ACTIVE-DUTY U.S. MILITARY MEMBERS SPEAK OUT AGAINST WAR ON '60 MINUTES'

Drudge Report ^ | 22 Feb 2007 | Matt Drudge

[OCCASparky]

ACTIVE-DUTY U.S. MILITARY MEMBERS SPEAK OUT AGAINST WAR ON '60 MINUTES'
Thu Feb 22 2007 15:21:11 ET

They say they are not disloyal. They say they are not shirking their duty and that they do not oppose war. But over 1,000 active-duty and reserve members of the U.S. military are against the war in Iraq and have said so in an unusually public way -- by petitioning Congress last month. Several of them appear to explain their actions in a Lara Logan report to be broadcast on 60 MINUTES Sunday Feb. 25 (7:00-8:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

"I'm not anti-war. I'm not a pacifist. I'm not opposed to protecting our country and defending our principles," says Navy Petty Officer Jonathan Hutto, an Iraq war veteran who, along with another veteran, initiated the petition. A 1995 law called the Military Whistleblower act enables military personnel to express their own opinions about Iraq in protected communication directly to Congress. Hutto and others spoke with 60 MINUTES while off duty, off base and out of uniform as conscientious citizens. "But at the same time, as citizens, it's our obligation to have a questioning attitude... about policy," Hutto tells Logan.

Marine Sgt. Liam Madden, who helped Hutto to found the organization they call Appeal for Redress that has attracted 1,000 other military members, is more blunt. "Just because we volunteered for the military doesn't mean we volunteered to put our lives in unnecessary harm and to carry out missions that are illogical and immoral."

These GIs and others Logan spoke with expressed frustration with their efforts in Iraq and believe there is no end in sight to the war. Other Iraqi war veterans still on duty there believe Appeal for Redress misses a larger point. "As an American soldier, I feel like we took an oath to obey the orders of our commander-in-chief and officers appointed over us," says Army Spec. James Smauldon. Said another serviceman in Iraq, Army Capt. Lawrence Nunn, "I know what IÕm here fighting for, to give the Iraqi people some democracy and hope, so I am 100 percent behind this mission. You don't sign up to pick which war you go to."

Another Appeal for Redress member counters, "Our leadership gets to choose the mission. Congress gets to choose the mission," Staff Sgt. Matt Nuckolls says. He's loyally committed to whatever Congress wants him to do but savors the right to question it. "My Congressman is Lacy Clay. I would like to tell him as a constituent of his, 'Is the mission in Iraq really what you want us to be doing?' And then [if] he responds yes, okay, well, we go back to Iraq and keep doing what we're doing."

Developing...

[cva66snipe]

Just guess how many of these people entered the military in coordination with the DNC. Think that isn't what this is? Think the DNC hasn't planted some of their partisans for such a stunt? Then you don't know how demented they are

LOL I don't know of anyone who would enlist in the military for a political party especially not an 8 year obligation as is standard now. The soldiers, Marines, squids, etc had every right to communicate with their congrescritter and to even have a congresscritter act in their behalf etc. That right is not surrendered upon military induction. BUT going public to any media under these circumstances with this is a big mistake.

There are some fine lines. For example Private New IMO is a hero. He was given an unlawful order as well as an Unconstitutional one and refused it. His oath nor anyone else's includes the U.N. Secretary General or defending U.N. Resolution or charter.

[Txsleuth]

I don't know..because Murtha has been like this for a LONG time..

I think that when people go to Washington, and get POWER and MONEY, they sometimes let their integrity disappear.

Another thing I remember from that show on PBS that I watched last night about the MARINES..is that it was stressed that other than their weapons, and their buddies...a Marine's integrity is his most valuable possession...

NONE of these guys, nor Murtha, carry, Hagel etc...still have any integrity.

[Soul Seeker]

Your right to disbelieve.

But I would suggest you consider the sickness of the left.

The idea of risk bodily harm to themselves to hurt the U.S. is NOT a domain solely belonging to terrorists. Ask the "peace protestors" that act as human shields. Ask the "soldier" that tried to kill members of his own unit awhile back. Turns out he was Muslim...

Things like this don't just "happen". They didn't all find each other accidentally. They didn't independently concoct this campaign and find theselves miraculously on the show that tried to peddle forged documents about Bush. It's a setup planned long in advance by the DNC.

If you do not believe some of these people were approached before joining, fine. I don't have hard proof of that just strong suspicion. Just as I strongly suspect people that serve 6-9 months that wind up in dozens serving as congressional candidates for the DNC right upon their return. But I draw the line at the speech about them having the right to say as they wish as if they are acting independently. They are not. I've seen this playyed out too many times to be so naive.

This is not new, it's just kerry Act two.

[Mr.Unique]

...I'm pretty darned sure he never stepped foot on the sandbox or heard a shot fired in anger, rather he sat his happy little butt off the coast drinking coffee and griping that the A/C wasn't on high enough in his bunk.

Don't bing the entire Navy down with this guy. The truth is, there are sailors on the ground on the AOR.

[Mr.Unique]

Wow--the smell of BS in the morning can knock out a friggin buzzard from a mile upwind.

Would he be an E-5 that quick in the USMC??

[Seadog Bytes]

RE: "Don't see how they are protected here."

I don't either, but some Leftist judge probably would.
  ...Of course, what do *I* know...?
 ...I'm still waiting for
someone to come haul
John Kerry off to prison.
      

[OCCASparky]

The truth is, there are sailors on the ground on the AOR.

Oh, I'm well aware of that--and I'm also well aware of the fact this guy is probably too CS to be one of them.

[OCCASparky]

In the right MOS, anything is possible. I knew guys that made PO2 (nuke mechanics) six MONTHS into the Navy.

[Mr.Unique]

It can happen, but I was under the impression that promotion was a bit slower in the Marines.

[cva66snipe]

IIRC the R.P.O.C. in my company during boot camp was Muslim. That was in 1976. Of course he was many generations American as well. He ended up working in ship services {laundry} on the same ship I was on so I doubt he was up to very much.

As for whacked out soldiers? They've always been there. We had a guy burn a cross on the mess decks. One drove a forklift off the flight deck, and another took an on purpose dive either off the flight deck or Hanger Deck into the channel coming back from a cruise. Get a hundred thousand troops in one place and yea several are going to whack out.

There are Dems in the military. One guy I knew who had just started his second enlistment voted Carter because he was afraid Reagan was going to get us in a war.

I doubt the protesters are acting independently either. Their opinions as related to the war should have stopped after sending a letter to their congressman. Then again I can think of a few not too distant circumstances where a letter writing campaign to some congress critters by some service people would have been their military duty. The KITTY HAWK and KENNEDY issues come to mind.

The DNC could be behind the protest yea that's a good possibility. But enlisting persons solely for that purpose is far fetched. For one thing what would motivate them? Spies usually do it for the money. Look in almost any unit or command and you will find someone who doesn't want to be there even in peace time. A real good reason for lowering the obligated service time at least for the first enlistment. Four years active duty is enough to ask of any citizen then let them make a more experienced decision from there as to their military career. Some exceptions apply such as enlistments involving extended training.

[gardencatz]

LOL I don't know of anyone who would enlist in the military for a political party especially not an 8 year obligation as is standard now.

8 years? Where are you getting your information? My son is in the Marine Corps and most sign up for a 4 year commitment. Even my son, who is going into intelligence and thus will be getting extra training (he's currently learning Arabic) only had to sign up for an additional year.

Cindie

[cva66snipe]

8 years? Where are you getting your information? My son is in the Marine Corps and most sign up for a 4 year commitment. Even my son, who is going into intelligence and thus will be getting extra training (he's currently learning Arabic) only had to sign up for an additional year.

I'll explain it as best I can. When I joined the Navy in 1976 I signed up for 4 years active duty. I did my time and got out. However I was still an inactive member of the U.S. Naval Reserves for 2 more years which means a 6 year obligation. That was the obligation standard for that time. It was referred to as 3/3 if you did 3 years active and 3 on inactive and making weekend drills + 2 weeks a year. 4 years active relieved you from having to attend reserve weekend drills once a month for the next two years at which time you are actually Discharged.

Todays enlistments as I understand it are 3/5, 4/4, or 5/3 for a total possible 8 year service obligation. To an 18-24 year old first enlistment thats a bit much.

If at the end of the 8 year obligation the ex-service member joins the National Guards however his/her total time in service including inactive reserves determines their pay scale in years in service.

Any parent having a young man or woman considering joining the military read their contract. It's a good place to grow up and to learn but the recruit needs to understand their full time obligation. If you sign up for 4 years do it and come home at year 7 you could be called back in for deployment and your enlistment frozen at that point. I knew some guys who got out of the Army after doing their 4 years only to see Gulf War one soon after.

I may be wrong but I would say your son has a 5/3 service contract.

[cva66snipe]

This is where I'm getting it. If I read it right. Go to section 4.2. located on page 2. It is PDF formatted sorry but this is the only refrence I can find right now. Some more recent service members likely know more than me though. But I have also seen this fact mentioned in FR a lot. DOD Link MSO stands for Military Service Obligation which is not the same thing as the active duty obligation. The active duty time counts toward it IIRC.

[FreedomPoster]

Here is Fenton's page at David Horowitz's Discover the Network site.

http://www.discoverthenetwork.org/individualProfile.asp?indid=814

[dalight]

This is the Democrats trying to manufacture a John Kerry moment, by having 60 minutes substitute for Kerry. The question is whether the Republicans will be just as feckless as they were facing Wilson and company presented this way.

Fire and horror should precede and follow this appearance with condemnations from every corner.

This is their attempt to close the door on American support for Victory.

[seanmerc]

Excellent post!

[FreedomPoster]

Who has documented the Fenton link? lgf, or someone like that?

[napscoordinator]

1,000 out of 1.5 million is hardly worth of a story. I guess 60 minutes had to go to many bases to find those and also I wonder how much they are paid. I am not sure if they should be court-martialed, but I think investigations will be done.

[Beckwith]

Yep. This is another creation of the communist radical David Fenton and Fenton Communications.

Fenton Communications

Fenton Communications is a left-wing public relations firm with revenues in the millions.  It has a financial powerbase that has grown exponentially since 1998 due to the massive infusion of cold cash from left-wing clients, grants, billionaire George Soros' Tides Foundation, Hollywood elites, and foreign sources.  Fenton's stated purpose is to provide public relations services to left-of-center clients who advocate social change theories.  For those who do not know, the Communist Manifesto is based directly upon the "Social Change" doctrine of Karl Marx (as rewritten by Frederick Engels January 30, 1888 London).  Social change is the basis of the Progressive movement of today.

Fenton Communications has a very impressive client list:

American Lung Association
American Lung Association
American Medical Association
United Nations Development Program
American Trial Lawyers Association
John F. Kennedy School of Government

These are interesting, eh?

Air America
Amnesty International
NARAL Pro-Choice America
MoveOn.org
Win Without War
Current TV
Center for International Policy
“The Bubble of American Supremacy” (George Soros)
Turner Foundation
Tides Foundation
Heinz Family Foundation