Archives: March 2007
Sun Mar 25, 2007
The Time Has Come for Congress to End This War.
Join Us In a Nationwide Direct Action Campaign:
We have reached a critical juncture. The administration is escalating the war in Iraq while making ominous threats against Iran. Staying in Iraq is not an option. The safe and expeditious withdrawal of U.S. troops needs to begin immediately.
Visit The Occupation Project in St. Louis website, www.occupationstl.net, for additional information and the latest updates on local actions.
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Sat Mar 24, 2007
LaVena Johnson - 1985-2005
This is PFC LaVena Johnson in her 2004 Hazelwood Central HS graduation picture. She died in Iraq in July 2005 just a few days short of her 20th birthday. The Army ruled it a suicide, but her family says foul play was involved.
PFC LaVena Johnson died of a gunshot wound to the head according to the Army. The mortuary confirmed that there was an apparent bullet wound to the left side of PFC Johnson’s head. The Army said nothing, however, about other signs of trauma to her body. There has been no explanation for the two loose teeth, “busted lip” which required reconstruction by the mortuary, broken nose, and dislocated arm. Further there were indications that someone tried to set her body and the tent where her body was found on fire. The Army has also provided no explanation for a trail of blood outside of the tent where she died. According to Army documents and her family LaVena Johnson showed no signs of depression or despondency.
There are other suspicious and unexplained facts in this case. The family wants to find out the truth—the whole truth. You can view video here or read text here of a KMOV (St. Louis) news report on this case.
Want to help?
• Fax, email, or call your representative and senators. Ask them to put pressure on the Army to reopen the PFC LaVena Johnson case. A flood of inquiries can only help this family get answers from a reluctant Army.
• For more information and to sign a petition to reopen the case go to:
http://lavenajohnson.blogspot.com
• Download and distribute a flyer with this same information (right-click here, PDF, 95 KB.)
Justice for PFC LaVena Johnson!
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Fri Mar 23, 2007
The House Fails the Test, Shows Profound Lack of Courage
March 23, 2007 - In a stunning demonstration of shameless political calculation, today the Democrats led the House of Representatives to adopt H.R. 1591, a modified version of President Bush's "Emergency Supplemental for the Global War on Terror." In so doing, the Democrats bought the Iraq War by supplying the administration with an ADDITIONAL $124 BILLION for fiscal year 2007 (on top of the $70 BILLION already allocated) to ramp up the carnage and compound the American disaster.
This afternoon, IOW and the Occupation Project in St. Louis delivered a "Deed to the Iraq War and Occupation" to Representative Carnahan's office, in recognition of his vote to continue the funding and the war. We are sad to report that Representative Lacy Clay, a member of the Out of Iraq Caucus and a co-sponsor of the Lee Amendment, broke ranks with the caucus and joined with the majority of House Democrats in support of H.R. 1591 today, and he can expect to receive his own copy of the Deed to the Iraq War from us soon.
In the coming days, IOW and the Occupation Project in St. Louis will continue to oppose a similar measure being considered in the Senate. We'll need your help. For updates and details, be sure to check back here and at the Occupation Project in St. Louis website.
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