TomPaine: Silencing Soldiers

[marmar]

Silencing Soldiers
Sarah Olson
February 28, 2007



Sarah Olson is an independent journalist and radio producer based in Oakland, CA. She can be contacted at [e-mail].

The Army refiled five charges against first Lt. Ehren Watada late last week, paving the way for a possible second court-martial for the highest-ranking member of the military to publicly refuse to deploy to Iraq. When his first court-martial ended in a mistrial on February 7, serious debate on the emerging opposition to the war within the military, the legality of the war and the right of military personnel to publicly disobey illegal orders had not yet begun to surface. Though it’s unclear that a second court-martial may legally proceed, the possibility brings these issues back into focus.

I was one of two journalists subpoenaed to testify in Lt. Watada’s court-martial. I objected on the grounds that members of the military must be free to speak with journalists without fear of retribution or censure. That so few critical voices in the military are given an ongoing platform in the media contributes to an inaccurate view of the Iraq War and erroneous ideas about how to ameliorate the problems. Supporting the troops requires that we listen to what they have to say.

Army Specialist Mark Wilkerson was just sentenced to seven months in prison for refusing to return to Iraq. Last year, he wrote:

In the year I was in Iraq, I saw kids waving American flags in the first months. Then they threw rocks. Then they planted IEDs. Then they blew themselves up in city squares full of people. … Hundreds of billions of American dollars, thousands of American lives, and tens of thousands of Iraqi lives have all been wasted in this war. I feel as though many more soldiers want to say things like this, but are afraid of retribution, and who’s really listening anyway.

Ivan Brobeck, a Marine who went to Canada rather than return to Iraq, was released from prison on February 6, just in time for the birth of his first child. Army Medic Augustine Aguayo awaits a March 6 court-martial in Germany and is facing up to seven years in prison. He’s a conscientious objector who refused to load his gun during the year he spent as a combat medic in Iraq. Despite nearly three years attempted to have his conscientious objector status approved, Aguayo was ordered back to Iraq. When his commanding officers threatened to send him to Iraq in shackles, he climbed out his bedroom window and went AWOL into Germany. According to the Pentagon, there are at least 8,000 soldiers who have quietly gone AWOL, while hundreds more have gone to Canada. ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2007/02/28/silencing_soldiers.php

[marmar]

1. Shameless self-kick....

:kick:

[walldude]

2. This goes hand in hand with the silencing of Walter Reed paitents

they are really going out of their way to "support the troops". Meanwhile all the fucking freepers can talk about is Al Gore's electric bill..

[marmar]

3. Yup....

It's enough to make you scream.

[EFerrari]

4. proud to be #5

:mad:

[Hubert Flottz]

5. K&R

They don't support the vets.