The Veterans For Peace national convention was held in Seattle from August 10th through the 13th.
On August 11th, Iraq combat veteran Ricky Clousing held a press conference near the convention. Clousing is a 24-year-old Army sergeant and interrogator from Seattle who left Fort Bragg, North Carolina in 2005 after returning from Iraq with the 82nd Airborne Division and has been AWOL since. Photos
At the press conference Clousing stated:
“In Iraq I operated as an interrogator and was attached to tactical infantry units during daily patrol operations. As an interrogator I spoke to Iraqis each day. This gave me an idea of what local civilians thought of coalition forces. Throughout my training very appropriate guidelines for the treatment of prisoners were set. However, I witnessed our baseless incarceration of civilians. I saw civilians physically harassed. I saw an innocent Iraqi killed before me by US troops. I saw the abuse of power that goes without accountability. Being attached to a tactical infantry unit and being exposed to the brutalities of war, I began to doubt and reconsider my beliefs.”
On August 12, Lt. Ehren Watada spoke to the convention. Watada publicly refused to deploy with the Fort Lewis, Washington-based 3rd Stryker Brigade on June 22 becoming the first military officer to take such a stand. Photos
On August 13th, 150 U.S. military veterans boarded buses for Peace Arch Park on the US/Canadian border to celebrate resistance to unjust war with U.S. troops currently taking refuge in Canada. Retired U.S. Army Colonel Ann Wright embraced 22-year-old Iraq veteran turned refugee Kyle Snyder at the border. Of his resistance to the war, Col. Wright stated, "It is part of military tradition that you can refuse illegal orders," she said. "They have the courage to stand up and say... 'I'm not going to have this war on my conscience.'" Photos