Blog post

IAVA Daily Brief 08.25.09
Posted by Michael Houston on August 25

Here are some of today's top stories and happenings at IAVA.  Prefer to receive real-time updates about major stories and legislation that IAVA is tracking?  Follow us on Twitter @iavapressroom.

MUST READS


1) Specter Prods VA on End-of-Life Advice

Yesterday, Sen. Arlen Specter called on the Department of Veterans Affairs to consider a hearing on, and suspend use of, the VA medical care-planning document that critics have termed the “death book for veterans.” “There is an issue as to whether the VA document inappropriately pressures disabled veterans who forgo critical care by subtly urging them on end-of-life decisions," Specter wrote in a letter to the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee when requesting the hearing. VA officials say the decade-old publication, titled “Your Life, Your Choices” is an educational resource meant to help veterans with medical decisions, and that it has been misrepresented by critics. VA Assistant Secretary Tammy Duckworth also defended the VA and booklet in a Fox News Sunday interview saying, "There are many, many good ones out there. This "Your Life, Your Choice" is widely used out there, not just within VA. There are many others out there, and veterans are free to use whatever they would like to use."
 
2) Marines Find Afghan Mission Is A Matter of Trust

Shortly before last week’s presidential elections, the U.S Marines launched an attack to take back a key district and a center of the Taliban insurgency in the southern province of Helmand.  But the Marines have found that it is not only a matter of numbers, weapons or control of terrain.  Instead, the key is building trust with the Afghan people – trust that they can help rebuild the war-torn country.  IAVA’s Todd Bowers who heads one of the teams responsible for taking back key districts and building trust with the Afghan people says, “We found that the follow-on operations are sometimes way more critical than the actual kinetic aspect. We need to have good planning in order to understand who the key leaders are and ensure that we're giving them the capability to still have power over their people, but at the same time make sure that power is guided in the right direction.”  For more and to hear audio commentary, click here.  
 
AFGHANISTAN


Partial results from last week’s presidential election were released earlier this morning and have put incumbent President Hamid Karzai ahead of main rival, former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah, by a slim margin of 212,927 to 202,889, based on 10 percent of the votes counted.  Officials stressed that it is only a partial count, but Abduallah has already accused Karzai’s supporters of being responsible for voting irregularities.
 
Meanwhile, as senior U.S. military officials warned of worsening security conditions earlier this week, four U.S. soldiers were killed today.  2009 has been the deadliest year for coalition troops since operations began, bringing the number to 295.  In 2008, there were 294 coalition deaths.  
 
IRAQ

Last week, bomb attacks killed almost 100 people in Baghdad.  Now, Iraq is asking Syria to hand over two people they say are supports of Saddam Hussein’s outlawed Baath party for masterminded the attacks.  Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said the foreign ministry would ask Syria to hand over those wanted for crimes in Iraq and "to banish the terrorist organizations that use Syria as a base from which to carry out terrorist acts against the Iraqi nation."  This follows a meeting last week with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in Syria to discuss security issues.  
 
MILITARY AFFAIRS

Over 2,500 letters were sent to veterans highlighting disability benefits for those with ALS, also know as Lou Gehrig’s disease, but according to the National Gulf War Resource Center, at least 1,200 of those who received the letter had not been diagnosed with the illness. However, VA spokeswoman Katie Roberts said only a “small number” had received the letter in error, and that less than 10 people had called saying they did not have the disease. In a statement released Monday night, the VA said it is “immediately reviewing the individual claims files for all the recipients of this letter to identify those who received the notification in error."
 
The first wave of more than 4,000 soldiers of the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team of Fort Dix, returned home early this morning.  Over 300 members of the Pennsylvania National Guard were greeted by family and friends. For more information and resources for the transition from combat to civilian life, whether you are a servicemember or servicemember’s family, visit www.iava.org/adcouncil>.
 
INSIDE WASHINGTON

Congress is in recess until September 8th.

CONGRESSIONAL SCHEDULE

THE SENATE

The Senate is on recess until September 8th.

FUTURE COMMITTEE HEARINGS of INTEREST

August 28, 2009 - SVAC will conduct a field hearing on the state of VA's services on Maui, to include an OIG report of the same.  10:00 a.m.; Maui Cultural Center (Vasquez)
 
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

The House is on recess until September 8th.

IAVA IN THE NEWS

Outlet: NPR
Title: Marines Find Afghan Mission Is A Matter Of Trust
Date: Monday, August 24
Representative: Todd Bowers
 
WHAT THE BLOGS ARE SAYING

Blog: cnewmark – post of NPR piece
Title: Marines Find Afghan Mission Is A Matter Of Trust 
Date: Monday, August 24
Representative: Todd Bowers
 
Blog: Going Green
Title: Newsman Bob Woodruff’s Biggest Story is the Environment
Date: Tuesday, August 25
Representative: Paul Rieckhoff quoted from previous NYT piece on Mr. Woodruff
 
A wide-range of views, positions, and publications are represented in these articles. These views, positions and publications are not endorsed by nor do they necessarily represent the views of IAVA.

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