Army war objector plans to go to base (to turn himself in)

Barrett808

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Fri Aug-11-06 09:02 AM
Original message

Army war objector plans to go to base (to turn himself in)

Army war objector plans to go to base
By MELANTHIA MITCHELL, Associated Press Writer

SEATTLE - Shortly after returning from Iraq last year, Army Sgt. Ricky Clousing gathered a few belongings and sneaked out of Fort Bragg, leaving only a note quoting Martin Luther King.

After six months spent seeing the "daily physical, psychological and emotional harassment of civilians," he was confused and disenchanted with the United States' role in the war, the 24-year-old said.

"My experience in Iraq really made me second-guess my ability to perform as a soldier and also forced me to question my beliefs in associating myself" with the Army, he told The Associated Press on Thursday, a day before he planned to turn himself in to Fort Lewis authorities.

Officials in Fort Bragg, N.C., did not return an AP call for comment on the case. Fort Lewis officials said they did not know about Clousing's case and could not comment.

Speaking from a friend's home in Seattle, Clousing said he won't participate in what he considers to be a "war of aggression" that has "no legal basis to be fought."

(more)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060811/ap_on_re_us/iraq_objector

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halobeam

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Fri Aug-11-06 09:26 AM
Response to Original message

1. Another brave young man to stand up for his beliefs.

How can we support him? What can I do?

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sgxnk

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Fri Aug-11-06 09:55 AM
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2. based on this description

it doesn't sound like he will have much of a conscientious objector argument, under ucmj

briefly, co status is where one has a fundamental opposition to war. period

and usually requires rather extensive documentation. iow, a history of this belief

a soldier who argues that THIS war has 'no legal basis' and is a 'war of aggression' is not making a co argument, that much is sure

so, pretty much, sound like he will go to prison, save some hail mary play

i know tons of quakers, and these doods are the experts on co status.

this statement here, pretty much eliminates even the possibility of a co argument

"Clousing said he's not opposed to all war and because of that chose not to apply as a conscientious objector."

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MrCoffee

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Fri Aug-11-06 05:59 PM
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4. I've never heard him make a CO argument

Edited on Fri Aug-11-06 06:00 PM by MrCoffee

He's been on the news here quite a bit in Seattle, and I've never heard the guy claim to be a CO. He simply objects to the war and is willing to disobey his deployment orders. He's stated that he's ready for the inevitable court-martial.

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nealmhughes

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Fri Aug-11-06 05:57 PM
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3. He was interviewed by Amy Goodman this morning and was to hold

a press conference in Seattle before going to Ft. Lewis to surrender himself to military authorities later this evening.

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Bucky

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Fri Aug-11-06 06:09 PM
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5. Turning himself in is the right thing to do. Like Gandhi, King, Thoreau...

You confront evil by forcing the people caught up in it to enforce immoral laws. This guy is a real hero.

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alfredo

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Fri Aug-11-06 06:11 PM
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6. Look for others to follow suit.

Canada will be deporting war resistors soon, so they either go to Sweden, or come home.

I told a mother of one that Sweden is pretty this time of year.

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