Two and a Half years ago!...........It's finally happening!

                                Originally posted: Sunday, July 21, 2013 

As the United States plies its brand of “democracy” in the Mideast and Persia, the Church State of Iran is countering with spreading their unique brand of Islam. It has become painfully evident that the U.S. does not have a clue when it comes to understanding any other religion forms of Christianity and Judaism. The fate of all the Mideast, Persian, and neighboring Countries hangs in the balance. With most of Europe and all of Russia sharing in this demise, the longer this state of affairs exists, the longer western expansionist tendencies in the region will last, and the more dramatic Iran’s reaction will be. What is perfectly clear is that outside involvement in the Mideast and Persia is not about the oil. It’s not about human rights. It is about the total lack of understanding of the Islamic religion. This lack of understanding fuels a high level of fear that the political and corporate driven attempts to bring calm and peace to the region can’t seem to resolve. In this case, ignorance is not bliss; it is very dangerous to the world as a whole. There is a solution to all the turmoil that has been draining the human resources of too many Countries around the world.

The solution is three-fold in nature. The first part involves a concerted effort by all non-Islamic nations to do their best in understanding the true nature of the Islamic religion. This is not a religion that foments jihad, or any sort of extreme violence. As religions go, Islam is a very beneficent religion; loving, nurturing, kind, and forgiving. The second part of the equation involves the non-Islamic nations understanding and accepting that some folks prefer a Church State to that of a western style governmental structure. Not everyone wants to be like the United States; or, Canada, England, Spain, Greece, Russia, China, etc. Once these two are put into practice, Islamic governments around the globe will truly feel that they have a place at the table, and they aren’t going to be targets of colonialism, expansionism, or occupation.

The third part is a little trickier, but not out of the realm of possibility. This would be a legal form of State sponsored assassination. The “State” in this instance would ideally be the United Nations. As a world body, the U.N. should have the ability to remove singular despots from their perches as Kings, Emirs, Dictators, Grand Imams, Ayatollahs, etc. The benchmark would not include how a ruler got into power, but what he did once he assumed that leadership role.  Topping the list of determinants for assassination would be Human Rights, as describe by the U.N.; not described by any one member Nation, or private interest group. The U.N. would have the right to choose the “who, what, when, where, and why” for this action to proceed. In no way would any corporate influence be allowed to have any weight, whatsoever, in determining the specific action. Sorry, Dick Cheney. Sorry, Halliburton. Sorry, Exxon-Mobil.

This third part, being relative drastic in nature, would necessarily be preceded by diplomatic efforts to resolve the problem in a predetermined time period. Given the enactment of this third option, it would only take a few legal assassinations to let folks know that the world means business when it comes to peaceful coexistence. In defining “crisis intervention”, this type of action offers the absolute minimum of collateral damage to people, places, and things. Certainly, all peace-loving people would agree that lowering the “collateral damage” quotient is a desirable element in achieving World Peace.

The current situation in the Near-East and Mideast is not sustainable for very much longer. The next step will undoubtedly be an escalation of hostile takeovers that the world has never seen before. The entire quagmire will amount to a “domino effect” more damaging than that which occurred in Indo-China in the 1950’s, 60’s, & 70’s; an effect the United States has yet to recover from. And, of course, what happens to Israel is totally up in the air, as they will be surrounded by the opposition.

Posted by Hutch Dubosque at 7/21/2013 12:23:00 PM 

“Recent al-Qaida push stresses LI Iraq War vets” – NEWSDAY

My friend, Martin Evans, is keeping the flame alive, as he reports on the plight of Long Island’s Veteran population. His most recent article, below, helps to give some insight to the feelings of frustration and anger that our OIF & OEF Veterans are currently experiencing. The old guard, Viet Nam Veterans, had a similar feeling of despair, frustration, anger, and mistrust after the fall of South Viet Nam in 1975. I am honored with the opportunity to walk among some of our newly returned Veterans, and I am equally saddened by what they are going through in their battle to re-enter civilian life. As Mr. Evans has reported before, the suicide rate for our younger Veterans is climbing at alarming speed. It is now true that the primary cause of death for Soldiers and Veterans is suicide, not being in battle. Thank you Martin, for keeping this subject on the radar.

I sincerely hope that the United States of America comes to its senses, and stops making Veterans.

Originally published: January 9, 2014 7:53 PM
Updated: January 9, 2014 9:27 PM
By MARTIN C. EVANS (click)martin.evans@newsday.com

   Photo credit: Newsday / John Paraskevas | Francis Romanitch,

   a Marine Corps reservist who helped pacify Anbar Province

   when he served in Iraq. (Jan. 9, 2014)

The al-Qaida takeover of parts of Iraq's Anbar province, where about a third of American troops killed in the war perished, has left area Iraq War veterans bitterly wondering what their sacrifice was all about.

"It's disheartening," said Francis Romanitch, 28, a Marine Corps reservist who served in the Anbar city of Ramadi in 2004 as Marines fought door-to-door 25 miles away in Fallujah. “It’s like seeing the Japanese flag flying over Iwo Jima 10 years after World War II," said Romanitch, of Babylon.

Last week, al-Qaida-linked forces overran parts of Fallujah and Ramadi, commandeering police and military facilities, and setting up armed checkpoints. The White House has ruled out resending U.S. troops -- who withdrew from Iraq in 2011 -- but is providing the Iraqi government with arms.

Beginning in 2004, Anbar, a Sunni power base for Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein before his capture, became the scene of some of the bloodiest confrontations during the war.

After insurgents hung the burned bodies of four American contractors from a bridge in Fallujah, U.S. troops that April rooted out opponents during weeks of door-to-door confrontations. But they paid a horrific price, according to historian Richard Lowry, author of the book "New Dawn: The Battles for Fallujah."

"These young Marines -- 19 years old -- went in every building and every room of Fallujah," Lowry told Fox News. "They entered darkened rooms, kicking down doors, never knowing if they would find an Iraqi family hunkered down in fear or an Islamist terrorist waiting to shoot them and kill them. And they did that over and over and over again."

Mental health workers have said witnessing a military collapse can be emotionally traumatic for war veterans regardless of what conflict they fought in.

"It's re-traumatizing, if you will," said Denis Demers, who served as a psychological medic in Vietnam and now counsels veterans at the Suffolk Veterans Service Agency.

In 2004, Michael Posner was stationed in Mosul with a New York National Guard unit when a bomb ripped through a military mess tent, riddling him with shrapnel and killing 14 fellow soldiers. He said watching parts of Iraq slip under insurgent control weighs heavily on him.

"It brings back a lot of memories and flashbacks," said Posner, 43, of Bellport. Feelings of anxiety, depression and anger spawned by his wartime experience for a while pushed  him to abuse alcohol and cost him his marriage.

"I lost a part of my soul over there," he said.

Posner, who since returning from Iraq has helped counsel fellow soldiers suffering from anxiety attacks, said he's recently received phone calls from veterans expressing rage.

"A lot of these guys lost a lot of their buddies and saw a lot of bloodshed," he said. "There was so much work they did, and it's gone to hell."

Scott Molloy, 29, of Kings Park, who served in Afghanistan in 2012, said the feeling of accomplishment he had over there has turned to disillusionment. Molloy has struggled to control feelings of anger and frustration related to post-traumatic stress disorder. He said those feelings have worsened because of the al-Qaeda surge.

"It hits you like a ton of bricks," he said. "You ask yourself, 'Why did I go through all that? Why am I suffering?' "d him to abuse alcohol and cost him his marriage.

Galleries:

(click)Honoring Long Island's veterans 

(click)Military heroes return to Long Island

(click)LI, NYC war casualties

(click)LI troops who died in war