Posted on 02/25/2008 6:22:58 PM PST by Interesting Times
To The Honorable Members of the Senate Armed Services Committee
During the Democratic Debate between Senators Clinton and Obama televised on the evening of February 21st, Senator Obama spoke of information passed on to him by an officer in the United States Army about our forces in Afghanistan suffering from a shortage of equipment and weapons. The very next day, a member and former Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, Senator Warner, sent a letter to Senator Obama, asking for information about these charges. Senator Warner wrote:
"...I, and I believe other members of SASC, have a responsibility to establish where in the military chain of command rests the 'accountability,' depending of course, on the accuracy of the facts...What I need from you are the essential facts of when- the dates- the unit was deployed, to which brigade combat team, or other unit it was assigned, the name and current location of the captain, or other military personnel who shared the alleged facts with you, so that committee staff can debrief them."
Senator Warner was, as should be the case, taking the oversight responsibility of the members of the SASC seriously.
The anti-war activist organization Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) has advertised widely that it will hold a public event it has entitled "Winter Soldier Investigation (WSI) - Iraq and Afghanistan" near Washington D.C. next month (Mar. 13-16).
The event is self-consciously patterned after the 1971 Winter Soldier Investigation held in Detroit by the Vietnam Veterans Against the War(VVAW). During that event, over one hundred purported Vietnam veterans "testified" to widespread and horrific atrocities committed routinely by American forces in Vietnam.
In April of 1971, Senator Mark Hatfield moved that the entire WSI "testimony" be entered into the Congressional Record, while also calling for the relevant investigatory agencies in the military to investigate the charges made. None of that "testimony" had been given under oath or in legally binding depositions or affidavits. Later that same month, Senator William Fulbright's Foreign Relations Committee held hearings, well publicized on television, in which young war hero and VVAW leader John Kerry testified to the widespread atrocity "findings" of that WSI.
When military investigators for both the Army and Navy attempted to investigate the charges, those who had "testified" and could be located were almost universally uncooperative with those investigations. They would not give names, dates, units or details of events that would allow investigation to proceed. There is no record that the Foreign Relations Committee or any committee of the Senate ever held hearings to receive those follow-up reports. As such, the general theme of the 1971 WSI of widespread atrocities committed by American forces in Vietnam passed largely unchallenged into much of our culture. It has been a mainstay of the film industry for decades. It has harmed the image of American in general, and the honor of three million Vietnam Veterans in particular.
Various sources on the Internet and in print, including the IVAW, the VVAW and the Veterans for Peace as well as other organizations associated wth them have been claiming that "testimony" given next month will be about a variety of matters including widespread atrocities, indiscriminate and unwarranted killing of civilians and destruction of property and infrastructure, torture of detainess, mutilation of corpses and the illegal use of Afghan bodies for medical "practice", rampant sexual misconduct, racism and drug/alcohol use by American soldiers and on and on.
We the undersigned request that the United States Senate Armed Services Committee take the following steps:
* Make request of the Iraq Veterans Aagainst the War that member(s) of Committee staff be permitted to attend the entire Winter Soldier Investigation "testimony" proceedings and be provided access to those testifying.
* That in the event that staff determines that there has been testimony given that touches on areas where, in the words of Senator Warner, the members of the SASC "have a responsibility to establish where in the military chain of command rests the 'accountability,' depending of course, on the accuracy of the facts...", the Committee or a Sub-Committee of its delegation begin proceedings to follow-up on the claims made.
* That the Committee or Sub-Committe investigation be prepared to request and/or subpoena all documents and records, signed statements and recordings, audio, video or digital, that bear on the claims made and being investigated.
* That those making such claims or professing publicly to verify those claims be requested or subpoened to appear before the Committe or Sub-Committee, under oath, to answer questions.
The IVAW has also publicly stated that it intends to have the unsworn "testimony" from the upcoming event also entered into the Congressional Record. In 1971 the Senate of the United States was derelict in its duty of both oversight and follow-up and in the reasonable regard and respect it should have shown in consideration of the sacrifice and service of the American armed forces and veterans.
We request that the members of the Senate Armed Services Committee not allow what happened to a previous generation of veterans be allowed to happen to another and even be aided, as it was then, by the United States Senate.
Respectfully,
Congress is ineffectual for this purpose. Instead, petition State governments to create State amplifications of the “Stolen Valor Act” to include military fraud of decorations and rank other than the Medal of Honor.
If some “Winter Soldier” so much as sets foot in a State with such a law, and identifies himself as having four Silver Stars and six Bronze Stars, a dozen Purple Hearts, etc., he should have a bag thrown over him by the State police before sundown and expect to be their guest for many years.
In a bizarre irony, the only State I believe even considering such an amplification of the law, is CALIFORNIA!
That should put every red State to shame, until they have their own law on the books.
“Senator Kerry? Welcome to Texas. I’m a Texas Ranger, and you, Senator, are under arrest.”
Not a bad idea, but somewhat off topic.
Lying about war crimes is far more damaging to the military than wearing fake medals, and needs to be investigated separately.
Thanks for the ping!
COMMIES & RINOS, WHAT A BUNCH OF NON-PATRIOTS!
Spot on, Interesting Times.
I was able to participate at the Berkeley Rally for our Marines but am unable to join the DC Chapter as they take up battle stations. My heart and prayers will be there, though.
CONGRESS IS OVERFLOWING WITH CRUD AND NEEDS TO BE FLUSHED!
Bump.
Ping.
Thanks for a great article, IT. I’m going to keep a copy in my car at all times.
I don’t see the IVAW cooperating with an official investigation - nor do I see them shutting up. When asked for names and dates they will refuse, claiming they have to protect people from government retaliation.
I just hope that when our “esteemed” news media covers it they do at a little checking.
I know, never happen.
BTTT
And yet, the “war crimes” mentioned so far in Iraq predominantly come from individuals who are military fakes, not from Beauchamp-like liars who actually did serve.
They appear at Code Pink and ANSWER rallies, and *claim* military service and citations that they don’t have. They can only do so because there is no serious law prohibiting them from claiming such things, unless they claim the Medal of Honor.
And since the federal government hasn’t changed the law to make subordinate claims crimes, the State governments should. And importantly, it does *not* usurp federal power in any way (which would be argued), so it is clearly constitutional.
Individuals who *could* be in State prisons right now include but are not limited to the anti-war military fake Jesse MacBeth, who got only 5 months for altering military records.
But in the next few years, we can expect to see large numbers of fakes trying to make a buck by creating fictional war crimes which they will sell to the enthusiastic media, who having failed to undermine the war effort, will try to deny the victory retroactively.
Fortunately, organizations like VeriSEAL, who hunt down fakes claiming to have been US Navy SEALs, are always busy rounding up such scoundrels. It would be grand if, after unmasking them, that they get a trip to prison.
Especially if they are full of crap claiming war crimes.
Where does the original article come from? I can’t find it. Thanks.
The original article is a petition posted at IPetitions.com.
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