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Mia Farrow's Nephew Dies in Iraq -- Uncle Blames 'War Criminal' Bush
Sgt. Jason Dene, the nephew of actress and activist Mia Farrow, died in Iraq last week and his uncle blames the "war criminal" George W. Bush for the loss. Mia Farrow has written a sad tribute on her site but Dene's uncle, Patrick V. Farrow, took his anger to the Letters section of the Rutland (Vt.) Herald two days ago.
Dene, in his mid-30s and married with children, is yet another in the growing list of "noncombat" fatalities in Iraq. I have studied these tragedies for almost five years (and written about them often here). In this case, medical complications appear to be at issue. Patrick Farrow, of Castleton, Vt., writes, "To date all the family has heard from the Army is that Jason variously died 'in his sleep' and 'in his bunk' and 'in his quarters' and my favorite 'sleep apnea complicated by smoking cigarettes,' in other words, natural causes."
Whatever the cause, Patrick Farrow knows what really killed his nephew: "Because of the arrogant, corrupt lies of George W. Bush and his neo-con handlers my nephew is dead, and I am mad as hell...Jason Dene was not killed by enemy fire nor friendly fire but by Bush's brutal and cynical stop-loss program."
Because of Bush's abusive stop-loss policy, Jason had been sent into an unwanted third tour of duty. He was a father of three and could not afford to lose his pension. Some "volunteer Army."During his three 15-month tours in Iraq, exposure to roadside bombs and other job-related injuries caused Jason to be hospitalized several times for concussion and internal bleeding and other injuries. Recently, Jason's condition was such that the Department of Defense flew him from Iraq to Dover Air Force Base for surgery. He was released from the hospital into the loving arms of the government who sent him directly back into Iraq. He was put on active duty while he was still on a liquid diet, unable to eat solid food because of a throat hemorrhage due to a botched surgery at a military hospital.
After his second tour Jason returned home with severe mental and physical issues. He was certainly in no condition to be pressed into a third tour. He wanted out of the army. But Jason was a victim of the liar's back-door draft...
Because of George Bush, the arrogant, the corrupt, the liar, the war criminal, my nephew is dead and my sister and the rest of my family are devastated.
Mia Farrow had written: "I don't know what Jason died for....This war is as incomprehensible as it is unacceptable. In a cloud of confusion, politicians, generals and ordinary people have come to see that it is a disaster. Exit plans are being discussed while Iraqi citizens and young Americans like our Jason are being killed.
" My sister is a nurse. For long years has lived in fear of the day when the two uniformed men came to her door to deliver the most terrible news a mother could hear. I hope I never see George W Bush.
I could not shake his hand. He and his cabal have killed my beautiful nephew. . May God, if there is one, forgive them. I cannot....How many more must die before this atrocity is ended?"
*
Greg Mitchell's new book is So Wrong for So Long: How the Press, the Pundits -- and the President -- Failed on Iraq. It features a preface by Bruce Springsteen and a foreword by Joe Galloway. He is editor of Editor & Publisher.
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I have written before that bush should be tried by the International Court for crimes committed against Humanity. His war was for personal reasons. His father got his but kicked out by Sadam, so baby bush started the UNLAWFULL war with Iraq. He did not waited for the approval of the UN, which would NEVER approved of war but would have negotiations. So bush knew that and started right away bombing Iraq. He said "Mission accomplished' he meant that he revenged his father, but he does not know that he blew the US away. Countries in the world has dropped US like a brick in the water, rightfully so. Now he want to put his butt and stay in Iraq. No way, Iran Ayatolah Komeinei can blow the US away in a second. There is no respect for americans, the world look down on them, countries rather see the americans going than coming. US has lost not only respect but also the world. Bush has taken the americans by their nosies and led them in a ring around the rosies with all his lies.
a true tragedy and the Uncle is correct. War criminals.
I am so sorry to hear about Jason. Our family has had two in Iraq. Presently they are both home in one piece but one is about to be sent back for a third time. I don't know why they don't send the likes of John McCain over instead because when he gets there he is able to walk around and no one shoots at him. I cannot tell you how I loathe these men who send our children into harms way, then barely blink as we bury them. I feel like we are in a bad movie where all of a sudden we find out that our learders are actually aliens. Underneath they are disgusting reptiles.
I'm very sorry to hear about his passing. Its time to speak out loudly - unless we want our kids there for 100 years:
This from the Independent News: Ask yourself - should our men and women be sent to Iraq for the next 100 years or more?
"A secret deal being negotiated in Baghdad would perpetuate the American military occupation of Iraq indefinitely, regardless of the outcome of the US presidential election in November."
The terms of the impending deal, details of which have been leaked to The Independent, are likely to have an explosive political effect in Iraq. Iraqi officials fear that the accord, under which US troops would occupy permanent bases, conduct military operations, arrest Iraqis and enjoy immunity from Iraqi law, will destabilise Iraq's position in the Middle East and lay the basis for unending conflict in their country. "
I KNEW IT - BUSH WOULD TRY TO CLAIM "VICTORY" BEFORE NOVEMBER SO McCAIN COULD SAY "I TOLD YOU SO"
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/revealed-secret-plan-to-keep-iraq-under-us-control-840512.html
thanks for the word.
Believe it or not, when I was in the army in the 60s, and I hated the freaking army, it still had NCOs and officers of integrity.
And today, these feckless incompetents come up with a guy in his 30s, dying in his sleep, "aggivated by smoking."!!
What were they thinking? Something like, "EEH,ehh, anyway we can blame the dead soldier?'
Well, he smoked.
What a disgrace!
It would be great to see a commercial appear on TV like those for diseases like Mesothyleoma (sp?), for a class action lawsuit against Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, et al. for physical, financial, mental, etc harm done to servicemen and/or their families.
Maybe Hillary Clinton could serve as one of the attorneys? Or how about John Edwards?
I'm only half kidding. When they enlist do servicement sign anything that prohibits them from suing the government or government officials? If they can't, how about their families right to sue? Are government officials somehow protected from being sued in civil court since our Congress is reluctant or refuses to do anything about this tragedy?
Hey, Our President did give up golf!
My thoughts and prayers goes out to the whole family, just another Un-necessary American troop death in Iraq due to this senseless, deplorable War, I do not understand how Bush has the gall to face any of our troops familys, and tell them "THEY DIED FOR THEIR COUNTRY"
No, they gave their precious lives for "OIL"
Such a shame, my prayers goes out to ALL the troops families that have lost their lives in a War that should NEVER HAVE BEEN STARTED!!
The family should sue Dick Cheney and George W. Bush as individuals, holding them responsible for the death of their loved one, as in a "wrongful death" suit. Every family which has lost someone in Iraq should sue those two persons, not the US Government or the military or the offices of "president" and "vice-president", but Cheney and Bush the private citizens. Likewise, anyone sustaining significant injuries or mental/emotional scars should file suit for damages. Congress isn't going to do anything (like impeach them), and it's absolutely intolerable that those two get off scot-free to retire to their ranches and wallow in the luxury which cost so many lives, limbs, hearts, and minds.
Just about the only way to make those two "feel your pain" to any extent is to take away the money and possessions which were the motivation for their crimes in the first place. That and a lengthy jail sentence, of course.
It would be nice to see a class action sort of lawsuit against them by military families, if for nothing else, to make a public statement about what Bush & company have done to them. I would also include Rumsfeld in the suit.
It's sad when someone dies in a needless war.
That said - perhaps the uncle's anger would have been better spent persuading his son that there hasn't been a war worth fighting in for many, many years. Did he bother to try and stop his child from becoming a hired killer and invader?
People seem to miss the very simple equation of NOT GOING TO FIGHT IN A NEEDLESS WAR = NOT DYING IN SAID NEEDLESS WAR.
If you really don't want your kids to die in a war, teach them from an early age that only politicians and criminals start and fight wars - and with the people the military is currently accepting, it's even more true today. Those of us who value intelligence and peace find other ways to resolve our differences.
Jason Dene was 37 years old, career Army, and set to retire next month. Obviously, he joined the Army long before this particular war was little more than a embryonic glimmer in Cheney's imagination. Had there been a necessary war, though, he'd be one of the people you'd be damn glad was defending this country.
methfg,
I am a high school history teacher. I have been trying to teach the truth about this obscene war for profit since before March, 2003 . It's not easy. Most teachers are very conservative and I have been vilified and called every name in the book. It never fails to amaze me how many of the so-called educated have either forgotten Vietnam or have tried to rewrite the history of that disaster.
Patrick Farrow is not Sgt. Dene's father. He is Sgt. Dene's uncle; Mia Farrow is Sgt. Dene's aunt. In the blog article, Mia Farrow refers to her sister (Tisa Farrow) as being a nurse. Tisa Farrow is Sgt. Dene's mother. According to www.boston.com, Tisa Farrow and Patrick Farrow live in Castleton, MA.
I wish people would read before they comment.
So, now, do you want to blame Tisa Farrow for her 37-year-old son's death? Or maybe you'd like to take it out on Sgt. Dene's wife of 16 years.
My sincere sympathy to the family.
Let's just hope that for the sake of Our country, the next administartion better pick an Attorney General who will have the guts and the decency to openly investigate, indict and hopefully convict the bush regime on the charges of war crimes, subverting the Constitution and like Vince Bugliosi so elloquently stated in his blog. The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/vincent-bugliosi/the-prosecution-of-george_b_102427.html
"I don't know what Jason died for" Oil. Sorry.
This story is appalling. This shows the total disregard for the troops! People who are ill and put BACK into military service to their peril---- death! I am so ashamed and so outraged by this story.
Patrick Farrow's letter was one of the most powerful Letters to the Editor that I've ever read. I saw it on The Herald's website a couple days ago and the impact of it hasn't lessened. Sorrow and sympathy and outrage at what's been done to the Dene family and to others that this has happened to and to ALL the families of the young men & women deployed in Iraq in this horrific and entirely voluntary war & occupation. This was done in OUR names by people who profess to be patriotic Americans and to support the troops and, in reality, don't give a damn about anything but money.
I hope many, many people read your column or Mr. Farrow's letter http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080529/OPINION02/805290306/1037/OPINION02 - especially those in the news media who barely mention Iraq these days. If we really carried about our people in uniform, we'd bring them home!
RIP, Jason.
People "volunteering" should know it's nothing more than indentured servitude.
When I was a child whenever I encountered aggressive kids I would say "if you want to fight join the army". We all knew then that joining the army meant that you relished a fight. So today when you join the army why in the world would you think you are not going to be in the thick of war? The U.S. enjoys war. It's whole economy is based on war. The civilian government is completely under the control of the military industrial complex or at least totally in deference to it. Until Americans jointly decide that war is not a beneficial end to be desired you will have military deaths and those who volunteer are responsible for their own deaths. They joined the army to fight and they must bear the resonsibility of that decision. They are all agents of a monstrous government and as such deserve what they get. I'm very sorry to say that but it's true.
Then you are also saying that George Washington and the Minutemen and the people who died to establish our country deserved what they got? No wonder people wanted to fight with you.
Because you are wrong.
We elect civilian leaders who lead responsibly, or we get war criminals like Bush. The soldiers who are serving AMERICA didn't pick him, so don't blame them. All they can do is trust that their leaders are doing the best job they can for the benefit of all Americans. The current administration has committed war crimes and encouraged....even ORDERED subordinates to do it and had the power to make them commit atrocities. That isn't the fault of the soldiers whose only crime is patriotism.
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