“I Refuse to Support U.S. Armed Drone Policy”: Army Chaplain Reads Resignation Letter to Obama
Courage to Resist
Former Army Reserve Chaplain Captain Chris Antal resigned due to the US drone policy, and shares his moving resignation letter to President Obama on DemocracyNow.
“I resign because I refuse to support U.S. armed drone policy,” Antal wrote. “The Executive Branch continues to claim the right to kill anyone, anywhere on earth, at any time, for secret reasons, based on secret evidence, in a secret process, undertaken by unidentified officials. I refuse to support this policy of unaccountable killing.”
Transcript
AMY GOODMAN: Reverend Chris Antal, I was wondering if we could end with you reading your resignation letter to President Obama in your own words.
REV. CHRIS ANTAL: I’d be glad to do that.
“Dear Mr. President:
“I hereby resign my commission as an Officer in the United States Army.
“I resign because I refuse to support U.S. armed drone policy. The Executive Branch continues to claim the right to kill anyone, anywhere on earth, at any time, for secret reasons, based on secret evidence, in a secret process, undertaken by unidentified officials. I refuse to support this policy of unaccountable killing.
“I resign because I refuse to support U.S. nuclear weapons policy. The Executive Branch continues to invest billions of dollars into nuclear weapons, which threaten the existence of humankind and the earth. I refuse to support this policy of terror and mutually assured destruction.
“I resign because I refuse to support U.S. policy of preventive war, permanent military supremacy and global power projection. The Executive Branch continues to claim extra-constitutional authority and impunity from international law. I refuse to support this policy of imperial overstretch.
“I resign because I refuse to serve as an empire chaplain. I cannot reconcile these policies with either my sworn duty to protect and defend America and our constitutional democracy or my covenantal commitment to the core principles of my religion faith. These principles include: justice, equity and compassion in human relations, a free and responsible search for truth, a commitment to the democratic process, and the inherent worth and dignity of every person.
“Respectfully submitted,
“Christopher John Antal”
AMY GOODMAN: Reverend Chris Antal, minister for the Unitarian Universalist Congregation now at Rock Tavern, New York, founder of the Hudson Valley, New York, chapter of Veterans for Peace. He has served as a U.S. Army chaplain in Afghanistan, before publicly resigning over the Obama administration’s drone warfare program. He wrote that letter to President Obama in April.
“Courage to Resist has helped individuals who have taken brave stands, has been an important bridge between anti-war soldiers and civilians, and has helped both publicize and build the critical component of soldier resistance in ending war.”
Another moral human being: too bad he believes in a god that does not exist. Unfortunately, he doesn’t seem to object to the nation state and nationalism and the world-wide economic system of capitalism — the basic cause of war.
The drones, as I remember it, were to be used ONLY for specific targets where NO civilians were verified to be located and were NEVER to be used for civilian uses.
Both of these have been violated and the drone policy is killing way too many civilians and now is in the hands of too many of the law enforcement agencies in this country to be used indiscriminately at will.
Thank you, Chris Antal, for standing up for what you believe. But we come at it from totally differing viewpoints as I am an atheist and just believe in not killing innocent people – and that goes back to the very beginning of what is was – and remains – an illegal war.
Really? so the starting of wars based on obvious lies killing millions, that was ok? it was the armed drones he objected to… many years after it started.
You never knew Jesus
Jesus, if he ever existed, would be horrified and revolted at the evil done in his name , almost from the beginning of organized Christendom to this day.
We need more military members to act with this courage and commitment to justice.
I totally agree Pete! Served 8 years in the military.. Defending the killing of innocent civilians with these drones in just plain murder! AND, they do it all over the world.. Who knows how many innocent civilians are killed that we don’t know about?
Kudos to Rev. Antal! It takes a lot of guts to stand up to the President and the formidable U.S. millitary-industrial complex.
I am thankful for our courageous chaplain, Reverend Antal, for his ability to take his stance against the drone welfare program.
I am proud of Reverend Antal.
Bless you for your courage, your candor and your determination to stand up for morality and justice. May others follow your lead.
Thank you for your service…true service to country and Humanity, and not to the banks who own our government and who both finance and profit from war…manufactured wars based on lies and deception.
As a draft refuser (twice), I’ll just say this: Better late than never…
I informed President Obama through his WH email remailer account during the 2014 election cycle that I could no longer financial support his PACs over the fact that he was NOT interceding and making military operations accountable when innocent civilians are killed by drone warfare–that, and his unreasonably not pardoning Chelsea. Thus, I am completely en-heartened by Reverend Antal’s principled action.
Evil wins when good men see it and do nothing. Thank you, Reverend Antal, for your courage to resist.
Excellent man.
More of us need to say no.
Thank you, Rev. Antal, for bravely speaking truths about the U.S. military and imperial stance that we Americans hear all too seldom. And for your noble action to accompany your speech.
As a Unitarian-Universalist Christian (yes, we exist) I admire you greatly and thank you again. Catherine Orloff, Providence, RI
I heard Arundhati Roy say on the radio, as the U.S. began its invasion of Iraq, “Wars will end when soldiers refuse to fight.”
Rev. Antal’s courageous stand is the beginning of the end of war.