What's really happening in Iraq? [Code Pink using military families to undermine country]

Code Pink ^ | on or before December 8, 2003 | hate-America leftist

[BillF]

Military Families Delegation to Iraq participants will be in Washington, DC Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday to share stories of their personal experiences in Iraq.

On November 29th, ten family members of US military personnel who had served or are serving in Iraq left the United States to travel to Iraq. Their purpose was to see first hand how the war in Iraq was being conducted and to bring a message of peace to the people of Iraq. Included in this group was Fernando Suarez del Solar who lost his 20-year-old son died on March 27, 2003 when he stepped on an unexploded U.S. cluster bomb south of Baghdad; two wives of soldiers based at Fort Bragg, N.C., and four veterans of the Vietnam and Gulf wars, including two who have children deployed in Iraq. These brave individuals will share with us what they observed while in Iraq.

Below is the list of events. Hope to see you there!

Tuesday, December 9, 2003

9:30am – Briefing on Hill, sponsored by Reps. Waters and Filner’s offices. Room 2251 of the Rayburn Office Building. Take the Orange/Blue Metro lines to Federal Center, walk two blocks north on 3rd St. to the Rayburn Building.

5:30pm – What’s Really Happening in Iraq? Public report-back at the Warehouse Theater (1021 7th Street, NW). Take the Red, Yellow or Green lines to the Gallery Place/Chinatown stop. Walk north on 7th St., crossing New York Avenue. The Warehouse is on the right. ($5-$10 suggested donation.)

[Description of this Tuesday night meeting from another Code Pink communication: Members of Military Families Speak Out, CODEPINK's Gael Murphy and Medea Benjamin, and other participants in the recent delegation to Iraq will present video footage and photos of their recent trip to Iraq, and discuss the state of human rights, the US military, and women in occupied Iraq.]

Wednesday, December 10, 2003

8:30am – Press Conference at the National Press Club in the Murrow Room. Take the Orange, Blue or Red line to Metro Center. The address is 529 14th St. The Murrow room is on the 13th floor.

Thursday, December 11, 2003

Depart for NYC!

[boxerblues]

Way to go BSM's..now if we can get all of BSM's together to counter the traitors

[Jimmy Valentine's brother]

Words fail to describe my deep and abiding hatred of these traitorous leeches.

[armymarinemom]

Thanks for posting the Blue Star Mothers' statement. Do you have a web address for the organization?

Blue Star Mothers of America, Inc. We do hope to find as many parents as possible to stop this bad precident. This is the first group of protesting parents to go into a war zone. It needs to be the last

[BillF]

Thanks, AMM.

Are you trying to get parents to accompany Kristinn tomorrow or is it limited to just getting them to release statements of condemnation of the treasonous activity?

Any and all efforts appreciated.

PS. God bless you and your family members, especially those in our military services.

[armymarinemom]

We are trying to get parents involved in any way we can. Interviews or attendance. We are short of people in DC.

[BillF]

How about a list of persons with relatives in Iraq and who are willing to be interviewed to express opposition to this type of activity?

[armymarinemom]

We did have a primary contact listed on the release that was emailed and faxed to the services. Contact can also be made from the website.

[AGreatPer]

"This is amazing - civilians allowed to travel to a combat zone, to gauge the course of the war and deliver a message of peace to the Iraqis?"

I really don't get it how they can get transportation. To my knowledge the only way you can get in and out, let alone travel around, is military transportation. Why would our military transport these people?

[LiteKeeper]

To my knowledge the only way you can get in and out, let alone travel around, is military transportation. Why would our military transport these people?

My understanding is that there are some non-US carriers flying into Baghdad. That must be how they are doing it.

[BillF]

The U.S. should set up a visa system for Iraq. If you don't have a visa, you can't come into the country upon penalty of arrest by Iraqi police.

The visa authority can be turned over to the Iraq Governing Council as soon as they're set up to do it.

It's not in the interest of the U.S. or the Iraqis to have the Code Pinkos there. Deny them visas and, if they sneak in, the Iraqi police can hold them in jail.