Thread: ActiveDuty US Military Member Speak Out Against War

http://www.drudgereport.com/flash.htm



ACTIVE-DUTY U.S. MILITARY MEMBERS SPEAK OUT AGAINST WAR ON '60 MINUTES'
Thu Feb 22 2007 15:21:11 ET



They say they are not disloyal. They say they are not shirking their duty and that they do not oppose war. But over 1,000 active-duty and reserve members of the U.S. military are against the war in Iraq and have said so in an unusually public way -- by petitioning Congress last month. Several of them appear to explain their actions in a Lara Logan report to be broadcast on 60 MINUTES Sunday Feb. 25 (7:00-8:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

"I'm not anti-war. I'm not a pacifist. I'm not opposed to protecting our country and defending our principles," says Navy Petty Officer Jonathan Hutto, an Iraq war veteran who, along with another veteran, initiated the petition. A 1995 law called the Military Whistleblower act enables military personnel to express their own opinions about Iraq in protected communication directly to Congress. Hutto and others spoke with 60 MINUTES while off duty, off base and out of uniform as conscientious citizens. "But at the same time, as citizens, it's our obligation to have a questioning attitude... about policy," Hutto tells Logan.

Marine Sgt. Liam Madden, who helped Hutto to found the organization they call Appeal for Redress that has attracted 1,000 other military members, is more blunt. "Just because we volunteered for the military doesn't mean we volunteered to put our lives in unnecessary harm and to carry out missions that are illogical and immoral."

These GIs and others Logan spoke with expressed frustration with their efforts in Iraq and believe there is no end in sight to the war. Other Iraqi war veterans still on duty there believe Appeal for Redress misses a larger point. "As an American soldier, I feel like we took an oath to obey the orders of our commander-in-chief and officers appointed over us," says Army Spec. James Smauldon. Said another serviceman in Iraq, Army Capt. Lawrence Nunn, "I know what IÕm here fighting for, to give the Iraqi people some democracy and hope, so I am 100 percent behind this mission. You don't sign up to pick which war you go to."

Another Appeal for Redress member counters, "Our leadership gets to choose the mission. Congress gets to choose the mission," Staff Sgt. Matt Nuckolls says. He's loyally committed to whatever Congress wants him to do but savors the right to question it. "My Congressman is Lacy Clay. I would like to tell him as a constituent of his, 'Is the mission in Iraq really what you want us to be doing?' And then [if] he responds yes, okay, well, we go back to Iraq and keep doing what we're doing."

Developing...

Well now, isn't this interesting.

Hey, any connection to the VVAW? Jane Fonda? Hmmmm

The communist connected Iraqi Veterans against the war perhaps?

Hmmm?

It would do everyone a benefit to dig before believing the propaganda.
Or.......it dooms us to repeat the past.

Give me a break. For every socialist, coward that comes forward, there are a hundred from his team that will counter his propaganda.

Sounds like a lot of "me generation" scalawags who enlisted to get benefits such as a free education are suffering a breakdown in military discipline with the aiding and abetting of Democrats like Lacy Clay. The "question" posed to Rep. Clay is gratuitous, because his constituents already know where the yellow dirtbag stands on the war. Clay made these comments on the floor of the House on February 14, 2007:

“Mr. Speaker, honorable colleagues, I rise to declare my absolute and unwavering opposition to the President’s plan to escalate this tragic and unnecessary war. Four years ago, I stood on the floor of this House to oppose the original force authorization resolution.

I believed then, and I still believe today, that great nations do not start wars as a matter of policy, they exercise diplomacy and negotiation to avert threats and achieve security.

I was convinced that invading Iraq, without international support and without unequivocal evidence that Iraq was involved in 9/11,

would dangerously drain our military strength, distract us from fighting the very real terrorist threat and ultimately weaken our credibility around the world.

Today American troops are embroiled in a bloody quagmire that has already resulted in over 26,000 American casualties.

And now, just this past week, the Defense Department Inspector General reported that senior administration officials engaged in a deliberate misinformation campaign about Al-Qaeda and Saddam Hussein. We have learned that officials in our government deliberately distributed altered intelligence assessments.

This administration is denying the facts. It has repeatedly misled the Congress and the American people and undermined our nation’s integrity in the world community.

Now the President is asking Congress to register more support for a policy failure. Escalating the military violence in Iraq by injecting 21,000 more U.S. troops into a civil war, reflects nothing more than this administration’s obstinate refusal to face present realities.

I want to conclude by quoting from one of this body’s most knowledgeable and trusted voices on military affairs and foreign policy, my good friend and fellow Missouri, the distinguished chairman of the Armed Services Committee: Ike Skelton.

In a recent statement he said,

“Only the Iraqis can change the situation there and bring lasting security to their nation. I remain convinced that a gradual and responsible redeployment of U.S. forces is the best way to help the Iraqis take responsibility for their security and to restore the full strength of our military.”

Mr. Speaker, our troops are magnificent.

Our brave sons and daughters have done everything we have asked them to do in Iraq, and much more.

I honor their courage.

I commend their service.

I salute their sacrifice, and that of their families who await their safe return.

I urge the passage of the concurrent resolution and I pray that this is the first step towards bringing them home…soon.”

Our brave sons and daughters have done everything we have asked them to do in Iraq, and much more.

If these $1000 suited idiots knew a wit about OUR BRAVE SONS & DAUGHTERS...........they'd know that OUR BRAVE SONS & DAUGHTERS are disgusted with their traitorous behavior, want them to shut their mouths and back the hell off. If these idiots knew a thing, one thing, they'd know that they're considered flaming MORONS by the boots on the ground.

OUR BRAVE SONS & DAUGHTERS want to FINISH THE JOB that they began.