About Face: Soldiers Call for Iraq Withdrawal

[ProSense]

article | posted December 14, 2006 (web only)

About Face: Soldiers Call for Iraq Withdrawal

Marc Cooper

For the first time since Vietnam, an organized, robust movement of active-duty US military personnel has publicly surfaced to oppose a war in which they are serving. Those involved plan to petition Congress to withdraw American troops from Iraq. (Note: A complete version of this report will appear next week in the print and online editions of The Nation.)

After appearing only seven weeks ago on the Internet, the Appeal for Redress, brainchild of 29-year-old Navy seaman Jonathan Hutto, has already been signed by nearly 1,000 US soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen, including dozens of officers--most of whom are on active duty. Not since 1969, when some 1,300 active-duty military personnel signed an open letter in the New York Times opposing the war in Vietnam, has there been such a dramatic barometer of rising military dissent.

Interviews with two dozen signers of the Appeal reveal a mix of motives for opposing the war: ideological, practical, strategic and moral. But all those interviewed agree that it is time to start withdrawing the troops. Coming from an all-volunteer military, the Appeal was called "unprecedented" by Eugene Fidell, president of the National Institute of Military Justice.

The Nation spoke with rank-and-file personnel as well as high-ranking officers--some on the Iraqi front lines, others at domestic and offshore US military bases--who have signed the Appeal. All of their names will be made available to Congress when the Appeal is presented in mid-January. Signers have been assured they are sending a communication to Congress protected under the Military Whistleblower Protection Act. The Pentagon is powerless to take official reprisals and has said that as long as active-duty personnel are not in uniform or on duty, they are free to express their views to Congress.

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[Monkeyman]

1. K&R

It starts

[annabanana]

2. The Best & the Brightest!. . . . n/t

[Mythsaje]

3. K&R...

Heard about this on Rachel Maddow today.

[dflprincess]

4. I think it's time for the Army to mutiny

I'd like to see a whole unit of regular or guard members just flat out refuse to get on the plane to Iraq - and do it while the cameras are rolling.

[teryang]

9. They can't get whole units of Guard or Reserve units

...due to deployment limitations. Units today include a majority of personnel who have already done their 2yr mobilization in Iraq and or Afghanistan. Therefor, so called military units of reserve and national guard are ad hoc, thrown together willy nilly from persons all over the country who have never served or trained together. In fact, right now the numbers suggest that there are only a couple of hundred thousand reserve and guards left who can be deployed within the current limitations imposed upon such mobilizations.

Meanwhile, mass murderers in suits who call themselves "political leaders" catapult the propaganda for increased troop deployments. They are pissing upwind in a hurricane. The Army Chief of Staff is trying to warn everyone but our stupid lying, murdering, politicians would rather posture as Churchillian figures. Churchill before Gallipoli maybe.

[brazos121200]

5. I'd like to know what percentage of support the

Republican party got from active duty military personnel in the recent election. I can't imagine that they would continue to support the party that put them in harm's way. And without adequate weapons of war to boot.

[Monkeyman]

6. Last report we heard

Active Duty 52 percent Republican

Military Families 32 percent Republican

[brazos121200]

8. That's very encouraging. Back in 2000 I believe the Rep percentages were

much higher if I'm not mistaken.

[screembloodymurder]

7. Now I know why our military needs more money.

Who can blame them? There's no end in site and nobody signing up to take their place.

[Clarkie1]

10. They should petition Bush, not the congress. Congress doesn't have that power. nt

[ProSense]

11. Congress does, it's called

purse!