Kirk: Reconsidering Benefit of Aid to Pakistan  

Chicago, IL - Following his third two-week assignment in Afghanistan, Naval Reserve Intelligence Commander, Senator Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) today delivered a speech offering a first-hand account of the challenges America and its NATO allies face in Afghanistan as the U.S. continues to stabilize this critical region.  In the speech, Sen. Kirk outlines policy proposals regarding the withdrawl of American combat troops and the need to review how aid to Pakistan has served American interests. 

                                            The full text of Sen. Kirk’s speech is below:

Afghanistan Views and Why We Should Rethink Aid to Pakistan

Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois

September 6, 2011

I just completed my third two-week reserve assignment in Afghanistan. While many members of Congress get a first-hand look on fact-finding missions, my time provided a more in-depth view, with a focus on the counter-narcotics objectives of NATO’s ISAF mission.

First, the good news.

The work of our soldiers, marines, sailors and airmen is nothing short of amazing. Serving in one of the poorest, roughest and most remote parts of the globe,they crushed Al Qaeda’s base, drove the Taliban from government, fostered a new elected government, and welded 47 allies into a force for human rights, development, and education – especially for girls.

Forty-two percent of Afghans live on less than a dollar a day.  About one in four can read.  Malnutrition is a serious problem and infant mortality is the second highest of any country.  According to the United Nations, nearly 40% of children under three are moderately or severely underweight, and more than 50% of children under three experience stunted growth.  Afghanistan has more than twice Illinois’ population, but its electricity generation for an entire year is less than 2% of the electricity that Illinois generated in just the month of May.

The nearly thirty million people of Afghanistan are victimized by a number of terrorist groups beyond just the Taliban, like the HIG, ETIM and a new threat, the Haqqanis, who I will discuss in detail.

But Afghans are most victimized by their neighbors, the Pakistanis.  I first served as a reservist in Afghanistan in 2008.  I believed that Pakistan was “complicated,” that “we have many interests there” and that we must advance “diplomatically.”  I no longer agree with that.

Pakistan has become the main threat to Afghanistan.  Pakistan’s intelligence service is the biggest danger to the Afghan government. It is also a tremendous threat to the lives of American troops. Let me be clear: many Americans died in Afghanistan because of Pakistan’s ISI.

Sitting in our commander’s briefs for two weeks, talking to our Headquarters’ leaders and spending a few days in the field, it became clear to me that if we worked in Afghanistan alone, we would quickly turn the country around, restoring it to its status as an agricultural economy with a loose government and high degree of autonomy given to each tribe and region.

But we are not alone.

While our military reduced Al Qaeda in Afghanistan to a shadow of its former shadow, a new force is emerging.  On the 10th anniversary of 9/11, Al Qaeda isstill armed and dangerous but far less numerous or capable than it was then.  But Al Qaeda is not the most potent force arrayed against us.

The new face of terror is called the Haqqani network. Built around its founder, Mawlawi Jalaluddin Haqqani, and his son, Siraj Haqqani, it has become the most dangerous, lethal and cancerous force in Afghanistan.

One other thing.

As much as the Pakistani officials claim otherwise, the Haqqanis are backed and protected by Pakistan’s own intelligence service. Statements by Pakistani government officials to the contrary are direct lies.

The Haqqani network kills Americans, attacks the elected government of Afghanistan and remains protected in its Pakistani headquarters of Miriam Shah.  Without that Pakistani safe haven, it would suffer the same fate as Al Qaeda.  Afghan and U.S. Special Operations teams take out many Talibancommanders and operators each night but numerous key Haqqani leaders spend all day planning attacks on Americans in Afghanistan — then sleep soundly in their beds in Pakistan.

In such an environment, and with our deficits and debt, aid to Pakistan seems naive at best and counter-productive at worst.  I am seriously reconsidering and rethinking how well aid to Pakistan served us.

Recently, our President chose to pull out 33,000 troops from the Afghan battle.   General Petraeus and Admiral Mullen did not choose thisoption. Nevertheless, I think our new commander, General Allen, can withdraw the first American 10,000 troops by Christmas without a military reversal in Afghanistan.  Afghanistan’s army and police are growing in size (now over 300,000) and capability. Despite recent reports of desertions, Afghanistan’s security forces will soon reach a level were some of our troops can safely leave the country.  As we withdraw, we should consider a pay raise forAfghan troops to improve their retention and morale.

I spoke with General Allen about a “Commander’s Assessment” at the end of this year. After withdrawing 10,000 troops, I hope he will clearly define when the next 23,000 can come out. In the U.S., politically there is littledifference between withdrawing the next 23,000 by the “end of the fiscal year” or “end of the year.”

Militarily, there is a world of difference.

The “Fighting Season” of Afghanistan runs through October. If Allen withdraws his troops by September 30th, many of his forces will disappear during the Taliban’s key offensive months. But if the troops leave in November/December, then we guarantee another bad year for the Taliban and Haqqanis and an even stronger Afghan army for the long term.

I hope the President sets an “end-of-year” deadline rather than an “end-of-fiscal-year” term.  It’s the right thing to do militarily and politically. If he does this, he reduces the chance of radical Islamic extremists winning some key battles during 2012.

While in Afghanistan, I helped update and rewrite ISAF’s counter-narcotics plan.  Afghanistan is the source of over 80% of the world’s heroin andopium. The drug economy fuels the insurgency and corruption of the Afghan government.  From 2001 to 2009, Secretary Rumsfeld and then AmbassadorHolbrooke blocked ISAF from doing much about narcotics. This left a huge funding source of the insurgency untouched.

ISAF spent 2009 and 2010 “supporting” interdiction, eradication and alternative livelihoods for Afghan farmers. While commendable, it didn’t work and the size of the Afghan poppy crop is likely to go up.

The plan I worked on advocates a shift of ISAF to apply its military strengths of intelligence, helicopters and Special Operations to support Afghan operations to arrest the top drug lords, starting with the ones who financially back the insurgency. We joined together in 2005 to arrest “Bin Laden’s Banker”, Haji Bashir Noorzai, we should do it again.

I strongly backed an Afghan Counter-Narcotics Ministry idea to announce a “top ten” Drug Lord List to emulate the early success of J. Edgar Hoover when he established the reputation of the FBI. In our remaining two years in Afghanistan, we can do a lot to cripple the insurgency and help the 2014 elections by removing key, bad actors from the battlefield.

What about the future?

The President says that our formal, current mission will end in 2014. Much of his vision will be approved at the Chicago NATO summit in May. By 2014, I believe Afghans will be able to do nearly all of the conventional frontline fighting – with some Special Operations support remaining.

But remember, while the Afghan army is likely to win, its budget for this year is over $11 billion.  The Afghan government collected only $1 billion in taxes in 2010.  We will have to help.  Without U.S. regular combat troops, we risk the Taliban/Haqqani/ISI alliance of terror winning.

On the Tenth Anniversary of 9/11, we should all agree that Afghanistan should never be a major threat to America again.

Should Pakistan not change its ways, we can also do one other thing: an American tilt towards India to encourage the world’s largest democracy to bankroll an Afghan government that fights terror and the ISI.

Given the lying and duplicity of Pakistan, it appears that a tilt towards India will allow us to reduce our forces in Afghanistan, knowing that India will help bankroll the Afghan government.  This would allow us to reduce our troops while also reducing the possibility of it becoming another terrorist safe haven.

Pakistanis would object to this “pro-Indian” outcome.  They will only have their own ISI to blame.  September 11^th teaches us that neither the United States nor India can tolerate a new, formal Afghan terror state.  It’s too bad Pakistan looks like it has chosen to back the losing side, Afghan terrorists, against the Afghan people and the two largest democracies on earth.

Finally, a word about our troops.

Each night, they combat the most dangerous, narco-insurgents on earth. Many 19 and 20-year-old Americans volunteered to serve over 7,000 miles from home. Their generation is named after 9/11 …but these Americans in uniform not only carry their generation’s label, they personally employ it by risking their lives to ensure all Americans will never suffer through another 9/11.

They are America’s best and I hope to God when I am older, some of them run for President. From my nursing home, I will know the country is in good hands if these young heroes guide our nation’s destiny.

I am lucky to know many of their names – Major Fred Tanner (Army), LTC Doug McCobb (Air Force), MG Mick Nicholson (Army) and our allies – Wing Commander Howard Marsh (Royal Air Force), Gen. Gilles Martin (French Army), Rear Admiral Tony Johnstone-Brute (Royal Navy) and Col. Robin Vickers (British Army).   I honor them and their younger comrades — wishing all military personnel of ISAF’s 49 nations a very good day as they wake up in Afghanistan for another day’s work on one of the toughest battlefields in the world.

Thank you.

By Dr. Dan Collins

Just like the day when President Kennedy was assassinated, everybody remembers exactly what they were doing when those four hijacked planes snuffed out nearly 3,000 lives on September 11, 2001.

It was personal. In the initial seconds, there was confusion. Perhaps, it was just a tragic accident. But as the morning of 9/11 unfolded, it became crystal clear. This was no accident. It was terrorism – cold and calculated.

Emotionally, there is a big difference between falling down the steps and being pushed down the steps. Collectively, we were all “pushed down the steps”. Intention makes all of the difference in the world. Our psychological injury from 9/11 comes, in large part, because it was the terrorists’ plan to harm us.

Defiantly, we have survived. But personally and culturally we would never be the same. We were unavoidably changed: scarred, dazed, traumatized. Psychological and emotional trauma leaves an indelible mark. It alters the way we see things. Trauma changes the way we take in the world. Here are a couple of the key ways that the overwhelming stress of September 11 continue to affect us:

1. Can’t Balance Your Emotions – Ten years after the initial attack, we may still find we may find ourselves experiencing moments of what I call the four useless emotions of trauma: panic, worry, rage, or despair when confronted with information related to 9/11.  These emotional responses are useless because they never help us to identify helpful ways of handling our reactions to what happened on that fateful day in a balanced and rational way. Instead, trauma puts us on edge and prompts us to over-react. Specific to September 11, another emotion that surfaces is an irrational fear of people of the Islamic faith tradition because the terrorists claimed to be Muslim. We may also take the emotional extreme of being so affected by our feelings about 9/11 that we hit the “emotional off switch” and numb out. We can tell when this happens when someone detaches to such a degree that they seem to not care.

Taking Our Power back – We take our power back by taking away the terrorist’s greatest weapon: fear. We can choose our emotions. Instead of fear, we can choose compassion, keeping us connected with the best in us and others. We can even use anger effectively. While rage is an out-of-control emotion, anger can be effective when used to affirm a boundary which says, “I won’t tolerate being violated with aggression”. We can also choose determination, an emotion which enables us to keep moving forward in a positive direction. We can choose to not remain bottled up with toxic emotions. We can identify responses that work, like not taking the “hate bait”. We can be wise enough to not confuse the distorted perspective of terrorists with anything remotely resembling the nobility of devout faith. True faith replenishes life.

2. Can’t Tell Time – When people have been overwhelmed by trauma, they tend to live in the past. Some people have a hard time getting over what happened to them regarding 9/11 because they keep re-experiencing their pain through nightmares, flashbacks and intrusive thoughts. Think of 9/11 nightmares and flashbacks as “instant replays” of our trauma. Intrusive thoughts occur as we are engaged in almost any activity and our mind “changes the channel” to something 9/11 related.

Taking Our Power Back – We take our power back by realizing that the way out of trauma is living in the present. Trauma confuses the past with the present. We can heal powerfully, as we acknowledge the tragedy of September 11th, but give new life to ourselves as we affirm that 9/11/01 is over and September 11th 2011 is a new day with a whole new story and we get to write it!

Dr. R. Dandridge Collins, known as “Dr. Dan”, is author of the bestselling book, The Trauma Zone: Trusting God for Emotional Healing. More information: www.drdancollins.com. Email: drdan19@comcast.net. Phone number: 215-768-8512.

Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer and the start of another school year for more than 60 million public school students.

This year, the Labor Day weekend also coincided with the announcement last week that zero jobs were added in August, and African American unemployment has soared to 16.7 percent, the highest rate in 27 years.

It is my hope that with the return of Congress this week and the much-anticipated jobs speech by President Obama on Thursday, Washington is finally ready to make job creation its number one priority.

Education has always been the gateway to good jobs and a better life for the American people.

This has never been more true than today.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, people who hold bachelor’s degrees earn on average $58,000 a year compared with just $31,000 for high school graduates and only $21,000 for those without high school diplomas.

We also know that a growing number of 21st century high-tech jobs require higher skills and more education than ever before.

That is why for more than 50 years, the National Urban League’s Education & Youth Development division has worked to improve educational opportunities for African-American and underserved students by developing innovative programs to support their academic achievement, encourage their civic involvement, and contribute to their healthy physical and emotional development.  We have also made education a cornerstone of our 21st century empowerment agenda with a challenge to the nation that every American child will be ready for college, work and life by 2025.

The Urban League serves more than 200,000 children and youth each year through Head Start, after-school programs and charter schools.

As the nation struggles to find the right balance between fiscal austerity and necessary investments in our future, the education of our children must not be sacrificed in the process.

Doing so would not only shortchange their futures, it would cripple our ability to grow the American economy and remain competitive in the global economy.

We are encouraged by the Obama Administration’s commitment to education, including signing into law the largest investment in education in history as part of the President’s 2009 stimulus package – some $115 billion over two years to save education jobs, send young people to college, modernize America’s classrooms, and advance education reforms.

We are also pleased that Education Secretary Arne Duncan has set aside this week for an “Education and the Economy” bus tour to urban centers, including Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Detroit, and Chicago to highlight the important connection between quality education and quality jobs. “No other issue is more critical to our economy and our way of life than education,” said Duncan.

So, as our children head back to the classroom, we urge students to do their part by studying hard and making the most of what their schools and teachers have to offer.

We ask parents to do their part by getting involved.

And we urge local school districts and Congress to do their part by ensuring that all our students have the resources and support they need to succeed.

 120 Wall Street ▪ New York, NY 10005 ▪ (212) 558-5300 ▪ WWW.NUL.ORG

New book entails journey many historians dream about

Atlanta, GA (BlackNews.com) — In his newly published book, 150 Years Later: Broken Ties Mended, author Melvin J. Collier takes readers on an incredible journey to unravel a complicated historical mystery. A story of discovery and triumph like no other, this fascinating book is uniquely captivating because the nearly impossible was accomplished – an unprecedented, emotional reunion of a family after 150 years of separation.

During slavery, most African Americans endured the pain of forcible and permanent division from their kin. Consequently, many familial connections are essentially impossible to uncover and are lost forever. 150 Years Later: Broken Ties Mended is a triumphant story of a family mending ties that were broken generations ago.

In 1859 in South Carolina, Collier’s great-grandfather, Bill Reed, watched his father being sold away when he was just 12 years old. Bill relayed how he also waved goodbye to other displaced family members, never to see them again. 19-year-old Bill migrated to northern Mississippi for a better life in 1866, shortly after he was emancipated, oblivious that his family was also in northern Mississippi. 150 Years Later: Broken Ties Mended answers a difficult question that he, as well as many other former slaves, often asked – what happened to my family?

Collier, an Atlanta-based archivist and former civil engineer, explains, “I wrote this book because it was a story that needed to be told. We’ve heard about how often slaves were forever separated from their family. However, this is a riveting story with a joyful outcome, out of the many disheartening stories of involuntary family separations.”

Journalist and historian Robin Foster describes 150 Years Later: Broken Ties Mended as “a masterpiece, a miraculous story full of mini miracles.” Another reader notes, “This book caused me to experience different levels of emotions: sadness, weeping, laughter, cheering, and curiosity.”

150 Years Later: Broken Ties Mended (ISBN-10: 146372568X) is available at www.150yearslater.com or Amazon.com.
About the Author:
Melvin J. Collier has been conducting historical and genealogical research for 20 years. He was only 19 years old when he began a quest to unearth the histories of his family. His first book, Mississippi to Africa, A Journey of Discovery, was published in 2008 and offers best practices for slave ancestral research. A Canton, Mississippi native, Collier appeared on the NBC show, Who Do You Think You Are, as one of the expert genealogists in the Spike Lee episode. He has a Master of Arts degree in African-American Studies.

For further information, visit www.150yearslater.com

New company and ensemble members also announced

 Chicago, IL – The Ruckus Theater is proud to announce Season 3 in Chicago, following a successful year of sold-out performances on the storefront theater scene in Chicago. Artistic Director Allison Shoemaker, Associate Artistic Director Joshua Davis and Managing Director Jeffrey Fauver released today a season of six new plays—all performed at The Side Project Theatre in Rogers Park (1439 W Jarvis Ave). In the fall, Kyra Lewandowski directs a workshop of Conk and Bone by Joe Musso (September 18, 26 and 27, 2011) in repertory with ensemble member Katie Canavan’s workshop production of Dumb Angel by Ruckus cofounder Seth Miller (September 19, 20 and 25, 2011). Kicking off the New Year, Allison Shoemaker directs the world premiere of Little Triggers by Tympanic Theatre Company Artistic Director Daniel Caffrey (January 13 – February 12, 2012). In April 2012, The Ruckus workshops two one-act plays in tandem: Perfect Crash by Aaron Dean and Allison Shoemaker, directed by Brian Ruby, and Rung by playwright/composer Matt Test, directed by Timo Aker (April 8 – 11, 2012). Completing the season next spring is the world premiere of The Thing About Chekhov, developed by the Company, written by Calamity West, directed by Karie Miller (June 22 – July 22, 2012). Further details regarding The Ruckus: Season 3, including casting and ticket information will be announced in the coming weeks. Please visit www.ruckustheater.org for more information.

“We’re incredibly excited about the lineup we have in place for our third season, and the roster of remarkable artists who are along for the ride,” said Artistic Director Allison Shoemaker. “We’re psyched to have new work by local playwrights like Tympanic’s Dan Caffrey, Calamity West and our own Matt Test, as well as out-oftowners Joe Musso and Ruckus cofounder Seth Miller. It’s our goal to become a home for playwrights who want to experiment, who want to develop their work, and who are eager to get their hands dirty with a killer ensemble of multi-disciplinary artists—I think this season is a reflection of that.”

The Ruckus welcomes Ruth McCormack as its newest company member in Chicago in the role of Business Manager and Production Advisor. New Ruckus Ensemble Members include Katie Canavan, Stevie Chaddock Lambert, Elise Mayfield, Karie Miller and Matt Test.

20011/2012 SEASON @ The Side Project Theatre CONK AND BONE by Joe Musso | directed by Kyra Lewandowski September 18, 26 and 27, 2011.

Somewhere in Louisiana, two men and a triggerless trombone await Death, who brings the cargo they are to ferry across the river Styx. This time, though, things are different. There are two souls instead of one—a headless girl with wings, and a fallen and furious hero. While Conk and Bone wait to make their perilous passage, Achilles finds a sword, the girl disappears and a long-dormant secret creeps closer to the surface.

Help playwright Joe Musso, director Kyra Lewandowski and The Ruckus take Conk and Bone a step further on their journey toward a special kind of hell during this workshop staged reading. Audience talkbacks led by guest dramaturgs follow each performance.

DUMB ANGEL by Seth Miller | directed by Katie Canavan

September 19, 20 and 25, 2011

A chord is a complex thing. It changes and grows, and more often than not, it’s the discordant note that brings it to life, for better or worse. Part transcript, part collage and part explosion of the American image of happiness, Dumb Angel explores madness, meaning and the torment of an artist on a quest for auditory joy beginning with the tumultuous recording session for The Beach Boys’ 1965 number-one hit single, ‘Help Me, Rhonda’. Join playwright Seth Miller, director Katie Canavan and The Ruckus as we tumble into a rabbit hole of Brian Wilson’s phantasmagoria, and watch the boys of summer try to get the syncopation right. Audience talkbacks led by guest dramaturgs follow each performance.

LITTLE TRIGGERS by Daniel Caffrey | directed by Allison Shoemaker

January 13 – February 12, 2012

Once upon a dark and blustery Christmas Eve, a young man named Martin sits waiting. In the corner of the office, a printer spits, smokes and hisses in a way that would seem malevolent if Martin didn’t know better. He waits for the repairman and watches the clock tick, and wonders what it is that he’s doing with his life. Little does he know that before the evening’s out, a series of mysterious strangers will force him to confront his ideas about success, happiness and failure—and they’re starting with what’s hidden in the back of his drawer. Martin has to find the through-line for his story, and he had better do it fast, because the snow won’t stop falling, andthe printer’s out for blood.

PERFECT CRASH by Aaron Dean and Allison Shoemaker | directed by Brian Ruby RUNG by Matt Test | directed by Timo Aker

April 8 – 11, 2012

These two very different one-act plays explore in tandem the necessity of progress. Perfect Crash. In a windowless room, two people sit on an ugly green couch and plot their next move. How much momentum will get the wheel down the track, and how much more is needed to walk out the door? Playwrights Aaron Dean and Allison Shoemaker, and director Brian Ruby devise themselves out of a corner and discover the best kinds of failure in a marvelous machine. Rung. A body needs a voice—verbal or nonverbal, we require communication. But what happens when a voice needs a body, and you can’t keep sharing yours? Playwright/composer Matt Test, director Timo Aker, are helping Norbert Grover Norquist uncover what to do with this spare voice he’s got rattling around in his head.

Big things happen, strange and sad and wonderful things, but still—the machine needs building. Help The Ruckus and these talented artists make progress with these two new plays. Audience talkbacks led by guestdramaturgs follow each performance.

THE THING ABOUT CHEKHOV devised by the Company | written by Calamity West | directed by Karie Miller 

June 22 – July 22, 2012

Life is a story, but it’s not a short one. It has many acts, and they never quite end the way we predict. Built through a collaborative six-month process, The Thing About Chekhov prompts playwright Calamity West, director Karie Miller and a band of fearless actors to try to see the Cherry Orchard for the trees in this company-devised work: an exploration of realism, tragicomedy and never quite arriving in your personal Moscow.

About The Ruckus Theater

We’re here to create, to examine, to invent, to explode—to create a ruckus. Our aim is to break down the old models of new work development in order to nurture new forms, great plays and better and smarter artists. We believe in creating our process for every project from the ground up, with each plan centered around the needs and heart of the project before us. We explore the cultural landscape for unexpected resonance, in hopes that our detective work will lead both artist and audience down the road less traveled. The Ruckus Theater is led by Artistic Director Allison Shoemaker, Associate Artistic Director Joshua Davis and Managing Director Jeffrey Fauver.

See how we make a ruckus all over the interweb on our blog, iruckus.blogspot.com; fan us at

facebook.com/theruckustheater; view our photostream at flickr.com/ruckustheater; follow our tweets at twitter.com/ruckustheater; and spend hours at youtube.com/theruckustheater.