Iraq War Military Casualties Hit 3,000


Monitoring site www.icasualities.org lists the U.S. led coalition's military dead at 3,000. Wounded and sick soldiers total 46,880. See for yourself: www.icasualities.org.

Blood spilled in a needless war. Too bad we don't see some remorse from our commander in chief.

Bush Should Resign For Good Of The Party

Ok. I'll be the first to say it: George Bush should resign as president for the good of the Republican Party. Coming off a November election rout the extent of which took the party by surprise, the GOP is searching for new life, new direction, new leadership. The party's chairman and many of its senior leaders, from Delay to Santorum, have been replaced. Talk in Republican circles focuses on a return to core values and a renewed call for less government.

But in fact, the party is evolving and beginning to sound more open minded and ethical. It is now considering alternatives in Iraq, finally facing up the facts on the ground. (Of course, a noted exception in John McCain, who is calling for more troops. At least a debate has begun.) Even Rumsfeld, in a secret memo, is admitting the failure of current policy.

The contrast is Bush, who continues to dodge what the rest of the world knows: that Iraq is in a civil war. As Frank Rich points out this weekend, Bush remains out of touch. He insists Al Qaeda is fueling the fighting when his own generals acknowledge Al Qaeda fighters make up only 2% to 3% of the insurgency. Even Iraqi leaders snub him at high-level meetings abroad.

During the election, Republican candidates ran the other way when Bush came to town. They saw their prospects for office hurt by a simple photo-op with the commander in chief. It is time the Republican Party heed the advice of its own candidates. Jettison Bush, the sooner the better, and rebuild the party with new leadership. The GOP has been led astray and, just like with Iraq, the old leadership won't change direction fast enough. The choice is simple: renew the party with new leadership today or stay the current course.

Life Under Threat In Oaxaca

Here is an e-mail I received from Mexico:

blancanegro wrote:
Oaxaca

-Teachers have responded immediately against the military entering schools, backed by parents who in some cases have chased military out of classrooms with rocks. Kids are of course frightened, crying, running. The 3rd article of the Mexican Constitution guarantees education for all. Military, uniformed and otherwise have entered over 10 schools.

-A march of around 5000 people, primarily teachers, ended at the Plaza de la Danza in front of the Soledad Church , a bold and courageous gathering following the wave of disappearances and arrests that continue.

-Demonstrators marched in each of Oaxaca 's seven regions, as many as 6000 in Juchitan and several thousand in each region: la Valle Central , la Canada, la Mixteca, la Sierra, la Costa , Tuxtepec, el Istmo,

-Large concentrations of military were stationed at the highway entrances to the city, especially in the direction of the Indigenous Sierra.

-The Forum of the Indigenous Communities of Oaxaca met with APPO in the Church of the Poor, surrounded by a ring of plain-clothed militia. "Never more a Mexico without us for the autonomy and resonstruction of our Indigenous communities".

-1280 AM, the station of congressman Lobez Lena continues to broadcast in support of the movement.

-Radio Guelatao continues to broadcast.

-Radio Ciudadana, that of the PRI, continues to be a weapon: supporters of the movement, whether teachers, professors, APPO members, doctors or health workers, or others, are specifically named, their address provided, listeners are encouraged to burn their homes and act against them. People who have been targeted in this way have had to leave the city or seek refuge.

-The APPO directive has had to leave Oaxaca, some disguised, and continue to work with the national and international community in support of the civic and peaceful movement in Oaxaca. There may be a meeting Monday with government.

- 522 now imprisoned, 200 arrested of which 150 are teachers, 100 disappeared. 14 others were arrested on Dec.1. Some of the arrests continue to be completely arbitrary.

-Nine prisoners have been identified as employees of the PRI and responsible for fires set in certain buildings the night of Nov. 25.

- Prisoners are being transported to the maximum security prison in Nayarit, and medium security prisons in Jalisco and Tamaulipas. Lawyers are being denied access to prisoners, and families forced to present unreasonable proof of identity that may or may not permit contact, another form of cruel harrassment.

-The Federal Preventative Police acknowledge that 200 local and state police are out of their control, Ulises Ruiz'/the PRI's private militia.