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Subject: vvawai on gulf war
From: kkelly%
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Date: Sun, 31 Jan 93 03:59:36 EST
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>From vvawai Mon Jan 28 22:10 PST 1991
To: nytransfer
Statement from
Vietnam Veterans Against the War/Anti-Imperialist
On Bush's Plea to Support the Troops
Everywhere we turn the government and the press is making public
calls to "Support Our Troops". Bush says that the American people
are 100% behind them and this call is being played up in the media
as the common unity between those who support the war and those
who oppose it. But to those of us who oppose this war, whenever we
hear the words "Support our Troops," we must ask TO DO WHAT?
Do we "Support Our Troops" in bombing Baghdad? Do we "Support Our
Troops" in invading Iraq? In other words, do we go along and
"Support Our Troops" in continuing this war? The answer is NO!
To anyone who opposes this war, the call to "Support Our Troops"
can certainly be confusing. Many have loved ones or know someone
who is over in the Middle East and don't want to see them die for
Bush's oil war. On the other hand, "Our Troops" are the military
units that will be causing the death and destruction in the Middle
East. The GIs on the front lines are not the ones who started this
war, yet they are the ones that will have to kill or be killed
because of it. And what of the Arab people? Do we "Support Our
Troops" in accomplishing a "quick, decisive victory" which in
reality means the deaths of thousands, possibly tens of thousands,
of Arabs? Are their lives worth less than ours?
During the Vietnam war the "support the troops" slogan was raised
by Richard Nixon in a futile attempt to discredit the anti-war
movement. Very often the anti-war demonstrators were the troops.
In reality many of us as GI's came to the conclusion that we were
fighting a war of genocide and that we could no longer
unquestionably carry out the orders of the US War Machine. We
demanded an end to the war, not support or honor for a job well
done.
In Vietnam and here in the US, we found the ways and means to
resist. A very important part of that resistance was when
thousands of us joined with and led anti-war demonstrations. Today
we are being told that the anti-war movement we joined with spit
on us. And that the reason more veterans have committed suicide
than died in Vietnam is that we didn't receive welcome home
parades. This is a straight up lie concocted by the government.
Our nightmares stem from the war we fought, not the opposition to
it. And for many of us our welcome home parades were the
demonstrations to stop the war, not the so-called "welcome home"
parades which cynically used the names of the dead and the vets in
an effort to build public support for futures wars like the one we
have now.
Throughout the opposition to this war, we need to keep one thing
crystal clear-that the responsibility for this war and for the
deaths on both sides lies not on the hands of anti-war
demonstrators, but on the doorstep of the White House, in the
halls of Congress and in the corporate boardrooms. This war is not
about anything honorable. At it's most basic level it is about
global power politics, and "Blood for Oil." And since there is no
honor in this war, there certainly can be no honor in fighting it.
No, instead, the honor will be in resisting it and all of the
crimes against humanity that will result because of it. We know
that many GIs don't want this war, but the government has put them
on the front line, where they must choose between their duty to
humanity, and their uniform. Many, at great risk, have chosen
humanity over uniform, and all those who will make that choice
deserve our support. GI resistors are putting it all on the line,
can any of us do anything less! Only by the US pulling out of the
area will the lives of not only the US GIs but the Arab people be
spared. "Support Our Troops" in reality means support for the war
and death for the Arabs and the US GIs involved.
US OUT OF THE MIDDLE EAST
SUPPORT GI RESISTANCE
NO BLOOD FOR OIL
STOP THE US WAR MACHINE NO MATTER WHAT IT TAKES
THE ARAB PEOPLE ARE NOT OUR ENEMY
--
Vietnam Veterans Against the War Anti-Imperialist,
4710 University Way NE, #1612, Seattle, WA 98105,
Message Phone (206) 292-1624, FAX # (206) 325-7794
January 28, 1991
=======================================================
From vvawai Thu Nov 8 00:33 PST 1990
To: nytransfer
Subject: vets day posting
GIs and Veterans Rally to
"Stop the US War machine no matter what it takes!"
"Free Jeff Paterson! Support all GI resisters!"
Vietnam Veterans Against the War Anti-Imperialist (VVAW
AI) has initiated a Veterans' Day rally in opposition to the US
military build-up and war provocations in the Middle East. At
1pm on Saturday, November 10th, there will be active duty,
reservist, and veteran speakers along with others who support
GI resistance to the Middle East war moves at the Tacoma
Federal Courthouse/Post Office, 11th & "A" Streets. Tacoma,
Washington is near Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force Base.
GIs say that the majority of soldiers do not want to go to
Saudi Arabia and are opposed to the US presence there. From
Marine CPL Jeff Paterson, the first US serviceman to publicly
resist the war buildup, to reports of hundreds of AWOL troops
at some forts, to a mother in Seattle who reports that her son
is AWOL in Saudi Arabia to a number of reservists around the
country who have publicly denounced the war moves and some
have refused activation, GI resistance to the war in the Middle
East is growing. We have heard reports of a soldier in Georgia
and 3 soldiers in Texas who upon receiving orders for Saudi
Arabia commit suicide. Also GIs report that some soldiers in
Saudi Arabia are shooting themselves in the foot to get out.
This "GIs and Veterans rally to stop the war machine" will
provide an opportunity for service people to publicly express
some of the groundswell of opposition to US war moves that is
developing on forts and bases across the country. The rally also
gives other people the opportunity to express support for the
dilemma facing military personnel who do not agree with US
actions in the Middle East and to support GI resistance. We ask
that GIs and veterans send statements of support for GI
resistance to be read at the rally. These statements can be
FAXed to us at (206)325-7794, phoned into our message
number (206)292-1624 or emailed to vvawai on Peacenet. We
also encourage all those in the Puget Sound area to come to
Tacoma on Saturday, Nov. 10th and show their support.
--
Vietnam Veterans Against the War Anti-Imperialist,
4710 University Way NE, #1612, Seattle, WA 98105,
Message Phone (206) 292-1624
Veterans say US troops out of Gulf
The following statement was written by Vietnam Veterans Against
the War Anti-Imperialist (VVAW AI). It is our intent to get this
message into the hands of as many GIs as possible and your help
will be needed. Please copy this statement and distribute it as
widely as possible. We are witnessing a military build up unlike
anything since the days of the Vietnamese war and the likelihood
of the U.S.at war again is very high. The sand is running down in
the hourglass and it is very important that we all raise our
voices NOW in opposition to continued U.S. involvement in the
Middle East.
A MESSAGE FROM VETERANS TO THE TROOPS AT FORT SAUDI ARABIA
The US government is dressing you up in poison gas suits to play
Rambo for them in the Persian Gulf. You are sitting out in the
middle of the desert with your ass on the line, wondering what's
going to happen next. We suspect you are a decoy to draw the gas
attack which would be used as an excuse for a US invasion of
Kuwait or Iraq.
We know what you are going through, because we spent some time in
the shooting gallery too. As veterans we want to say straight up:
you have no more interest in fighting in the war the US is
preparing for today, than we did in the war they were waging in
the 60's. Vietnam era GIs were told that we were bringing Asian
people democracy. We wound up killing 2 1/2 million of those
people in a war of genocide. You are in the Middle East supposedly
to protect "our" oil. You could wind up killing hundreds of
thousands. AND FOR WHAT? So that the Pentagon can finally
establish Fort Saudi Arabia, like they have been wanting to for so
long? So that the US can control the oil resources of that region
that don't belong to us in the first place? So they, by extension,
can control their main economic competitors like Japan and in
Europe who depend on that oil? The bottom line seems to be
expanding the US empire as the motive and hair trigger politics
and massive troop deployments as the method.
The situation is volatile. When the orders come to Rambo out,
your response will profoundly impact the lives of millions of
people in the Middle East and have unknown effects on world
history. The politicians stuck you in a situation where you can't
now see the end result of your actions. But you, like us, will
have to live with those results forever.
The Brass want you to obey, we want you to think. We feel that
our experience may have an effect on your decisions. Those of us
who sat in the jungles of Vietnam learned that we could see no
bravery in "Search and Destroy" missions in which we directed
massive firepower to slaughter anything that moved. We could find
no glory in destroying the village to save it. Similarly, many
Beirut vets speak of the rude awakening when they realized that
the people they were sent to "protect" hated them and that every
US GI was a sitting duck. (Remember the Marine barracks?) Those
of us who are vets of the US invasion of Panama ask where is the
honor in house-to-house terror, or in pushing back the Panamanian
families who had come to mass grave sites seeking to identify and
reclaim their loved ones. You undoubtedly will have many of the
same experiences we did. Ghosts march through our dreams every
night. Your nightmares have yet to begin.
CHECK OUT THESE FACTS:
- It's one thing to kill, die or get maimed for a worthy cause.
But once the smoke clears and the shouting is over, as history has
shown time and again, we shouldn't have been in there.
- When you are choking in a poisoned atmosphere, remember that
you are facing chemical and other weapons sold to Iraq by Western
powers only too happy to make a buck off the deal. And ask any
veteran who suffers from Agent Orange exposure what help you can
expect if you survive. Remember that the US is still operating
massive defoliation programs in Central and South America under
the phony excuse of the war on drugs.
- Remember too, that for 8 years the US government cheered on
Iraq while it gassed Iran and its own Kurdish people.
- Bush says you are there to stop naked aggression. That
hypocrite has no right to speak on this question, having just
finished invading Panama.
- Saddam Hussein is a reactionary ruler who invaded Kuwait in his
own interests. But while the US media calls him a fascist madman,
the US government is busily trying to keep you from being able to
buy unapproved record albums. In the US, racism and police
attacks are on the rise. There are major efforts to stifle
political protest, and women are fighting their own government to
protect their reproductive rights.
Meanwhile, you sweat it out on a lie and a humbug. Sure, there
are those Rambozoids who can hardly wait for the order to charge.
Well, let those who proudly wear the "KILL THEM ALL AND LET GOD
SORT THEM OUT" shirts pay the price. But to those of you who
question blindly going along with the program, we have something
to say.
You should know that while you are carrying out your orders there
are veterans from previous wars and military actions leading
demonstrations against your presence in the Middle East. We will
welcome you back to join our ranks. Like you, we were ordered to
do our duty. Take Vietnam (which some of us tried to do). Fooled
at first, we began to question the lies and the hypocrisy that put
us there. Many of us were sickened by what we were ordered to do.
Others were inspired by the heroic resistance of the Vietnamese.
We began to resist. Thousands of us in Vietnam (and in the U.S.)
refused to carry out orders. Many went to prison rather than bear
arms against our so-called enemy. Whole companies and naval units
mutinied and refused to fight. A half million US troops deserted.
GI resistance took every form, from the fragging of officers, to a
number of troops that actually joined and fought for the other
side. Out of all that we learned to question what the hell is
going on. All the government learned was to tell bigger lies.
Welcome to Fort Saudi Arabia.
As veterans we came to understand that our duty was to the people
of the world and to the future, not to the Empire. We resisted and
rebelled. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?
US troops out of the Middle East!
Vietnam Veterans Against the War Anti-Imperialist (VVAW AI)
4710 University Way NE, #1612, Seattle, WA 98105, (206) 292-1624
=======================================================
Subj: VVAW/AI ACTION AT NAVAL RSV STN
VETERANS SHUT DOWN MAIN GATE AT RESERVE NAVAL STATION
"We are bringing home the war in the Middle East."
AUGUST 28, 1990 -- Today members of Vietnam Veterans Against the
War Anti-Imperialist marched up to the Naval Reserve Station in
Seattle. Dumping sand down in front of the main gate, they said
"This is the deserts of the Middle East." Pouring oil over the
sand, they said, "This is what the fight is about." Finally
spilling blood all over the mess, they said, "This is what it will
cost." Then two of the veterans chained the gate closed, chaining
themselves to it in the process. "We are shutting down this
station. We can't wait until the blood flows to act. We're
bringing the war home."
One of the Vietnam veterans, Roy Barrington, said, "The Pentagon
monsters are preparing for a war that could make the one in
Vietnam look like a 'Police Action.' They are willing to murder
hundreds of thousands of people to maintain 'The Amerikkkan Way Of
Life'. I see nothing sacred in a life style made possible only
because of the misery of millions world wide."
"Jeff Paterson, the Marine on hunger strike in Hawaii is setting
a fine example for others to follow. He has refused to carry out
his orders. Can those of us that are outraged by the current
situation do anything less? My answer is HELL NO!"
"I am gladly becoming a 'law breaker' to prevent another
generation of cannon-fodder from being sent to kill and die for
the real criminals. Any charges I receive today for trying to halt
the bloodshed are nothing compared to those the people in this
country face from the people of the world if we allow the US
government to carry out its aggression."
"Members of VVAW AI are proud to be on the front lines of this
battle. We are calling on veterans, youth, and all others who
refuse to remain silent to join with us."
Brian Chambers, the other Vietnam veteran said, "Almost twenty
years ago over a thousand Vietnam veterans returned their medals
forcibly to the capitol steps, saying 'Never again.' That's what
we have got to do here today. We can not just carry on business as
usual. The real hostages in the Middle East crisis are the people
who live there, who are being threatened by the US military
presence and its threat of war. The US is not there to protect
anybody's way of life. Not ours, not theirs. It is there to grab
hold of control of oil, and grab hold of the world. And we have to
oppose it. We are calling on Vietnam veterans to get out here and
stand up against these murdering bastards, and build a mass
movement to oppose this war."
After 5 hours the cops moved in, cutting the chains and arrested
the two veterans. They were later charged and released. VVAW AI
has vowed to bring the war home. We are calling for sustained,
high intensity, non-violent direct action to stop the military
build-up and prevent the massive bloodshed which US rulers have in
store for the Arab world.
Vietnam Veterans Against the War Anti-Imperialist
4710 University Way NE #1612, Seattle, WA 98105
(206) 292-1624
============================================
From vvawai Sun Oct 7 23:27 PDT 1990
To: nytransfer
Subject: leaflet re: Jeff Paterson day
The following is the contents of a leaflet calling for a national
day of support for Jeff Paterson, the first active duty GI to
refuse orders to the Persian Gulf. Please join in this support
effort by reproducing and distributing this leaflet and by
organizing support actions on the 16th of October in your area.
NO U.S. AGGRESSION IN THE MIDDLE EAST - NO BLOOD FOR OIL!
HELL NO - WE WON'T GO! U.S. OUT OF THE GULF, NOW!
FREE JEFF PATERSON!
THE U.S. WAR MACHINE is moving towards the brink of full scale
war in the Persian Gulf.
On August 29th, 1990, Corporal Jeff Paterson, a 22-year-old
Marine stationed in Hawaii, sat down on the runway of the Kaneohe
Marine Corp Air Station, and refused to board a Saudi-bound plane.
Jeff didn't wait until the mass graves were dug or the body bags
came home. Neither can we.
Jeff Paterson is the first political prisoner of this war. On
August 16th, when he publicly announced his refusal of orders to
be deployed to Saudi Arabia, Jeff said: "I cannot and will not be
a pawn in America's power plays for profits and oil in the Middle
East."
Jeff was "volunteered" by his commander to be the first to ship
out of his unit, despite their duty to place him in a position
least in conflict with his beliefs during the processing of his
application for conscientious objector status. He was ordered to
deploy in the midst of his widely publicized hunger strike. Jeff
was thrown in the brig for three weeks and permitted one off-base
phone call per week. He has faced intense and often "illegal"
official harassment. He was placed under strict media gag orders.
Jeff's application for status as a conscientious objector awaits
decision, and now he is facing a full court martial.
During the Vietnam war, the people and the government both
learned that GI resistance made a dramatic contribution to
disabling the U.S. war machine. Today as the crisis in the Persian
Gulf heats up, this lesson has already begun to play out: active
duty and reserve forces are being sent to kill and die for
America's interests in the Gulf, but around the country many men
and women in uniform are saying HELL NO, WE WON'T GO!
This courageous resistance needs our encouragement, loud and
strong - and it will grow.
Jeff Paterson is the first active duty GI to say NO to this war.
But he is the first of many.
On Tuesday, October 16th, around the country we will declare our
support for Jeff Paterson, and we will take determined actions to
build even more and wider resistance to this war.
OCTOBER 16 NATIONAL "FREE JEFF PATERSON DAY" initiated by the
U.S. Out of the Persian Gulf/Committee to Defend Jeff Paterson
[Hawaii defense/support group]--Refuse and Resist! -- and the Stop
the U.S. War Machine Action Network.
For more information and to organize:
U.S. Out of the Persian Gulf/Committee to Defend Jeff Paterson
808/533-7434
Refuse and Resist! 212/941/5474
Stop the U.S. War Machine Action Network 212/642-5228 or
415/273-2427
NY Transfer News Collective
Internet:
[email protected]
Modem: 718-448-2358
