A Blog from Iraq... a soldier tells the truth

[Kevin Spidel]

A few days ago I posted an audio recording from a friend in Iraq, planning to return home in January to run for U.S. Senate. The original post is here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3903280

He called yesterday to leave another voicemail and I posted his recording here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=3911437&mesg_id=3911437


It is getting serious. His higher-ups are reading all he writes and tapping his calls back to me. Because many folks asked about his past writings and how they can communicate with him, and his desire to still report the truth from over there... I have started a new blog site for him.

Please go to http://www.leonardclark.com/blog

I will update it when I have the time (usually late at nights.)

Peace, and thank you for making sure his voice is heard!

Kevin

[Wapsie B]

1. Don't they have a 10 year gag order

once they leave the service? It's great that he's telling what's actually happening over there but I would think he could be in serious trouble for doing so. I hope I'm wrong about this.

[Kevin Spidel]

2. He is with the National Guard Reserves...

things are a bit different then the other branches. He signed up to protect the American borders and help out during disasters. But got shipping off to Iraq.

He does think he is going to get in trouble if you listen to the recordings. But he has asked me to "keep on it."

[eleny]

4. But others are speaking out

Remember the soldier who lost his arm and was in that public service spot made for tv? I don't know if any 10 year gag order will stand, especially given the anti war climate growing in the country. Just my 2¢.

[stillcool]

5. interesting that you bring that up....

the following is an excerpt from Michael Ruppert's 'Crossing the Rubicon', which i find curious. He, is referring to insider trading on 9/11, but what caught my interest was the part about congress. Know anywhere i can find more on this practice?



"Indeed, no one could hope to get away with it unless they controlled all the enforcement mechanisms that would be called in afterward.
This expansion of the SEC probe was later confirmed by the San Francisco Chronicle, which reported that the SEC's action in establishing "relationships" with private brokerage houses "effectively deputizes hundreds, if not thousands, of key players in the private sector. What happens when you deputize someone in a national security or criminal investigation is that you make it illegal for them to disclose publicly what they know. Smart move. In effect, they become government agents and are controlled by government regulations rather than their own conscience. In fact, they can be thrown in jail without a hearing if they talk publicly. I have seen this implied threat time and again with federal investigators, intelligence agents, and even members of the United States Congress who are bound so tightly by secrecy oaths and agreements that they are not even able to disclose criminal activities inside the government for fear of incarceration. Even members of Congress fear that kind of retaliation and punishment. That restraint is much worse for members of congressional intelligence committees who sign even more draconian secrecy agreements in order to get their assignments."

[EVDebs]

11. This happened to the Banco Nationale Lavoro guy in Georgia

during the original arming of Saddam, illegally, as mentioned in the book Spider's Web by Alan Friedman.

This US employee got sent away to prison.

[stillcool]

15. Thanks....i'll check it out !! n/t

[EVDebs]

20. The 'fall guys' were Christopher Drogoul, who married Maxwell Rabb's

daughter (Rabb was amb. to Italy)--Drogoul being used in the BNL-Atlanta fiasco of Iraqgate funding during the Reagan/GHWBush years; Frank Machon, in Scotland; and Fred Haobsh, another 'small fry'.

Spider's Web shows these guys all taking the fall for the 'secret history of how the White House illegally armed Iraq' (the book's subtitle).

Great financial reporting in the tradition of Jonathan Kwitny. Must reading for those who are going to do the legal legwork and get 'background' on this.

Drogoul's testimony at
http://www.webcom.com/~pinknoiz/covert/drogoul.html

Fred Haobsh
http://www.namebase.org/main2/Fred-Haobsh.html

Frank Machon
http://www.namebase.org/main2/Frank-Machon.html

[babylonsister]

3. Your friend is doing what independent reporters

were encouraged to do during VN. Boy, how times have changed, and not for the better. Thanks, Kevin!

[Just Me]

6. Oh, my gosh,...

,...tell him to habitually journal what's happening and secret it away somehow. But, he really needs to protect himself as a first priority; otherwise, neither he or the truth will reach the light of day. He needs to find a way to pass along the info without endangering his own safety. Please, tell him to be very, very cautious.

:cry: I hate that our good people, our good soldiers are being placed in such precarious conditions.

[Auntie Bush]

9. I guess he doesn't need reminding of what happened to the Italian

journalists. It's risky to have anything on his computer that the FBI or CIA can get off his hard drive. Hard to know what to do.

I can't believe America has come to this! Thanks bush*!

[EVDebs]

13. Don't forget the NSA, who have more employees. n/t

[babylonsister]

10. Just Me, your comment reminded me of

WWII and what people who were interred in camps had to do to preserve their stories and history . You're right...
:cry: :cry: :cry:

[Just Me]

18. It's just so wrong, so painful, so frightening sometimes.

That this country has ebbed towards such extremes that the truth must be secreted and protected in such ways is just plain disturbing.

It's wrong and I find myself swinging from tears to anger, struggling for center and reason, all the time. Extremists are fucking up our country and every personal defense mechanism, whether based upon reason or emotion or intuition, is "ON" all the time.

Goddamnit, a democracy does NOT push the ALERT button in such a way. Only INTENTIONAL TYRANNY operates to sustain the human fear/flight mechanism!!! And this intentional tyranny composed of BushCO & neoCONs and constituents have convinced themselves that they are delivering a better world? They must must MUST be sick sick SICK human beings who have no no NO hope for human capacity.

They know not what they do? Personally, I believe they simply do NOT have the strength of character to responsibly handle power for the betterment of humanity and the world. I think they are brilliantly weak.

[babylonsister]

21. Not to mention frustrating. We know what's happening

is wrong, but it's so hard for us to convince others of this intentional tyranny (great expression, BTW). Their brilliant weakness is working on those who are as brilliantly weak. I pray this country will wake up! :banghead:

[Nordmadr]

7. That is amazing. n/t

[bluestateguy]

8. It's time for a change in policy

Uniformed personnell must be allowed to freely criticize the commander in chief. They must be free to speak their mind about him and his policies. That will force some measure of democratic accountability upon the president and his tendency to arbitrarily take this country into wars.

[Kevin Spidel]

12. thank you for taking intrest...

one more vote for greatest. it would make him proud to know his words are making an impact.

[Disturbed]

14. It's just fine for NGs to talk about Saddam though.

No problem that these guys were all over the Corp. Media alking about Saddam and his habits and statements. Double Standard is SOP for the GOP.

[kliljedahl]

16. A vote for greatest

and an offer to help with the site if you need it. I'm not the greatest but I do have some site building skills.


Keith’s Barbeque Central

[whatever4]

17. Send him this http://www.hushmail.com/

I've used it, so I know it works. http://www.hushmail.com/ Seriously encrypted email, for free.

Also http://www.anonymizer.com/, which has a browser that uses proxy, makes it harder to track what you do

They'd have a harder time spying, maybe ;) And there ain't nothing ellegal about it I know of. You have to allow they to pry, it's the law, UCMJ style. YOu don't have to make it easy. I have no idea if they have regs against encryption or not, but this is a website you hit for your email, so he could access it from anywhere he has internet access. If it's not blocked, of course.

That being said, under the UCMJ, he can get in trouble for anything he says against the president or policies. But what he probably needs to be most careful of is being sent into danger, intentionally.

[Monkie]

22. not a good idea to start encrypting,hes on a military network?

i'm not sure if hes allowed to use encryption but i wouldnt use it since his free speech is legal whereas suddenly encrypting traffic on what may be a military network implies illegality and might raise all kinds of (new?) suspicions against him or be used as a excuse for more serious monitoring

[frictionlessO]

19. Oh!! oh! oh... words fail.... good job Kevin.

I'll be keeping Leonard in mind....

[JRob]

23. will follow