Free GI resister PFC Ryan Jackson now!
Vigil outside Fort Gordon GA tonight, court martial tomorrow. Donate to Ryan's defense, write to him, and read his letters from pretrial confinement in the Charleston brig.

'Soldier James Burmeister fights killing'
Eugene (Oregon) Weekly profiles Iraq War vet who voluntarily returned from refuge in Canada. James is currently being held in legal limbo at Fort Knox. Write to James.

First resister to face Canada deportation
Corey Glass was told that he has until June 12 to leave Canada; however, Parliament of Canada may vote on provision to allow resisters to stay any day.

Also: Write Robert Weiss, recently sentenced to seven months for resisting war. Robert Weiss, Unit 29723, Box LL, APO, AE 09028-9723
More info... (link only)

Free GI resister Army PFC Ryan Jackson now!

Courage to Resist. May 28, 2008 update

GI Resister Army PFC Ryan Jackson will be court martialed Friday, May 30th for resisting war—"Free Ryan Now!"

• Join the vigil outside Fort Gordon (Augusta, Georgia) Thursday, May 29th, 7pm at Gate 1 (Select "Read more..." below for info about attending the trial).
• Donate to Ryan's defense. We are still $1,000 short of the total projected expenses.
• Write Ryan directly at: Ryan Jackson; 1050 Remount Rd, Bldg 3107; Charleston SC 29406-3515
• Read Ryan's letters from the Charleston Naval Brig where he has been held in pre-trial confinement (PDF).

Ryan was formally charged with multiple counts of AWOL stemming from his attempt to be released from the Army prior to Iraq deployment. He will face a Special Court Martial—with a maximum one year prison sentence—on Friday, May 30. Since voluntarily returning to Fort Gordon on April 14 and formally applying for a conscientious objector discharge, Ryan has been held in pre-trial confinement at the Charleston Navel Brig.

Read more...

'Eugene soldier James Burmeister fights killing'

By Camilla Mortensen, Eugene (Oregon) Weekly. May 22, 2008

PFC James Burmeister enlisted in the military because he thought he would be doing "humanitarian work" in Iraq. But he was manning a machine gun, using ammunition so large his targets — humans — would "literally explode," the day in Baghdad that his Humvee was hit by a roadside bomb. He was knocked unconscious, and bits of shrapnel were embedded in his face.

Burmeister went AWOL (absent without leave) and fled to Canada.... Now the 23-year-old soldier from Eugene waits at Fort Knox, Ky., to discover whether the Army will prosecute him, release him without access to medical care for his injuries or try yet again to send him back to a war he doesn't want to fight.

Read more... (Eugene Weekly link)

Write James directly at: PFC James Burmeister; HHC Bldg 298; Gold Vault Rd; Fort Knox, KY 40121

First Iraq War veteran to face deportation

Courage to Resist. Updated May 28, 2008

US Iraq war resister Corey Glass was told last week that his application to stay in Canada for “humanitarian and compassionate” reasons has been rejected. He has been ordered to leave Canada by June 12. If this order is allowed to stand, Corey will be the first Iraq War resister to be deported from Canada.

Parliament of Canada may vote on provision to allow resisters to stay any day.

Action Alert: Sign the “Dear Canada: Let U.S. War Resisters Stay!” letter. Courage to Resist will immediately send three letters to Canadian officials on your behalf via International First Class Mail.

Call Canadian Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion at 613.996.6740 or 613.996.5789

• to support the Parliamentary motion to allow Iraq War resisters to remain in Canada,
• to oppose the deportation of people of conscience who have resisted an illegal war, and
• to support the will of the majority of people, not the U.S. government’s endless war agenda. (Polls show that 64% of Ontarians believe resisters should be allowed to stay.)

Be on the lookout for a national day of vigils and actions at Canadian consulates nationwide.

Read more...