European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 18, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page id stars and stripes sunday March 18 2007 House investigates vip Ward at Walter Reed stars and stripes House investigators Are look ing into allegations that Walter Reed army medical Center is providing Bette than average accommodations to vip patients in a Plush Ward at the Mam Hospital Usa today reported on Friday the Eisenhower executive nursing suite features antique furniture dining rooms with Fine China Fla panel televisions and bulletproof windows according to interviews and photos obtained by the newspaper Hospital administrators told Usa today the suites which Cost a year to maintain Are reserved for High ranking government and military officials As Well As foreign dignitaries the Only enlisted military Eli Gible to stay there Are recipients of the medal of Honor but the care is exactly the same that is Given to every other patient at Walter Reed said retired army it Gen Ronald Blanck a former Hospital commander and a recent patient in the Ward during Cataract sur Gery officials told the newspaper that the Stafft patient ratio is the same in the rest of Walter Reed As in the vip Ward last month the Washington Post uncovered poor housing conditions in some patients quarters prompting a Host of Federal investigations and the resignations of the Secretary of the army the army surgeon general and me Hospital commander rep John Tierney mass told Usa today that a subcommittee charged with handling the congressional investigation will look into the vip Ward to see if the allocations of resources is in any Way adversely impacting the treatment of the troops the Washington Post the conditions in building 18 at Walter Reed army medical Center in Washington do was the source of much controversy earlier this year now the House is looking into whether a vip Section of the Hospital provides special treatment to some wounded panel votes to bar closure of medical Center by Steve Vogel the Washington Post Washington the House appropriations committee unanimously approved a measure thursday that bars the closure of Walter Reed army medical Cen Ter an action supporters say will reverse plans to shut the Hospital in 2011 the provision attached to a Bill with additional funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan blocks the use of any Federal fund ing to close Walter Reed removing a base that has been chosen for closure by the depart ment of defense base realign ment and closure commission would be unprecedented the sys tem created an Independent com Mission to make the decisions was adopted by Congress to pre vent political interference with base closures but recent disclosures of serious problems with the Lon term care of wounded soldiers at Walter Reed have sparked Calls in Congress and elsewhere to reverse the Deci Sion senior army officials also suggested the decision be reconsidered this is a done Deal rep James Moran Eva a commit tee member said after the hear ing Walter Reed will stay open and Del Eleanor Holmes Norton dec declared i can say without fear of contradiction its not going to close Walter Reed was selected to be closed in 2005 by the commis Sion known As Brac the recommendation which Congress approved and president Bush signed into Law Calls for the army Hospital to be consolidated with the National naval medical Center in Bethesda my where a billion expansion is being planned thursdays amendment came with bipartisan muscle including the support of rep John Murtha spa and rep Bill Young Fla the ranking Mem Bers of the appropriations Mili tary subcommittee a spokesman for Murtha Matt Mazonkey said the prospects for approval by Congress Are Good but that some members May be Loath to open up the Brac process for other reversals Jeremiah Gertler a senior Ana Lyst for the 1995 Brac commis Sion said earlier this month that Congress would have to invalidate the existing regulation and create a new Law but Moran said the commit tees action thursday will be sufficient what there saying is Brac is sacrosanct and a lot of us dont believe that the Case said Moran if this unravels Brac too bad the language specifies that none of the funds in this or any other act May be used to close Walter Reed army medical Cen Ter it is a tiny part of a billion emergency War spending Bill that would set timetables for the withdrawal of combat forces from Iraq that Bill goes to the House floor this week film company launches online Iraq memorial by Leo Shane Iii stars and stripes Washington a Californi abased foundation critical of the us War in Iraq launched an online memorial on Friday to the troops killed in that conflict staff from Brave new foundation say the virtual Iraq veterans memorial online at Walorg is a nonpartisan project separate from their past efforts this is not about politics said Robert Green Wald founder of the group no matter what people think about the War we want them to have a Chance to participate so far the company has collected and posted 20 videos online site staff said they have nearly 20 More  Post Over the next few Days the on minute clips feature friends and family talking about their fallen loved ones lives relationships and Call to service i had one Mother say to me thank you for let Ting me talk about How my son lived rather than How he died Greenwald said you see numbers in the news but behind every number is a Story the foundation is an outgrowth of Greenwald Brave new films production company last year that venture released the documentary Iraq for Sale criticizing the use of contractors in the War in the past his films have taken aim at the buildup to the War As Well As conservative commentators Greenwald said he is not trying to hide his past work to promote the new project we have been telling people that yes we do have Strong feelings about the War but this is not a forum for us to express them in he said the group has scheduled screenings this weekend in los Angeles and Washington do though Green Wald said staff is avoiding Antiwar protests in the nations capital to avoid politicizing the project the launch was scheduled to coincide with the fou year anniversary of the Start of the War As part of this weekends launch the company will be encouraging bloggers to include some of the clips on their Sites and encouraging other families to submit More videos its a new idea and getting people to understand the concept of an online memorial is a Challenge Greenwald said but in certain we will continue to get More email Leo Shane at Gates us will defend Mideast interests for decades to come by Lolita c Baldor the associated press Tampa Fla the us is ready to defend its interests in the Middle East for decades to come even though the Iraq War has been tougher than expected defense Secretary Robert Gates said Friday Gates made the comments at a ceremony where Navy adm William Fallon was formally in stalled As the new head of us Central command putting him in charge of american forces in the Middle East and Central Asia Gates said the United states will continue to stand by its allies in the Region the us is dedicated to strengthening those commit ments and defending our inter ests for the decades to come and we will do All in our Power to protect and defend our Home Fallon replaced Gen John Abizaid who led Central com Mand since 2003 but is leaving As part of a reshuffling of mid East military commanders by president Bush besides Iraq Fallon will also oversee the War in Afghanistan where the us and its allies Are expecting a fresh Taliban offensive As the weather warms this Spring i am sure that general Ibiza id would agree that not every thing has gone As planned As expected or As hoped Gates said in remarks to the Large mostly military crowd this is the nature of War Fallon 62j takes Over the Job in the midst of a raging congressional debate Over the administrations strategy in Iraq even As More us troops pour into Baghdad As part of Bush plan to bring Security and stability to