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 [1].
MUST READS
Nearly 4,000 U.S. Marines, backed by helicopter gunships, pushed into the volatile Helmand River valley in southwestern Afghanistan early Thursday morning to begin a long expected offensive, Operation Khanjar, against Taliban militants. Simultaneously, the Pakistani Army deployed troops to a stretch of its largely porous and mountainous 1,600-mile border with Afghanistan to seal off a potential escape route for insurgents fleeing the American advance. On Thursday morning, military officials reported little resistance from Taliban fighters, whose control of poppy harvests and opium smuggling in the area provides major financing for the Afghan insurgency. However, officials announced they believe a U.S. soldier missing since Tuesday June 30th has been captured by the Taliban in eastern Afghanistan. According to a spokeswoman, the soldier was not part of the operation in Helmand and was stationed at an American outpost in Paktika Province. Zabiullah Mujaheed, a spokesman for the Taliban, could not confirm that the soldier was with any of their forces. No further details were available. Follow @iavapressroom [3] on Twitter for breaking news updates.
CNN reported Wednesday it has obtained a confidential memo to Defense Secretary Robert Gates from the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Michael Mullen, outlining a number of problems facing wounded veterans which he observed during a trip to several military locations in Texas. In the memo, dated April 19th, Mullen expresses concern that wounded service members at Fort Hood were stigmatized and treated as lesser Soldiers for being wounded, ill, or injured. “The wounded, ill, and injured also feel guilt for not being with their operational units. Unfortunately, the operational units have generally severed relationships with them,” Mullen said. According to the memo, senior enlisted troops recently returned from the war zone also told Mullen “psychological health assets in theater were overwhelmed during their most recent deployment.”
(3) Iraq, Afghanistan Veterans Kick-off July 4th Celebrations, Ring Closing Bell at NASDAQ [5]
IAVA Member veterans led by Afghanistan Veteran and IAVA Board Member Wes Moore will ring the Closing Bell at The NASDAQ Stock Market in New York City on Thursday afternoon to kick-off July 4th celebrations. “This Independence Day, our troops and veterans have real cause for celebration. In the last six months, Americans, in local communities and in Washington, have worked together to prioritize the needs of troops, veterans, and their families. There could not be a stronger demonstration of patriotism,” said IAVA Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff in a statement. The ceremony begins at 3:30 PM (EST) at the NASDAQ MarketSite at 4 Times Square – tune in to CNBC at 4 PM to watch them live.
(4) OPINION: Moonwalking in Baghdad [6]
[6]
AFGHANISTAN
As the U.S. initiates its summer offensive against the Taliban in Helmand Province, foreign policy analysts argue that Pakistan’s simultaneous assault [7] on the Taliban stronghold may end in disappointment for the Obama administration. According to Daniel Markey, South Asia specialist at the Council on Foreign Relations, U.S. officials “worry Pakistan may be biting off too much” by attacking Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud in the mountains of South Waziristan before defeating militants in the less-remote Swat Valley.
Meanwhile, Afghan President Hamid Karzai [8] continued to demand Thursday that U.S. troops hand over private security guards suspected of involvement in the killing of a top Kandahar law enforcement official earlier this week. "Such incidents negatively impact the state building process in Afghanistan," Karzai said in a prepared statement. He asked "coalition forces to avoid actions that weaken the government."
IRAQ
Two United Nations agencies [9] said Wednesday that the Iraqi government’s failure to grasp the scope of its land mine and bomb problem has derailed efforts to clear what is considered one of the world’s most contaminated countries. According to Kent Paulusson, the United Nations Development Fund’s senior mine action adviser for Iraq, the Iraqi government’s decision to ban all civilian land-mine clearance because of military fears that the old weapons will wind up in the hands of militants is threatening Iraq’s chances of meeting its internationally mandated obligation to clear the country of land mines and unexploded remnants of war by 2018. “They are in the same league as Afghanistan in terms of saturation,” Paulusson said during a presentation Wednesday. “The government needs to recognize the size of the problem and deal with it.” Iraq’s land mine problem is a result of the war with Iran in the 1980s, Operation Desert Storm in 1991 and the 2003 invasion, Paulusson said.
MILITARY AFFAIRS
Defense Department officials told the Army Times on Wednesday that they are warning all military personnel to temporarily avoid drinking dairy shakes [10] found in Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs) and Unitized Group Rations-Express because they might contain Salmonella.“There is a remote chance that we might have some dairy shakes that could have some Salmonella,” Gerry Darsch, director of the DoD Combat Feeding Program. There are about 12 million dairy shakes in MREs that could be affected, Darsch said. The Salmonella was detected in late June during routine testing of a single lot of dairy shakes, said Darsch, who became aware of the issue June 21.
Stateside, in an interview with CNN, Assistant VA Secretary Tammy Duckworth discussed measures Wednesday that the VA is taking to address benefit claims for PTSD treatment and counseling as well as the equipment sanitation scandal at VA hospitals in Florida, Tennessee and Georgia. Duckworth said the VA is currently assessing H.R. 952 which would streamline PTSD claims, but that the VA wants to ensure that veterans are correctly diagnosed for PTSD vs. Traumatic Brain Injury. Click here [11] to watch the interview.
INSIDE WASHINGTON
Officials at Fort Campbell [12] have confirmed 25 soldiers from the base, including their families, will spend July Fourth with President Barack Obama for Salute to the Military ceremony. Members of 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Division Special Troops Battalion and the Warrior Transition Unit will attend the celebration on the South Lawn of the White House.
CONGRESSIONAL SCHEDULE
THE SENATE
The Senate will reconvene at 2:00 pm on Monday, July 6, 2009.
FUTURE COMMITTEE HEARINGS of INTEREST
THE HOUSE of REPRESENTATIVES
The House is not in session but will reconvene on Tuesday July 7, 2009 at 2:00 p.m.
FUTURE HOUSE COMMITTEE HEARINGS of INTEREST
IAVA IN THE NEWS
Outlet: Military.com
Title: Moonwalking in Baghdad [6]
Date: Wednesday, July 1st
Representative: IAVA Member Veteran Don Gomez
Outlet: Huffington Post
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.
Links:
[1] http://twitter.com/iavapressroom
[2] http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/03/world/asia/03afghan.html?hp
[3] http://iava.org/twitter.com/iavapressroom
[4] http://cnnwire.blogs.cnn.com/2009/07/01/confidential-dod-memo-outlines-problems-for-wounded-troops/
[5] http://iava.org/press-room/press-releases/iraq-afghanistan-veterans-ring-closing-bell-nasdaq-celebrate-july-4th
[6] http://www.military.com/opinion/0,15202,193972,00.html
[7] http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aofKgsriKtek
[8] http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/06/29/afghanistan.karzai.dispute/
[9] http://militarytimes.com/news/2009/07/ap_iraq_landmines_070109w/
[10] http://militarytimes.com/news/2009/07/army_dairyshakes_070109w/
[11] http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2009/07/01/nr.va.duckworth.intv.cnn?iref=videosearch
[12] http://militarytimes.com/news/2009/07/ap_campbell_obama_july4_070209/
[13] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-kuhn/twitnotes-from-pdf09_b_224245.html