Exposing a war crime is not a war crime. - Bradley Manning Support Network
September 16-19, Veterans for Peace, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Code Pink, and War is a Crime are taking to the streets and calling on the United States government to drop charges against Army Private First Class Bradley Manning. Aside from joining street protests, Manning's Support Network suggests having a Whistleblower Party, featuring whistle party favors.
Twenty-two year old Manning has been held in solitary confinement since May, charged with releasing classified documents including the video showing American troops shooting and killing Reuters journalists in 2007, a video representing nine out of ten US troop missions according to one veteran. (Watch video at www.collateralmurder.com)
Due to Manning's whistleblowing, the world learned the truth about the "War on Terror" (that many call a "War of Terror") through the graphic video with radio transmission conversations about unprovoked US troops killing the journalists, unarmed civilians and shooting at Iraqi children.
The video concurs with many troops' stories about why the 'War on Terror' is a US led war crime, a crime against humanity. (Dupre, D. WikiLeaks video veteran says collateral murder common, Examiner, April 13, 2010, and What an Iraq veteran did after finding the enemy, Examiner, Jan 4, 2010)
Manning’s imprisonment has resulted in an international outcry, with groups and activists throughout the US and abroad demanding his release and calling for transparency in America’s war policies.
Famed Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg called Mr. Manning, “A new hero of mine.”
Soon after the video was released, Iraq Veterans Against War (IVAW) issued Josh Stieber's following statement about the videos:
"If these videos shock and revolt you, they show the reality of what war is like. If you don't like what you see in them, it means we should be working harder towards alternatives to war."
Stieber served with Bravo Company 2-16, whose members were involved in the incident captured in Manning's "Collateral Murder" video. (Listen to Stieber audio clip here and see the Examiner article with the embedded interview here.)
"After watching the video, I would definitely say that that is, nine times out of ten, the way things ended up. Killing was following military protocol. It was going along with the rules as they are," Stieber said.
Mike Prysner is a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW). Upon retuning home after his service, in a powerful speech Prysner stated:
"Our real enemy is not the ones living in a distant land whose names or policies we don't understand.
"The real enemy is a system that wages war when it's profitable, the CEOs who lay us off our jobs when it's profitable, the Insurance Companies who deny us Health care when it's profitable, the Banks who take away our homes when it's profitable."
"Our enemies are not several hundred thousands away. They are right here in front of us." ((Dupre, D. What an Iraq veteran did after finding the enemy, Examiner, Jan. 4, 2010),
Prysner's presentation, now entitled Amazing Speech by War Veteran, is part of the IVAW documentary, Winter Soldier II. (See Youtube video below and information on hosting a screening here.)
Citizens are urged to work within their communities to organize events locally during the release Manning International Days of Action.
Many citizen groups are planning vigils, marches and rallies in support of Bradley Manning – but there are other ways to get involved according to the Bradley Manning Support Network that suggests:
- Consider throwing a Whistleblower Party – with whistles as party favors and a donation bucket for Bradley Manning’s defense fund
- Work with a restaurant or club in your area to organize a fundraising event
- Host a lecture with a local college and sympathetic professors or anti-war activists to talk about the importance of transparency in government
- Organize a public screening of Collateral Murder
"If organizing an event, let people know. Many groups have shown support for Bradley Manning – you just have to get the word out," advises Manning's support networkers.
- Print flyers and leave them in local coffee shops (some materials can be found on the bradleymanning.org wiki)
- Ask local activist groups to put your event on their calendars
- Contact peace organizations in your area and ask them to notify their mailing lists about the event
- Search Meetup.com for groups locally that might be interested in your event and ask them to add your event to their calendars
- Put up posters at local colleges and libraries
- Add it to community calendars in local newspapers
- Post it on Craigslist.org under the Community tab. Cross list it under Politics, Events, Activities and General
- Email the event details to Support@bradleymanning.org and we’ll get the word out, too!
For more information on local events in the reader's community related to this action and to participate, contact the local affiliate of Veterans for Peace, Iraq Veterans Against the War or Code Pink, or look for activist groups in your area.
Deborah Dupré, with post-graduate science and education degrees from U.S. and Australian universities, has been a human and environmental rights advocate for over 25 years in the U.S., Vanuatu and Australia. Support her work by subscribing to her articles and forwarding the link of this article to friends and colleagues or reposting only the title and first paragraph linked to this Examiner page. Dupre welcomes emails: info@DeborahDupre.com See her Vaccine Liberty or Death book plus Compassion Film Project DVDs.
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Comments
Let's see, this mass of fools continue to allow themselves to be bled dry by israel and the Central Banks DECADES after the SOB's slaughtered their OWN troops, (USS Liberty) murdered their own citizens, (lavon Affair, King David Hotel), brought down the WTC and who knows WHAT else and you ACTUALLY think they can focus one OBJECTIVE thought to force the Israeli toadies to release this kid for showing courage??!! Don't hold your breath,...you'll suffocate and die.
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