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      <title>American Contractors In Iraq</title>
      <link>http://americancontractorsiniraq.com/blog3/</link>
      <description>Tales from Iraq and the American way...</description>
      <language>en</language>
      <copyright>Copyright 2010</copyright>
      <lastBuildDate>Thu, 26 Apr 2007 10:01:41 -0600</lastBuildDate>
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         <title>Securing America From Attack</title>
         <description><![CDATA[<p>&nbsp;How do we keep America safe?&nbsp;&nbsp; Do we send soldiers to foriegn nations to fight our enemies?</p><p>&nbsp;Do we keep our military on our borders and defend her there?&nbsp; Not in America.</p><p>&nbsp;We insist that foriegn nations, who we assist, to secure their borders. But we don't do this at home.&nbsp; Why don't we secure our borders during a time of war?&nbsp; It's a fair question.</p><p>&nbsp;Since just after the distruction of the World Trade Towers on SEptember 11th, 2001, Hugo Chevez ,President of Venesula, welcomed Al-Qeada into his country as friends.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp; They've been assimilating into the culture since.&nbsp; They learn to speak spanish, eat latin foods, dress like Central Americans, South Americans or Mexicans.&nbsp; They are so well rehersed that we couldn't tell them from anyone else from that part of our hemisphere.&nbsp; That's entirely the plan.</p><p>&nbsp;They mix with other Illegal Aliens and sneak across our borders with one thing in mind, and it's not to pick tomatoes!&nbsp; They are sitting up cells that one day will kill thousands, perhaps millions of American families.&nbsp; And our Government refuses to secure our own borders and protect our families.</p><p>&nbsp;We have men and women , in uniform and without, dieing every day of the week trying to secure dangerous parts of the world to protect America and our families.&nbsp; All the while, our government refuses to protect us from the threat&nbsp;coming across our borders.</p><p>&nbsp;I believe we must arm ourselves and prepare for the coming battles on our own soil. It's not a matter of &quot;<strong><em><u>IF</u></em></strong>&quot;, it's a matter of &quot;<strong><em><u>WHEN</u></em></strong>.&quot;&nbsp;&nbsp; I don't think we'll get any help from our government. Quite the contrary, they are the problem ,not the solution.&nbsp; TThey send our National Guard troops to the border unarmed to face armed thugs and the Mexican Military. This is insane, at best, and reason at worst.&nbsp;&nbsp; </p><p>&nbsp;There have been more Americans killed, since the beginning of the Iraq War, by Illegal Aliens than in Iraq!&nbsp; This, according to many reports I've seen in the news.&nbsp; It's a travesty of our soveriegnty. And the begining of the &quot;One World Nation.&quot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;I , for one, do not plan to let this take hold.&nbsp; I swore that sacred pledge to preserve and protect our CONSTITUTION.&nbsp; As have all of our veterans, our active duty personnel, and our politicians.</p><p>&nbsp;May God have mercy on us for allowing the greatest Christian nation of all time , to be forsaken.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;I pray , daily, for the&nbsp;health and safety of all my fellow Americans. Especially those in harm's way.&nbsp;&nbsp;I pray that God will continue to bless America and her CITIZENS.</p><p>&nbsp; That's my opinion.&nbsp; Even if it's not politically correct.&nbsp; I fear dark days ahead. I&nbsp;pray that&nbsp;I'm wrong.&nbsp; </p><p>&nbsp;I can be contacted at: <a href="mailto:jamespmallett@yahoo.com">jamespmallett@yahoo.com</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;Thank You and May GOD Bless You All!!&nbsp;&nbsp; Be careful and come home safe.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>]]></description>
         <link>http://americancontractorsiniraq.com/blog3/#000027</link>
         <guid>http://americancontractorsiniraq.com/blog3/#000027</guid>
         <category></category>
         <pubDate>Thu, 26 Apr 2007 10:01:41 -0600</pubDate>
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         <title>500,000 Troops in Iraq in 1990 Gulf War?</title>
         <description><![CDATA[<h5>Funny how we had 500,000 AMERICAN TROOPS in Iraq during Gulf War and now we have only 130,000 to 160,000 during Operation Iraqie Freedom, we've replaced the missing 380,000 troops with American Contractors?&nbsp;</h5><h5>&nbsp;Sending them into a WAR ZONE without proper protection?&nbsp;&nbsp; </h5><h5>Most contractors are ex military, who go now to support the only thing they ever knew how to do..... </h5><h2>Was it the Clinton Admin....downsizing our military?&nbsp; </h2><h4>OR</h4><h4>&nbsp;is it so they could cover up the <em>numbers of American's being killed or injured on the FRONT LINES?&nbsp; </em></h4><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>]]></description>
         <link>http://americancontractorsiniraq.com/blog3/janas_little_corner/#000026</link>
         <guid>http://americancontractorsiniraq.com/blog3/janas_little_corner/#000026</guid>
         <category>Jana&apos;s little Corner</category>
         <pubDate>Tue, 13 Mar 2007 08:07:59 -0600</pubDate>
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         <title>U.S. Senate Replys....</title>
         <description><![CDATA[<strong>Senate Replys</strong> <div>This is the reply FROM SENATOR&nbsp; JOHN CORNYN&nbsp;to my letter;&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><h5>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; TO&nbsp;WHOM THIS &nbsp;MIGHT REACH&nbsp;</h5><div>And then my reply to him.</div><p>Dear Mr. Boiles:<br /><br />Thank you for contacting me regarding the United States&acirc;&euro;&trade; policy toward Iraq. I appreciate having the benefit of your comments on this matter......<br /></p><p><br />&nbsp;</p><h4><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</h4><p>Dear Mr. Boiles:<br /><br />Thank you for contacting me regarding the United States&acirc;&euro;&trade; policy toward Iraq. I appreciate having the benefit of your comments on this matter. <br /><br />Liberation from Saddam Hussein&acirc;&euro;&trade;s oppressive rule was Iraq&acirc;&euro;&trade;s first step on the long road to democracy. Although there were real disagreements over how to deal with the threat posed by Saddam Hussein, we all agree that a democratic, stable, and prosperous Iraq is in the best interest of its citizens, the region, and the international community. Indeed, the world is safer because this brutal dictator was removed from power.<br /><br />I remain deeply concerned about the level of sectarian violence in Iraq. Despite the successful 2005 elections and constitutional referendum, in which large numbers of Iraqis participated, violence between Shiites and Sunnis increased dramatically in 2006&acirc;&euro;&rdquo;due primarily to the Al Qaeda bombing of a sacred Shiite mosque in Samarra in February 2006. Unfortunately, the nascent Iraqi government has been unable to end this wave of sectarian violence. <br /><br />It is critical that Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and the Iraqi government work aggressively to broker a political settlement among Shiites, Kurds, and Sunnis that ends the violence. Though the United States can help improve Iraq&acirc;&euro;&trade;s short-term security situation with additional military personnel, in the end, it is up to the Iraqis to determine the success of their democracy.<br /><br />I appreciate the efforts of the Iraq Study Group (ISG) to provide recommendations for success in Iraq, and I agree with the ISG assessment that a premature withdrawal of American forces from Iraq would not be in our national security interests. The consequences of failure in Iraq are severe. Indeed, failure to lay the foundation for a stable Iraq would result in a greater terrorist threat to our nation&acirc;&euro;&rdquo;especially as Iran seeks to extend its influence in the region and Al Qaeda tries to establish an Islamic caliphate that would serve as a base of terrorist operations. Unfortunately, Iran and Syria continue to pursue policies that undermine stability in Iraq, allowing foreign fighters to cross their borders and providing insurgents with weaponry that has been used to kill American military personnel.<br /><br />We all want our troops home as soon as possible, but our military strategy in Iraq must be based on clear national security considerations. We owe it to all Americans to establish a strategy for victory, and to support it&acirc;&euro;&rdquo;with one voice. I look forward to working with President Bush and my congressional colleagues in a bipartisan manner to establish a way forward in Iraq that will lead to a safer world for us all.<br /><br />I appreciate having the opportunity to represent the interests of Texans in the United States Senate. Thank you for taking the time to contact me.<br /><br />Sincerely,<br /><br />JOHN CORNYN<br />United States Senator<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />517 Hart Senate Office Building<br />Washington, DC 20510<br />Tel: (202) 224-2934<br />Fax: (202) 228-2856<br /><a title="http://www.cornyn.senate.gov/" href="http://www.cornyn.senate.gov/">http://www.cornyn.senate.gov</a></p><h4>Thank you for your reply!</h4><h4>IT IS PLAIN TO SEE YOU DO NOT READ A WORD OF MY COMMENT OR YOU DO NOT CARE ABOUT INJURED, CIVILIAN OR&nbsp;MILITARY PERSONNEL<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; David Boiles<br /><br /></h4><br />]]></description>
         <link>http://americancontractorsiniraq.com/blog3/#000025</link>
         <guid>http://americancontractorsiniraq.com/blog3/#000025</guid>
         <category></category>
         <pubDate>Tue, 13 Mar 2007 08:00:09 -0600</pubDate>
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         <title>Bigun needs your help!</title>
         <description><![CDATA[<h6 style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in">My name is David G. Boiles I went to work for KBR on Sept. 10, 2004 as a truck driver, and then advanced to a KBR Convoy Commander until March 10, 2006. As a Convoy Commander, I did not lose anyone or any equipment. Yes, I went to work for the money, but after a few days I was proud to support our fine young men and women in the military!</h6><u><strong><div id="RTEContent" style="margin-bottom: 0in" align="center"><div><div><a title="http://www.dbacomp.com/" href="http://www.dbacomp.com/"><p style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in" align="left">TO WHOM THIS MIGHT REACH:</p><div style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in" align="left"><strong>HELLO. THIS IS WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME - ZERO!! BUT THE FACT IS, WE HAVE HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF KBR/SEII CIVILIAN WORKERS INJURED FROM IRAQ THAT HAS NOT RECEIVED ANY MEDICAL HELP FROM WORKERS COMP. (AIG).</strong></div><div style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in" align="left">My name is David G. Boiles I went to work for KBR on Sept. 10, 2004 as a truck driver, and then advanced to a KBR Convoy Commander until March 10, 2006. As a Convoy Commander, I did not lose anyone or any equipment. Yes, I went to work for the money, <u>but after a few days I was proud to support our fine young men and women in the military!</u></div><div style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in" align="left">I would still be in Iraq but on Feb. 20, 2006 I was injured on the job outside of LSA Anaconda (Balad Iraq) while my convoy (which was carrying supplies &amp; equipment to our military) was going to a base north of Anaconda. We hit a large hole that went across the road. The military truck (915) I was in hit bottom or &ldquo;bottomed out&rdquo; when it hit the hole. When it came out of the hole, it catapulted me to the top of the cab, causing me to hit my head on the inside top of the cab. This caused my spine to be jammed, and is very painful!!</div><div style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in" align="left">The KBR Clinic was of little or no help, but gave me a bottle of pills (Motrin) and said I would be &ldquo;OK&rdquo;. I went back several times, so at the last of Feb. 2006, KBR was going to send me to Kuwait. When KBR personnel found out that I was going on scheduled Rest &amp; Relaxation on Mar. 5, 2006, KBR personnel said for me to get help from my doctor when I went home.</div><div style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in" align="left">When I got home, I went to Dr. Karin, and Dr. Torres. They had to take x-rays - CT and MRI, which shows back and neck problems. The tests showed the last three disks and the S1 in my back to have problems and some in the neck area. The doctors said I needed surgery as soon as possible to prevent any other damage. Now this is the first week in April!<strong> AIG (KBR's Worker's Compensation Insurance Co.) received all the information. <u>ALL THEY DID IS TO SEND ME TO NECK THERAPY (NO SURGERY) WHICH WAS NOT PAID </u></strong>until I hired Gary Pitts, Atty. at Law. Yes, I get a check every two weeks and pain pills, but I STILL HAVE PAIN!!! In <strong>June, 2006 I</strong> went for more tests in preparation for surgery to be done in <strong>July, but again, NO SURGERY!! </strong>Then surgery was set up for A<strong>ug. 9, 2006 but on Aug. 8, 2006 AIG CANCEL THE SURGERY.</strong> At this time AIG said I needed a medical review by AIG's &amp; KBR's Doctor. On <strong>Oct. 11, 2006 </strong>I went to J. MARTIN BARRASH, M.D.,F.A.C.S. for the medical review, who said I needed the surgery as soon as possible. He stated &ldquo;Merely a simple micro-diskectomy at L5-S1 would be the best answer.&rdquo; After I did this, it took AIG 6 weeks to get this report back to me. Now Dr. Torres does not want to do the simple surgery. He believes the other disks need to be taken care of also.</div><div style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in" align="left">Yes I have had correspondence with the Vice President of the United States of America dated Aug. 17, 2006, who sent my information to the Department of Commerce, who sent it to the Department of Veterans Affairs, who in turn said that they would have to look into my service from 1969 to1971 in the U.S. Army?? for an incident that occurred on <strong><u>FEB. 20, 2006 in IRAQ!!</u></strong></div><div style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in" align="left">Yes I have had correspondence with my senator and congressmen. All they want to know is if I am getting worker's compensation. The money is not it! I am in <strong><u>PAIN!</u></strong></div><div style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in" align="left">Yes I have had many correspondences with U.S. Department of Labor. They more or less keep AIG in some kind of control. <strong><u>MAYBE!</u></strong></div><div style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in" align="left">Yes I have had correspondence from KBR &amp; Halliburton<strong><u>. I WAS FIRED!!!</u></strong></div><div style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in" align="left">I DO BELIEVE IF I WAS CAPTURED IN IRAQ I WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED BEFORE BEING PUT THROUGH ALL THIS TORTURE!!</div><div style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in" align="left">AFTER ALL THIS, ON DEC. 6, 2006 I WENT BACK TO Dr. BARRASH (AIG &amp; KBR DOCTOR) AND ASKED FOR A LIST OF DOCTORS WHO WOULD DO THE SURGERY THAT AIG &amp; KBR WOULD APPROVE!!! (Their choice of doctor, not my choice of Doctor.) </div><div style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in" align="left">On Dec. 6, 2006 Dr. Barrash sent Dr. Mims all of my information. His employees said if AIG would approve it, I would have an appointment for Dec. 19, 2006. Dr. Mims' office made several attempts to contact AIG. AS OF JAN. 04, 2007, <strong>I am still here in pain!! </strong></div><div style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in" align="left"><strong>HERE WE GO AGAIN. </strong>On Jan. 15, 2006 Dr. Mims had all of my information sent from DR. Barrash to his people! The doctors are not getting any response from AIG at all. I am still in pain Jan. 26, 2007.</div><div style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in" align="left"><strong>OK, ONE MORE TIME. </strong>My lawyer filed with the U. S. Department of Labor to have a Judge to make a decision on the type of surgery I might have. When that happened, the Department of Labor gave the insurance company 21 days to take action. Would you believe that on the 21<sup>st</sup> day at 4:30 pm (Feb. 1, 2007) I was called and told that I would have a different doctor take a look at my surgery request. (Is this just enough to keep AIG out of trouble?) On Feb. 7, 2007, I went to a Dr. Ngy and he said I may need shots in my spine before Surgery would be needed. <strong><em>WE WENT TROUGH THE SHOT THING BACK IN APRIL, 2006 AND MAY, 2006</em></strong>. Several different doctors said it would not work due to it has been too long since the injury!! We are waiting on this doctor to send his findings to AIG for approval. </div><div style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in" align="left">Yours Truly</div><div style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in" align="left">David Boiles/ aka BIGUN</div><div style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in" align="left">Truck Driver / Convoy Commander</div><div style="margin-top: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in" align="left">KBR/SEII (Service Employers International Inc)</div></a></div></div></div></strong></u>]]></description>
         <link>http://americancontractorsiniraq.com/blog3/keep_up_america/#000024</link>
         <guid>http://americancontractorsiniraq.com/blog3/keep_up_america/#000024</guid>
         <category>Keep up America</category>
         <pubDate>Tue, 13 Mar 2007 07:57:08 -0600</pubDate>
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         <title>Homeless Veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan</title>
         <description><![CDATA[<p>&nbsp;This is from my friend, Ron Yeary just north of Indianapolis, Indiana.</p><p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Jim Mallett</p><div class="headlinestory" style="margin-left: 8px"><strong>So how much do we really support those that have fought for us?</strong></div><div class="headlinestory" style="margin-left: 8px"><a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/02/08/national/main672297.shtml?source=search_story" target="_blank">http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/02/08/national/main672297.shtml?source=search_story</a></div><div><h2 class="headlinestory" style="margin-left: 8px">Home Alone </h2></div><div class="subhead_story" style="margin-left: 8px"><strong>Some Returning <span style="border-bottom: #0066cc 1px dashed">Iraq</span> Vets Wind Up In Homeless Shelters</strong></div><div><strong>(Christian Science Monitor)&nbsp;</strong></div><div><em>This story was written by <strong>Alexandra Marks</strong></em> </div><div>Veterans of the <span style="border-bottom: #0066cc 1px dashed">Iraq</span> and <span style="border-bottom: #0066cc 1px dashed">Afghanistan</span> conflicts are now showing up in the nation's homeless shelters. <br /><br />While the numbers are still small, they're steadily rising, and raising alarms in both the homeless and veterans' communities. The <strong>concern is that these returning veterans - some of whom can't find jobs after leaving the military, others of whom are still struggling psychologically with the war - may be just the beginning of an influx of new veterans in need. Currently, there are 150,000 troops in Iraq and 16,000 in <span style="border-bottom: #0066cc 1px dashed">Afghanistan</span>. More than 130,000 have already served and returned home. <br /></strong><br />So far, dozens of them, like Herold Noel, a married father of three, have found themselves sleeping on the streets, on friends' couches, or in their cars within weeks of returning home. Two years ago, Black Veterans for Social Justice (BVSJ) in the borough of Brooklyn, saw only a handful of recent returnees. Now the group is aiding more than 100 <span style="border-bottom: #0066cc 1px dashed">Iraq</span> veterans, 30 of whom are homeless. <br /><br />&quot;It's horrible to put your life on the line and then come back home to nothing, that's what I came home to: nothing. I didn't know where to go or where to turn,&quot; says Mr. Noel. &quot;I thought I was alone, but I found out there are a whole lot of other soldiers in the same situation. Now I want people to know what's really going on.&quot; <br /><br />After the Vietnam War, tens of thousands of veterans came home to a hostile culture that offered little gratitude and inadequate services, particularly to deal with the stresses of war. As a result, tens of thousands of Vietnam veterans still struggle with homelessness and drug addiction. <br /><br />Veterans from the <span style="border-bottom: #0066cc 1px dashed">Iraq</span> and <span style="border-bottom: #0066cc 1px dashed">Afghanistan</span> wars are coming home to a very different America. While the Iraq war remains controversial, there is almost unanimous support for the soldiers overseas. And in the years since <span style="border-bottom: #0066cc 1px dashed">Vietnam</span>, more than 250 nonprofit veterans' service organizations have sprouted up, many of them created by people like Peter Cameron, a Vietnam veteran who is determined that what happened to his fellow soldiers will not happen again. <br /><br />But he and dozens of other veterans' service providers are concerned by the increasing numbers of new veterans ending up on streets and in shelters. <br /><br />Part of the reason for these new veterans' struggles is that housing costs have skyrocketed at the same time real wages have remained relatively stable, often putting rental prices out of reach. And for many, there is a gap of months, sometimes years, between when military benefits end and veterans benefits begin. <br /><br />&quot;We are very much committed to helping veterans coming back from this war,&quot; says Mr. Cameron, executive director of Vietnam Veterans of California. &quot;But the [Department of Veterans Affairs] already has needs it can't meet and there's a lot of fear out there that programs are going to be cut even further.&quot; <br /><br />Both the Veterans Administration and private veterans service organizations are already stretched, providing services for veterans of previous conflicts. For instance, while an estimated 500,000 veterans were homeless at some time during 2004, the <span style="border-bottom: #0066cc 1px dashed">VA</span> had the resources to tend to only 100,000 of them. <br /><br />&quot;You can have all of the yellow ribbons on cars that say 'Support Our Troops' that you want, but it's when they take off the uniform and transition back to civilian life that they need support the most,&quot; says Linda Boone, executive director of The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. <br /><br />After the Vietnam conflict, it was nine to 12 years before veterans began showing up at homeless shelters in large numbers. In part, that's because the trauma they experienced during combat took time to surface, according to one Vietnam veteran who's now a service provider. Doctors refer to the phenomenon as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). <br /><br />A recent study published by the New England Journal of Medicine found that 15 to 17 percent of <span style="border-bottom: #0066cc 1px dashed">Iraq</span> vets meet &quot;the screening criteria for major depression, generalized anxiety, or PTSD.&quot; Of those, only 23 to 40 percent are seeking help - in part because so many others fear the stigma of having a mental disorder. <br /><br />Many veterans' service providers say they're surprised to see so many Iraq veterans needing help so soon. <br /><br />&quot;This kind of inner city, urban guerrilla warfare that these veterans are facing probably accelerates mental-health problems,&quot; says Yogin Ricardo Singh, director of the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program at BVSJ. &quot;And then there's the soldier's mentality: Asking for help is like saying, 'I've failed a mission.' It's very hard for them to do.&quot; <br /><br />Beyond PTSD and high housing costs, many veterans also face an income void, as they search for new jobs or wait for their veterans benefits to kick in. <br /><br />When Mr. Noel was discharged in December of 2003, he and his family had been living in base housing in Georgia. Since they were no longer eligible to live there, they began the search for a new home. But Noel had trouble landing a job and the family moved to <span style="border-bottom: #0066cc 1px dashed">New York</span>, hoping for help from a family member. Eventually, they split up: Noel's wife and infant child moved in with his sister-in-law, and his twins were sent to relatives in Florida. Noel slept in his car, on the streets, and on friend's couches. <br /><br />Last spring he was diagnosed with PTSD, and though he's currently in treatment, his disability claim is still being processed. Unable to keep a job so far, he's had no steady income, although an anonymous donor provided money for him to take an apartment last week. He expects his family to join him soon. <br /><br />Nicole Goodwin is another vet diagnosed with PTSD who has yet to receive disability benefits. Unable to stay with her mother, she soon found herself walking the streets of New York, with a backpack full of her belongings and her 1-year-old daughter held close. <br /><br />&quot;When I first got back I just wanted to jump into a job and forget about <span style="border-bottom: #0066cc 1px dashed">Iraq</span>, but the culture shock from the military to the civilian world hit me,&quot; she says. &quot;I was depressed for months. I couldn't sleep. I couldn't eat. The worst thing wasn't the war, it was coming back, because nobody understood why I was the way I was.&quot; <br /><br />Ms. Goodwin was determined not to sleep on the streets, and so eventually went into the <span style="border-bottom: #0066cc 1px dashed">New York City</span> shelter system where, after being shuffled from shelter to shelter, she was told she was ineligible for help. But media attention changed that, and she was able to obtain a rent voucher. With others' generosity, she also found a job. She's now attending college and working with other veterans who are determined to go to Washington with their stories. <br /><br />&quot;When soldiers get back, they should still be considered military until they can get on their feet,&quot; she says. &quot;It's a month-to-month process, trying to actually function again. It's not easy, it takes time.&quot; <br /></div><div>Ronnie Yeary</div><div><a href="http://americancontractorsiniraq.com/ym/Compose?To=ryindy@earthlink.net" target="_blank">ryindy@earthlink.net</a></div>]]></description>
         <link>http://americancontractorsiniraq.com/blog3/jims_rants_and_news/#000023</link>
         <guid>http://americancontractorsiniraq.com/blog3/jims_rants_and_news/#000023</guid>
         <category>Jim&apos;s Rants and News</category>
         <pubDate>Mon, 05 Mar 2007 16:06:06 -0600</pubDate>
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         <title>US Senate Replys</title>
         <description><![CDATA[<div>This is the reply FROM SENATOR&nbsp; JOHN CORNYN&nbsp;to my letter;&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><h5>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; TO&nbsp;WHOM THIS &nbsp;MIGHT REACH&nbsp;</h5><div>And then my reply to him.</div><p>Dear Mr. Boiles:<br /><br />Thank you for contacting me regarding the United States&acirc;&euro;&trade; policy toward Iraq. I appreciate having the benefit of your comments on this matter......<br /></p><p><br />&nbsp;</p><h4><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</h4>]]></description>
         <link>http://americancontractorsiniraq.com/blog3/silent_witness/#000022</link>
         <guid>http://americancontractorsiniraq.com/blog3/silent_witness/#000022</guid>
         <category>Silent Witness</category>
         <pubDate>Thu, 01 Mar 2007 18:04:27 -0600</pubDate>
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         <title>Jihadist Professor at Kent State University!!  A MUST READ!</title>
         <description><![CDATA[<p>Brothers,</p><p>This is making my blood boil!!&nbsp; I cannot believe this man is allowed to spread his message of hate of America from OUR Heartland!!</p><p>This guy needs to be removed from our country, one way or another!!!!</p><p>Please Read This:</p><p>&nbsp;<span class="Verdana14Bold">Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard</span><br /><span class="red10bold">By Mike S. Adams</span><br /><span class="Verdana9Blue">Wednesday, February 28, 2007</span><br /></p><p>Yesterday afternoon, I logged on to the &quot;Global War&quot; blog (<a href="http://global-war.bloghi.com/" target="_blank">global-war.bloghi.com</a>) of Associate Professor Julio Pino &ndash; a Muslim convert who teaches at Kent State University. The heading for the site used to read &quot;The Worldwide Web of Jihad: Daily News from the Most Dangerous Muslim in America.&quot; Now it reads &quot;Are You Prepared for Jihad?&quot; IN THE NAME OF OBL. 2007: THE YEAR OF ISLAMIC VICTORY!&quot; </p><p>Hardly able to believe what I was reading, I called Pino at his office in Ohio around 4 p.m. According to his secretary, he had not been at work that day (he only has office hours two days of the week). He was drawing a paycheck from the people of the State of Ohio while trying to launch a Jihad against people like me. In fact, just five minutes before I called he posted an entry under the title &quot;Crusaders Can&rsquo;t Take Anymore in Afghanistan!&quot; </p><p>Pino began his morning of not going into his office at Kent State by penning a post under the title &ldquo;Frightened British Crusaders Rush More Troops to Occupied Afghanistan.&rdquo; Using terms like &ldquo;occupation&rdquo; and &ldquo;Crusaders&rdquo; it isn&rsquo;t really necessary to read these posts in order to ascertain who this employee of the State of Ohio is rooting for in the War on Terror. </p><p>But, just in case you were curious about the purpose of this site, it is provided in the upper right corner: &quot;We are a jihadist news service, and provide battle dispatches, training manuals, and jihad videos to our brothers worldwide. All we want is to get Allah&rsquo;s pleasure. We will write &lsquo;Jihad&rsquo; across our foreheads, and the stars. The angels will carry our message throughout the world.&quot; </p><p>There is also an &quot;Oath of Freedom&quot; in the upper right corner: &quot;We were born free. We will live freely and when death comes to us, we will die freely. Jihad is changing all that can be changed; freeing ourselves through our own efforts; and the conviction that truth will prevail, inshallah.&quot; </p><p>Under the entry &quot;Sister Detonates Herself to Eliminate Shia Traitors&quot; there is a description of a female suicide bomber who recently killed 41 people. Just in case you wondered how the host of the site feels about the suicide bomber, the next line tells you: &quot;Now she lies on the Golden Couch of Paradise.&quot; </p><p>Despite his clear support of mass murder, he once complained that the Jews were engaged in genocide against the Palestinians. He claimed that as a result of that assertion, he was &quot;harassed&quot; and received &quot;death threats.&quot; </p><p>I&rsquo;ve always assumed that a person who advocates mass murder runs the risk of getting an occasional death threat in the office. Maybe Pino isn&rsquo;t really the &quot;Most Dangerous Muslim in America.&quot; Maybe he&rsquo;s just a pro-Palestinian pansy whose cushy job with the State of Ohio lets him hide inside his house while real men are doing the work that keeps this great nation going. </p><p>But, just to be fair to Pino, he is more balanced in his teaching than a lot of my colleagues at UNC-Wilmington. In fact, he&rsquo;s even willing to criticize an occasional Democrat. He says that John F. Kennedy once planned &quot;genocide against the Cuban people&quot; in the 1960s. He also claims that President Bill Clinton killed &quot;more than 500,000 Iraqi children&quot; in the 1990s. </p><p>Although obsessed with the notion that America is being over-run by &quot;Christian fascism,&quot; he has affectionately referred to his students his &quot;little Jihadists&quot; and his &quot;beloved Taliban.&quot; In other words, he makes no bones about the fact that he works to indoctrinate, not educate, the children of the taxpayers of the State of Ohio. </p><p>Many people believe that Julio Pino deserves to be fired because of his public statements about the War on Terror. I disagree. A simple firing is too light a punishment. </p><p>Dr. Julio Pino, for his decision to &quot;provide battle dispatches, training manuals, and jihad videos to our (enemies) worldwide&quot; deserves to be arrested and sent to an island off the coast of North America, striped naked, interrogated, and, if necessary, tortured to ascertain the extent of his involvement in assisting our enemies. </p><p>After we are done with him, he is free to return to Ohio. That is unless, of course, he is found to be something more than a professorial pansy posing as a genuine Jihadist. </p><em>Dr. Pino is still afraid to return Dr. Adams calls. Allah seems to have blessed the Cuban convert with an unusually small &quot;julio-ju dilly.&quot;</em> <br /><br /><em><p><em>Mike Adams is a criminology professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1891799177/ref=nosim/townhallcom" target="_blank">Welcome to the Ivory Tower of Babel: Confessions of a Conservative College Professor</a>.</em> </p></em><p>&nbsp;</p>]]></description>
         <link>http://americancontractorsiniraq.com/blog3/jims_rants_and_news/#000021</link>
         <guid>http://americancontractorsiniraq.com/blog3/jims_rants_and_news/#000021</guid>
         <category>Jim&apos;s Rants and News</category>
         <pubDate>Wed, 28 Feb 2007 20:55:39 -0600</pubDate>
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         <title>Dear Sirs, or whom every will read this!</title>
         <description><![CDATA[<h2>&nbsp;Every American Contractor in Iraq needs YOU!</h2>]]></description>
         <link>http://americancontractorsiniraq.com/blog3/keep_up_america/#000020</link>
         <guid>http://americancontractorsiniraq.com/blog3/keep_up_america/#000020</guid>
         <category>Keep up America</category>
         <pubDate>Tue, 27 Feb 2007 20:39:57 -0600</pubDate>
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         <title>OVERSEAS JOB IN IRAQ</title>
         <description><![CDATA[<p><strong>Poem by David Boiles, an American Contractor who has been waiting over 1 yr and fighting with insurer to get the surgeries he needs!</strong> </p>]]></description>
         <link>http://americancontractorsiniraq.com/blog3/janas_little_corner/#000018</link>
         <guid>http://americancontractorsiniraq.com/blog3/janas_little_corner/#000018</guid>
         <category>Jana&apos;s little Corner</category>
         <pubDate>Tue, 27 Feb 2007 20:12:53 -0600</pubDate>
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         <title>Military Law Review Website - Email sent to Politicians</title>
         <description><![CDATA[<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;This is an E-mail I sent to all the media and politicians (except T.Christian Miller), that I had addresses for, including the president.</p><p>&nbsp;After all that we've all endured, this is just the beginning!&nbsp; The e-mail is posted below, but first:</p><p>here's a link to an Army Military Law Review website from 1995 that says that Military Contractors IN THE WAR ZONES that risk life and limb, have the same &quot;RIGHTS and OBLIGATIONS&quot; as active duty personnel!!&nbsp; This is ammo in your pocket!!</p><p>&nbsp;Here's the link:</p><p><a href="http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/Military_Law/Military_Law_Review/pdf-files/27787D~1.pdf">http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/Military_Law/Military_Law_Review/pdf-files/27787D~1.pdf</a></p><p>&nbsp;Here's the e-mail I sent:</p><div>Fellow Americans,</div><div>I was privileged enough to be welcomed as a member of this elite group,&quot; American Contractors in Iraq.&quot; Although I worked, and was injured in, Afghanistan.</div><div>I just wanted you all to be able to hear the voices that will be making headlines in news stories in the near future.&nbsp; The stories of (mostly) U.S.&nbsp;military veterans working as private contractors serving our military &quot;in harm's way.&quot;</div><div>Many have been unable to get counseling, medical treatment, or the normal benefits of Workman's Compensation after being injured or wounded in the War Zones.</div><div>I'll be posting 'Blogs&quot; under the title ,&quot;Jim's Rants and News.&quot;</div><div>My first will be about President Bush's request for a reduction in the budget for the Veterans Administration for 2009 and 2010.&nbsp; Just about the time that most of our troops will be returning from Iraq and possibly Afghanistan.</div><div>What a lovely way to say, &quot;<u>Thank you for giving your lives and limbs for serving the people of the United States of America.&quot;</u>&nbsp;&nbsp; I guess there's no better way to say&quot;Thank You&quot; than just saying &quot;Get Lost, we're done with you now.&quot;</div><div>I wonder if any of the troops have heard that the <strong>President</strong>, <strong>their</strong> &quot;<strong>Commander-in-Chief</strong>&quot;, has asked to ,once again, <u>reduce funding for America's soldiers and Marines</u>?&nbsp; </div><div>As Veterans know well, V.A. already has the worst medical care in the industry. Funding has been cut every year for at least twenty years. </div><div>After returning from Afghanistan and being denied medical treatment by American General insurance, the Veterans Clinic,(in Evansville,Indiana) also refused to treat me.</div><div>&nbsp;I wasn't really all that surprised.&nbsp;My doctor there is a &quot;middle-eastern&quot; man that was getting instruction on how to operate&nbsp;their computer&nbsp;program. He didn't seem to speak English all that well either.&nbsp; He did offer to treat anything other than injures&nbsp;sustained in the War Zone.</div><div>&nbsp;The fact that I am a Veteran and a military contractor, injured in Kandahar, Afghanistan made no difference what-so-ever.&nbsp; </div><div>I've now been waiting for a little over two years for medical treatment.&nbsp; I've learned that a Workman's Comp. Judge will post his decision on my surgery late next month.</div><div>&nbsp;Perhaps I'll get treatment after all?!&nbsp; &nbsp;We'll see.&nbsp; If so, I'll be one of the lucky ones. </div><div>Many <u>American</u> Contractors don't get any help, of any kind. Especially when it is supposed to come from American General Insurance (A.I.G. Worldsource).&nbsp; Their first reaction to any claim is to deny it. At least that is what I was told by the Department of Labor when I queried about my denial.</div><div>&nbsp;You can see more stories from and about American Contractors at:</div><div>&nbsp;<a href="http://americancontractorsiniraq.com/">http://americancontractorsiniraq.com</a></div><div>&nbsp;Read the Blogs. Get some news and views.&nbsp; It's good to have the truth.&nbsp; It's good to see the faces of the nameless masses serving in harm's way, without armor, weapons, or uniforms.</div><div>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Be well and May God Bless!!</div><div>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Jim Mallett</div><div>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; P.O. Box 313</div><div>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Monroe City,In. 47557</div><div>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; (812) 743-2032</div><div>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="mailto:jamespmallett@yahoo.com">jamespmallett@yahoo.com</a></div><div>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; (Military Contractor - Afghanistan - injured)</div><div>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; (Ex-U.S. Army Infantry / Recon Viet Nam Era)</div><p>&nbsp;</p>]]></description>
         <link>http://americancontractorsiniraq.com/blog3/jims_rants_and_news/#000017</link>
         <guid>http://americancontractorsiniraq.com/blog3/jims_rants_and_news/#000017</guid>
         <category>Jim&apos;s Rants and News</category>
         <pubDate>Sun, 18 Feb 2007 21:49:04 -0600</pubDate>
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         <title>Conference here in Knoxville,Tn</title>
         <description><![CDATA[<p>&nbsp;</p><p>Conference Feb. 10, 2007</p><p>Thank you...</p><p>&nbsp;</p><div id="e1" style="left: 5px; width: 600px; position: absolute; top: 342px; height: 450px"><!--$img %ImageAssetImpl:/images/PTSD_4.jpg$--></div><div id="e2" style="left: 5px; width: 600px; position: absolute; top: 790px; height: 450px"><!--$img %ImageAssetImpl:/images/PTSD_6.jpg$--></div><div id="e4" style="left: 3px; width: 600px; position: absolute; top: 1237px; height: 450px"><!--$img %ImageAssetImpl:/images/me_amd_t.jpg$--></div><p><!-- text below generated by server. PLEASE REMOVE --><!-- Counter/Statistics data collection code --><img src="http://visit.geocities.com/visit.gif?&amp;r=http%3A//www.americancontractorsiniraq.com/&amp;b=Microsoft%20Internet%20Explorer%204.0%20%28compatible%3B%20MSIE%207.0%3B%20Windows%20NT%205.1%3B%20.NET%20CLR%201.0.3705%3B%20.NET%20CLR%201.1.4322%3B%20.NET%20CLR%202.0.50727%3B%20Media%20Center%20PC%204.0%29&amp;s=1280x1024&amp;o=Win32&amp;c=32&amp;j=true&amp;v=1.2" border="0" /> <img height="1" alt="1" src="http://geo.yahoo.com/serv?s=76001405&amp;t=1171674599&amp;f=p9w11" width="1" border="0" /> </p><p>&nbsp;</p>]]></description>
         <link>http://americancontractorsiniraq.com/blog3/todays_thoughts/#000016</link>
         <guid>http://americancontractorsiniraq.com/blog3/todays_thoughts/#000016</guid>
         <category>Todays thoughts..</category>
         <pubDate>Thu, 15 Feb 2007 23:00:44 -0600</pubDate>
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         <title>L.A. Times</title>
         <description><![CDATA[<div class="storydeckhead">THE CONFLICT IN IRAQ: CIVILIAN CONTRACTORS</div><h1>The battle scars of a private war</h1><div class="storysubhead">Contractors wounded or killed in Iraq are the anonymous casualties. Ceremonies are secret, and benefits are scarce.</div><div class="storybyline">By T. Christian Miller, Times Staff Writer<br />February 12, 2007 </div>]]></description>
         <link>http://americancontractorsiniraq.com/blog3/janas_little_corner/#000015</link>
         <guid>http://americancontractorsiniraq.com/blog3/janas_little_corner/#000015</guid>
         <category>Jana&apos;s little Corner</category>
         <pubDate>Thu, 15 Feb 2007 22:28:26 -0600</pubDate>
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         <title>The Chattanooga Times Free Press—Chattanooga, TN</title>
         <description><![CDATA[<div class="textMedBlackBold">&nbsp;<strong>Contractors wounded in Iraq meet for support</strong></div><div class="textMedBlackBold">By Ashley Rowland, Staff Writer</div><div class="textMedBlack">The Chattanooga Times Free Press</div><div class="textTimestamp">Sunday, February 11, 2007 </div>]]></description>
         <link>http://americancontractorsiniraq.com/blog3/janas_little_corner/#000014</link>
         <guid>http://americancontractorsiniraq.com/blog3/janas_little_corner/#000014</guid>
         <category>Jana&apos;s little Corner</category>
         <pubDate>Thu, 15 Feb 2007 22:23:34 -0600</pubDate>
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         <title>Iraq Wounded Fight for Insurance Coverage</title>
         <description><![CDATA[<h2>July 11, 2006</h2><h3>Iraq Wounded Fight for Insurance Coverage</h3><p><strong>CBS Evening News and ABC Nightline are both working stories about wounded civilian contractors fighting for insurance coverage from their employers. </strong></p>]]></description>
         <link>http://americancontractorsiniraq.com/blog3/david_phinney_reports/#000013</link>
         <guid>http://americancontractorsiniraq.com/blog3/david_phinney_reports/#000013</guid>
         <category>David Phinney Reports</category>
         <pubDate>Thu, 15 Feb 2007 22:18:48 -0600</pubDate>
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         <title>Building Support</title>
         <description><![CDATA[<span class="headline_article">W. Knox woman builds support for contractors</span> <div><!-- byline --><span class="byline"><strong>By KRISTI L. NELSON, nelsonk@knews.com</strong> </span><br /><span class="byline"><strong>February 5, 2007</strong> </span><!-- /byline --><div><div class="bodytext">Jana Crowder hears all their stories. <div>She knows about the former truck driver who's still haunted by the smell of his friends' charred flesh from trucks recovered after his convoy was attacked by insurgents in Iraq. </div></div></div></div>]]></description>
         <link>http://americancontractorsiniraq.com/blog3/janas_little_corner/#000012</link>
         <guid>http://americancontractorsiniraq.com/blog3/janas_little_corner/#000012</guid>
         <category>Jana&apos;s little Corner</category>
         <pubDate>Thu, 15 Feb 2007 20:50:50 -0600</pubDate>
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