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HOLLYWOOD AND THE CIA — Film historian Ed Rampell details Hollywood’s entangled relationship with the CIA and the Pentagon; HOUSES OF THE DEAD: Nancy Kurshan exposes the cruel human rights offenses taking place inside America’s vast gulag of Control Unit Prisons; BROTHERHOOD OF SUMMER: David Macaray charts the history of the most powerful union in the US: the Baseball Players Association; TAR SANDS COME TO AMERICA: Steve Horn explains how the Keystone Pipeline debates have diverted attention from Big Oil’s other plans to transport Alberta’s oil into the US. PLUS: Jeffrey St. Clair on CONSTITUTIONAL ENTROPY; Mike Whitney on HOW THE BANKS TARGETED BLACKS; Chris Floyd on THE RISE OF BRITAIN’S TEA PARTY; Kristin Kolb on THE NEEDLE AND THE DAMAGE DONE; Kim Nicolini on the FILMS OF WILLIAM FRIEDKIN; and Lee Ballinger on POETS VS. THE ONE PERCENT.

March 27, 2012

SOS From Emergency in Afghanistan

by MICHAEL LEONARDI

For several days the NATO war lords in Afghanistan have been heavily bombing the village of Mirbandao in the Helmand province of the south of Afghanistan. The Italian medical aid and anti war group called Emergency has a hospital for war casualties located in the Helmand province along with three locations for first aid and first response care. The hospital is in Lashkar-gah.

Neither the hospital nor the first location closest to the bombardment in Grishk have received any injured casualties. The Emergency staff have been informed by the local population that the area is completely surrounded and military checkpoints are stopping injured people and civilians from getting away from the combat zone.

All of this constitutes a violation of International Human Rights beyond representing an offense to our civil conscience. Emergency is asking with utmost urgency that a humanitarian corridor is opened and a guarantee of the evacuation of civilians and transfer of injured.

The above is translated directly from the SOS sent out by Emergency staff from Afghanistan to Italy and to the world. The war crimes in Afghanistan are a hidden regularity that the mainstream media is either ignoring or failing to report. Thanks to Wikileaks we have learned of some, thanks to the Afghan people we have learned of others. NATO is committing continuous war crimes on the civilian population in this war devastated country.Crazy or drugged soldiers on shooting sprees provide cover for NATO’s constant criminality. Whether killing Afghans for sport as some American soldiers have admitted to doing or mutilating bodies for trophies, or slaughtering kids, NATO, and mostly American soldiers have committed almost constant war crimes since the beginning of this war.

The NATO crimes against humanity, whether in Libya or in Afghanistan and wherever else, are ample reason for Americans to converge on Chicago this May the 20th. The little dicktator Rahm Emmanuel is doing all in his power to preemptively squelch free speech and protest in the windy city.

Let us hope that the Occupy and Peace movements can rise to the occasion after the coming historic May Day, and take the streets of Chicago in staunch opposition to NATO’s continued criminality. The whole world will be watching. For more info visit http://cang8.wordpress.com/.

Michael Leonardi lives and works in Toledo, Ohio and along Ohio’s North Coast. He can be reached at mikeleonardi@hotmail.com