Salem-News.com Afghanistan articles

Afghanistan, the Unlearned Lesson

The Russians were in Afghanistan for about nine years at great cost in blood and national wealth. Now Americans (and others, including Canada) are there trying to civilize the uncivilizable.

(CALGARY, Alberta) - Unless you were born in Afghanistan and lived there all your life, you would certainly know about James Michener. After a December, 1979 invasion, by February, 1980, the Soviets were having their military adventure in Afghanistan. I was editor of the Airdrie Echo then.

This was before the internet and before detailed information (and misinformation) was at everyone’s fingertips. In an attempt to inform my readers, I published a review of James Michener’s 1963 book Caravans–a novel that took place in 1946 Afghanistan. Here’s my book review, unchanged, with a 2009 update.

Army Announces Independent Body Armor Review

The NRC will perform an independent assessment of ongoing body armor testing.

(WASINGTON D.C.) - Secretary of the Army John McHugh announced today that the National Research Council (NRC) will perform an independent assessment of the Army's body armor testing, following last month's recommendation by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) for an independent review.

The NRC functions under the auspices of the National Academies, a private, nonprofit institution that provides science, technology, and health policy advice to the federal government and the public on critical national issues.

Graft, Corruption and Cheap Politics in America are Winning the War for the Taliban

The old Taliban is gone. This is a reality we haven't even considered. The realities of power in Afghanistan have shifted, changed permanently. They can go back but only so far back.

(CINCINNATI, Ohio) - Even if analysts existed who understood Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and the other countries of this region, their history, their people and why war and threat of war is a way of life, even if America's "decision makers" knew how ill conceived our policies are, how self defeating and how hopeless, we would make the same mistakes.

We have willed ourselves this fate.

VA and Army Medical Care: More Dangerous than IED`s
It`s Also More Futile

Because medical cannabis is legal in Oregon I ended up with about one thousand PTSD Vets from all recent wars as legal MMJ users.

(MOLALLA, Ore.) - Along with other writers here, I have repeatedly posted articles of the same tone and I have received dozens of emails agreeing with me or commenting further in the same vein.

I have had very few comments from Vets stating that they had received good or even adequate care.

Army Psychiatrists: PTSD & Major Hasan - Retread

It's not a personality disorder.

(MOLALLA, Ore.) - The Fort Hood Massacre leaves many questions in my mind. I can look at this and think about it from several viewpoints. I did have a year of psychology in college and a course of psychiatry in medical school. By any standard that is not enough.

I did have advanced psychology courses in the Infantry as a Private Combat Infantryman. I was convinced that most of my sergeants, junior officers and even farther up the brass chain were off kilter.

The Dog House Helps Vets With PTSD

Blackdog Foundation is a self funded veteran outreach that deals with the most unpleasant aspects of PTSD such as domestic/community violence intervention and mediation.

(OLYMPIA, Wash. ) - I started using the 38ft LCPL (WWII landing craft) my wife bought me to get Blackdog Foundation (Blackdog is a 501c3 set up to help veterans) out of her spare bedroom I was using as an office.

From the first time we used it, it blew me away how much peace using the boat brought those I was working with on PTSD issues.

Veterans Gather in Protest of `Death by Remote Control`

Peace Gathering in Hood River calls for end of Drone Warfare.

(HOOD RIVER, Ore.) - Anti-war Veterans and other activists gathering for a special event Friday in Hood River, Oregon, say the new form of warfare in Afghanistan and Iraq involves death being delivered by remote control from thousands of miles away.

Gordon Sturrock, co-founder of VeteransAgainstTorture.com, believes this death-from-beyond concept removes all signs of humanity from the process. He says for the pro-war set, "it is a new form of justice, It's a trial by Hellfire missile, quick and cheap. No need for expensive time consuming trials. No risk at all to American lives."

Medical Marijuana and the By-Product Industry: Drug Counselors, e.g. Roger Burt MSW

As marijuana becomes increasingly accepted, what will the people who profited from the misinformation do?

(MOLALLA, Ore.) - I hope everybody knows that I am a strong advocate for Medical Marijuana/Cannabis based upon its effective, safe medical use for the last 4000 years.

As a physician/pharmacologist/toxicologist who has assiduously studied the subject for 50 plus years I get horn swaggled by frequent articles about how useless, dangerous and addicting that this medicine is.

The Man Who Despises America: Mark Hyman

Is his anti-American rhetoric a threat to national security?

(SALEM, Ore.) - Mark Hyman of the notorious Sinclair Broadcasting Group, wrote a Veterans Day article full of blistering lies and thinly veiled racism directed at the American President.

I don't know if he is aligned with domestic terrorists or some other kind of anti-American activists, but Hyman was and is out to steer Americans off the cliff.

Visit From the Ghosts of Marine Corps Birthdays Past (VIDEO)

Stories from an inescapable lifetime connection to the Marines, a message from beyond, and several Marine related videos, happy 234th birthday Marine Corps!

(SALEM, Ore.) - As the U.S. Marine Corps observes and celebrates the day it was founded, in Tun Tavern, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on November 10th 1775, I can't help but reflect on what a hard road it has been for the men and women who wear the eagle, globe and anchor for a living.

Currently embattled on numerous fronts, Marines fight the enemy in combat, then return to fight their own government for compensation. And that's not to mention the fact that the Marine Corps can eat its own for lunch.