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Our mission statement is:
"To be a source of support, comfort and information for those in the military who are choosing to resist and for those employed by the military who are choosing to resign military related employment."
Providing concrete material support for these fellow veterans must be part of our work. Housing, food, medical care and legal support are often beyond the means of Resisters and their families struggling to survive while taking their principled stand. We can make a difference in their lives.
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International Days of Action
to Support Bradley Manning
Date: September 16-19 Location: Everywhere
Act Locally!
Greater Seattle Veterans For Peace (VFP 92) is organizing a Bradley Manning support rally at Fort Lewis, Washington for Saturday, September 18. VFP members and friends from around the region will show up blowing whistles and carrying signs that say “Blow the Whistle on War Crimes”. We will be reaching out to the GIs, giving them “goody bags” with cookies, copies of Sir, No Sir!, and stickers that say “Whistle While You Work,” and give links to VFP and IVAW websites. We want the GIs to know it is their duty to expose war crimes, and that we will back them up when they do.
Saturday September 18, 2-4 pm "Freedom Bridge" and gate area at I-5 exit 122 (Madigan Hospital exit), meet at Coffee Strong at 1:30 pm.
We will also be out at Lunch time Monday, Sept 13 and Thursday, Sept 16, same area.
Anything that helps spread the word about Bradley Manning’s wrongful imprisonment will help. If you act during the International Days of Action, your actions will be part of a global support effort.
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Blowing the whistle on a war crime is
not a crime
Army intel analyst Bradley Manning faces decades in prison for allegedly leaking a video of a U.S. helicopter attack that killed 11 civilians and wounded two children in Baghdad, Iraq. The Army covered up the evidence and declared the war crime "justified". Now they say that exposing the massacre is criminal.
The Bradley Manning Support Network, of which Veterans For Peace is part, is calling for international days of action on September 16-19. Many groups and individuals will call on the U.S. Army to drop the charges against Private First Class Bradley Manning. Twenty-two year old Manning, held in solitary confinement since May, has been charged with releasing classified documents, including a video that shows American troops shooting and killing Iraqi civilians from an Apache helicopter. Watch the video at www.collateralmurder.com.
Manning’s imprisonment has resulted in an international outcry, with people throughout the world demanding his release and calling for transparency in America’s war policies. Famed Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg has called Manning, “A new hero of mine.”
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HELP Bradley Manning
Bradley is the guy who is accused of leaking to WikiLeaks the video of the helicopter team in Iraq shooting down 12 civilians including 2 Reuters reporters with enthusiasm. He has been arrested and is being held in Kuwait awaiting court-martial. He is possibly facing very heavy charges like espionage or treason. Apparently the Obama administration considers exposing war crimes as treason, while international law and respect for humanity demands the reporting of war crimes.
Bradley is isolated in Quantico, VA – he needs us to wage a high profile public campaign to break through that isolation. He needs to be aware of support and the option for a civilian lawyer.
What can you do?
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Learn about Bradley's case at the support website and read the latest press release
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Participate in International days of action September 16 - 19.
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Donate to his legal defense fund
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Sign the Justice for Bradley Manning Petition
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Write Bradley some words of encouragement:
Inmate: Bradley Manning
TFCF (Theater Field Confinement Facility)
APO AE 09366
USA
If you’re in the U.S., please use Priority Mail to do so, as this will get your letter there the fastest.
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Support GI Resistance...
Marc Hall Update!
While in a jail in Kuwait awaiting transfer to Iraq transfer and a court martial, Marc Hall learned that the Army is bringing the matter to an end by discharging him.
This is great news for Marc, his family, friends and all who have supported him and GI resistance in general.
More about this new development as we learn it.
What was Marc's being charged with? From the Courage to Resist website:
Spc. Marc Hall produced and distributed an angry hip-hop song in July 2009 when he discovered that he would not be allowed to leave active duty due to the Army’s “stop-loss” policy. Spc. Hall continued to serve with his unit for the next four months undergoing command and mental health counseling as requested. “I explained to [my first sergeant] that the hardcore rap song was a free expression of how people feel about the Army and its stop-loss policy. I explained that the song was neither a physical threat nor any threat whatsoever. I told him it was just hip-hop,” explained Spc. Hall.
When Spc. Hall continued to express strong objections to redeploying to Iraq, his unit used the hip-hop song as a pretext to incarcerate Spc. Hall on Dec. 12, 2009. The command likely believed Spc. Hall would refuse to deploy anyway creating discomfort among other soldiers.
Spc. Hall was charged Dec. 17, 2009, with five specifications in violation of Article 134 of the Uniform Code of Military Conduct, two of those for wrongfully communicating a threat based on song lyrics. Article 134 is the vague rule that outlaws anything “to the prejudice of good order and discipline.” |
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Courage to Resist announces a National Week of Letter Writing to Show Support for War Resisters March 16-23, 2009VFP92 members will host a letter writing party at Coffee Strong(address below*) outside Ft Lewis Saturday, March 21 in the afternoon immediately following the anti-war march and rally in Tacoma. All are invited to participate. Updates to our plans will be posted here
organizing packet from Courage to Resist for this campaign follows : March, 2009
Greetings Organizers,
Thanks so much for hosting or organizing a letter-writing event in your town. Courage to Resist is happy to report that you are one of at least 15 locales taking this powerful action to commemorate the 6th anniversary of the Iraq war.
Dismantling the US military through supporting war resisters is a potent way to weaken one of the pillars of the war machine. Civilian support for US war resisters is an essential element in strengthening these brave actions, as resisters often risk jail-time, harassment, dishonorable discharges that stay with them for life, and often alienate themselves from friends and families.
Thanks for being part of this! Here is what is included in this packet: |
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Read more...
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War Resisters
