WASHINGTON (Reuters) More than 200 active duty U.S. armed service members, fed up with the war in Iraq, have joined an unusual protest calling for withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country.
The campaign, called the Appeal for Redress from the War in Iraq, is the first of its kind in the Iraq war and takes advantage of U.S. Defence Department rules allowing active duty troops to express personal opinions to members of Congress without fear of retaliation, organisers said.
Here are pages from their website:http://www.appealforredress.org/
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<h1>An Appeal for Redress from the War in Iraq</h1><!-- InstanceEndEditable --><!-- InstanceBeginEditable name="pagecontent" -->Many active duty, reserve, and guard service members are concerned about the war in Iraq and support the withdrawal of U.S. troops. The Appeal for Redress provides a way in which individual service members can appeal to their Congressional Representative and US Senators to urge an end to the U.S. military occupation. The Appeal messages will be delivered to members of Congress at the time of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in January 2007.
The wording of the Appeal for Redress is short and simple. It is patriotic and respectful in tone.
As a patriotic American proud to serve the nation in uniform, I respectfully urge my political leaders in Congress to support the prompt withdrawal of all American military forces and bases from Iraq . Staying in Iraq will not work and is not worth the price. It is time for U.S. troops to come home.
If you agree with this message, click here.
The Appeal for Redress is sponsored by active duty service members based in the Norfolk area and by a sponsoring committee of veterans and military family members. The Sponsoring committee consists of Iraq Veterans Against the War, Veterans For Peace, and Military Families Speak Out.
Members of the military have a legal right to communicate with their member of Congress. To learn more about the rights and restrictions that apply to service members click here.
Attorneys and counselors experienced in military law are available to help service members who need assistance in countering any attempts to suppress this communication with members of Congress.
Several members of Congress have expressed interest in receiving the Appeal for Redress.
http://www.appealforredress.org/
<h1>Rights Under Law</h1><!-- InstanceEndEditable --><!-- InstanceBeginEditable name="pagecontent" -->THE RIGHTS OF MEMBERS OF THE MILITARY
Members of the military have rights under the U.S. Constitution, laws passed by Congress, and the military's own regulations. Military regulations give you important ways to voice your opinion about what's going on in Iraq. They also impose important limitations. People in the military don't have the same constitutional right to express themselves as civilians do.
The military regulation that covers protest and dissent by members of the military is
"Guidelines for Handling Dissident and Protest Activities
Among Members of the Armed Forces."
The command may prohibit members from distributing written materials on base, other than through "official outlets," without prior approval. However, the command may not prevent you from distributing printed material simply because it is critical of government policies or officials.
DoD Directive 1325.6 says it is DoD policy to preserve military members' "right of expression… to the maximum extent possible, consistent with good order and discipline and the national security." Members of the military may attend demonstrations but only in the United States and only when they are off base, off duty, and out of uniform.
THE RIGHT OF SERVICE MEMBERS TO COMPLAIN AND REQUEST REDRESS
Article 3.5.7 DoD Directive 1325.6 provides the right of service members to complain and request redress of grievances against actions of their commanders. (IMPORTANT NOTE: A redress is not to be confused with a petition. The action taken here by individual service members is an Appeal for Redress to End the War in Iraq.)
"Military Whistleblower Protection Act"
DoD Directive 7050.6, otherwise known as the Military Whistleblower Protection Act, provides for the following rights:
4.1 Members of the Armed Forces shall be free to make a protected communication to:
4.1.1—A Member of Congress
Articles 4.2-4.4- Military members are protected against reprisals for such communication.
If the command tries to retaliate against you for exercising your free speech rights, get some legal assistance. Talk with a civilian military counselor and/or a civilian attorney familiar with military law. You may be able to file a complaint under Article 138 of the UCMJ<sup>1</sup>. You may be able to file a complaint under the Military Whistleblower Protection Act. There may be other legal channels. An attorney or counselor can help you file a complaint or communicate with your command about the problem.
<h1>Sponsoring Organizations</h1><!-- InstanceEndEditable --><!-- InstanceBeginEditable name="pagecontent" -->Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) is a group of veterans who have served since September 11, 2001 including Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. We are committed to saving lives and ending the violence in Iraq by an immediate withdrawal of all occupying forces. We also believe that the governments that sponsored these wars are indebted to the men and women who were forced to fight them and must give their Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, and Airmen the benefits that are owed to them upon their return home.
Military Families Speak Out is an Organization of people opposed to the war in Iraq who have relatives or loved ones in the military. Formed by two families in November of 2002, we have contacts with military families throughout the United States and in other countries around the world. Our membership currently includes over 3,000 military families, with new families joining daily.
Veterans For Peace is a national organization founded in 1985 that includes men and women veterans from World War II , Korea , Vietnam , the Gulf War, other conflicts and peacetime veterans. Our collective experience tells us wars are easy to start and hard to stop and that those hurt are often the innocent. Thus, other means of problem solving are necessary.
Veterans for Peace has a national office in Saint Louis , MO and members across the country organized in chapters or as at-large members.
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Comments: 10
I kknow you mean well and I respect your intentions here BUT..
According to what I saw on the news last night, (and I just confirmed by looking...) , this is:
1. an open website that ANYONE can fill out... there is no way to know if these registrants ARE ACTIVE MILITARY...
2. 200..???? TWO HUNDRED out of the thousands ans THOURSANDS of US and coalition forces in theatre???
No matter what you may think of the war and gohd nose it ain't going that well, this is just SILLY.. it makes a great misleading headline though...
There are plenty of veterans of Iraq against the war. Some of the active soldiers have to be against the war. The odds suggest this.
There are families against the war.
There are plenty of citizens against the war. Iraq was never a threat to this country. We shouldn't be involved in bombing a nation. It obligates us to rebuild. We need a Marshall type Plan for Iraq and Afghanistan and we need it now. What we are doing just isn't working.
With all do respect sir; these men have been on several talk shows, radio shows, and are listed by rank and file and arm of service, as well as the other veterans groups in support of their efforts. They have been honored on CNN, Fox, MSNBC, and C-span.
Bret,
The way to have a "good armed forces" is to have good leadership, both civilian (Rumsfeld), commander in Chief, and the Generals, soldiers and officers on the ground willing to speak up and offer their expertise when things are going so badly.
Why would anyone question men and women who are serving their country? They deserve the right to speak out, and whether you agree or not, you need to respect their opinions. Oh yeah, it is far more than 200 going public; with entire platoons and units writing letters of support. They've earned it.
Rated Ten.
Brett, in a way I agree with you, but I think that in three and a half years it has come to this. This Administration is screwing this up like no other Adninistration before it. The word is going to get out one way or another that our guys are getting it in the ass and in some way we need to be told the truth.
Peace