Military Resisters Support Network

2007-06-15T22:00:00.000+04:00

Cheney's Halliburton stock options rose 3,281% last year, senator finds

2007-06-13T23:26:00.000+04:00

“We’re Waiting To Get Blown Up”

2007-06-13T21:52:00.000+04:00

“We’re Waiting To Get Blown Up”
“It’s Just More Troops, More Targets”
“When Are We Going To Get Out Of Here?”
In Iraq, Loathsome Stupid Piece Of Shit Lieberman Lied About What Soldiers Think About The War;
But - Oops - A Reporter Was There!

[Thanks to Ward Reilly, Veteran, who sent this in.]

“We’re not making any progress,” Hedin said, as he recalled a comrade who was shot by a sniper last week. “It just seems like we drive around and wait to get shot at.”

May. 30, 2007 By Leila Fadel, McClatchy Newspapers

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Spc. David Williams, 22, of Boston, Mass., had two note cards in his pocket Wednesday afternoon as he waited for Sen. Joseph Lieberman. Williams serves in the 82nd Airborne Division from Fort Bragg, N.C., the first of the five “surge” brigades to arrive in Iraq, and he was chosen to join the Independent from Connecticut for lunch at a U.S. field base in Baghdad.

The night before, 30 other soldiers crowded around him with questions for the senator.

He wrote them all down. At the top of his note card was the question he got from nearly every one of his fellow soldiers:

“When are we going to get out of here?”

The rest was a laundry list. When would they have upgraded Humvees that could withstand the armor-penetrating weapons that U.S. officials claim are from Iran? When could they have body armor that was better in hot weather?

Williams missed six months of his girlfriend’s pregnancy when he was given six days’ notice to return to Iraq for his second tour. He also missed his baby boy’s birth. Three weeks ago, he went home and saw his first child.

“He looks just like me,” he said.

“I didn’t want to come back. . . . We’re waiting to get blown up.”

Williams wasn’t sure if he’d say how he really felt. But if he could, he’d ask about body armor.

“I don’t want him to snap his fingers to get things fixed,” Williams said, referring to Lieberman. “But he has influence.”

Next to him, Spc. Will Hedin, 21, of Chester, Conn., thought about what he was going to say.

“We’re not making any progress,” Hedin said, as he recalled a comrade who was shot by a sniper last week. “It just seems like we drive around and wait to get shot at.”

But as he waited two chairs down from where Lieberman would sit, Hedin said he’d never voice his true feelings to the senator.

“I think I’d be a private if I did,” he joked. “It’s just more troops, more targets.”

In the past two months, the unit has lost two men. In May alone, at least 120 U.S. troops died in Iraq, the bloodiest month in 2007 and the highest number since the battles of Fallujah in 2004.

Spc. Kevin Krasco, 20, of Medford, Mass., and Spc. Kevin Adams, 20, of Moosup, Conn., chimed in with their dismay before turning the conversation to baseball.

“It’s like everything else in this war,” Adams said, referring to Baghdad. “It hasn’t changed.”

Then Lieberman walked in, wearing a pair of sunglasses newly purchased from an Iraqi market that the military had taken him to in southeast Baghdad. He’d been equipped with a helmet and flak vest when he toured the market, which he described as bustling.

Earlier, Lieberman had met briefly with Iraqi soldiers and Iraqi police at a Joint Security Station; there are 31 throughout the city now. The senator, who’s steadfastly supported the Iraq war along with the current surge of more than 28,000 additional American troops, said things were better.

“I think it’s important we don’t lose our will,” he said.

“To pull out would be a disaster.” [He said just before leaving Iraq for the safety of Washington DC.]

The soldiers smiled and greeted him, stood with him for pictures and sat down to a lunch of roast beef and turkey sandwiches.

It was unclear if they ever asked their questions.

As Lieberman walked out, he said that congressionally mandated withdrawal would be a “victory for al-Qaida and a victory for Iran.”

“They’re not Pollyannaish about this,” he said referring to the young soldiers he ate lunch with. “They know it’s not going to be solved in a day or a month.”

It isn’t clear whether Williams mentioned the last line on his note card, the one that had a star next to it.

“We don’t feel like we’re making any progress,” it said.

"Go back to your homes, families, and loved ones. This is not your war."

2007-06-13T21:21:00.000+04:00

Watch the video here

"And to the American soldiers we say, you can also choose to fight tyranny with us. Lay down your weapons, and seek refuge in our mosques, churches and homes. We will protect you. And we will get you out of Iraq , as we have done with a few others before you.

Go back to your homes, families, and loved ones. This is not your war. Nor are you fighting for a true cause in Iraq .

And to George W. Bush, we say, “You have asked us to ‘Bring it on’, and so have we. Like never expected. Have you another challenge?"

Know your rights - know the regs

2007-06-13T21:10:00.000+04:00

Rights Under Law

THE RIGHTS OF MEMBERS OF THE MILITARY

Members of the military have rights under the U.S. Constitution, laws passed by Congress, and the military's own regulations. Military regulations give you important ways to voice your opinion about what's going on in Iraq. They also impose important limitations. People in the military don't have the same constitutional right to express themselves as civilians do.

The military regulation that covers protest and dissent by members of the military is

DoD Directive 1325.6—

"Guidelines for Handling Dissident and Protest Activities Among Members of the Armed Forces.”

The command may prohibit members from distributing written materials on base, other than through "official outlets," without prior approval. However, the command may not prevent you from distributing printed material simply because it is critical of government policies or officials.

DoD Directive 1325.6 says it is DoD policy to preserve military members' "right of expression… to the maximum extent possible, consistent with good order and discipline and the national security." Members of the military may attend demonstrations but only in the United States and only when they are off base, off duty, and out of uniform.

THE RIGHT OF SERVICE MEMBERS TO COMPLAIN AND REQUEST REDRESS

Article 3.5.7 DoD Directive 1325.6 provides the right of service members to complain and request redress of grievances against actions of their commanders. (IMPORTANT NOTE: A redress is not to be confused with a petition. The action taken here by individual service members is an Appeal for Redress to End the War in Iraq.)

DoD Directive 7050.6—

“Military Whistleblower Protection Act”

DoD Directive 7050.6, otherwise known as the Military Whistleblower Protection Act, provides for the following rights:

4.1 Members of the Armed Forces shall be free to make a protected communication to:

4.1.1—A Member of Congress
Articles 4.2-4.4- Military members are protected against reprisals for such communication.

If the command tries to retaliate against you for exercising your free speech rights, get some legal assistance. Talk with a civilian military counselor and/or a civilian attorney familiar with military law. You may be able to file a complaint under Article 138 of the UCMJ1. You may be able to file a complaint under the Military Whistleblower Protection Act. There may be other legal channels. An attorney or counselor can help you file a complaint or communicate with your command about the problem.

1Chapter 47, Uniform Code of Military Justice, SubChapterXI, Miscellaneous Provisions, Sec. 935. Scroll to Art. 138, “Complaints of Wrongs.”

See also
DoD Directive 1344.10
(August 2, 2004)
Political Activities by Members of the Armed Forces on Active Duty

This Directive reissues the earlier Directive 1344.10, “Political Activities by Members of the Armed Forces,” that was issued June 15, 1990, and implements previously proposed guidelines on “DoD Personnel Security” and “Guidelines for Handling Dissident and Protest Activities among Members of the Armed Forces.” This Directive states that, while members of the Armed Forces are prohibited in engaging in certain political activities, “It is DoD policy to encourage members of the Armed Forces to carry out the obligations of citizenship.”

You may also call the G.I. Rights Hotline at

(800) 394-9544
or (510) 465-1472 (also international calls)

from Appeal for Redress

Don’t Whine: Organize!

2007-06-04T21:56:00.000+04:00

from The Military Project:

Don’t Whine:
Organize!
The Military Project In Action:
This Is Not Rocket Science;
You Can Do This Where You Live, If You Give A Shit About Stopping The War That Is

“The single largest failure of the anti-war movement at this point is the lack of outreach to the troops.” Tim Goodrich, Iraq Veterans Against The War

Marines Say “Fuck The Politicians!” Or “Fuck The War!”
New York City Fleet Week Outreach And Actions

The sad thing is they love the Navy and the Corps., but cannot believe how they have been fucked over by this government.

If I could figure out a way to harness that energy, the war would be over tomorrow!

By Elaine Brower, The Military Project

Starting on Thursday night with my son. He dressed up in his Marine Corp. “Blues” with his new Sgt. stripes, and ribbons.

Him and his “marine buddies” landed in downtown Manhattan about 5:30 PM, and I headed over to the bar The Blarney Stone to meet them. What a handsome bunch, but very loud!

From there we headed, on foot, up to the Village and I do not remember the names of the bars, but they were many!

We started out with 8 marines, guys from his platoon. I had Appeal for Redress' with me and lots of GI Specials, the latest issue with the information about the 2 marines who are being recalled for hearings [threatened with dishonorable discharges for opposing the war], and

My son and his buddies couldn't believe that and started out by saying “What a bunch of shit!”

After a few more bars and drinks, they started handing out what I gave to them telling any sailor or marine, actually anyone in the room, what a piece of shit this government is!

Every toast was either to “Fuck the politicians!” or “Fuck the war!” Sorry for the bad language, but keeping it real.

They ranted on about how they were willing to die for people who really didn't give a “Shit” about them anyway.

They got sent home from the war zone and all people could say to them was “Thank you for your service”. My son particularly hates that and tells people to “Fuck off” when they approach him.

He said if they really cared about them they would all be set financially for life and have lifetime medical coverage, no questions asked.

Every single marine we met up with agreed and were a real angry bunch. Of course after many, many, many drinks (between beer, Jack Daniels, and Vodka) they only got louder and wilder.

I had to leave them somewhere midtown (maybe PJ O'Roukes) because I could keep up with them.

I had about 50 copies of each of the Appeal and GI Special, and they were gone by midtown.

Sailors took them, and put them in their pockets or bags, and marines also.

The sad thing is they love the Navy and the Corps., but cannot believe how they have been fucked over by this government.

If I could figure out a way to harness that energy, the war would be over tomorrow!

This is how Bush & Congress 'Support the Troops' - Veterans housed in roach infested hellhole

2007-02-18T22:11:00.000+03:00

Soldiers Face Neglect, Frustration At Army's Top Medical Facility

By Dana Priest and Anne Hull
Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, February 18, 2007; Page A01

Behind the door of Army Spec. Jeremy Duncan's room, part of the wall is torn and hangs in the air, weighted down with black mold. When the wounded combat engineer stands in his shower and looks up, he can see the bathtub on the floor above through a rotted hole. The entire building, constructed between the world wars, often smells like greasy carry-out. Signs of neglect are everywhere: mouse droppings, belly-up cockroaches, stained carpets, cheap mattresses.

This is the world of Building 18, not the kind of place where Duncan expected to recover when he was evacuated to Walter Reed Army Medical Center from Iraq last February with a broken neck and a shredded left ear, nearly dead from blood loss. But the old lodge, just outside the gates of the hospital and five miles up the road from the White House, has housed hundreds of maimed soldiers recuperating from injuries suffered in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. full article

2007-01-13T22:01:00.000+03:00

Poison Dust

2006-06-13T20:52:00.000+04:00

Order it here

Poison DUst Radioactive DU Weapons in Iraq You thought they came home safely from the war. They didn't.

Poison DUst tells the story of three young men from New York who could not get answers for their mysterious ailments after their National Guard unit's 2003 tour of duty in Iraq. A mother reveals her fears about the extent of her child's birth defects and the growing disablity of her young husband —a vet.

Filmmaker Sue Harris skillfully weaves, through interviews, their journey from personal trauma, to 'positive' test results for uranium poisoning, to learning what radioactive Depleted Uranium weapons are. Their frustrations in dealing with the Veterans Administration's silence becomes outrage as they realize that thousands of other GI's have the same symptoms.

Veterans, anti-war organizers, environmentalists and health care providers will find this wake-up call to today's GIs invaluable.

Today more than 1/3 of all 1991 Gulf War vets are on VA Disability Benefits. Meanwhile U.S. use of radioactive DU weapons has increased six-fold from 1991 to Gulf War II!

Scientists expose the Pentagon cover-up!

Music by Movement in Motion, Catherine Moon, the Fourth Wall Players, Pam Parker & Jobari Namdar-Parker. Directed and edited by Sue Harris and the Peoples Video Network. Final edits by Mike Sudyn, Flying Dreams.

Order it here