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Treaty With The Apache July 1, 1852 Articles of a treaty made and entered into at Santa Fe, New Mexico, on the first day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, by and between Col. E. V. Sumner, U.S.A., commanding the 9th Department and in charge of the executive office of New Mexico, and John Greiner, Indian agent in and for the Territory of New Mexico, and acting superintendent of Indian affairs of said Territory, representing the United States, and Cuentas, Azules, Blancito, Negrito, Capitan Simon, Capitan Vuelta, and Mangus Colorado, chiefs, acting on the part of the Apache Nation of Indians, situate and living within the limits of the United States. Article 1. Said nation or tribe of Indians through their authorized Chiefs aforesaid do hereby acknowledge and declare that they are lawfully and exclusively under the laws, jurisdiction, and government of the United States of America, and to its power and authority they do hereby submit. Article 2. From and after the signing of this Treaty hostilities between the contracting parties shall forever cease, and perpetual peace and amity shall forever exist between said Indians and the Government and people of the United States; the said nation, or tribe of Indians, hereby binding themselves most solemnly never to associate with or give countenance or aid to any tribe or band of Indians, or other persons or powers, who may be at any time at war or enmity with the government or people of said United States. Article 3. Said nation, or tribe of Indians, do hereby bind themselves for all future time to treat honestly and humanely all citizens of the United States, with whom they have intercourse, as well as all persons and powers, at peace with the said United States, who may be lawfully among them, or with whom they may have any lawful intercourse. Article 4. All said nation, or tribe of Indians, hereby bind themselves to refer all cases of aggression against themselves or their property and territory, to the government of the United States for adjustment, and to conform in all things to the laws, rules, and regulations of said government in regard to the Indian tribes. Article 5. Said nation, or tribe of Indians, do hereby bind themselves for all future time to desist and refrain from making any "incursions within the Territory of Mexico" of a hostile or predatory character; and that they will for the future refrain from taking and conveying into captivity any of the people or citizens of Mexico, or the animals or property of the people or government of Mexico; and that they will, as soon as possible after the signing of this treaty, surrender to their agent all captives now in their possession. Article 6. Should any citizen of the United States, or other person or persons subject to the laws of the United States, murder, rob, or otherwise maltreat any Apache Indian or Indians, he or they shall be arrested and tried, and upon conviction, shall be subject to all the penalties provided by law for the protection of the persons and property of the people of the said States. Article 7. The people of the United States of America shall have free and safe passage through the territory of the aforesaid Indians, under such rules and regulations as may be adopted by authority of the said States. Article 8. In order to preserve tranquility and to afford protection to all the people and interests of the contracting parties, the government of the United States of America will establish such military posts and agencies, and authorize such trading houses at such times and places as the said government may designate. Article 9. Relying confidently upon the justice and the liberality of the aforesaid government, and anxious to remove every possible cause that might disturb their peace and quiet, it is agreed by the aforesaid Apache's that the government of the United States shall at its earliest convenience designate, settle, and adjust their territorial boundaries, and pass and execute in their territory such laws as may be deemed conducive to the prosperity and happiness of said Indians. Article 10. For and in consideration of the faithful performance of all the stipulations herein contained, by the said Apache's Indians, the government of the United States will grant to said Indians such donations, presents, and implements, and adopt such other liberal and humane measures as said government may deem meet and proper. Article 11. This Treaty shall be binding upon the contracting parties from and after the signing of the same, subject only to such modifications and amendments as may be adopted by the government of the United States; and, finally, this treaty is to receive a liberal construction, at all times and in all places, to the end that the said Apache Indians shall not be held responsible for the conduct of others, and that the government of the United States shall so legislate and act as to secure the permanent prosperity and happiness of said Indians. In faith whereof we the undersigned have signed this Treaty, and affixed thereunto our Seals, at the City of Santa Fe, this the first day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty-two. E. V. Summer, (Seal.) Bvt. Col. U.S.A. commanding Ninth Department In charge of Executive Office of New Mexico. John Greiner, (Seal.) Act. Supt. Indian Affairs, New Mexico. Capitan Vuelta, his x mark (Seal.) Cuentas Azules, his x mark (Seal.) Blancito, his x mark (Seal.) Negrito, his x mark (Seal.) Capitan Simon, his x mark (Seal.) Mangus Colorado, his x mark (Seal.) Witnesses: F. A. Cunningham, Paymaster, U.S.A. J. C. McFerran, 1st Lt. 3d Inf. Act. Ast. Adj. Gen. Caleb Sherman. Fred. Saynton. Chas. McDougall. Surgeon, U.S.A. S. M. Baird. Witness to the signing of Mangus Colorado: John Pope, Bvt. Capt. T. E

My grandfather is the fire My grandmother is the wind The Earth is my mother The Great Spirit is my father The World stopped at my birth and laid itself at my feet And I shall swallow the Earth whole when I die and the Earth and I will be one Hail The Great Spirit, my father without him no one could exist because there would be no will to live Hail The Earth, my mother without which no food could be grown and so cause the will to live to starve Hail the wind, my grandmother for she brings loving, lifegiving rain nourishing us as she nourishes our crops Hail the fire, my grandfather for the light, the warmth, the comfort he brings without which we be animals, not men Hail my parent and grandparents without which not I nor you nor anyone else could have existed Life gives life which gives unto itself a promise of new life Hail the Great Spirit, The Earth, the wind, the fire praise my parents loudly for they are your parents, too Oh, Great Spirit, giver of my life please accept this humble offering of prayer this offering of praise this honest reverence of my love for you.

http://www.start.umd.edu/data/gtd/ The Global Terrorism Database (GTD) is an open-source database including information on terrorist events around the world since 1970 (currently updated through 2004). Unlike many other event databases, the GTD includes systematic data on international as well as domestic terrorist incidents that have occurred during this time period and now includes almost 80,000 cases. For each GTD incident, information is available on the date and location of the incident, the weapons used and nature of the target, the number of casualties, and -- when identifiable -- the identity of the perpetrator. The START Center is making the GTD available to government policy makers and academics in an effort to increase understanding of terrorist violence so that it can be more readily defeated. Characteristics of the GTD Contains information on over 80,000 terrorist attacks The main types of information found in the GTD are items that you would expect to find in a well written newspaper story about a terrorist attack: the type of attack, the number of persons killed, the group claiming responsibility, the date of the event and so on The GTD is currently the most comprehensive unclassified data base on terrorist events in the world It includes information on more than 27,000 bombings, 13,000 assassinations, and 2,800 kidnappings The original data include information on over 45 variables; the new data include over 120 variables More than 75 data collectors with expertise in six language groups are currently engaged in collecting GTD data Data collection is supervised by an advisory panel of 12 terrorism research experts Over 2,000,000 news articles and 25,000 new sources were reviewed to collect GTD from 1998 to 2004 alone. The goal of START is to make all GTD data available to government employees immediately and to release all data to researchers approximately one year after the end of data collection The original GTD data base (1970-1997) is available to researchers through the Inter University Consortium for Political and Social Research.

Understanding Redneck Philosophy By- Donald K. Burleson The term "redneck" is often misunderstood by those north of the Mason-Dixon line. Many Yankees misunderstand this beloved term of endearment and treat the word as if it were some kind of insult. A true Southerner understands that achieving the state of Redneck is a noble pursuit. The guiding principles of Redneck philosophy are easily misunderstood by outsiders, so let's take a closer look at the goals of those who strive for the state of Redneck. Also, see my related notes on red neck art collecting and Redneck Cuisine ideas. The Redneck Philosophy Being a "real" Redneck is so much more than driving a pick-up truck and naming your dog Bubba. A true Redneck does not feel the need to impress people with the outward trappings of superficial wealth and a real Redneck is perfectly comfortable in an Armani suit or a stained t-shirt. Redneck art is now being sold in the top galleries, and make sure to read by notes redneck animal art. Rednecks truly feel sorry for the poor bastards who worked their ass-off for 8 years in college only to become a corporate slave, all this hard work just to get a decent BMW and Rolex. You see, a real Redneck never feels the need to brag and they would not think of mentioning to hard working yuppies that their 80 acre farm is with eight million dollars of that they have $5,000,000 in farm equipment that they only use a few weeks each year. Without trying to sound too much like Jeff Foxworthy (a great comedian, but a tad misinformed about Redneck theology), let me try to explain the basic tenets of achieving a state of Redneck: Sense of Inner Peace - The true Redneck is at-peace with the world. They always feel safe (not just because they have guns in every room of their home), and they are not concerned with what others may think of their Redneck lifestyle. High Sense of Duty and Honor - A true Redneck will defend their Sacred Honor and will not tolerate those who disparage their families, traditions or loved-ones. Many a surprised New Yorker has pondered this while visiting the Emergency Room after flipping-off a Redneck. Disregard for Time - A true Redneck does not respect man-made timelines and lives life one day at a time. A true redneck may put a car up on-blocks for a decade before restoring it. Disregard for man-made Mores - A true Redneck will follow their tastes and desires without regard for social customs and "appropriate" behavior. Because the Redneck is not constrained by outsider opinions and Madison Avenue dictates about taste, they are free to embrace whatever they like without guilt or remorse. Honors their Ancestors - A real redneck know details about every one of their ancestors who fought in the Civil War and American Revolution. An ardent patriot, a true redneck will always fly the Star Spangled Banner right above the Stars and Bars on every national holiday. A true redneck will also participate in war reenactments as a way of honoring the redneck sacrifices of their ancestors. Eschews wealth - My cousin Sara-Ruth lives on land with a massive garden and all of her own livestock. She even has a banana tree and the only things she buys are sugar and coffee. Her house and property were paid for centuries ago when our great-great-great Grand-daddy Aaron Burleson received it from the Continental Congress, thanking him for fighting in the American Revolution. They live a simple and free life with none of the conventional worries about money and impressing the Jones's. Living around rednecks has had a profound effect on my way of looking at life. I once visited a cousin in my fancy new car and made what Rednecks Theologists call the "sin of pride" when I mentioned that my new car costs me a fortune. In good humor he pointed over to a giant farm tractor and said "Wall, I'm impressed. See that reaper over there? She cost me over $200,000, I paid cash money, and I reckon only take her out a few weeks a year". Man, did I feel humbled in the presence of such profound Redneck wisdom, and I never bragged to anyone again. Sure, the tenets and promises of the Redneck Theology seem like unachievable goals, but I'm told that with years of conscientious study and practice, a true state of Redneck is achievable, even for a sinner like me.

God's Beauty Tips Please consider . . . * For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. * For beautiful eyes, look for the good in other people. * To lose weight, let go of stress, hatred, anger, discontentment and the need to control others. * To improve your ears, listen to the Word of God. * Rather than focus on the thorns of life, smell the roses and count your blessings, giving thanks for each one of them. * For poise, walk with knowledge and self-esteem. * To strengthen your arms, hug at least 3 people a day; Touch someone with your love. * To strengthen your heart, forgive yourself and others. * Don't worry and hurry so much. Rather than walk this earth lightly, walk firmly with determination and leave your mark. * For the ultimate in business, casual or evening attire, put on the robe of Christ; it fits like a glove but allows room for growth. Best of all, it never goes out of style and is appropriate for any occasion. * Doing these things on a daily basis will certainly make you a more beautiful person. "You should be known for the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God." 1 Peter 3:4 (NLT)

This guy was VERY LUCKY to be alive..Look Close at this Picture..Then Below.. Here's what he missed going over...

Received this in support of Patriot Guard Riders funeral for CPT Sean E. Lyerly in Pflugerville, Texas. As you prepare to do a mission in support of CPT Lyerly and his family, I thought it would be appropriate to send you an article that I've written for my sister's hometown newspaper based on last week's events. This article is the latest in a series that the newspaper has asked me to write during my tour. - CPT Randy Stillinger A Fallen Angel Saturday, January 20th, 2007 Today was a bad day. The possibility of what happened today has been in the back of our minds for over a year now. While working in my office I heard chatter on the radio, the type of chatter that could only mean one of a few things. One of those events is a "Fallen Angel," the code word for a downed aircraft. Details were sketchy at first, but we soon learned it was a UH-60 "Blackhawk" helicopter and it was from our brigade. With the radio call of "Fallen Angel," all operations in the Iraqi theatre turn their focus on the rescue effort. Our Tactical Operation Center (TOC) went into high gear as our battalion learned how we would be assisting the rescue of the crew and passengers. As an Apache battalion, our part was to help provide aerial security for the rescue team as they went to work. Pilots, including myself, lined up to offer assistance and fly to the crash site if needed. While waiting for details or instructions, four of us sat and talked about what could have gone wrong based on the few bits of information we had coming in at the time. We wanted to help, but there wasn't much we could do at the moment. I had every intention of leaving the office a little earlier than normal today, perhaps even before the sun went down. I spent the better part of yesterday flying over one of the most dangerous areas in Iraq and was looking forward to a relatively short day. As reports started coming in, I knew that I couldn't go back to the room until I knew more about what happened northeast of Baghdad. It was evening when I got word that all soldiers on board had been killed, and that one of the pilots was a friend of mine. It was now a very bad day. Captain Sean Lyerly and I were both lieutenants when we met over 7 years ago while assigned to the same company that I now command here in Iraq. Sean had every intention of flying Apaches, but events changed things and he went to the Blackhawk course after flight school instead. He later transferred to the brigade headquarters and deployed with them in September. When I realized that there was nothing more I could offer to help, I left for the day. The non-secure phone lines and internet service had been shut down almost immediately after the incident. This is standard procedure to prevent news from reaching the families of those killed through the grapevine. On my way to my room I took a stab in the dark and went to an AT&T phone center to see if I could make contact with Sharon at home. The phone made a busy tone when I picked up the handset, but the soldier in the booth next to me said to try it over and over again. I finally got through. My conversation with Sharon was very short. I told her that I was fine and asked her to notify our family that I'm OK. I didn't give her any details, but we've been through this before and she knows what it means. When I returned to my room, I turned on the news as I usually do at the end of the day. Within 10 minutes, live CNN coverage cut in with breaking news of a helicopter crash near Baghdad, but with no details. It actually happened over 8 hours prior and I knew more details than I ever cared to know. As I watched the breaking news, I wondered how many families back home were now worried that it was their loved one on board. I was relieved that I had gotten through to mine. I got tired of watching the news of the day, most of it being bad, and started flipping through the few channels we do have. Ironically the movie showing on one channel was Blackhawk Down, the tragic story of the battle in Mogadishu, Somalia where two UH-60s were shot down. I like this movie and it's one of the few that I own on DVD, but not tonight. It was too personal and all too real. I turned off the TV and went to my laptop and started typing. It is now past midnight and two F-16s just took off using their afterburners. The sound is deafening and it rattled my room. Although you tend not to notice them after awhile, they serve as late night reminders that there is a war going on here. Well, I don't need a reminder tonight. I'm not sure when I'm going to fall asleep, but it's going to be a while. There are families back home that will get a knock on the door, most likely within the next 24 hours. On the doorstep will be the visitors that they hoped would never come. That is the image that is going to keep me awake tonight. I pray that the families of those killed today will be strong. I hope that the American public will honor the sacrifices made by each of them. I pray for Sean's wife Csilla, and their son Zack. Today was a bad day. It's an understatement, but that's the phrase I heard mentioned a number of times as tragic events unfolded in front of us. Despite what transpired today, the mission will continue tomorrow. There will be little time to grieve as the war does not stop for us, but we will honor them at the right time. Monday, January 22nd, 2007 It's been about 48 hours and life is getting back to normal after Saturday's tragic events, with one exception. Today was a day to honor the four soldiers from the brigade who gave their lives for a cause greater than themselves. The Army's memorial services are rich with traditions meant to honor the fallen for their sacrifices. This one was no exception. An hour before the service, hundreds of soldiers began filing into the building in silence. Some went to the front to take a closer look at the memorial that was so carefully arranged. On a platform in the front were 4 pairs of desert combat boots lined up side by side. Behind each pair of boots was an M-16 turned upside down, but with a magazine loaded and ready. Dog tags, which are sometimes used as a fashion statement in the U.S., were hung from the weapons and they remind us of the horrific, but true purpose of this part of our uniforms. An aviator helmet sat on top of each weapon with four sets of Night Vision Goggles turned on and lowered in front of the visors. The eerie green glow of the NVGs peered out across the soldiers who had come to honor them. Pictures of smiling soldiers accompanied each set of symbolic items. No introduction was needed as the drum roll prior to the National Anthem played and the crowd stood in unison, going to the position of Attention. Prayers from the Chaplain and speeches from both the Brigade and Battalion Commanders were followed by eulogies, one for each of the dead, that couldn't have been more appropriate or more heartbreaking. An exceptional soloist then sang "Amazing Grace" as the large group of soldiers sat in silence. From the back of the building, the symbolic roll call was done. The calls went out one after one, each sounding a little clearer and a little more desperate than the one before, as if maybe, just possibly he hadn't heard his name called. "Captain Lyerly!" No response. "Captain Sean Lyerly!" There was still no response. "Captain Sean E. Lyerly!" He was not there. He wasn't there so they went on to the next soldier. CPT Michael Taylor, First Sergeant William Warren, Staff Sergeant John Brown, and my friend Sean Lyerly were not there. They were absent. A rifle squad fired three volleys into the air followed by the sound of Taps, which was played as crisp and clear as I've ever heard it. At the end of the service, each soldier waited patiently to go to the front, pause in front of each memorial, and salute the fallen heroes before filing outside. I've been asked by several people what it's like to fly in the skies over Iraq. One word that I use is "vulnerable." I trust the aircraft and I trust the pilots I fly with. We've been well trained to do this job, but you can't help but feel vulnerable to the enemy and their pure hatred for our way of life, our freedom, and our desire to help a country oppressed and tortured by an evil dictator for so many years. As the 23rd Psalm was read during the memorial service, one sentence stuck out among the rest. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me." There are times when our mission calls us to fly through that valley and you can't help but fear the evil that wants nothing more than to take us down. As the investigation continues, it is looking more and more like that is what happened on Saturday. I'm saddened by the loss of a friend, a fellow aviator, a husband, and a father, in addition to the other eleven soldiers on board that I didn't know personally, but today's ceremony helped us close this chapter. It is now the families' turn to grieve for their loved ones as we have a job to continue. When we return home it will be our job to ensure that the families are taken care of and to ensure that the children know that their dads died as heroes for a cause that is honorable and worth fighting for. CPT Randall M. Stillinger Commander HHC, 1-149th Attack Helicopter Battalion LSA Anaconda - Balad, Iraq

Democrat Keith Ellison is now officially the first Muslim United States congressman. True to his pledge, he placed his hand on the Quran, the Muslim book of jihad and pledged his allegiance to the United States during his ceremonial swearing-in. Capitol Hill staff said Ellison's swearing-in photo opportunity drew more media than they had ever seen in the history of the U.S. House. Ellison represents the 5th Congressional District of Minnesota. The Quran Ellison used was no ordinary book. It once belonged to Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States and one of America's founding fathers. Ellison borrowed it from the Rare Book Section of the Library of Congress. It was one of the 6,500 Jefferson books archived in the library. Ellison, who was born in Detroit and converted to Islam while in college, said he chose to use Jefferson's Quran because it showed that "a visionary like Jefferson" believed that wisdom could be gleaned from many sources. There is no doubt Ellison was right about Jefferson believing wisdom could be "gleaned" from the Muslim Quran. At the time Jefferson owned the book, he needed to know everything possible about Muslims because he was about to advocate war against the Islamic "Barbary" states of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Tripoli. Ellison's use of Jefferson's Quran as a prop illuminates a subject once well-known in the history of the United States, but, which today, is mostly forgotten - the Muslim pirate slavers who over many centuries enslaved millions of Africans and tens of thousands of Christian Europeans and Americans in the Islamic "Barbary" states. Over the course of 10 centuries, Muslim pirates cruised the African and Mediterranean coastline, pillaging villages and seizing slaves. The taking of slaves in pre-dawn raids on unsuspecting coastal villages had a high casualty rate. It was typical of Muslim raiders to kill off as many of the "non-Muslim" older men and women as possible so the preferred "booty" of only young women and children could be collected. Young non-Muslim women were targeted because of their value as concubines in Islamic markets. Islamic law provides for the s&xual interests of Muslim men by allowing them to take as many as four wives at one time and to have as many concubines as their fortunes allow. Boys, as young as 9 or 10 years old, were often mutilated to create eunuchs who would bring higher prices in the slave markets of the Middle East. Muslim slave traders created "eunuch stations" along major African slave routes so the necessary surgery could be performed. It was estimated that only a small number of the boys subjected to the mutilation survived after the surgery. When American colonists rebelled against British rule in 1776, American merchant ships lost Royal Navy protection. With no American Navy for protection, American ships were attacked and their Christian crews enslaved by Muslim pirates operating under the control of the "Dey of Algiers"--an Islamist warlord ruling Algeria. Because American commerce in the Mediterranean was being destroyed by the pirates, the Continental Congress agreed in 1784 to negotiate treaties with the four Barbary States. Congress appointed a special commission consisting of John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin, to oversee the negotiations. Lacking the ability to protect its merchant ships in the Mediterranean, the new America government tried to appease the Muslim slavers by agreeing to pay tribute and ransoms in order to retrieve seized American ships and buy the freedom of enslaved sailors. Adams argued in favor of paying tribute as the cheapest way to get American commerce in the Mediterranean moving again. Jefferson was opposed. He believed there would be no end to the demands for tribute and wanted matters settled "through the medium of war." He proposed a league of trading nations to force an end to Muslim piracy. In 1786, Jefferson, then the American ambassador to France, and Adams, then the American ambassador to Britain, met in London with Sidi Haji Abdul Rahman Adja, the "Dey of Algiers" ambassador to Britain. The Americans wanted to negotiate a peace treaty based on Congress' vote to appease. During the meeting Jefferson and Adams asked the Dey's ambassador why Muslims held so much hostility towards America, a nation with which they had no previous contacts. In a later meeting with the American Congress, the two future presidents reported that Ambassador Sidi Haji Abdul Rahman Adja had answered that Islam "was founded on the Laws of their Prophet, that it was written in their Quran, that all nations who should not have acknowledged their authority were sinners, that it was their right and duty to make war upon them wherever they could be found, and to make slaves of all they could take as Prisoners, and that every Musselman (Muslim) who should be slain in Battle was sure to go to Paradise." For the following 15 years, the American government paid the Muslims millions of dollars for the safe passage of American ships or the return of American hostages. The payments in ransom and tribute amounted to 20 percent of United States government annual revenues in 1800. Not long after Jefferson's inauguration as president in 1801, he dispatched a group of frigates to defend American interests in the Mediterranean, and informed Congress. Declaring that America was going to spend "millions for defense but not one cent for tribute," Jefferson pressed the issue by deploying American Marines and many of America's best warships to the Muslim Barbary Coast. The USS Constitution, USS Constellation, USS Philadelphia, USS Chesapeake, USS Argus, USS Syren and USS Intrepid all saw action. In 1805, US Marines under Lt. Pressley O'Bannon along with 40 Greek mercenaries marched across the dessert from Egypt into Tripolitania, forcing the surrender of Tripoli and the freeing of all American slaves. After capturing this fortress the US Marines raised the American flag for the first time over a defeated enemy in the Old World. During the Jefferson administration, the Muslim Barbary States, crumbling as a result of intense American naval bombardment and on shore raids by Marines, finally officially agreed to abandon slavery and piracy. Jefferson's victory over the Muslims lives on today in the Marine Hymn, with the line, "From the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli, we will fight our country's battles on the land as on the sea." It wasn't until 1815 that the problem was fully settled by the total defeat of all the Muslim slave trading pirates. Jefferson had been right. The "medium of war" was the only way to put and end to the Muslim problem. Mr. Ellison was right about Jefferson. He was a "visionary" wise enough to read and learn about the enemy from their own Muslim book of jihad.

Conway: ‘Every Marine Into the Fight’ New policy means those who have not deployed will be sent to Iraq By Kimberly Johnson - Staff writer Posted : Friday Jan 19, 2007 14:14:11 EST The Corps’ 66,000 leathernecks who have not yet deployed to Iraq — more than one-third of the active-duty force — are now on-deck for combat, according to a new policy issued by the Corps’ top commander Jan. 19. The Corps will immediately begin reviewing personnel assignments with the intent of sending all Marines into Iraq, Commandant Gen. James Conway told commanders in an all-Marine message titled “Every Marine Into the Fight.” Under Conway’s plan, Marines without Iraq experience could be reassigned to new units. Conway also urged commanders to support Marine requests to go into combat. “Frequent deployments and short dwell periods have been the norm,” Conway said in the AlMar. “When they join our Corps, Marines expect to train, deploy and fight. That’s who we are. That’s what we do. And we must allow every Marine that opportunity.” According to Defense Department data, there were about 218,000 total active-duty Marine deployments to Afghanistan or Iraq as of Sept. 30. Of those deployments, less than half have deployed only once, and about 56,000 deployed twice or more. “As our Corps postures for the long war, and in order to help meet the challenges of frequent deployments, I want our Corps’ leadership to initiate policies to ensure all Marines, first-termers and career Marines alike, are provided the ability to deploy to a combat zone,” Conway said. Conway told Marines in Ramadi in late December that about 37 percent of the Corps, or about 66,000 out of about 175,000 permanent troops, had not yet been into Iraq, an issue he said could hurt justification for force expansion plans. Another 5,000 troops are being funded temporarily, inflating the current end strength to 180,000 Marines. The Bush administration has called for increasing the Corps’ end strength to 202,000 Marines in five years. “If we’re going to grow the force on the one hand, we’ve got to be able to justify it to the bean counters ... how we have 66,000 Marines that haven’t been to Iraq or Afghanistan,” he said during the Dec. 26 town hall meeting with 1st Battalion, 6th Marines. About half of those who have not yet deployed are potentially slated for future Iraq deployments, meaning this new policy would target the remaining 33,000. In the message, Conway tasked manpower officials with reassigning Marines who “have yet to deploy to rotational units, but limit the impact on unit cohesion.” Also, officials are to authorize “time-on-station” waivers to “effectively redistribute Marines affected by this guidance.” Officials will also need to review deployment policies to Japan, where Marines deploy as part of the Unit Deployment Program. He told unit commanders to identify Marines in their units who haven’t deployed and facilitate their rotation into the war zone, and when they receive requests to deploy, support those requests. Conway said he believes many leathernecks want to go into combat but are denied. This new policy would give relief to Marines who have had a more constant combat tempo, some on their third and fourth deployments, he told the Marines in Ramadi. That battalion’s deployment has since been extended as part of President Bush’s plan to build up troops levels in Iraq in order decrease insurgent attacks in Anbar province. “The main intent is to allow all Marines the opportunity in getting to the fight and increase the equity in how we’re deploying folks,” said Conway spokesman Lt. Col. T.V. Johnson. It also will expand the combat experience base for the Corps, he said. The new policy, which Johnson said would affect only active-duty troops, was based directly on the feedback Conway heard during recent town hall meetings with Marines who complained that they weren’t able to deploy. “It brought it to the surface. It was a constant theme,” Johnson said. “Marines want to go. The ones who’ve been turned down, they’re not happy about it.”

New Law Could Subject Civilians to Military Trial Provision Aimed at Contractors, but Some Fear It Will Sweep Up Other Workers By Griff Witte Washington Post Staff Writer Monday, January 15, 2007; Page A01 Private contractors and other civilians serving with U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan could be subject for the first time to military courts-martial under a new federal provision that legal scholars say is almost certain to spark constitutional challenges. The provision, which was slipped into a spending bill at the end of the last Congress, is intended to close a long-standing loophole that critics say puts contractors in war zones above the law. But the provision also could affect others accompanying U.S. forces in the field, including civilian government employees and embedded journalists. The Pentagon has estimated that there are 100,000 government contractors operating in Iraq, doing such jobs as serving meals, guarding convoys and interrogating prisoners. Critics have long complained that, unlike soldiers, contractors are rarely prosecuted for their actions, even after evidence surfaced that contractors mistreated prisoners or fired on U.S. troops. "Right now, you have two different standards for people doing the same job," said Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), who pushed the provision. "This will bring uniformity to the commander's ability to control the behavior of people representing our country." Graham, an Air Force Reserve lawyer, said the change will help morale in the field. "If the troops see someone getting away with something that hurts the overall mission, that is a morale buster," he said. Under military law, known as the Uniform Code of Military Justice, commanders have wide latitude in deciding who should be prosecuted. Crimes include many that have parallels in civilian courts -- murder and rape, for instance -- as well as many that don't, such as disobeying an order, fraternization and adultery. Legal experts say that latitude is one reason why attempting to hold civilians to the same standards as U.S. troops could be a messy process. It is also likely to raise constitutional challenges: Civilians prosecuted in military court don't receive a grand jury hearing and are ultimately tried by members of the military, rather than by a jury of their peers. The Supreme Court has struck down civilian convictions under military law, and no conviction of a civilian under the UCMJ has been upheld in more than half a century. "The Supreme Court has been quite hostile to trying civilians in a court-martial," said Eugene R. Fidell, president of the National Institute of Military Justice. "On the other hand, the military justice system is more robust and has more protections in it than it did back in the 1950s. . . . This is going to be a law professor's dream." One additional complication lies in determining who the new provision applies to. Graham said the change was aimed solely at holding contractors accountable. But legal observers say it could be interpreted broadly to also include employees with other government agencies, as well as reporters. "One could imagine a situation in which a commander is unhappy with what a reporter is writing and could use the UCMJ to pressure the reporter," said Phillip E. Carter, a contracting lawyer with McKenna Long & Aldridge. Christopher Anders, legislative counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union, said he understands the desire to hold contractors accountable but feels the legislation was crafted so broadly that it could have negative consequences. "Soldiers subject themselves to a different system of criminal justice. That's a decision that's made by everyone who enlists," Anders said. "There may be some logic in applying military standards to civilian military contractors who are taking up arms. But it's a whole different thing when others are swept up." The Pentagon is still developing guidance on how the new provision will be used. "We're going to have to go through and assess the situation as the facts and circumstances develop," spokeswoman Cynthia Smith said. Contractors have voiced strong opposition to the change. They say that while they support accountability, the use of military law makes the legal framework for private contractors in the field even more muddled. They also have decried the way the change occurred. "This looks good on the surface, but it creates far more problems than it solves," said Stan Soloway, president of the Professional Services Council, a trade group that represents contractors. "This is a provision that has dramatic impact and deserved far more discussion than it got." In fact, the provision sparked virtually no debate last year when Graham had it written into the defense spending bill for 2007. The change was easy to miss: It involved adding just five words to a massive bill. The bill was signed into law by President Bush. Previously, civilians could be tried under the UCMJ only during a declared war. Since military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan never involved a declaration of war, civilians have been exempt. But the new provision also allows the UCMJ to be applied to certain civilians during a "contingency operation." Operations in Afghanistan and Iraq both fit that definition. The change remained largely unnoticed until earlier this month, when Peter W. Singer, a Brookings Institution senior fellow who has long advocated greater accountability for contractors, wrote a piece on it for the Web site DefenseTech.org. At least theoretically, contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan have been subject to criminal law in the United States through the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act, known as MEJA. That law, passed in 2000, is supposed to expand federal prosecutors' authority to foreign battlefields. But MEJA has yet to be used to prosecute contractors. Allegations of contractor involvement in detainee abuse at Abu Ghraib were referred to federal prosecutors in 2004, but there have been no indictments. Late last year, two former employees of a private security firm in Iraq filed suit, alleging that a superior had shot at civilians without provocation. There, too, no charges have been filed. There have also been several unconfirmed reports of contractors firing at U.S. forces. "Not one contractor of the entire military industry in Iraq has been charged with any crime over the last 3 and a half years, let alone prosecuted or punished," Singer wrote. "Given the raw number of contractors, let alone the incidents we know about, it boggles the mind." To try to solve the problem, Rep. David E. Price (D-N.C.) introduced legislation last week that he said would strengthen MEJA, an option he considers superior to using military law. "Military law is not appropriate for civilians," Price said. "The constitutional questions just confuse the issue." Staff researcher Julie Tate contributed to this report.