bump).
Now, if this will only lead somewhere....
Well I didn't expect these bottom feeders to plant operatives in the Armed Forces, but look at Abu Ghairab. That's looking like a set up too.
Okay, maybe they were subverted and not planted. Who knows, except it smells.
Great summary.
Our Congress-critter here is Jim Cooper. I suppose he's all right, but I had a run in with him (probably his staff) when he represented another district. Of course, the Pubbies never run a serious candidate for Congress in Nashville.
They redrew the districts here (gerrymander) to make sure the bulk of Davidson County was still a safe Democrat seat (another thing we can blame on Sundquist). My parents in south Davidson County now have Marsha Blackburn (yea!) as their Congress-critter.
How, or better yet, WHO contaminated the fuel?
The ringleaders is my guess.
Uh-huh....here we go
I missed Kiran's questioning..church time...but I have watcher her in the past and it seemed like she just read the news. Could it be that some of the people like her just dont know anything about the military at all so they ask questions that appear to be "carrying the lib water"? I mention that because I have conservative friends who don't know anything about the military and ways we do things and why and they ask questions that may be of the "feely" sort. Can anyone quote what Krian said or asked for those of us who missed the show?
BINGO! This is all right out of a VVAW playbook.
I wrote a column critical of Kerry last spring that got lots of attention. As a result, I was contacted by a guy who told me he was a VVAW activist. When I googled him, I found him on the Kerry Virginia Steering committee (along with Gen. Claudia Kennedy, who'd been commentating on the war but not publicizing her work with Kerry). Anyway, this guy told me they "didn't know how to deal with me" and that my "shot across the bow" had them "all" sweating.
I've thought this whole campaign that Kerry's VVAW thugs, including Bobby Muller (who's been so active with MTV's "Rock the Vote") have been MAJOR PLAYERS.
I also found out this particular guy had been submitting anti-war letters to college publications in swing states (The Ohio State Lantern, Oregon, etc)...trying to stir dissent on campus. In following up with the editors of these papers, I discovered he'd presented his letters as being from a student. They were quite upset when I told them he's a leftover radical activist from the Vietnam era.
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