DNC IVAW Update

IVAW

PO Box 8296«Philadelphia, PA 19101«Tel: 215.241.7123«Fax: 215.241.7177

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

August 28, 2008
CONTACT: Clarissa Singleton

media2@ivaw.org, 215-241-7123

Iraq vets lead biggest successful action of DNC: push Obama toward real antiwar position...

Denver, Colorado – Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) led a non-violent march of 8,000 allies, including members of Rage Against the Machine, to the front entrance of the Pepsi Center. There they delivered a letter containing their three points of unity to the Obama campaign’s veteran staff. IVAW’s three points of unity are:

• Immediate withdrawal of all occupying forces from Iraq
• Full benefits and healthcare for returning veterans
• Reparations to the Iraqi people

IVAW is calling on Senator Obama to allow an IVAW representative to read the letter to the delegates.

Senator Obama’s veterans’ liaison, Phil Carter, told IVAW that they could expect a response from the Senator’s campaign staff regarding their request. IVAW plans to hold Senator Obama’s campaign team to their word.

IVAW members Jared Hood, Jeff Key and Josh Earle are available for comment throughout the day...

• Jared Hood, who lives here in Denver, served as a specialist in the Colorado Army National Guard from 2004-2007. During that time he served in Camp Navistar, Kuwait and Vilseck, Germany.
• Josh Earl served as a Military Police Specialist in Iraq from 2003-2004 with the Denver-based 220th Military Police Company of the Colorado Army National Guard.
• Jeff Key, a former Marine Corp lance corporal, served in Iraq in 2003. Mr. Key currently performs his one-man show, The Eyes of Babylon, which tells his story as a Marine in Iraq, in theaters across the country. He was also one of the IVAW members to speak with Obama’s veterans’ liaison on Aug. 27.

Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) was founded in July of 2004 to allow servicemen and women from all branches of the military a chance to come together and speak out against an illegal, unjust and unwinnable occupation. IVAW currently has over 1,300 members in 49 states, Canada and on military bases in the United States and overseas. To learn more about IVAW you can visit our website at http: www.ivaw.org.

www.VetSpeak.org

Coming to town

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I have made it a habit of always coming to conventions early to be able to see everyone come in. I have also set my departure at least a day later to see everyone off. I do this because I just can't get enough of these Family reunions.
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Iraq Veterans Against the War, Vietnam Veterans Against the War, Veterans for Peace, Military Families Speak Out, and Gold Star Families for Peace are five groups yet one Family. For all of us to gather in one place is something that I don't want to miss, not even a minute. "How long must we suffer, before we realized that we must stand united." - Bob Marley
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I'm not going to argue with Bob. Peace comes when we tear down our barriers to see that all life is precious and humanity is shared by all. This is our mission.
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There are voices within the White House that would love for us to divide. They would love for us to bicker between ourselves and to call each other names to the point of meltdown.
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Too bad for them.
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We have already gone through the fires of war and we didn't melt. Here we stand together tall and confident. Our voices speak truth to power in a way no wall could be constructed. Instead we use those bricks to build a solid foundation for the house of Peace and Justice. This house will not wash away.

Hart Viges

www.VetSpeak.org

IVAW PRESS RELEASE re DNC Denver

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

August 25, 2008
CONTACT: Francesca Lo Basso

media@ivaw.org, 215-498-3347

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Updated Schedule of IVAW Events

DNC, Denver, CO

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Tuesday, Aug. 26
Operation First Casualty 10:30am, starts at Cuernavaca Park
Press Opportunity Noon-1pm, Civic Center Park (between Colfax & Broadway at
Veterans' Memorial)
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Wednesday, Aug. 27
Rage Against the Machine Concert at Denver Coliseum
Non-Violent March following concert
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Iraq Veterans Against the War call on Sen. Obama to endorse organization's goals:
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Denver, CO, Today, during the morning of Aug. 25, Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) delivered a letter to Senator Barack Obama's DNC campaign headquarters asking that he endorse the organization's three points of unity:

• The immediate withdrawal of all occupying forces from Iraq.
• Full and adequate health care and benefits to all returning service members and veterans.
• Reparations made to the Iraqi people for the destruction caused by the U.S. war and occupation.

The letter states, "A Presidential candidate dedicated to an anti-war platform should have no objections to the goals of our organization." For a full copy of the letter, please visit IVAW's website at www.ivaw.org.
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IVAW has requested a response from Senator Obama by 3pm Wednesday Aug. 27. The letter goes on to state, "In the spirit of grassroots democracy that praise as the means of change in American society, we will be marching non-violently [following Rage Against the Machine's performance at the Denver Coliseum]. Our march will hold accountable the Democratic Party for their initial and continued support for the illegal occupation of Iraq."
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*Members of IVAW will be available for comment from Noon-1pm at Civic Center Park on Tuesday Aug. 26, 2008 during their enactment of Operation First Casualty (OFC).
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OFC is an action where veterans reenact situations commonly encountered while deployed in the modern conflicts in the Middle East. The action is treated like a military operation with participants in full military uniform, however, there are no weapons used at any time. OFC illustrates what daily life is like for the citizens of occupied countries. OFC has already taken place in five major cities around the country since June 2007.
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Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) was founded in July of 2004 to allow servicemen and women from all branches of the military a chance to come together and speak out against an illegal, unjust and unwinnable occupation. IVAW currently has over 1,300 members in 49 states, Canada and on military bases in the United States and overseas. To learn more about IVAW you can visit our website at www.ivaw.org.

Francesca Lo Basso
National Media Coordinator
Iraq Veterans Against the War
media@ivaw.org (267) 519-4596

www.VetSpeak.org

Saying hello

Hello:

I'm signing on as a blogger for the Vets for Peace national convention here in St. Paul. I look forward to sharing my thoughts as the conference procedes and during the peace demonstrations, celebrations, and vigils during the RNC Convention that follows.

Peace,
Agent Orange

Profile:
Michael (Agent Orange) served in the Marines from 1968 to 1970, including a one-year tour of duty in Vietnam. He experienced combat in numerous patrols, search-and-destroy missions, and other major operations. Following his discharge, he witnessed the events leading up to the shootings at Kent State University, where he was a student. Thereafter, he actively participated in the peace movement until the War’s end in 1975, including the famed veterans’ march on Washington in 1971, when veterans, led by John Kerry, protested against the war they fought by throwing their medals over the Capitol fence. In 2001, he published a memoir of his service, Fire in the Hole: A Mortarman in Vietnam (Writers Club Press).

Since 1984, Michael has studied the Vietnam War and has volunteered as a guest lecturer for history and social studies classes. Currently, he co-teaches a class entitled, The 60s: The War in Vietnam and at Home, at the University of Minnesota, Compleat Scholar Program and another entitled, Into the Quagmire: A Discussion about the US Involvement in Vietnam and Lessons for Today, through the Seminar for InQuiring Minds Program. He is a longtime active member of Vets for Peace.

www.VetSpeak.org

Onward Through The Fog...

Conditions On The Ground

By

Randy Ludacer

After listening to the latest debate on when we might withdraw forces from Iraq it is clear that the latest operative euphemism for determining when to leave is the "conditions on the ground" as viewed by the commanders on the ground. General Petreaus, after crowing on all of the successes resulting from the surge, cautioned that all of these results are "fragile" and could be reversed quickly. So much for finality and victory.

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The political side of the problem, the one the Iraqis themselves were going to solve with the benefit of the additional time provided by the surge, seems equally elusive and beyond reach.

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Suspecting a red herring, or school of them, I looked elsewhere, eager to determine what issues concerned the Iraqis and what progress toward resolution had been made. Iraqi's former Prime Minister Allawi was appearing at a session of the Carnegie Endowment to speak on the surge, a golden opportunity. After listening to his rambling circumlocutionary diatribe, during which he tipped his hat to all the issues but suggested nothing concerning their resolution, I decided never to play poker with these guys, they don't have any "tells." Coming from a bazaari culture, this is somewhat understandable, since if you never take any position, you can never be accused of making a mistake and consequently cannot be held accountable if anything goes wrong.

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I tried to narrow my concerns to what in the Iraqi mind would constitute political success to the point where the standing by of the United States Army was no longer required. Stability appears to be the next buzz word. Did that mean the complete settling of old scores and the guarantee that those presently in control of the government, would continue as the control group? Given the volatile nature of politics in general, of Arabian politics in particular and the fact that some major fractional differences still exist and will continue to exist in Iraq's body politics, the prospect for continued disagreement seems all but assured.

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Are we looking for an end to a chicken and egg argument when all disagreement is resolved and all dissent quashed ? Does conditions on the ground mean we stay at the ready until Iraq is as quiescent as Switzerland ?

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Nothing happens in that part of the world without deadlines, and since all parties are in general agreement that 16 months seems reasonable, lets end the debate !

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www.VetSpeak.org