Peter van buren spent a year in iraq as a state department foreign service officer serving as team leader for two provincial reconstruction teams prts. Department of state, there were several small hills, lumps of raised dirt on the otherwise fryingpanflat desert. A tomdispatch regular, he writes about current events at we meant well. Peter van buren, author at the american conservative page. Peter van buren, undue process in washington tomdispatch. Under the brutal military dictatorship of park chung hee, the poet was tortured for. When you realize that there are hundreds of thousands of people working for the government and how few people ever blow the whistle we should express our sincere gratitude in a very public way. Peter van buren, the human price of trumps wars my guilt will never go away, former marine matthew hoh explained to me. Whistleblowers, moral injury, and endless war posted on may 22, 2017 by jerrilynn scofield by peter van buren, who blew the whistle on state department waste and mismanagement during the iraqi reconstruction in we meant well. Hollywood and war from world war ii to american sniper by peter van buren. How i helped to lose the battle for the hearts and minds of the iraqi people, talks about some issues that are currently on his mind, as well as the content of his upcoming book. Is peter van buren pointed out, if trumps military record is fair game, well then so is pete buttigiegs, carlson said before quoting from van buren s piece.
Every election needs an organizing catchphrase and. Tomdispatch former state department whistleblower peter. Jun 07, 2017 former state department whistleblower peter van buren looks at the recent nsa whistleblowing case and instant arrest of the whistleblower, finds it strange indeed, and asks a few questions. We meant well by peter van buren american empire project. Peter van buren is a former united states foreign service employee, and the author of two novels and two nonfiction books about military affairs. Peter van buren october 3, 2011 occupying iraq, state departmentstyle from tomdispatch. We meant well author peter van buren on punishing the.
Tomdispatch former state department whistleblower peter van buren looks at the recent nsa whistleblowing case and instant arrest of the whistleblower, finds it strange indeed, and asks a few questions. How would things be different in the middle east today. By peter van buren, tomdispatchthis piece originally appeared at tomdispatch. Heres just part of his piece at his we meant well blog. By peter van buren, tomdispatchthis piece first appeared at tomdispatch. How not to reconstruct iraq, afghanistan or america huffpost. One diplomats darkly humorous and ultimately scathing assault on just about everything the military and state department have.
Now in washington, he writes about iraq and the middle east at his blog, we meant well. Peter van buren, we have to destroy our constitution to save it. The war lovers, by peter van buren le monde diplomatique. Peter van buren born 1960 is a former united states foreign service employee, and the author of two novels and two nonfiction books about military affairs. Peter van buren has served with the foreign service for over 23 years.
This experience included multiple field exercises, plus civil military work in seoul, tokyo, hawaii, and sydney with allies from the uk, australia, and elsewhere. Peter van buren, a 24year veteran foreign service officer at the state department, spent a year in iraq leading two provincial reconstruction teams. How i helped lose the battle for the hearts and minds of the iraqi people and hoopers war. The militaryindustrial complex in iraq opendemocracy. Confessions of an iraq war whistleblower mother jones. Peter van buren s book about his year in iraq skewers the state department and the military, disregarding the departments code of cautious, carefully screened statements. January 22, 2015 peter van buren the scott horton show. Peter van buren, author at shadowproof page 4 of 34. Now in washington and a tomdispatch regular, he writes about iraq, the middle east, and u.
In the meantime, americans are clearly finding it difficult to remain emotionally. Peter van buren, 1984 was an instruction manual tomdispatch. As the recent blitzkrieg of coverage of the seals and other special operations forces indicates, the media remains deeply enamored with the u. Peter van buren blew the whistle on state department waste and mismanagement during the iraqi reconstruction in we meant well. Peter van buren, author of we meant well and a frequent tomdispatch contributor, discusses how the us military industrial complex profits from resupplying iraqs army with equipment that is too. Todays twisted treat for you is a slightly adapted chapter from peter van burens new book, we meant well. Warriormayor petes sanctimonious chest thumping the.
The road to hell is paved with taxpayer dollars in peter van burens account of a. After all, you dont get a 911 every year to refresh those images of. But what happens to a war in the absence of coherent state policy. Peter van buren, the great war in the middle east what if the u. Now in washington and a tomdispatch regular, he writes about iraq. Imperial reconstruction and its discontents a war and occupation thousands of miles away that lasted seven years and involved more than 1. This experience included multiple field exercises, plus civilmilitary work in seoul, tokyo, hawaii, and sydney with allies from the uk, australia, and elsewhere. How i helped lose the battle for the hearts and minds of the iraqi people about it. By peter van buren, tomdispatch this piece first appeared at tomdispatch. Peter van buren, a tomdispatch regular, blew the whistle on state department waste and mismanagement during the iraqi reconstruction in we meant well. How i helped lose the battle for the hearts and minds of the iraqi people. Peter van buren, a 23year veteran foreign service officer at the state department, spent a year in iraq as team leader for two state department provincial reconstruction teams.
Peter van buren, the military industrial complex in iraq you cant have victory if you have no idea where the finish line is. To stay on top of important articles like these, sign up to receive the latest updates from tomdispatch. As peter van buren shows, we bought all these projects and more in the most expensive heartsandminds campaign since the marshall plan. In the age of the allvolunteer military and an endless stream of war zone losses and ties, it. Former state department whistleblower and tomdispatch regular peter van buren spent his own time in iraq and wrote we meant well. Objective reporting on the seal team that killed bin laden was as easy to find as a prius at a michele bachmann rally. We may not, in military terms, know how to win any more, but as a society we dont get. Mar 14, 2012 peter van buren, a foreign service officer who wrote an unflattering book about his year leading two reconstruction teams in iraq, was stripped of his security clearance, banned from state. Peter van buren, how to resolve the isis crisis van buren then offers a fullscale reassessment of the situation to date and a realistic look at what kind of a threat the.
In the age of the allvolunteer military and an endless stream of war zone losses and ties, it can be hard to keep homeland. Sep 23, 2014 former state department whistleblower and tomdispatch regular peter van buren spent his own time in iraq and wrote we meant well. Watching the same movie about american war for 75 years. On april 4, 1967, martin luther king delivered a speech at riverside church in new york city titled beyond vietnam. My guilt will never go away, former marine matthew hoh explained to me. He received a meritorious honor award for assistance to americans following the hanshin earthquake in kobe, a superior honor award for helping an american rape victim in japan, and another award for work in the tsunami relief efforts in thailand.
Peter van buren has lived a very interesting life, first serving 24 years in the u. After all, you dont get a 911 every year to refresh those images of the barbarians at the airport departure gates. Way out on the edge of forward operating base hammer, where i lived for much of my year in iraq as a provincial reconstruction team leader for the u. In the age of the allvolunteer military and an endless stream of war zone losses and ties, it can be hard to keep homeland enthusiasm up for perpetual war. May 18, 2017 peter van buren, a tomdispatch regular and former state department official, blew the whistle on waste and mismanagement during the reconstruction of iraq in his book we meant well. Van buren worked extensively with the military while overseeing evacuation planning in japan and korea. Peter van buren, the militaryindustrial complex in iraq. Jan 18, 2015 the militaryindustrial complex in iraq. Department of state, including one year in iraq, and then deciding he couldnt and wouldnt be silent about what he saw over there, which included overwhelmed soldiers, bureaucratic problems and pointless projects. Peter van buren blew the whistle on state department waste and mismanagement during the iraqi reconstruction in his first book, we meant well. A major contributor to this article appears to have a close connection with its subject.
Military war pornographers cant offer us an objective look at a world in which more and more foreigners only run into americans when they are wearing green and carrying weapons. Peter van buren, a 24year state department employee, tomdispatch regular, and author of we meant well. A tomdispatch regular, he writes about current events at his blog, we meant well. Now in washington and a tomdispatch regular, he writes about iraq and the middle east at his blog, we meant well. We meant well is his eyewitness account of the civilian side of the surgethat surreal and bollixed attempt to defeat terrorism and win over iraqis by reconstructing the world we had just destroyed. Back to the future in iraq former state department whistleblower and tomdispatch regular peter van buren spent his own time in iraq and wrote we meant well. By peter van buren by arrangement with tomdispatch. Now, he considers the mindboggling strangeness of washington doing it all over again, this time as the grimmest of farces. Tucker on pete buttigieg using military service to crush. Peter van buren, a tomdispatch regular and former state department official, blew the whistle on waste and mismanagement during the reconstruction of iraq in his book we meant well. Buttigieg did all of six months in 2014 as a reservist deep inside bagram airfield, mostly as a personal driver for his boss, locked and loaded inside a toyota land cruiser. He received a meritorious honor award for assistance to americans following the hanshin. Department of state, including one year in iraq, and then deciding he couldnt.
In the age of the allvolunteer military and an endless stream of. Concurrent with the military surge around 2007, the state department took over the job of reconstructing iraq, the hearts and minds campaign, the. There should be a us civilian award, comparable to the military medal of honor, for very brave people like peter van buren. One day even the drones will have to land we dont get it. Peter van buren, a 24year state department veteran, is the author of we meant well.
Peter van buren, a tomdispatch regular, blew the whistle on state department waste and mismanagement during iraqi reconstruction in his first book, we meant well. To receive tomdispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here. State department whistleblower peter van buren writes in tomdispatch today about the escalating retaliation taken against him since he wrote a book about massive reconstruction fraud in iraq. How not to reconstruct iraq, afghanistan or america cbs news. Mercenaries turn baghdads green zone into frat house with guns. Van buren worked extensively with the military while overseeing evacuation.
Peter van buren blew the whistle on state department waste and mismanagement during. The military playbook now meshes brute force with a focus on nonstate terrorism. Apr 09, 2012 peter van buren, a 24year veteran foreign service officer at the state department, spent a year in iraq as team leader for two state department provincial reconstruction teams. For the crime of writing this book and maintaining a blog that occasionally embarrasses.
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