DragonI

Pompeo says Taliban 'overreached' in attack that killed American | CBC News

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the Taliban "overreached" with a car bomb attack in a diplomatic area near the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, killing an American soldier and leading the U.S. president to pull back from planned Afghanistan peace talks at Camp David.

www.cbc.ca

A U.S. Army carry team moves a transfer case containing the remains of Sgt. 1st Class Elis Barreto Ortiz, 34, from Morovis, Puerto Rico, past U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. Ortiz was killed Sept. 5 when a vehicle-borne explosive device was detonated near his vehicle in Kabul. (Cliff Owen/The Associated Press)

Pompeo said it was now up to the Taliban to "change their behaviour." America's top diplomat isn't saying whether or when peace talks would resume.

He said he hopes the insurgents "will recommit to the things that we've been talking to them about for months."

“Pompeo acknowledged that the attack was not the first during the period in which peace talks have been held. He also said the U.S. has been attacking the Taliban throughout this period.”

Not exactly #TRE45ON but damn wrong. 

—  BrotherSand @BrotherSand

• Sgt. La David Johnson and Gold Star widow Myeshia Johnson 
• Sgt. Jonathon Michael Hunter and Gold Star widow Whitney Hunter

Hunter said she was informed by her casualty officer that the White House had given word the President would call. She said she was told to stay by her phone for a couple of days.

"I never received the phone call"

US Army Sgt. Jonathon Michael Hunter, 23, of Columbus, Indiana, died in August after his convoy was struck by a suicide car bomber, the Defense Department said.

Trump Told a Soldier’s Widow Her Husband ‘Knew What He Signed Up For,’ His Mother Says

The mother of Sgt. La David T. Johnson, who was killed in an ambush in Niger, backed a Democratic lawmaker’s account of a phone call the president made to his widow.

www.nytimes.com|Yamiche Alcindor and Mark Landler

The president had told the widow of Sgt. La David T. Johnson, one of four Americans killed in an Oct. 4 ambush in Niger, that her husband “knew what he signed up for,” and he referred to the soldier only as “your guy,” according to Sergeant Johnson’s mother and a Democratic congresswoman, who both listened to the call.

“He took the time to make a call to express his condolences, to thank the family for this individual’s service,” the White House press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, said Wednesday. “I think it, frankly, is a disgrace of the media to try to portray an act of kindness like that and that gesture, and try to make it into something that it isn’t.”

Asked on Wednesday about Ms. [Frederica] Wilson’s account of the call between the president and the widow, Mr. Johnson’s mother, Cowanda Jones-Johnson, backed the congresswoman’s version. “Yes, he did state that comment,” Ms. Jones-Johnson said of Mr. Trump, corresponding via Facebook.

Pressed twice by reporters about Ms. Wilson’s description, Mr. Trump dared her to make the allegations again.

• Staff Sgt. Bryan Black, 35, of Puyallup, Washington
• Staff Sgt. Jeremiah Johnson, 39, of Springboro, Ohio
• Staff Sgt. Dustin Wright, 29, of Lyons, Georgia
• Sgt. Ladavid Johnson, 25, of Miami Gardens, Florida

VoteVets releases Gold Star Family Members letter to Trump, demand apology for all Gold Star Families

“Ours is a sacrifice you will never know. Ours is a sacrifice we would never want you to know.”

www.votevets.org

August 1, 2016

Donald J Trump

725 Fifth Avenue

New York, NY 10022

Mr. Trump,

We are all Gold Star Families, who have lost those we love the most in war. Ours is a sacrifice you will never know. Ours is a sacrifice we would never want you to know.

Your recent comments regarding the Khan family were repugnant, and personally offensive to us. When you question a mother's pain, by implying that her religion, not her grief, kept her from addressing an arena of people, you are attacking us. When you say your job building buildings is akin to our sacrifice, you are attacking our sacrifice.

You are not just attacking us, you are cheapening the sacrifice made by those we lost.

You are minimizing the risk our service members make for all of us.

This goes beyond politics. It is about a sense of decency. That kind decency you mock as "political correctness."

We feel we must speak out and demand you apologize to the Khans, to all Gold Star families, and to all Americans for your offensive, and frankly anti-American, comments.  

We hope you will hear us.

Sincerely,  

Diane and Neil Santoriello, Mother and Father of 1LT Neil Santoriello, KIA, Iraq

Summer Lipford-Mickelson, Mother, Frederick Sirko, Father, Kirby Mickelson, Stepfather, Laura Sirko Samimy and Bridget Sirko Gentle, Sisters of PFC Steven Sirko, KIA, Iraq.  

Sue and Randy Loudon, Mother and Father of 2ndLt. Christopher Loudon, KIA, Iraq

Melanie House, Widow of HM3 John Daniel House, KIA, Iraq

Derek and Lorene Davey, Mother and Father of Cpl. Seamus M. Davey, KIA, Iraq

Celeste Zappala, Mother of SGT. Sherwood Baker, KIA, Iraq

Sue Niederer, Mother of 2LT Seth Dvorin, KIA, Iraq

Fulvio and Gilda Carbonaro, Father and Mother of Sgt. Alessandro Carbonaro, KIA, Iraq

Karen Meredith, Mother of 1LT Ken Ballard, KIA, Iraq

Sergio Torres, Father, Lupe Torres, Mother and Beatriz Saldivar, Aunt of SGT Daniel Torres, KIA, Iraq

MG (Ret.) Paul D. Eaton, and Frank Eaton, sons of Col. Norman Eaton, KIA, Vietnam

Stephanie Fisher, mother of SSG Thomas Fogarty, KIA  Afghanistan

Norma and Oscar Aviles, parents of Lcpl. Andrew J. Aviles, KIA Iraq

Cheryl Lankford, widow of CSM Jonathan"Miles"Lankford Sr., KIAIraq

Carlos and Melida Arredondo Father & Step-Mother to Lcpl. Alexander Arredondo, KIA, Iraq

Florence Sandra Penn , sister of 1 LT Charles Penn Jr , KIA Korea

Nadia McCaffrey, mother of SGT Patrick McCaffrey, KIA Iraq

Xiomara Mena, Mother of CPL Andy D Anderson KIA, Iraq

Annette Pritchard, Aunt of PFC William Ramirez, KIA Iraq

Paula Davis, Mother of PFC Justin R. Davis , KIA Afghanistan

Nooshin Razani, Sister of SPC Omead Razani, KIA Iraq Christina Ayube, Mother of Sgt James Anthony Ayube II, KIA Afghanistan

Keavin Duffy, Brother of SGT Shane Duffy KIA Iraq

Tracy Miller, Mother of Cpl. Nicholas Lee Ziolkowski, KIA , Iraq

Nikki Bunting, Widow of Capt. Brian Bunting, KIA Afghanistan

Pam Baragona, Sister and Dominic and Vilma Baragona, Parents of LTC. Dominic (Rocky) Baragona, Iraq

Marianne Cleary, Mother of 1Lt Michael Cleary, KIA, Iraq

Fernando Suarez del Solar, Father of Lcpl Jesus Suarez del Solar, KIA Iraq