AltWeeklies Wire
Meet the People Who Fought (and Continue to Fight) Our Wars in the Middle Eastnew
More than 1.5 million Americans have fought in this country's two ongoing wars. While public interest and news coverage in Iraq and Afghanistan have waxed and waned, these volunteers have continued to stream to and from the battlefield. Here are 12 such people from the Philadelphia area.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Charles Cieri |
07-07-2009 |
War
War Is Over! If You Want Itnew
Six years and $600 billion later, more than 4,250 Americans and at least 91,000 Iraqi civilians are dead, many more are maimed or crippled and the nation's economy spirals toward ruin. For those concerned with peace, now is the time to march again.
Pasadena Weekly |
Joe Piasecki |
03-24-2009 |
War
Tags: Iraq, antiwar movement
Soldiers Committing Suicidenew
The US military is experiencing a troubling uptick in suicides -- both with active-duty troops overseas and with returned vets. The culprit is post-traumatic stress disorder, and the Pentagon has neither the money, the know-how, or the will to stop it.
Boston Phoenix |
Jason Notte |
03-12-2009 |
War
Marines Dump Donations in the Miramar Landfillnew
For years, Jeff Seymour collected donations of reading materials and other items from area businesses to be shipped to U.S. troops overseas. Now he wants the Marines to explain to him why they unceremoniously dumped thousands of the donations into the Miramar Landfill.
San Diego CityBeat |
David Silva |
02-25-2009 |
War
Sending Troubled Soldiers Back into Battle: A Recipe for Suicide?new
More than 717,000 soldiers have deployed at least twice to the war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan. Some, like John Fish, have been ordered deployed for a second tour even after telling military doctors they're thinking about committing suicide.
San Luis Obispo New Times |
Aaron Glantz |
02-23-2009 |
War
Evicted Again: Boise Refugees Down to Two Week's Rentnew
Refugee families resettled in Boise from Iraq and Bhutan are perilously close to the end of their housing allowance and few have found jobs. Aid agencies are not sure how to help.
Boise Weekly |
Nathaniel Hoffman |
02-18-2009 |
International
Obama's Weasel Words on Iraq
Obama promises to redeploy "combat troops" from Iraq. In practice, however, there's no difference between "combat troops" and "advisers." Four years from now, Americans will still be fighting, killing and dying in Iraq.
Vermont's Iraqi Refugees Struggle to Rebuild Shattered Livesnew
In the last year, about 50 Iraqis have been resettled in the Burlington area, and their numbers are growing.
Seven Days |
Ken Picard |
12-10-2008 |
Immigration
Escaping Baghdad and Finding Refuge in Metro Detroitnew
Hundreds of Iraqis have resettled in metro Detroit during the last two years as the United States finally opened to these refugees of the war in Iraq. This year, more than 2,000 Iraqis are expected to flock here. These are some of their stories.
Metro Times |
Sandra Svoboda |
12-09-2008 |
Immigration
Why Aren't We Attacking Somalia's Pirates?
We bomb Afghan wedding parties like they're going out of style. Why aren't we going after Somalia's pirates?
Who's Running the University of Oregon?new
A inquiry to the Oregon Attorney General's reveals the University of Oregon hasn't been governing itself legally, according to state law, in 30 years.
Eugene Weekly |
Camilla Mortensen |
11-21-2008 |
Education
Vets with PTSD Tackle the Scars You Can't Seenew
New cases of PTSD are flooding the VA system. Some veterans of earlier wars know what those Iraq and Afghanistan vets are in for.
Remember to Appreciate the Soldier Even if You Disagree with the Missionnew
Sadly, some of us still need to learn to treat our vets with respect and common decency. Agree or disagree with the reasons behind the war, but appreciate the fact that our military personnel -- on Veterans Day and all year -- decide to walk a difficult road in service to the rest of us.
Tucson Weekly |
Irene Messina |
11-06-2008 |
War
Iraq's Democracy is on Shaky Foundationsnew
Iraq really does have a kind of democracy now, even if the price was very high. But it is a democracy built on shaky foundations, and one of the shakiest bits is the relationship with the United States.
NOW Magazine |
Gwynne Dyer |
10-27-2008 |
International
Thousands of Wounded Vets Are Called to Fight Againnew
After nearly two years of convalescing and almost fully recovering from being shot in the shoulder and suffering a head wound from a bomb, Ismail Cabral has been told to expect to start another two-year tour of duty within the next six months. And he's not alone.
Pasadena Weekly |
Kevin Uhrich |
10-07-2008 |
War
