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Ferre
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 Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2005 4:37 pm Post subject: Why I won't fight in Iraq |
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Why I won't fight in Iraq
George Solomou
Tuesday February 15, 2005
The Guardian
I am resigning from the Territorial Army because I believe the war in Iraq
is wrong. This has not been an easy decision. I have been in the TA for
five years - years in which I have learned a lot; won a humanitarian award
for helping save the life of a fellow soldier; made many friends; and, I
hope, contributed something to this country.
I have no doubt that some of my fellow soldiers will feel I am letting
them down. Since I have spoken out against the war in the last few weeks I
have had a lot of support from soldiers, but I have also been called a
coward. I am a trained medic and there is no doubt my skills could be used
in the field to save lives. But after a lot of soul-searching I have
concluded my priority must be to try to save lives by taking a public
stand against this war.
Of course, when you join the armed forces you have to be prepared to
fight. But not any war. Most people in Britain think the war in Iraq is
wrong, and that is presumably because all the arguments used to justify it
have proved to be hollow. We know there were no links between Iraq and
international terrorism at the time the war started (though there are
now). It is now official that there were no weapons of mass destruction in
Iraq, and the idea that the war has made the world a safer place is a sick
joke.
Soldiers cannot be above moral considerations. Though the British army
scandalously tries to hide this fact, the UN enshrines the right of
members of the armed forces to object and opt out of particular wars on
political, religious or moral grounds. Before the war started even our own
generals were demanding firm commitments from Tony Blair that there was
proof that Saddam Hussein was armed and dangerous. They were worried about
the legality of the war. The UN resolutions used to justify the war only
had force if Iraq was a threat to the world or to the region. We now know
there was no evidence for this. So we are faced with a situation where
even the UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, has said the war was illegal.
So I am resigning because I don't want to fight a war that is unjustified
and illegal. But I also have a deep concern that British soldiers are
being used in Iraq. Soldiers from my regiment tell me that much of their
work in southern Iraq involves protecting convoys of oil tankers shuttling
between Basra and the Kuwaiti border. Their stories have just confirmed my
growing cynicism about the motives for the war. It has taken me two years
to be able to say it, but I really believe that our foreign policy is
being driven by the needs of US power, particularly the need to control
the flow of oil.
This is a very bitter thing to say because the troops are suffering. Two
close colleagues have suffered permanent injuries in Iraq. Their lives
have been shattered and it must be said they have been treated very poorly
by the army. Reports suggest that on top of the 80 dead, 7-800 British
troops have been seriously wounded. Many more are suffering mental trauma.
The experience of the Falklands and the first Gulf war shows that the
scars of war run very deep, even among the officially uninjured. I know
veterans who struggle daily with post-traumatic stress disorder more than
10 years after seeing active service. The legacy can last a lifetime. It
is a scandal that young lives are being lost and ruined just so George
Bush can keep control of the oil in the Middle East.
People have said to me that we created this mess, we should sort it out.
The Iraqis need many things: they need medical supplies, they need their
infrastructure rebuilt, they need jobs. The one thing they don't need is
foreign troops on their streets. In fact, it is the presence of US and
British troops that is creating the tension and violence, which seems
certain to continue regardless of last month's elections. We have become
symbols of foreign domination. That is why there is no way we can provide
security. Only the Iraqis themselves can do that, and the longer we stay,
the more the situation will get out of hand. We must allow the Iraqis to
get on with building their own future - even if they make mistakes.
The continuing occupation is a disaster for the people of Iraq and a
nightmare for the British and US troops on the front line. I am resigning
as a conscientious objector because I don't want any part of it, and also
because I hope my action might just encourage other soldiers to speak out
or opt out.
· George Solomou is a lance corporal in the Royal Army Medical Corps,
attached to the London Irish Rifles. He is a member of Military Families
Against the War. This is an edited version of the letter he is submitting
to his commanding officer today
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Torkel
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| Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2005 12:28 am Post subject: |
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Good letter...
I too won't fight 
Peace,
Torkel
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Miranda vs Arizona (384 U.S. 436, 125): "Where rights secured by the Constitution are involved, there can be no rule-making or legislation which would abrogate them."
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Fyrefly1
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| Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2005 7:45 am Post subject: |
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Wow, what a gutsy and brave thing to do....
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Fyrefly1
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Ferre
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| Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2005 2:21 pm Post subject: |
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| Fyrefly1 wrote: |
| Wow, what a gutsy and brave thing to do.... |
Yeah, it reminds me of something I heard once; "All that's needed for peace on the earth is soldiers refusing to kill innocents."
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Fyrefly1
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| Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2005 6:00 pm Post subject: |
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Good quote!
Which reminds me of a Vietnam era quote:
"What if they gave a war and nobody came!"
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Fyrefly1
"All truth passes through three stages: first it is ridiculed, second it is violently opposed, and third it is accepted as self-evident."
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zero
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| Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2005 9:31 pm Post subject: |
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Seriously, this kid better fight.
He signed up, He knew damn well what he was getting into. He is a coward. Hes a medic, hes there to save lives, he wouldnt even have to kill people.
I hope they take him out and have him shot.
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zero
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| Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2005 9:32 pm Post subject: |
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| Ferre wrote: |
| Fyrefly1 wrote: |
| Wow, what a gutsy and brave thing to do.... |
Yeah, it reminds me of something I heard once; "All that's needed for peace on the earth is soldiers refusing to kill innocents." |
he didnt refuse to kill innocents. Hes a medic. He is refusing to help wounded.
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Mystic Power
admin THC-Ministry YahooGroup
Joined: 23 Aug 2004
Posts: 3605
Location: Key West
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| Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2005 9:53 pm Post subject: |
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| Fyrefly1 wrote: |
Good quote!
Which reminds me of a Vietnam era quote:
"What if they gave a war and nobody came!" |
That was, indeed, a classic. I also loved, "War is not healthy for children and other living things."
But my all time favorite from my 'Nam Navy days:
We, the unwilling,
Led by the Unqualified
To do the Unthinkable
For the Uncaring.
That one was all over the place!
Bliss
Ben
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Mystic Power
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| Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2005 9:59 pm Post subject: |
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| zero wrote: |
Seriously, this kid better fight.
He signed up, He knew damn well what he was getting into. He is a coward. Hes a medic, hes there to save lives, he wouldnt even have to kill people.
I hope they take him out and have him shot. |
You certainly have a right to have an opinion and to express that opinion. This is not a put-down...not a slam, but I am very curious.
Please don't take offense, zero, mmmm'kay? But I do, serioiusly have to ask you a question:
What do you know about such things?
Bliss,
Ben
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Fyrefly1
Cannabis Sacrament Minister
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| Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2005 10:12 pm Post subject: |
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| Mystic Power wrote: |
| Fyrefly1 wrote: |
Good quote!
Which reminds me of a Vietnam era quote:
"What if they gave a war and nobody came!" |
That was, indeed, a classic. I also loved, "War is not healthy for children and other living things."
But my all time favorite from my 'Nam Navy days:
We, the unwilling,
Led by the Unqualified
To do the Unthinkable
For the Uncaring.
That one was all over the place!
Bliss
Ben |
Yeah, I remember that one. I think it was the quote/idea that changed my mind about the war...I kinda' woke up'.
I was at ASU (in Arizona) facing down a group of Az cops at a protest rally when I saw it...
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Fyrefly1
"All truth passes through three stages: first it is ridiculed, second it is violently opposed, and third it is accepted as self-evident."
Arthur Schopenhauer, 19th Century Philosopher |
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Fyrefly1
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| Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2005 10:16 pm Post subject: |
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| zero wrote: |
Seriously, this kid better fight.
He signed up, He knew damn well what he was getting into. He is a coward. Hes a medic, hes there to save lives, he wouldnt even have to kill people.
I hope they take him out and have him shot. |
Wow...strong words zero....
Are you positive that's how you feel?!
Have you really considered it? Or are you just reacting here?!
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Fyrefly1
"All truth passes through three stages: first it is ridiculed, second it is violently opposed, and third it is accepted as self-evident."
Arthur Schopenhauer, 19th Century Philosopher |
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zero
Cannabis Sacrament Minister
Joined: 28 Nov 2004
Posts: 1579
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| Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2005 10:32 pm Post subject: |
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| Mystic Power wrote: |
| zero wrote: |
Seriously, this kid better fight.
He signed up, He knew damn well what he was getting into. He is a coward. Hes a medic, hes there to save lives, he wouldnt even have to kill people.
I hope they take him out and have him shot. |
You certainly have a right to have an opinion and to express that opinion. This is not a put-down...not a slam, but I am very curious.
Please don't take offense, zero, mmmm'kay? But I do, serioiusly have to ask you a question:
What do you know about such things?
Bliss,
Ben |
Ive had people die in my arms and havent had the knowledge to save them. My bedroom was riddled with 32 bullets one night while i slept. I stopped counting the times i had to grab my baby sister out of the street to save her from getting shot in drive bys. Ive seen men tortured over drugs, Ive seen children take bullets in the middle of the day playing on the street. Ive had bullets wiz by my head on countless ocasions. I watched my baby sister die at birth cause my mother was a drug addict. Ive taken live fire.
I know about death. I was raised in it. Ever seen your mom get beat down in front of you by her drunk boyfriend? Its one thing when your a soldier going to war, its another when your a child.
Despite your efforts, I do take offense.
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Mystic Power
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| Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2005 10:36 pm Post subject: |
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Despite your efforts, I do take offense.
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Interesting choice. Suit yerself.
Bliss, dammit!
Ben
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zero
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| Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2005 10:41 pm Post subject: |
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| Fyrefly1 wrote: |
| zero wrote: |
Seriously, this kid better fight.
He signed up, He knew damn well what he was getting into. He is a coward. Hes a medic, hes there to save lives, he wouldnt even have to kill people.
I hope they take him out and have him shot. |
Wow...strong words zero....
Are you positive that's how you feel?!
Have you really considered it? Or are you just reacting here?! |
I think you people are so blinded by your anti war sentiment, you cant see the truth of this matter.
This guy is a medic. He isnt going over there to kill, hes going to save lives. Regardless of the war, medics are needed to save lives.
If you have the power to heal, yet you decide not to because you dont agree with why they are fighting, you are a coward.
I dont think many here have really considered this case for its facts. His people trained him to help them in the field when they were wounded, other soldiers count on him.
He wouldnt be going over there to opress people, he would be going to save lives. He chose not to, and now, some soldier, or even a civilian might die from his actions.
I dont agree we should be over there in the first place, but we are.
ask yourself, what kind of person refuses to help when they have the power, simply because they dont agree with whats going on?
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"I understand that fear is my friend, but not always. Never turn your back on fear. It should always be in front of you, like a thing that might have to be killed." |
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zero
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| Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2005 10:42 pm Post subject: |
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| Mystic Power wrote: |
| Quote: |
Despite your efforts, I do take offense.
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Interesting choice. Suit yerself.
Bliss, dammit!
Ben |
you left me no choice.
_________________
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"I understand that fear is my friend, but not always. Never turn your back on fear. It should always be in front of you, like a thing that might have to be killed." |
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