Salon: Soldiers Are Not Always Heroes

"No American freedom is currently at stake in Afghanistan. It is impossible to imagine an argument to the contrary, just as the war in Iraq was clearly fought for the interests of empire, the profits of defense contractors, and the edification of neoconservative theorists. It had nothing to do with the safety or freedom of the American people. The last time the U.S. military deployed to fight for the protection of American life was in World War II – an inconvenient fact that reduces clichés about 'thanking a soldier' for free speech to rubble. If a soldier deserves gratitude, so does the litigator who argued key First Amendment cases in court, the legislators who voted for the protection of free speech, and thousands of external agitators who rallied for more speech rights, less censorship and broader access to media. Wars that are not heroic have no real heroes, except for the people who oppose those wars. Far from being the heroes of recent wars, American troops are among their victims." - David Masciotra, in a Salon essay titled "You don’t protect my freedom: Our childish insistence on calling soldiers heroes deadens real democracy."

RELATED: The Salon piece has generated predictable outrage from the right wing. Yesterday Todd Starnes began contacting Salon's advertisers.

REPORT: Gay US Soldiers In Afghanistan Are Using Craigslist For Hook-Ups

The wingnut-o-sphere is outraged about an Army Times report that gay US soldiers deployed to Afghanistan are using Craigslist to hook up with each other.  Military investigators are busting those caught.

Agents with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service in Afghanistan are tracking service members who are hooking up in the war zone via Internet sites such as Craigslist and busting those who violate the Uniform Code of Military Justice. And in Afghanistan, where commanders haveforbid any sexual encounters between unwed people, virtually anyone who tries to set up a meeting online can become a target of investigators. One Marine lance corporal found that out in 2012, after he posted an advertisement on Craigslist for a sexual rendezvous. The guy he met at Camp Leatherneck, whom he thought was also looking to hook up, turned out to be an undercover agent with the NCIS. Sexual activities in a war zone are as old as wars themselves, but with the advent of Internet personal ads and social media sites, arranging a sexual encounter can become brazen, public and risky. Warnings from commanders, standard guidance for any unit headed to the war zone, appear to have fallen on deaf ears in many cases.

Britain's Daily Mail tabloid has posted lurid screencaps from several of the Craigslist postings.  Here's what could happen to those caught:

Online sex solicitation is technically not a crime under the UCMJ. However, commanders have the right to enact regulations that make it a punishable offense. “Soliciting for sex on community-oriented websites such as Craigslist is not per se a chargeable offense under the Uniform Code of Military Justice,” wrote Erin Stattel, a press officer for International Security Assistance Force headquarters, in response to emailed questions from Marine Corps Times. “However, posting pornographic images on a public web or social media site is a chargeable offense. Excerpt: General Order 1.15.f states ‘creation or display of any pornographic or sexually explicit photograph ... is prohibited.'" Other chargeable offenses under the UCMJ include adultery, prostitution and pandering, which violate General Article 134. But commanders downrange are also prosecuting service members, on a case-by-case basis, under a different section of General Article 134 that bans conduct “to the prejudice of good order and discipline in the armed forces.”

A spokesman for the NCIS refused to say if investigators are entrapping soldiers by posting ads themselves.

AFGHANISTAN: Defense Department Posts Pride Clip Featuring Gay & Lesbian Troops

Military Vets Attack Westboro At NC Funeral For Slain Lesbian Soldier

From the blog Guardian of Valor:

So at the funeral today for Fallen Soldier Sgt. [Donna] Johnson a Westboro member decided it would be smart to stomp on the American flag. A Soldier did not take kindly to that and broke through the line, hitting one of the protesters that was disgracing Old Glory. As he was being arrested, two other Soldiers rescued the flag. The first video was filmed bu a friend of mine, the person you see jumping around with the flag is also a buddy. The second video was made by another person there to protect the funeral it is a little clearer. The person you see jumping around right before the Soldier runs in and clocks the member is a friend of mine. The Soldier was not charged and later released.

Hit the link for the other clips.

(Tipped by JMG reader Mike)

NORTH CAROLINA: Westboro To Protest Funeral Of Slain Married Lesbian Soldier

Sgt. Donna Johnson, who was married to a woman, was killed along with two other Americans during a suicide bombing in Afghanistan on Monday.  Today Westboro Baptist Church claims that they will be there on Saturday to protest her funeral in North Carolina.  (Tipped by JMG reader Jennifer.)

AFGHANISTAN: Married Lesbian Soldier Killed In Suicide Bomber Attack

The American Military Partner Association makes a grim announcement on its Facebook page:

In memory of Army Staff Sgt. Donna R. Johnson who gave the ultimate sacrifice to our nation in a suicide bomber attack while on patrol in Afghanistan, on Monday, Oct. 1, 2012. Staff Sgt Johnson is survived by her wife Tracy Dice. In days to come, the American Military Partner Association will be sharing more of the story of Donna & Tracy and their commitment to each other and our nation. We ask for your continued thoughts, prayers, and privacy for Tracy and her family during this difficult time.

The Army Times has published an Associated Press report.

The remains of Sgt. Donna R. Johnson, 29, of Raeford, Sgt. Jeremy F. Hardison, 23, of Browns Summit and Sgt. Thomas J. Butler IV, 25, of Leland, were flown into Dover Air Force Base Tuesday evening. The three died Monday in Khost, Afghanistan, after an insurgent detonated a suicide vest while the guardsmen were on patrol. The soldiers were assigned to the 514th Military Police Company, which is based in Winterville. The bomber struck about 9 a.m., shortly after the troops got out of their vehicles to walk through a market area in Khost, located in the eastern part of the country. The others killed included an Afghan translator working with the American troops, four local police officers and six civilians. Three more American soldiers were wounded, according to a military spokesman. About 60 Afghan civilians were also injured. A Taliban spokesman contacted Western media to claim responsibility shortly after the attack.

The AP notes that both of the other two soldiers killed had wives, but makes no mention of Sgt. Johnson's wife, who also serves in the military.

Obama's Surprise Visit To Afghanistan

Clip description:

During a surprise visit Tuesday to Afghanistan, where he signed an agreement outlining the U.S. role there after most NATO forces leave in 2014, President Barack Obama said he knew many Americans are tired of the war, but underscored a need to "finish the job." "Our goal is to destroy al-Qaida, and we are on a path to do exactly that," Mr. Obama said. The election-year speech aired live in the U.S. during prime-time hours.

Photo Of The Day - Afghanistan Pride Flag

Just posted to the Wipeout Homophobia page of Facebook with the caption: "hubbie in afghanistan raising a gay pride flag." I'm still in meetings at the journalists conference in Houston, so I'm hoping my flying monkeys can track down the back story behind this photo. (Tipped by JMG reader David)

Anti-US Protests Widen In Afghanistan

The Taliban has announced that it will now behead any American soldier captured in Afghanistan.

U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Held In Mass Slaying Of 16 Afghan Civilians

An unnamed U.S. Army staff sergeant is being held after he walked off base and went door-to-door shooting Afghan women and children to death. Both President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have issued public apologies to the Afghan goverment. CNN reports this afternoon that the suspect had only been in Afghanistan for two months before he "cracked" and went on yesterday's rampage. If found able to stand trial, the soldier could face the death penalty, although a U.S. soldier has not been executed for such a crime in several decades.

USMC Homecoming

From the Facebook page Gay Marines, where this photo has garnered over 650 comments in twelve hours. Not all of the messages are friendly, but most are.

UPDATE: Stogiebear found us this link.

"To everyone who has responded in a positive way. My partner and I want to say thank you. Dalan, the giant in the photo, can't believe how many shares and likes we have gotten on this. We didn't do this to get famous,or something like that we did this cause after 3 deployments and four years knowing each other, we finally told each other how we felt. As for the haters, let em hate...to quote Kat Williams, everyone needs haters, so let them hate. We are the happiest we have ever been and as for the whole PDA and kissing slash hugging in uniform...it was a homecoming, if the Sergeants Major, Captains, Majors, and Colonels around us didn't care...then why do you care what these random people have to say? In summation thank you for your love and support. I received a lot of friend requests off this. I don't just accept requests so if your request was because of this post message me and let me know. Goodnight all, and Semper Fi." --Brandon Morgan

NOTE: This post has been widely linked on many sites such as Yahoo News and Free Republic. Please beware of Bible-waving troll commenters spewing spittle-flecked superstition and Godly hatred. Fuck them. Fuck them right in the motherfucking ear.

Out U.S. Troops - It Gets Better

Perry: Obama Disdains The Military

Rick Perry says that pursuing criminal charges against those pissing Marines is evidence of the Obama administration's disdain for the military.

Quote Of The Day - Pam Geller

"Would anyone have CAIRed if Marines urinated on dead Nazi soldiers during WWII? (Anyone besides CAIR and Nazis, that is). I love these Marines. Perhaps this is the infidel interpretation of the Islamic ritual of washing and preparing the body for burial." - Wingnut blogger Pam Geller on the USMC video scandal. CAIR is the DC-based Council on American-Islamic Relations and today they issued a condemnation of the involved Marines.

Afghan Leadership Condemns U.S. Marines For Body Desecration Video

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has issued a strong denouncement of the video which appears to depict U.S. Marines urinating on the bodies of killed Taliban fighters.

In a statement, President Karzai's office said: "The government of Afghanistan is deeply disturbed by a video that shows American soldiers desecrating dead bodies of three Afghans. "This act by American soldiers is simply inhuman and condemnable in the strongest possible terms. We expressly ask the US government to urgently investigate the video and apply the most severe punishment to anyone found guilty in this crime." Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi told the BBC that this was not the first time Americans had carried out such a "wild action" and that Taliban attacks on the Americans would continue.

The story dominated international news programs last night as the Pentagon scrambled to identify and punish the involved service members.

VIDEO: The Afghan public reacts.

Leaked Video Depicts U.S. Soldiers Urinating On Dead Taliban Members

The Pentagon and the USMC are facing international condemnation after the posting of a video that purportedly shows U.S. Marines urinating on the bodies of alleged members of the Taliban.

"Headquarters Marine Corps has recently been made aware of a video that portrays Marines urinating on what appear to be deceased members of the Taliban," the USMC statement said. "While we have not yet verified the origin or authenticity of this video, the actions portrayed are not consistent with our core values and are not indicative of the character of the Marines in our Corps." The video surfaced on several websites early Wednesday. On one website, the member who posted the video identified the Marines as belonging to the 3/2 Marine battalion out of Camp Lejeune. The battalion served in the northern Helmand Province in Afghanistan last summer.

We'll see some payback for this, bet on it.

WARNING: The video is exactly as described. NSFW.


UPDATE: UK tabloid The Daily Mail has more.

At one point one of the men can be heard saying: 'Have a great day, buddy' to laughter from his colleagues. Another of them jokes: 'Golden like a shower' and 'Yeahhhh!' as they groan with relief whilst urinating. It is not clear if the corpses belong to civilians or insurgents engaged in combat, although the film does appear to have been shot in Afghanistan. The anonymous person who posted it included the caption: 'Scout sniper team 4 with 3rd battalion 2nd marines out of camp lejeune peeing on dead talibans.' The film is likely to spark a huge diplomatic row between Washington and Kabul and rekindle memories of the abuse meted out by American troops at Abu Ghraib in Iraq. The three corpses are all male and are wearing civilian clothes. The youngest lies on his front with an overturned wheelbarrow dumped by his side. The other two are on their backs and one has a large blood stain on his chest.

The Marine Corps Times reports that an investigation to identify the soldiers has been launched.

WASHINGTON: Anti-War Protesters Arrested In U.S. Senate Building

Soldiers Lip-Dub Britney Spears

Addicted To War

Today In Teabagger Asshattery

Teabagger Rep. Allen West says that President Obama is a chickenshit for secretly landing Air Force One under the cover of darkness when visiting Afghanistan. The president should totally come under the same enemy fire that our brave soldiers do every day!