Posted on 02/22/2007 12:40:59 PM PST by OCCASparky
Edited on 02/22/2007 3:22:44 PM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]
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...
"Here's their website, where they now claim 1278 members:"
More specifically, it simply claims 1278 military or veteran signers of the appeal.
There is no verification of that status, the person just types in a name and checks a box.
Why do you hate people from the third world? My wife is an immigrant, from Africa. She is also legal, cries every time she sees the American flag, and our son has spent most of the last 4 years in Iraq with the US Army. Don't choke on your Coke, ya left-wing sarco stealth liberal.
Photographer's Mate? Well, I'll just bite my tongue here in deference to the Photographer's Mates who do their job and don't become antiwar treasonous traitors.
Oh I'm sure 60 Minutes will balance it with other soldiers who disagree. /s
From the article: "Said another serviceman in Iraq, Army Capt. Lawrence Nunn, 'I know what I'm 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.'"
We have troops in Japan. We have troops in Germany. And troops will remain in Iraq and the Mideast for as long as it serves U.S. interests.
To the victor belong the spoils.
David Fenton, Fenton Communications. They're behind all of this. Fenton is more powerful than Soros and hardly anyone knows his name. It's incredible.
I watched a special about the Marines on PBS last night..and after watching that, I find it so disturbing that a MARINE would be one that is questioning whether the "mission" is immoral or not!!!
I thought Marines are "team players"....there is no I in team.
He's just padding his resume for the MSM after he gets out.
Exactly. Any normal person involved in armed conflict is going to want to be anywhere else, and is going to bitch about it. That is the way it was in the Roman Legions, I am sure. But they do their job and try to get through it.
What our country is doing is a good and noble thing. It may or may not work. But the alternative is to go back to September 10th and wait every day for the next day to be September 11th. If this fails in the Middle East and we have to break out the B-52's, I will be morally at peace that we DID try to find another way.
BTW...what did you drive over there, bud?
yes..they are sponsored the MOVEON.ORG people!!!
and jon carry is behind them as well.
I can think of a nation or two. Yemen where an act of war took place and perhaps on the actual nations of origin of the 9/11 bombers the ones with the cash to back them? Which one was from Iraq?
But to be honest I don't think going to Iraq {note I am refering to Iraq only and not Afghanistan} was actually about 9/11. I think no matter what had 9/11 happened or not we were going to Iraq or else. We ignored some nations who obviously gave much more aid to terrorist cells than Saddam could have. Many we still do business with. Some we do military business with as in offering them management of our ports here at home.
I disagree.
If 9/11 had never happened, we would not be in Iraq. Just my opinion...but we would have NEVER got the approval to go without 9/11. Never.
How was the PBS special? I had a Scout meeting I had to attend.
Should there not be something in the UCMJ about lying? These men are traitors to their country. And, why should anyone take anything these 1,000 people say as valid when it is such a small number? What percentage of the total number of currently active members of our Armed Forces is 1,000? This is hardly impressive.
With all of the UN resolutions out there that were not being acted on - if the US did not take care of Iraq first they would be leap-frogging the most dangerous nation state out there. There was no question at the time in hind sight Iraq was Disneyland.
So are you implying that the other 1.99 million servicemen and women will petition Congress to support the war?
That would be great!
Though I suppose Fox News alone would carry that story as it doesn't fit the traitor agenda.
We sent troops approved by the DEM & GOP congress into Bosnia for much, much, less and for a DEM POTUS. Saddam should have been a Pentagon ran covert operation a target of opportunity both him and his sons. If as some think Mommar was doing business for him making a bomb then we should have taken it up with Lybia.
AMF
I agree. I want names!
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