3 Aug 09Free Afghanistan War resister Victor Agosto!
Army Spc. Victor Agosto will be court martialed (and convicted) this Wednesday, August 5th at Fort Hood, Texas for refusing to deploy to Afghanistan.
       * Donate to Victor's defense fund!
       * Demonstrate in Kileen on Aug. 5 at 7pm
       * Watch a new video, "The Resistors"

The Will to Resist
A new book about troops who refuse to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan by Dahr Jamail. Get your copy today from Courage to Resist orders for a $25 donation!

Supporting GI resistance
If your attending the Veterans for Peace National Convention this week near Washington DC, don't miss our workshop on "Supporting GI Resistance" Friday afternoon.



Free Afghanistan War resister Victor Agosto!

ImageArmy Spc. Victor Agosto will be court-martialed (and convicted) this Wednesday, August 5, at Fort Hood, Texas for refusing to deploy to Afghanistan. “There is no way I will deploy to Afghanistan. The occupation is immoral and unjust. It does not make the American people any safer. It has the opposite effect,” explained Victor to his unit command in May.

Donate to Victor's defense!
couragetoresist.org/victor

As of August 3rd, 32 supporters have donated $1,664 to Victor's defense fund. Victor's civilian lawyer James Branum, based out of Oklahoma, has estimated legal expenses will total $3,500. This is a fraction of the regular rate that most other attorneys require for a court martial case. However, we remain significantly short of our goal in providing aid to Victor for his courage to resist.

Kileen, Texas demonstration in support of Victor

Community members will demonstrate their support for Victor following the court martial on Wednesday, August 5th from 7:00pm to 8:30pm at the corner of Fort Hood St., and Rancier Ave. (near the Fort Hood East Gate), in Kileen, Texas. Contact the Under the Hood Cafe for more information.

"The Resistors" short movie by Casey Porter
Featuring the Under the Hood Cafe and Victor Agosto (8:30 min.)

resistorsIraq War veteran Casey Porter explains:

The Resistors is a new film made for Under The Hood Cafe. Now I know how I spelled "Resistors". But I did spell it that way for a reason. "...produces a voltage across its terminals that is proportional to the electric current..." They provide balance to the system. See how these Soldiers and civilians work together to create that balance and support each other where the Army fails.

For background information about Victor's stand: "Texas soldier Victor Agosto refuses Afghanistan deployment" by Courage to Resist Project Coordinator Sarah Lazare. May 21, 2009

 


The Will to Resist

will to resistA new book about troops who refuse to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan by Dahr Jamail

An award-winning, unembedded journalist tells the hidden story of American soldiers turning against military occupation.

“Dahr Jamail’s human portrait of the men and women who turned away from the project of empire should serve as a beacon…The truth they tell demands that we find the courage to make our nation accountable for the crimes committed in our name.” - From the Foreword by Chris Hedges

Read below to find out more about the book, hosting an author event or arranging an interview, and discounts and ordering information.

Dahr Jamail, author of Beyond the Green Zone, brings us inside the movement of military resistance to the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. Since 2006, a majority in the United States have opposed the continued occupation of Iraq, and increasing skepticism surrounds the escalation in Afghanistan. But how do the soldiers who carry out the American occupations see their missions?

Fragmented reports of battalions refusing orders, of individual soldiers refusing redeployment and taking a public stand against the occupations have trickled into the mainstream reportage over the last five years. But how deep does the current of resistance run? What makes soldiers decide to go AWOL, file for conscientious objector status, and even serve sentences in military prison for their acts of refusal?

Dahr Jamail’s comprehensive study of today’s military resisters sheds new light on the contours of dissent within the ranks of the world’s most powerful military.

Dahr Jamail is author of the book Beyond the Green Zone: Dispatches from an Unembedded Journalist in Occupied Iraq. Jamail’s work has been featured on National Public Radio, the Guardian, The Nation, and The Progressive. He has received many awards for his reportage, including the Martha Gellhorn Prize for Journalism.

Get your hardcover copy here for a $25 donation and support Courage to Resist! (couragetoresist.org/orders)

 


"Supporting GI resistance" workshop

ImageFor the third consecutive year, Courage to Resist is presenting a workshop on supporting GI resistance at the annual Veterans For Peace / Iraq Veterans Against the War Convention. This year's convention will be held at the University of Maryland, College Park Campus, just outside of Washington DC from August 5 through August 9. If your attending either the VFP or IVAW conventions, please join us for this important workshop on Friday, August 7 from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm.

Workshop overview

Summary of current military resistance and its critical role in helping end unjust occupation wars. Featuring: Marine Cpl "Benji" Lewis on IRR recall refusal and brief video from Army Spc Andre Shepherd who is seeking asylum in Germany. Update on Ft. Hood Afghanistan deployment refusers Spc Victor Agosto and Sgt Travis Bishop who are scheduled to be court-martialed, as well as efforts to support Kimberly Rivera and other US resisters seeking refuge in Canada. Overview of military counseling, legal advocacy, political campaigns in support of public resisters and their families.

Moderated by Jeff Paterson and Sarah Lazare of Courage to Resist, and VFP Chapter 69.

For more information about the convention, check out their convention website here.


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