Support Kyle Snyder and all War Resisters

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Gerry Condon"
Date: November 9, 2006 8:49:15 AM PST
To: SoldierSayNo@yahoo.com
Subject: Support Kyle Snyder and all War Resisters

Dear friends,

I continue to travel with Iraq war veteran and resister, Kyle Snyder,
who remains AWOL after returning last week from Canada and attempting
to be discharged from the Army. Right now we are in Chicago, where
Kyle spoke to a well attended press conference on Monday, calling on
the people of Illinois to vote against the war policies of the Bush
administration. (They did, supporting a referendum to withdraw U.S.
troops from Iraq by an 8-1 margin!)

We are finding lots of support in Chicago, from veterans groups,
military familes, peace groups and others. Kyle has been speaking in
public forums and to university students. There continues to be a
lot of national and international media interest in Kyle's struggle
to be discharged from the Army.

Tonight, Thursday, Nov. 9, at 11 pm EST, Kyle will be interviewed on
the Alan Colmes radio show, which airs on 60 radio stations
throughout the U.S. The 15-20 minute interview will be live and
there will be call-ins (maybe you?). For more information, or to
listen online, go to http://www.foxnews.com/radio/alancolmes/index.html

The Army has not yet given a reasonable response to our call for Kyle
to be released from military service without any punishment. At one
point, Kyle had been willing to accept an Other Than Honorable
discharge that we understood the Army was offering him. But this
deal evaporated when he presented himself to Army authorities at Fort
Knox, Kentucky.

So Kyle is AWOL again. (AWOL's new meaning: "A War Of Lies") At the
risk of arrest, he is speaking out bravely on behalf of war resisters
and active duty GI's. His old unit, the 94th Engineers, now based at
Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, is slated to return to Iraq in January
for the 3rd time. The Army wants Kyle to return to that unit, and
will not say what they will do if does. Could they order him back to
Iraq?

Thanks to all of you who have made calls to the Commanding General at
Fort Knox, Kentucky. The phones have been ringing off the walls
there. Now it is time to make the phones ring at Fort Leonard Wood.
Say hello to Fort Leonard Woods's brand new commander, Major General
William McCoy, Jr., recently returned from the U.S. occupation of
Iraq (you can read his emotional address upon assuming his new
command at http://www.flw-guidon.com/).

Here are the numbers to call at Fort Leonard Wood
Office of the Commanding General (that's how they answer) 573-596-0131
Public Affairs Office, tel. 573-563-4013 or 4105, fax: 573-563-4012,
email: alleym@wood.army.mil

We want to deliver one clear message:
RELEASE KYLE SNYDER WITHOUT ANY PUNISHMENT

For more information on Kyle's campaign and how you can support it,
please visit the webiste of Courage To Resist,
www.CourageToResist.org. Monies are much needed and you can make an
online donation there.

Last Friday, Nov. 3, Kyle was interviewed by Amy Goodman and Juan
Gonzales on Democracy Now. You can watch or listen to this interview
at http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/11/03/1431228. You
can also read and/or download a written transcript.

Another Iraq war veteran and resister,Ivan Brobeck, returned from
Canada on election day to the Marine base at Quantico, Virginia.
Ivan was recruited into the Marines when he was 17 and fought in Iraq
when he was only 19. Ivan is prepared to face a court martial, if
necessary. The Marines have not yet decided what they will do with
him. To read Ivan's open letter to President Bush, go to http://
www.couragetoresist.org/ivanbrobeck/index.php?
option=com_content&task=view&id=17

Below are links to two articles I have written about U.S. war
resisters. They were published, respectively, by Z magazine and
CCCO's Objector. The Z magazine article includes much of the
Counseling Memo of the War Resisters Support Campaign in Canada
(www.resisters.ca), and the Objector article discusses the injustice
of the military's handling of Conscientious Objectors.

Sanctuary and Counseling for War Resisters (Z Magazine)
http://zmagsite.zmag.org/JulAug2006/condon0706.html

Support for War Resisters Grows (The Objector, pg. 11)http://
www.objector.org/2006JulyObjector.pdf

GI's (or their families) who are seeking discharge from the military
or need counseling on how to deal with other issues they may be
facing within the military are well advised to contact the GI Rights
Hotline, 405 14th Street, Suite #205, Oakland, CA 94612, toll free
number: (800) 394-9544 (from the US), (215) 563-4620 (from other
countries) Fax: (510) 465-2459, Email: girights@objector.org, web:
http://www.girights.org/

Active duty GI's who have information and support will be more likely
to follow their consciences and to obey international and U.S. laws
against illegal wars and war crimes. Supporting war resisters is
more important than ever. Who else will hasten the end to the
unjust, illegal, and unwinnable wars in Afghanistan and Iraq?

for peace and justice,
Gerry Condon

(206) 306-4103
_______________________________________________

Soldier Say No / Project Safe Haven
SoldierSayNo@yahoo.com, projectsafehaven@hotmail.com
www.SoldierSayNo.blogspot.com