IAVA Daily Brief 11.06.09

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

1) Tragedy Unfolds at Fort Hood in Texas [2]

The death toll left by an army psychiatrist who went on a shooting rampage at a U.S. military base in Texas rose to 13 on Friday, U.S. media reported, 12 of which were soldiers. Suspected gunman Major Nidal Malik Hasan [3] opened fire with two handguns at the Fort Hood Army post on Thursday, in one of the worst killing sprees ever reported on a U.S. military base, army officials said. A woman died overnight from gunshot wounds, raising the toll to 13 dead and 30 wounded, CNN reported. Hasan, who was shot several times, was unconscious but in stable condition and on a ventilator, CNN said. The Army said the lone gunman opened fire at the Soldiers Readiness Processing Center, a group of buildings where soldiers were getting medical check-ups before leaving for overseas deployments. Motives behind the shooting remain unknown, although officers raided Hasan's apartment, searching for clues as to what caused him to allegedly gun down soldiers he had taken an oath to help, a police spokeswoman said. The Kileen Daily Herald confirmed [4] that Hasan had received orders to deploy to Afghanistan and that Kimberly Munley, a civilian police officer, was the female officer who shot Hasan, putting an end to the rampage. CBS reported this morning that authorities are still working to notify the families of victims.  In a statement [5], IAVA Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff extended thoughts and prayers to the families and friends of those affected.

2) Families, DOD Spar Over Dangers of Burn Pits [6] 

Veterans groups for months have lobbied the White House to investigate the potential chemical exposures from burn pits, noting that troops in Iraq and Afghanistan may still be exposed to toxic carcinogens on a daily basis. On Friday, the Senate Democratic Policy Committee will hold a hearing on the issue, the latest in a chain of congressional investigations since this spring on bad allergies, persistent respiratory problems and fatal illnesses believed to be linked to the acrid smoke. So far 22 class-action lawsuits related to burn pit illnesses have been filed in federal courts, covering both contractors and soldiers exposed to particulate matter from the pits. But in an emailed response to questions on Thursday, Dr. Craig Postlewaite, director of the Pentagon’s health protection programs, reiterated the Defense Department’s position that “only minor, temporary effects have been identified with the burn pit smoke.”

3) Reviews Raise Serious Doubts on Training of Afghan Forces [7] 

A series of internal government reviews have presented the Obama administration with a dire portrait of Afghanistan’s military and police force, bringing into serious question an ambitious goal at the heart of the evolving American war strategy — to speed up their training and send many more Afghans to the fight. As President Obama considers his top commander’s call to rapidly double Afghanistan’s security forces, the internal reviews, written by officials directly involved in the training program or charged with keeping it on track, describe an overstretched enterprise struggling to nurse along the poorly led, largely illiterate and often corrupt Afghan forces.

AFGHANISTAN

The Obama administration said Thursday it has doubled the number of civilian experts working [8] in Afghanistan and is "on track" to meet its goal of nearly 1,000 civilians by the new year. In unveiling his Afghan strategy in March, which is under a new review, President Barack Obama called for a sharp increase in such experts to help the Afghan government serve its people and wean the economy off opium production."We're on track to deploying the full 974," Jacob Lew, deputy secretary of state for management and resources, told AFP in a telephone interview on Thursday.

An overnight rocket strike by international forces killed nine civilians [9], including at least three children, villagers said Thursday. Local Afghan authorities said they had no reports of civilian deaths. NATO said the target of the strike was a group of people believed to be planting a bomb and that the alliance was investigating the allegations.

The rival to President Hamid Karzai in the presidential election’s second round held a news conference [10] on Wednesday in which he denounced Mr. Karzai’s newly anointed administration as illegal and said that the government would be unable to cope with the problems facing Afghanistan, including security and corruption.

IRAQ

Iraqi lawmakers failed once again [11] Thursday to agree on an election law for the country's January vote, raising concerns the balloting may be delayed and in turn push back a U.S. troop withdrawal. Iraq's election law has been stalled for weeks as lawmakers argue over who should be allowed to vote in the oil-rich city of Kirkuk, claimed by both Arabs and Kurds. Lawmakers said they would meet again Saturday. One said it would not be a big problem to delay the January election by a few days.

Two former U.S. ambassadors to Iraq told a Rice University audience on Wednesday that Americans must brace for the long haul [12] in Iraq if diplomatic and military efforts to stabilize that country are to succeed. Ambassadors Ryan C. Crocker and John D. Negroponte described a bumpy and winding road ahead for the U.S. in Iraq during a panel discussion at Rice's James A. Baker III Institute.

The recent double bombing in Baghdad has cast doubt on the government's ability to guarantee security and prompted fears such violence [13] may affect voter turnout in anticipated January elections. The Iraqi government has blamed al-Qaeda in Iraq and Baathist elements in Syria for both attacks. But many Iraqis choose to direct their anger at the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki for failing to keep them safe.

The U.S. military says two American soldiers [14] have died in Iraq — one in combat and one of noncombat-related injuries. The military released a statement late Wednesday saying two Multi-National Corps-Iraq soldiers died on November 4.

MILITARY AFFAIRS

The nation’s top military officer said Wednesday that he expected the Pentagon to ask Congress in the next few months for emergency financing [15] to support the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, even though President Obama has pledged to end the Bush administration practice of paying for the conflicts with so-called supplemental funds that are outside the normal Defense Department budget. The financing would be on top of the $130 billion that Congress authorized for the wars just last month. One figure in circulation within the Pentagon and among outside defense budget analysts is $50 billion.

Treatment, not incarceration, should be the first option for veterans who commit nonviolent drug-related offenses [16], a group advocating alternatives to the nation’s “war on drugs” said Wednesday in a new report. The Drug Policy Alliance report also called on government agencies to adopt overdose prevention programs and policies for vets who misuse substances or take prescription medicines, and urged “significantly expanded” access to medication-assisted therapies, such as methadone and buprenorphine, for the treatment of dependence on opioid drugs used to treat pain and mood disorders.

Craig Newmark [17], founder of the website Craigslist.com, "will join a panel of judges who'll review ideas on how to improve processing times for veterans' disability claims, the Veterans Affairs Department has announced." Newmark "will help review the ideas gathered during an innovation competition that let VA employees submit ideas on how to improve delivery of benefits , VA officials said Nov. 4. 'Leveraging the talent, innovation and creativity of stakeholders, like Craig Newmark, is just one of the many ways VA can think outside of the box to help deliver tangible results to our nation's veterans,' said Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki."

Insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan are reportedly adding accelerants to the top of IEDs to increase the chances of fire. Soldiers who have served in those wars told Fox News [18] that the Humvee, despite all the extra armoring added by the Pentagon, remains the most vulnerable vehicle they use. One soldier said the fuel tank is the weakest link of that vehicle and that the enemy is very well aware of that. Soldiers who have served in those wars said again and again that the Humvee, despite all the extra armoring added by the Pentagon, remains the most vulnerable vehicle they use. One soldier said the fuel tank is the weakest link of that vehicle and that the enemy is very well aware of that.

INSIDE WASHINGTON

Democratic New York Congressman Eric Massa is now calling for President Obama to bring American servicemen and women home from Afghanistan [19]. Rep. Massa made a passionate speech to his colleagues about the subject. Rep. Massa says that if President Obama follows the wishes of his military commanders and sends 40,000 more troops to Afghanistan, it will be a mistake "on a par with a potential error the size of our initial invasion of Iraq."

The Council on American-Islamic Relations is condemning the shootings [20] at Fort Hood, although it’s not known whether the shooter was Muslim. Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the group, said they don’t know anything about shooting suspect Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan. He scheduled a news conference for Thursday night in Washington to condemn the shootings and discourage backlash against Muslims. The group issued a statement condemning the shootings as a “cowardly attack.” They say no political or religious ideology could justify or excuse such violence. The group said American Muslims stand with their fellow U.S. citizens in offering prayers for the victims and condolences for their families.

CONGRESSIONAL SCHEDULE

THE SENATE

The Senate will convene at 9:30 a.m.

SENATE FLOOR ACTIVITY of INTEREST

Resume consideration of HR 3082, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations.

There will be no roll call votes during Friday’s session of the Senate.

The next vote is expected to begin around 5:30pm Monday.

COMMITTEE HEARINGS of INTEREST

No Issues Today

THE HOUSE of  REPRESENTATIVES



The House will convene at 9:00 a.m.

HOUSE FLOOR ACTIVITY of INTEREST

Suspension:

H.Res. __ - Honoring the lives of the brave soldiers of the United States Army who lost their lives in the tragic attack of November 5, 2009, at Fort Hood, Texas (Rep. Carter - Armed Services)

HOUSE COMMITTEE HEARINGS of INTEREST



No Issues Today

FUTURE  HOUSE COMMITTEE HEARINGS of  INTEREST



November 19, 2009  Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health Hearing:  Review of VA Contract Health Care: Project HERO  10:00 a.m.; 334 Cannon

December 3, 2009  Veterans‚ Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity Roundtable  1:00 p.m.; 334 Cannon HOB

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