Posted on 08/30/2005 6:24:27 AM PDT by Raycpa
Anti-War Group Suspects it May be Victim of 'Infiltrators'
By Marc Morano
CNSNews.com Senior Staff Writer
August 30, 2005
(CNSNews.com) -- The anti-war group Code Pink, slammed by conservatives and some wounded veterans for co-sponsoring recent protests in front of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., now suggests that the most inflammatory signs held up at the protests might have been the work of "infiltrators whose aim [was] to disrupt the vigil."
Among the most controversial signs held up at the protests was the one reading "Maimed for a Lie." But far from qualifying as an "infiltrator," Stephen McCarron, a spokesman for another anti-war group sponsoring the demonstrations, was photographed on June 17 holding the "Maimed for a Lie" sign himself.
Cybercast News Service obtained the photo from the D.C. chapter of the conservative blogging group Free Republic. When contacted on Monday, McCarron acknowledged that he held the "Maimed for a Lie" sign at the June 17 protest. He also expressed reservations about having the sign appear in front of the Army hospital.
"To some extent it might be (inappropriate,)" McCarron said. "We spoke to the (Walter Reed anti-war) organizers and they recommended it is a bit insensitive, so we are not going to show it anymore.
"Then again, the maiming itself, the wounding itself, the killing itself that's occurring, that goes on, is also offensive," McCarron said.
McCarron did defend the use of the sign during an interview with Cybercast News Service at an Aug. 19 protest, although on that evening, the "Maimed for a Lie" placard was not present. Asked whether he thought the sign was offensive, McCarron said he was "more offended by the fact that many were maimed for life.
"I am more offended by the fact that they (wounded veterans) have been kept out of the news," McCarron added. He also appeared on the Fox News Channel on Aug. 25 as a spokesman for the anti-war groups, defending the decision to protest in front of the medical center.
Over the weekend, Code Pink issued a statement, alleging that it was being subjected to "right wing attacks" and described the protests in question as the "Walter Reed Hospital vigil."
"In recent weeks, the [Walter Reed Army Hospital] vigil has attracted some people who have tried to change the tone and message of the vigil, including yelling and holding up inappropriate signs," the Code Pink statement read. "The organizers have asked the newcomers to be respectful and wonder if they might indeed be infiltrators whose aim is to disrupt the vigil."
There appears to have been disagreement even within the Code Pink organization over the suitability of some of the signs that were featured at the protests.
Asked by radio talk show host Sean Hannity on Aug. 25 whether she was "embarrassed" that signs reading "Maimed for a Lie" and "Enlist here to die for Halliburton" were being waved in front of the hospital, Code Pink co-founder Medea Benjamin replied: "I don't think the signs you said are appropriate signs and if I were there (at Walter Reed), I would ask them (the anti-war activists) to take them down."
But Laura Costas, also a Code Pink spokeswoman, insisted just hours later that such signs as "Maimed for a Lie," were appropriate.
"If that's how somebody feels about it, they're entitled to that," Costas said during an appearance on the Fox News Channel program, "Hannity and Colmes."
McCarron, a Gulf War veteran, is no stranger to controversy. A 1999 article in the Socialist Review quoted him at an anti-war town meeting alleging that U.S. soldiers in the Gulf War had killed "innocent people, especially women and children."
"In basic training they tell you not to steal, rape, or kill innocent people, especially women and children. All that was ignored in Iraq," McCarron said, according to the Socialist Review, in reference to the first Persian Gulf War of 1991.
When reminded about this quote on Monday, McCarron conceded that he "probably" did make the statement, but said he was specifically referring to the U.S. military's decisions involving bombing.
"I questioned what kind of ethics the aerial bombardment was bound by," McCarron explained. "I don't think aerial bombardment in the first Iraq warfare was bound by the same ethics that I (as a soldier) was bound by," McCarron, a former Marine intelligence specialist added.
Copyright © 1998-2005 CNSNews.com - Cybercast News Service
Kinda like Kerry in the Navy "raping and pillaging"
Conspiracy theories just eleveate their need for self-importance.
Did this "Marine" have these same misgivings about Clinton's 3 mile-high war in the Balkans.
Let's hope that this is true.God knows that these filthbags
need to be watched and watched closely.
Seems to me they're worried that the neo nazis and other anti semites they've attracted may be harmfull to them. However it isn't infiltration, it's simple attraction between like minded individuals and groups.
These democrats continue to loathe the military. When they had a chance in the 92 primary to select someone other than a draft dodger who wrote in a letter to Col. Holmes, that he loathed the military, the dems chose the military loather. They can say all they want that they support our troops, but their continued support for people and politicians who hate our troops and the military they serve in, proves otherwise.
Just like the DemoTraitors to try and lie and
blame someone else, when they get caught doing
the doo-doo that they do, so often.
Code Pink are typical liberals.
They believe they have the right to spew any anti-military and anti-america hate they can come up with, wherever they want and whenever they want, but when the press turns negative against them eventually because of their actions, they turn around and lie and say, "I wasn't me, there is some kind of right-wing consipracy behind it".
Total cowards. These people have no concept of honor and accountability for ones own actions.
Democrat "Liberalism" & "Progressiviam"...just other
names fot Socialist Tyanny, & Munchausens Syndrome
By Proxy.
"I Didn't do it!"
Bart Simpson (D-Cal)
If they only knew what I know. They are going down.
You cannot make a comment like that without leaving any crumbs.
How about "We're brain dead" or something. These people are bottom-feeders.
Let's hope they circle the wagons and start shooting inward.
The writer of this article may have made a mistake.
A Yahoo search shows thant Kevin McCarron is the individual not Stephen McCarron.
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=Search+Search+Kevin+McCarron+Code+Pink&ei=UTF-8&xargs=0&pstart=1&b=11
Additionally, these groups know that, if the FBI hasn't all turned into bean-counting, evidence destroying, self-promoting PR bozzos, they did a pretty good job of infiltrtaing the old US commies and anti-American groups.
Many leftists, today, believe that the terrible secrets be held in Kerry USNR official records deal with a crime far worse than treason, drugs, homosexuality or anti-American efforts; they deal with the fact that he informed on the other members of the VVAW for the FBI.
The FBI used to know how to do this, let's hope they still do!
Good question, considering that is what was going on in 1999 (when Clinton was President) yet this clown seemed even then to be harping on bombings that occured eight years earlier. Of course, it was a Republican president who was CINC at the time.
Face it, being a Democrat means never facing criticism or scrutiny for your actions. The Dems always look out for their own and the Republicans don't have the guts to stand up to the name-calling that inevitably ensues.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.