WSJ: 50 Active-Duty Officers To Deliver Petition To Congress Against More Troops

[Lex]

From the Wall Street Journal . . .

Vocal opposition to President’s Bush’s strategy of sending more than 20,000 additional troops to help secure Iraq has grown to include some of the troops themselves.

A group of more than 50 active-duty military officers will deliver a petition to Congress on Tuesday signed by about 1,000 troops calling for an end to the U.S. occupation of Iraq. “Any troop increase over here will just produce more sitting ducks, more targets,” said Sergeant Ronn Cantu, who is serving in Iraq.

Under the 1988 Military Whistleblower Protection Act, active duty military, National Guard, and Reservists may communicate with any member of Congress without fear of reprisal, even if copies of the communication are sent to others.

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2007/01/15/grumbling-in-the-ranks/

[k8conant]

1. Good News...

maybe this will help call Bush and Cheney and Company on their horrid lies and actions.

[illinoisprogressive]

2. Mr. Stupid will not look at it or listen.

[Lex]

3. Well of course not, but maybe Congressional Repubs will.

Maybe.

________

[Supersedeas]

25. there is no reason to call him Mr.

[shadowknows69]

4. This is the military refusal that needs to take place

this needs huge press.

[Lex]

5. I wish it would be the beginning of even more military stepping up

and saying how crazy this surge is.

_________________

[spag68]

13. Don't hold your breath

[lyonn]

24. Wall Street Journal isn't bad for starters. n/t

[Zhade]

26. Agreed. Those soldiers who refuse to enforce this illegal occupation are heroes.

Let's hope the hero pool keeps growing!

[midnight]

6. During these dark times we should repeat Martin Luther King

Jr.'s quote " Our lifes begin to end the day we beome silent about things that matter. Everyone think about putting a sign somewhere visible that says to bring these troops home. Bless these 50 active-duty officers and the 1000 troops who have spoken up and refused to remain silent.

[Lex]

8. And I hope this is a trickle and then the dam bursts wide open

and more military steps up.

_________________

[truedelphi]

20. These forty years later, it's easy to forget

What an immense strugglethe Civil Rights Movement faced.

At one point King turned away from his colleagues and took hjis message to
high school kids - as his own colleagues felt he was too radical

[bobthedrummer]

7. Some of what they and others have experienced and seen

Warnings: these pictures are graphic
access logs of the source library are subject to being reviewed by agencies of the US government

This link is from John Young of Cryptome
Eyeballing Iraq Kill and Maim Surge Preview
http://cryptome.net/

To those officers presenting the petitions to Congress, thank you for your service.

To all US armed forces, be safe, don't obey illegal orders and thank you for your service.

[understandinglife]

9. DU Homepage material .... and ...

...

and ...

[johnaries]

10. What's that popping sound?

Could it be freeper heads exploding?

Someone should send this to Michelle Malkin while she's reporting the "good news" over there.

K&R

[Lex]

11. I hope that the Corporate Media will report on this development

tomorrow--about the Officers stepping up and saying how crazy Bush's plan is.

We shall see I suppose.

________________

[johnaries]

12. It'd be nice....

but I won't be holding my breath.

[Karenina]

16. Where is their citizen support?

:shrug:

[johnaries]

30. How can the average citizen show support

if the average citizen doesn't KNOW about this?

I didn't see anything about this on the M$M news today - the "day after" - and obviously I'm not surprised. Did anyone else? Once again, it's up to us to spread the word in whatever way we can.

Although, I have noticed that when talking to the "average citizen", as soon as I give them a website to visit, half the time I get the equivalent of "rolling eyes".

A lot of people in this country really don't believe it's true unless they see it on TV.

[EFerrari]

14. This is the link to their web site:

http://www.appealforredress.org/php/pressroom.php

[Lex]

15. Thanks for that link.

:hi:


------------------

[EFerrari]

18. Sure! Amy Goodman had one of the signers on the phone

from Iraq! And he was very concerned that he was going to get in trouble. He didn't sound like an 18 yr old, either. But he said, we're sitting ducks here.

[freefall]

17. These are the true heroes. The people who signed and those who

will deliver the petition, Sgt. Kevin Benderman, Lt. Ehren Watada and all others like them are the true heroes of this conflict. Although I can understand those who feel they must honor their commitment to the military it is those who have the guts to stand up and say they won't obey illegal orders by participating in this illegal, immoral conflict who receive my true admiration, respect and, yes, hero worship.

For those who have entered the military since our illegal invasion of Iraq in 2003 I can understand that their decision to do so may have been motivated by financial need and ignorance compounded by propaganda. Nevertheless, I cannot respect those decisions.

Peace,

freefall

[bobthedrummer]

19. Another example, Major Charmaine Means who twice refused

to seize a Mosul television station-fwiw the officer that she stood against is the now promoted Gen. Petraeus.

There are many others that have simply done their duty and refused questionable and illegal orders, despite the possible consequences to their careers. There are many that have refused to capitulate to the criminal extreme RW ideology and influences of groups like the cultish Christian Embassy which has influenced the chain of command severely.

"Ten Things I Learned From the Pentagon's Prayer Team"
by Jeff Sharlet
http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/46262/

"America's Holy Warriors"
by Chris Hedges
http://www.commondreams.org/cgi-bin/print.cgi?file=/views06/0103-59.htm


Those are the officers we need.

Traditionally the most important to every unit are the non-coms that also stand firm against illegal orders....................................................................................

[freefall]

22. I read those articles, bobthedrummer, and found them horribly frightening. Thanks

for pointing out that there are so many honorable people serving.

Peace,

freefall

[Norquist Nemesis]

21. WSJ???

:wow:

[Morgana LaFey]

23. This is SO huge -- I hope people who've never been connected

to the military (in the military themselves, or related to someone who was) can understand how incredibly courageous this is. You LOSE your right to speak out about things when you're in the military (the new law notwithstanding). And there's no organization on earth that I know of, aside from the mafia perhaps, that can make life more miserable for you if you cross them.

[PsN2Wind]

31. Those officers careers are over

Having been the focus of a senior NCOs persecution several years ago, I can attest that no organization can make you more miserable. Lesson learned, never piss off a Senior NCO on a small site, there is nowhere to hide and no one will take your side.

[Morgana LaFey]

32. Exactly

And fragging still happens occasionally too.

[Rex]

27. 50 active-duty heroes.

Doing the job of Congress, for them! What? Military professionals gotta wipe Congress-critters butts for them too? Do they need a diaper change?

[spanone]

28. I had suggested Congress do this, but active Military is fookin' brilliant!

Take that you insane chimp.

[jarnocan]

29. thanks nt