necn / CC

You may have heard about the incident this weekend in which an Iraqi reporter took aim at President Bush … by throwing both his shoes at him. The footwear was flung during a news conference in Baghdad, where Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki were just about to sign a security pact. Bush called it "a way to gain attention," which is why we've got an attention-grabbing idea of our own (without the projectiles, of course).

PETA has decided to gain some attention for an important issue by collecting more footwear to send to President Bush to decry his recent gutting of important regulations in order to benefit factory farms. Yes, that's in addition to his recent attack on wildlife protection regulations. Bush's changes would let factory farms continue polluting the earth with the waste that the animals create while they are stuck in those vile, feces-filled, cramped sheds. The bill allows factory farms to burn the waste instead of sending it off to an incineration firm. The waste disposal can be better regulated in the hands of incineration firms instead of being left to the notoriously dirty factory farms. Burning factory farm waste creates yet more air and water pollution, which affects the habitats of any living beings near the farms.

PETA has a better idea: Reduce the number of animals who create the waste in the first place! If you recall our recent undercover investigation of an Iowa pig farm, you'll know that pigs and other animals raised for food live in awful conditions, often spending their entire lives in cramped cages where they are abused before being led to the slaughterhouse. If farmers would simply stop breeding more animals, all these things could be avoided.

Posted by Lianne Turner

The war in Iraq may be thousands of miles away and across one good-sized ocean, but there's another scuffle going on over desert lands that are closer to home. U.S. soldiers are in a territory dispute with one of the Mohave's oldest inhabitants: California Tortoises.

LA Weekly reports that after years of coexisting with these slow-moving, gentle animals—listed as threatened under federal and state endangered species acts—the U.S. military at Fort Irwin, California, has taken measures to airlift these native tortoises to another section of the Mojave, more than 20 miles from their home.

Click the photo to view the slideshow at LAWeekly.com Credit: C.R. Stecyk III

The tortoises, who in recent decades thrived on the restricted-access lands, are now having to survive on foreign grounds in a much busier, more unstable, and completely unfamiliar environment. Plus, they're now at a greater risk of danger from vehicles, hikers, campers, and mines.

Way back in 1994, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service developed a Desert Tortoise Recovery Plan, which led to the construction of six critical habitat areas—and guess what? One of those habitats consists of much of the land currently occupied by Fort Irwin—and the land Fort Irwin wants.

The reason for relocating these reptiles? Military folks at the southern California training base need more land space to play their war games. Fort Irwin is a Hollywood-built Iraq—it's a perfect replica, complete with actors who portray shepherds, prisoners, lawyers, and any other individuals who stroll the Iraqi streets.

With all the strategizing, simulating, role-playing, and lifesaving training going on—not to mention the bottomless pit of cash the military seems to be harboring—the military should at least take a few moments to teach their soldiers compassion for all living creatures and be able to devise a better plan for the safety of these animals.

In an attempt to halt expansion plans, the Center for Biological Diversity filed a federal lawsuit against the Army and the Bureau of Land Management. This battle is sure to continue, and we'll be on guard.

Posted by Jennifer Cierlitsky

jupiterimages / CC

Hang on to your steel-enforced combat hat, because the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department is about to issue a permit to ship out two tigers from the U.S. to BAGHDAD (wha??!!). Yes, you read that right—the government is all set to send tigers into a war zone. I don't know about you guys, but this whole situation sounds a little familiar … Pride of Baghdad, anyone? The award-winning graphic novel by Brian K. Vaughn is all about the true story of tigers who escaped from the Baghdad Zoo following an American bombing. At the end of the novel, the animals are shot to death by soldiers. Can it happen again? With the FWS' help, perhaps so ...

People are still being blown up in Baghdad, and no one knows what the future holds for human beings there. So is it really a safe and responsible place to send these massive, beautiful wild animals?

If you're like me and you're equally angered by this madness, check out what we have to say in our official action alert and let the Fish and Wildlife Service know what YOU think.

Posted by Christine Doré

In March, a video surfaced on online showing a smiling Marine throwing a live puppy off a cliff while another Marine laughs. People everywhere were outraged, PETA was immediately flooded with calls and e-mails from people who wanted to know how they could help get justice for the puppy.

PETA's Emergency Response Division immediately contacted the Commanding Officer at Marine Corps Base Hawaii urging strong action on this case. In addition, we launched an online action alert, which allowed tens of thousands of outraged people to share their feelings with Marine Corps officials and ask for court-martials and severe penalties for those involved.

Today, we received the long-awaited results of the Marine Corps' investigation. According to news sources, the soldier shown tossing the puppy has been expelled, and another Marine in the video apparently faces disciplinary action. A big, big thanks to everyone who took action and let the Marine Corps know that cruelty to animals is never acceptable—no matter who the abuser is.

PETA Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch has these strong words on this matter:

The Marine Corps is right to expel David Mortari and discipline the other Marine who was involved in videotaping the pitching of a tiny puppy off a cliff in Iraq. We only wish that Mortari could face a proper trial; courts all over the U.S. sentence animal abusers to jail time nowadays—and such a punishment would certainly be in order here. Mortari embarrassed the U.S. and its military, and we hope to see his dismissal send a strong message that cruelty to animals simply will not be tolerated in our military ranks.

And here are my words:

Puppy torturers and people who perpetuate the torture of animals deserve to rot in prison.

- Joel Bartlett

Update: You can read PETA’s letter to the Commanding Officer of the Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH) about this video here, and if you want to show your support for investigating and punishing those involved, you can do so here.

A lot of people have been writing in and commenting about a shocking video that has recently surfaced which shows a smiling marine throwing a live puppy off a cliff while his friend laughs. Witnessing this kind of sadism under any circumstances is incredibly disturbing, but there’s something particularly horrifying about seeing it perpetrated by members of the military, and our caseworkers are currently analyzing the video footage to determine its legitimacy, as well as pushing military authorities to follow through on their own thorough investigation of this reprehensible act.

From what I understand, the culprit is believed to be based in Hawaii, and we intend to ensure that he—and anyone else involved in this atrocity—is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law if this video is determined to be authentic. I’ll keep you posted.