The Iraq Moratorium

Iraq Vet Explains Why He Won't Go Back

Dennis O'Neil

E-mail

Jeff Bartos is a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War from Hartford, CT. He has taken part in Iraq Moratorium activities, including speaking, twice, at IM events in Cornwall, CT. He recently got a survey letter from a "Retention NCO" in the National Guard asking why he wouldn't re-up and what would have convinced him to do so. He sent back an earful:

Dear SFC Trayner-
I'm going to respond in a manner that I doubt that you will be receptive to, and even further doubt that you will share with the Senior NCO corps of the Connecticut National Guard.

Why did I ETS? I separated from the army because of the illegality of the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, and the incongruity of my principles with the US military's actions there under the false flag of liberation. I separated due to the treatment of our returning veterans, the virtually automatic prescription for anti-depressants upon redeployment, and the non treatment of mental illness within the military that has lead to astronomical suicide rates.

Awful Sound of Silence

Steve Carlson

E-mail

Steve Carlson, of the Iraq Moratorium national committee, authored this article recently published on Common Dreams. It underscores the need for our continuing efforts to end this tragic war in Iraq.

Read it here: The Awful Sound of Silence

Calling out the politicians

Dody Clarke

E-mail

On Saturday, April 25, the Iraq Moratorium: Cornwall Edition hit a public event on the economic crisis featuring Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd and Representative Chris Murphy. We gave 150 of our fellow NW corner locals a flier challenging Dodd and Murphy to vote against the $84.3 billion "special supplemental" the White House just sent to Congress to cover the cost of keeping the wars going.

Many thanked us for raising the issue, and all had a chance to read the leaflet (and to reflect on the shocking budget figures on a card from notmypriorities.org that we also distributed) because the program started half an hour late. In an ironic touch, the leaflet pointed out that "politicians don't like to talk about the war," and in presentations

National Assembly Conference in July

Steve Carlson

E-mail

National Assembly logo

National Assembly

The National Assembly to end the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars & Occupations will hold their 2nd annual conference in Pittsburgh from July 10th through the 12th. Click on the link above to find out more about registration, lodging, workshops, and directions to the conference.

The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq now threaten to stretch across the entirety of the first decade of the 21st century. It's still critically important that we meet to discuss strategy, and that we continue to organize to bring these wars to an end. Please make every effort to have someone from your group in attendance at this crucial conference. Thanks for all you do in the cause of peace.

Steve Carlson

On the Breaking of Promises

Dennis O'Neil

E-mail

The White House has repeatedly pledged that all US combat forces will be out of Iraq's cities by the end of June, six weeks from now. What's happening as the deadline approaches?

Well, what's really happening is that the US military is drawing new maps. Take Forward Operating Base Falcon. 3000 US troops are based at this large facility built inside the city limits of Baghdad in 2003. And they will continue to be.

How can this be? A US military official told a reporter: "We and the Iraqis decided it wasn't in the city." (Note who comes first in that sentence.)

Oh, and Falcon will be rebranded from an FOB to a "contingency operating site."

Reports also indicate that US troops will remain past June 30 elsewhere in Baghdad, in Mosul and in other urban areas, especially in Diyala Province. It is not yet clear whether maps will be redrawn in every case, or other flimsy excuses offered.

Public opinion in Iraq is overwhelmingly in favor of total US withdrawal as soon as possible.

Public opinion in the US is, too.

But politicians and military men, there and here, are not.

Their Parliament responded to public anger by passing a law mandating a national referendum this summer on whether US troops should be withdrawn early. There are no plans to make it happen. Our House of Representatives just voted another $96 billion to keep the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan going--by a 368 to 60 margin.

The Iraq Moratorium has had a slogan from the start that cautions about waiting for those in power to do the right thing: It's got to stop...We've got to stop it.

Big Changes in the Moratorium

Iraq Moratorium committee

E-mail

Two important changes in the Iraq Moratorium . After consulting with IM folks and other anti-war activists across the country. The Iraq Moratorium’s national steering committee has rewritten the campaign’s Statement of Commitment. (Read it, above left.)

In response to the govenment’s recent escalation, we have added the war in Afghanistan as part of our central mission. We want the troops home, not shifted to yet another occupation-without-end.

In response to requests from local groups around the country, we have expanded the Moratorium to encompass the Third Weekend of each month, not just the Third Friday . While the Iraq Moratorium ’s goal has always been to concentrate individual and local activities on a single day to maximize the impact, many people found Fridays too difficult a time to mobilize their family, friends and co-workers to take some action against the war.

It is becoming clearer and clearer that locally-based, bottom-up, easy-to-participate-in organizing is what the current period calls for. That 's exactly what the all-volunteer Iraq Moratorium is woring to build as we head for its 20th consecutive observance.

More Articles...

«
Start
Prev
1
2
3
Next
End
»

Page 1 of 3

Login

Feed Entries