Morning Reading, Feb. 8: Gulags and apathy in Korea
Published: February 8, 2010
Of all the atrocities suspected of being committed daily in North Korea, the cruelty visited upon prisoners in the country's notorious gulag's is particularly difficult to imagine. But as Stars and Stripes reporters Ashley Rowland and Hwang Hae-rym found, many in South Korea don't spend too much time worrying about it -- even when North Korean defectors, some of them former prisoners themselves, try desperately to raise awareness about the torturous camps. Definitely worth a read.
Meanwhile, Mark Abramson breaks down what last week's federal budget proposal means for DOD schools in Europe, and Warren Peace tells of a trio of Special Forces soldiers who recently received Bronze Stars for heroism in taking the fight to the Taliban last summer.
And if you've got some time, check out a couple of good stories from over the weekend. John Vandiver in Afghanistan spends some time with artillery troops who, with rare exceptions, don't do much with artillery at all. Some struggle with it and some have begrudgingly come to the realization that this type of war won't be won with the big guns
And Pacific reporter Charlie Reed gives us an in-depth view into the lives of servicemembers who have suffered disfiguring injuries during combat. And she tells us about recent initiatives aimed at maximizing the capabilities of the military and civilian medical communities to deliver the best care possible and get these troops back to life as they knew it. Or at least as close as possible.
The Links:
Former N. Korean gulag prisoners struggle to raise awareness (Stars and Stripes)
DOD seeks $146M for schools in Europe (Stars and Stripes)
Three Special Forces soldiers earn Bronze Stars for fighting Taliban (Stars and Stripes)
Rules of engagement mean Marines see victory in holding fire (Stars and Stripes)
Military teams with civilian medical community to treat disfiguring injuries (Stars and Stripes)
Al-Qaida is a wounded but dangerous enemy (The Washington Post)
82nd Airborne troops setting groundwork for Haiti exit (The Fayetteville Observer)
VA is prodded to give more aid to female vets (Los Angeles Times)
Iraqi cop sees how policing is done in Baltimore (The Baltimore Sun)
