National GI Resistance Alert Network

To Join the Network: send us a note . Please let us know your group or organization name, a contact person, and an e-mail address and phone number (if possible) so we can alert you as quickly as possible when these courageous individuals need our support! (Please write in the subject field: National Alert Network )

Individuals can join the network by subscribing themselves to our newsletter (below) But feel free to send us a note to let us know you want to be part of the network.

Read Entire Call:

We urge you to join us in a National GI Resistance Alert Network. It’s time for us to escalate public pressure and action in support of the thousands of courageous men and women who have in many different ways followed their conscience to uphold international law and to take a principled stand against
the unjust, illegal war and occupation of Iraq. It’s time we had their backs.

Objection and resistance by military servicepersons is a healthy and important assertion of democracy in a country where the decisions to invade Iraq, to maintain an occupation, and engage in widespread human rights violations and torture were made undemocratically in violation of international law and based on continuing lies and disinformation.

Resisting illegal occupation and war is not a crime! In fact, under the military rules of engagement, a soldier is upholding the law by disobeying an illegal order. The right to conscientious objection is being systematically violated by the  military. Those objectors who are publicly asserting their rights are being
singled out for punishment. We demand that military personnel retain their right to follow their conscience, publicly dissent and that their basic democratic rights be respected.On May 10, 2005 when sailor Pablo Paredes and soldier Kevin Benderman faced court martials after being unjustly denied conscientious objector status, thirty cities responded to our call to action by organizing demonstrations, vigils and public events with less than ten days notice. This national attention combined with a mobilization to support Pablo at his court martial in San Diego contributed to Pablo’s ability to force issues of the war’s legality in court and his lighter-than-expected non-jail sentence.

Many of us see this as part of a people power strategy to stop the war and occupation; if the government won’t listen to the people and stop the war, we will stop it ourselves by organizing campaigns to remove the pillars of support on which the war depends (troops, corporate profiteers and corporate media).
Supporting GI resistance, together with counter recruitment and draft resistance is key to stopping the war ourselves. If the government can’t recruit or draft new troops and if troops resist the illegal war and
occupation— as was the case in the Viet Nam War— they can’t continue the war and occupation.

Courage to Resist  will send out alerts about GI resisters in need of support, asking for support in the following ways as appropriate: send letters, make phone calls, create educational events, educate your community and networks, attend court martials or hearings, and organize vigils, demonstrations, and
civil disobedience/nonviolent direct actions. We are asking concerned organizations, communities, and individuals to join us and commit to a sustained campaign of support for GI resistance and conscientious objection.