"Supporting GI resistance"
workshop "Army of None" - New
Book, Tour New Courage to Resist
patches Message from David Swanson
Also: Great photos of Agustin Aguayo's July 27th Los Angeles welcome home celebration by photographer Mathieu Grandjean.
My story by Spc. Eleonai "Eli" Israel
Excerpts from the journey of a VIP bodyguard, sniper against the war By Army National Guard Spc. Eleonai "Eli" Israel. August 9, 2007 Two months ago, I took a stand that changed my life forever. As a Soldier, a JVB Protective Service Agent, and a Sniper with the Army who had been in Iraq for a year (running over 250 combat missions), I refused to continue to be a part of the occupation. I regret nothing. This is my story. Currently, as I write this I am sitting in Kuwait, on "stand-by" to return to the States sometime hopefully this week. After getting out of the brig last week, I’m now scheduled to be discharged from the Army within the month. I'm looking forward to joining forces with anti-Iraq-War movements, such as Courage to Resist and Iraq Veterans Against the War. What led me to this place in my life?... In Iraq I was as a JVB Agent—the JVB (Joint Visitors Bureau) served as the protective service for "three star generals and above" and their "civilian equivalents". This included the Vice President, the Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, their equivalents in a number of our "allied nations", and others. I trained for my job as part of this "special unit" prior to deployment, and I spent the majority of my tour in the company of the most powerful people connected to the "global war on terror". Even as a JVB agent, my primary job was still infantry. On days when we didn't have any JVB missions, we would be called on for "search and cordon" operations and other infantry assignments. So, although I worked at the JVB, I was still on the roster of a sniper platoon tasked with various missions "outside the wire"—either as "sniper overwatch" or house raids. I reasoned that my actions during these missions were justified in the name of "self-defense." However, I came to realize my perception was wrong. I was in a country that I had no right to be in, violating the lives of people, and doing so without regard to the same standards of dignity and respect that we as Americans hold our own homes and our own lives to... "Success" in Iraq is not a matter of the number of coalition deaths "declining". Success would be an end of the catastrophe we have inflicted on a entire society, and restoration of dignity and sovereignty. Iraqis continue to die at a rate 10 to 20 times that of the coalition forces. In Baghdad alone, five years and $950 billion later, the population suffers power and water outages that last for weeks at a time. Meanwhile, we often impose martial law so that no one can leave. The day I saw myself in the hateful eyes of a young Iraqi boy who stared at me was the day I realized I could no longer justify my role in the occupation.
"Supporting GI Resistance" workshop
At the Veterans for Peace 2007 National Convention in St. Louis, Missouri, "Veterans' Truth - Gateway to Peace" August 15-19. "Supporting GI Resistance" presented by Courage to Resist and Iraq Veterans Against the War. Thursday, August 16th at 4 pm in the East Room of the Holiday Inn Select, St. Louis. Workshop panel featuring: This workshop is a networking and learning opportunity for those involved, or interested, in the G.I. resistance/solidarity movement which is made up of organizations and people engaged in work ranging from military counseling, to legal advocacy, to political campaigns in support of public resisters and their families. The goal of this workshop is to contribute to the collective base of support for the growing anti-war movement inside the military today.
Army of None - New Book, Upcoming Tour
"Army of None: Strategies to Counter Military Recruitment, End War, and Build a Better World" - A new book by Courage to Resist organizer David Solnit and Gulf War objector Aimee Allison. Uniformed US Army Officers lunch with students in elementary school cafeterias. Army training programs including rifle and pistol instruction replace physical education in middle schools. Like never before, military recruiters are entering the halls of US schools with unchecked access in an attempt to bolster a military in crisis. Army of None exposes the real story behind the military recruitment complex, and offers guides, tools, and resources for education and action, and people power strategies to win. Aimee and David will be traveling to 40 communities from September through January. Contact Jen Angel to schedule a presentation, workshop, or performance in your town! For more information and to order the Army of None:
We produce all of these Courage to Resist items in order to help us cover our operating expenses, and to help foster a political climate in support of GI resisters. These donations do not come close to replacing outright financial contributions, but they certainly help. In short, you get cool stuff, and we can continue our efforts in support of the troops who refuse to fight. www.couragetoresist.org/orders
As difficult as many Americans find it to speak out publicly against a war that is constantly promoted by their televisions and supported by their neighbors, that difficulty is as nothing beside the onslaught faced by military service men and women who obey the law, the law that requires them to disobey illegal orders. Courage to Resist is well-named. Resistance from within the military requires tremendous courage. Organizing in support of resisters requires courage and hard work, and it is some of the most valuable work being done today by anyone anywhere. Ending the current U.S. policy of waging aggressive wars is the key moral issue facing the globe, and the key impediment to it is the pretense that the wars are being waged on behalf of the men and women sent to kill and die and be wounded. When some of those men and women speak up, it gives the world hope. Please make a donation to support the work of Courage to Resist. |
Book Release
and Project Kick-Off
