By Linda Gale Nolen

lindagale@excite.com

During the course of the Afghan and Iraqi conflicts the US Department
of Defense (DoD) conducted "perception management" campaigns that obstructed the public's appreciation of the wars' human toll.
http://www.oldamericancentury.org/index.htm

Carl Conetta
18 February 2004 "WE DON'T DO BODY COUNTS."
The irrelevance of enemy combatant casualties.
http://www.comw.org/pda/0402rm9exsum.html

I would strongly encourage everyone to read the article
above titled
“Disappearing the dead:
Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Idea of a New Warfare.”

Clearly, in the grand scheme of things, these details may seem trivial.
But it is from these kinds of misconceptions that real blood and real
deaths do occur.

Last year, I began writing articles about the bogus “body counts”.
I know that most journalists do know that the actual amount of
casualties of US soldiers, and our allies in Afghanistan and Iraq, and
the civilian workers from the various allied countries is at least three
times higher than any number published so far. Yet, some of them
continue quoting the Body Count, which the Pentagon "approves"
for publication.

Many good journalists continue using “MAJOR” combat ended; which
our Selected President, Bush-the-wannabe, DID NOT SAY on May 1,
but did say that “COMBAT HAS ENDED”; as he preened like the cock
of the walk on the USS Lincoln.

He did NOT say “MAJOR” combat had ended. Anyone who was watching
him, and listening to him that day in May KNOWS that he didn’t say
MAJOR in that sentence or any other that day.

I can understand why the mainstream journalists would parrot this
untrue addition by the White House, who even admitted inserting the
word MAJOR into “combat ended”, into their transcripts prepared for
public consumption. But what troubles me most is that even our most
diligent and talented journalists continue repeating this egregious error.

Another error being repeated is that Bush is AWOL. When the fact IS that
G. W. Bush was, according to Military rules, FIRST AWOL, and then a
DESERTER. And, being a deserter in a time of war (Vietnam), according
to military rules, qualifies him to be shot.

Below are only a few websites on this subject.
While these are found on GOOGLE search engine, there are
so many on all of the search engines I cannot understand how
anyone could continue writing that Bush was merely AWOL.
And, even being AWOL carries punishment which Bush has
yet to receive.

http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Deserter

Desertion
is the act of abandoning or withdrawing support from
someone or something to which you owe allegiance,
responsibility or loyalty.

In a military unit
it is the act of leaving the unit without intention of returning.

In the U.S. military a person becomes AWOL
when he or she is absent from their post without a valid pass

That person is dropped from their unit rolls
after 30 days and is listed as a deserter.

However, as a matter of U.S. military law
desertion is not measured by time away from the unit, but rather:

to avoid hazardous duty or shirk important responsibility;

if he or she enlists or accepts an appointment in the same or
another branch of service without disclosing the fact that he
or she has not been properly separated from current service;
or

if he or she enters a foreign armed force not as authorized
by the United States.

A person who is away for more than 30 days but returns voluntarily
or indicates a credible intent to return may still be considered AWOL,
while a person away for fewer than 30 days who can credibly be
shown to have no intent to return
(as by joining the armed forces of another country

may nevertheless be tried for desertion.

Was George W. Bush a Deserter?
No. Just AWOL: Archive Entry From ...

This morning I wondered again WHY respected journalists would
continue writing that Bush was only AWOL when he was clearly
A DESERTER? I know that they have been trying to get to the
TRUTH and they have done an excellent job of it, for the most part.

We all know that IF a LIE is repeated often enough it will become
accepted and believed by a large number of people. Especially,
people who still believe that “if it is in the news” in any venue,
it MUST be true.

So today I appeal to my fellow writers’ to correct these errors and
start writing the truth of these misleading “deceptions” by our miltary
and government. I ask this in the name of those of us who want our
country to unseat the maniacs in control now.

This administration has made a habit of ignoring the specifics,
rounding off the truth, in the name of “just get to it! and never
mind the small stuff.” That is how we came to be in Iraq in the first
place, by ignoring the details, and just going for the moment,
without noting clearly, the reality of what was really being done.

Remember, WE outnumber THEM!