Capt. Peter Brown wins objector
discharge Labor Conference to Stop the
War Message from
Army Spc. Agustín Aguayo
Support Iraq War resister Lt. Ehren Watada!
Act on Friday, October 19 and Saturday, October 27 Civilian federal court judge Benjamin Settle to review double jeopardy issues of Ehren's case Friday, October 19. We demand: Stop the retrial, drop the charges, and honorable discharge now for Lt. Watada! By Watada National Steering Committee. October 17, 2007 The Watada National Steering Committee of Friends and Family of 1st Lt. Ehren Watada urge to you act this week and next in support of Lt. Ehren Watada. He refused to fight in the illegal war in Iraq and is facing a possible second court martial and up to 6 years in prison. Lt. Ehren Watada, the first Army officer to publicly refuse orders to Iraq, is now at a critical point in his struggle against the Army’s attempt to imprison him. The Army tried to proceed with a second court martial despite the fact that an appeal on the basis of double jeopardy was in progress in the Army courts. This was completely illegal and a violation of the Constitution. Just days before the second court martial was to be held, Lt. Watada’s lawyers went to federal court and requested an injunction to stop the Army from proceeding. At the very last moment, U.S. District Court Judge Benjamin H. Settle granted an emergency stay. The court martial is now postponed until at least Oct. 26. Meanwhile, Judge Settle will consider issues around double jeopardy in this case. It is unknown what decisions he might make.
For this reason, it is absolutely vital that Ehren Watada’s case get the maximum possible publicity and show of support! Judge Settle has set up a briefing schedule to examine the merits of the double jeopardy argument and how long he will continue the stay. The government has until Oct. 12 to file its arguments, and Watada's lawyers must reply by Oct. 17. Judge Settle will review the case on Oct. 19. The Watada campaign plans joint demonstrations with allied groups on Oct. 19th and Oct. 27th. On Friday, Oct. 19, we will be working closely with our allies such as the Iraq Moratorium, Veterans for Peace, Iraq Veterans Against the War, and many others to stage demonstrations around the nation along with Iraq Moratorium. We call on all peace and justice groups everywhere to come to the support of Lt. Ehren Watada on Oct. 19! We urge everyone to hold or attend demonstrations carry signs supporting Ehren Watada and listing the three demands of the Watada Campaign:
On the weekend of Oct. 26 - 27, we will be participating in or holding demonstrations in support of Lt. Watada. This is the weekend of the Oct. 27 nationwide day of action called jointly by United for Peace & Justice and International A.N.S.W.E.R. We will be reaching out to them to work jointly where we can, or to have local events in cities and towns where they are not having an event. Local groups who wish to support Lt. Watada can help by holding events or speaking about his case at events you are already planning, holding press conferences, writing articles in the media, or writing letters to the editor of your local media. In newspapers, the letters to the editor sections are among the most widely read sections of the paper. Letters must be short or they will not be published due to space; see the length of letters currently published in your local paper for examples. Watada National Steering Committee
Capt. Peter Brown wins victory against Army
West Point Grad wins objector status By the Associated Press. October 16, 2007 FORT DRUM, NY — A West Point graduate who cited his religious beliefs in a lawsuit against the Army while serving in Iraq has been granted conscientious objector status and given an honorable discharge. Capt. Peter Brown, a 2004 graduate and member of the 10th Mountain Division, said his religious convictions prevented him from carrying a loaded weapon or ordering his men to use lethal force. "I'm relieved the Army recognized that my religious beliefs made it impossible for me to serve as a soldier," Brown said in a news release issued Tuesday through the American Civil Liberties Union, which had intervened and filed a lawsuit on his behalf in U.S. District Court in Washington. Brown was stationed in Baghdad for more than a year with the 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment out of Fort Drum in northern New York. His conversion to a pacifist interpretation of the Bible began after his commission into the Army when he attended a civilian religious center in the Netherlands in 2004, the lawsuit said.
SF Labor Conference to Stop the War
Saturday, October 20 - 9am to 5pm Don't miss the Courage to Resist presented workshop Soldiers and Veterans Against the War at 1:00 PM with:
Hundreds of troops are now openly speaking out and organizing against the war. Scores of U.S. war resisters have traveled to Canada seeking sanctuary from an unjust war. Nearly 100 servicepersons have publicly refused to fight. Well over 40,000 troops have gone AWOL. Meanwhile, military recruiters are becoming increasingly desperate to fill their quotas. Of course there is a lot more to the conference than our workshop! Other conference highlights include opening statements (9:00 AM -10:30 AM) by:
Conference participants are requested to pre-register at:
Since the day I surrendered to military custody after refusing to return to Iraq, Courage to Resist has been there for me and my family as a constant fountain of support. This support has come in many forms, from a friendly call, to organizing a campaign to cover my legal expenses and basic needs. I believe only an organization with altruistic motives that truly cares would have done this. As someone who has felt the enormous relief of having a strong support group behind me, it is a privilege now as a member of Courage to Resist to help others as I have been helped. Agustín was sentenced to eight months in the brig for following his conscience and refusing to participate in war by a U.S. court martial in Germany March 2007. Please make a donation to support the work of Courage to Resist. |
Support Iraq War resister Lt. Ehren Watada!
Join us
for a discussion on the state of the anti-war movement that is taking
shape INSIDE today's military, and what we can do to support it and work
to make sure that young people know all of the facts before enlisting.
Learn why some servicepersons are risking everything to refuse deployment
to the Iraq War, and are challenging military authority in order to speak
out. GI resistance was a critical factor in ending the Vietnam War, and
we believe it is a critical ingredient in ending our government's illegal
and unjust war and occupation in Iraq.
