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Human Rights in IrelandIndymedia Ireland is a volunteer-run non-commercial open publishing website for local and international news, opinion & analysis, press releases and events. Its main objective is to enable the public to participate in reporting and analysis of the news and other important events and aspects of our daily lives and thereby give a voice to people.
Lockdown Skeptics
Voltaire NetworkVoltaire, international edition
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Eli Israel Needs Your Help international |
anti-war / imperialism |
other press
 Wednesday June 20, 2007 17:45 by redjade
 Eli is taking an incredible risk by refusing orders in Iraq and will most likely be court martialed. Yesterday, June 19, 26 year old SPC Eli Israel put himself at great personal risk by making the courageous decision to refuse further participation in the U.S. occupation of Iraq. Eli told his commanding officer and sergeants that he will no longer be a combatant in this illegal, unjustified war. Eli believes that the U.S. government used the attacks of September 11, 2001 as a pretense to invade Iraq and that “we are now violating the people of this country (Iraq) in ways that we would never accept on our own soil.” Eli is stationed at Camp Victory in Baghdad with JVB Bravo Company, 1-149 Infantry of the Kentucky Army National Guard. This soldier’s decision to refuse orders puts him at great risk, especially because he is in Iraq, isolated from legal assistance and other support. The following is a message that Eli sent yesterday to a friend back home:  We are currently not accepting any more comments on this article. printable version
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Comments (8 of 8)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8A proper soldier, standing up for what is morally right. America needs more real men of courage like you.
Eli,
You're my hero. I will now commit to help rally support for you.
You are a true American.
Rick
They courts-martialled a soldier who 'disobeyed orders' and refused to go back to Iraq last year, and in the court room next to these proceedings another soldier was being courts-martialled for 'obeying orders' . The same defense lawyer in both cases Ramsey Clark, couldn't help but notice the contradiction.
Wouldent it be great to see one Irish cop-just one, for now, refusing to protect Shannon for Bertie and Bush. There must be one cop with the courage to refuse on humanitarian, legal, constitutional or just simply moral grounds, or mabey the O.T. is just to much to turn down. The profit from misery is to enticing, once the misery is not your own. The Irish media (RTE) have done a wonderful job in dehumanising the Iraqi people so we can kill them.
Two months ago, I took a stand that changed my life forever. As a Soldier, a JVB Protective Service Agent, and a Sniper with the Army who had been in Iraq for a year (running over 250 combat missions), I refused to continue to be a part of the occupation. I regret nothing. This is my story. Currently, as I write this I am sitting in Kuwait, on “stand-by” to return to the States sometime hopefully this week. After getting out of the brig last week, I’m now scheduled to be discharged from the Army within the month. I’m looking forward to joining forces with anti-Iraq-War movements, such as Courage to Resist and Iraq Veterans Against the War.
What led me to this place in my life?...
read the rest at
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/08/12/3124/
The U.S. government abolished the draft shortly after the Vietnam war in the 1970's. Consequently no U.S. citizens are forced to join the military service to participate in activities or wars they don't believe in. But people voluntarily joining the armed forces are well aware of the fact that they may be shipped off to oversea combat zones. If Mr. Israel is objecting to this, then he shouldn't have joined the military in the first place, and should have kept looking for a different job opportunity. Consequently I have no time for these 'Johnny come lately' types like himself.
Michael Martin. Invading Iraq was illegal. Your comment has no justification. In any job, if you are asked to commit a crime it is illegal and not justified. The US government has ordered soldiers to commit a crim in invading Iraq. I salute the courage of those bravely standing up to the US.
The draft may have been abolished but soldiers are forcded to serve against their will. Their enlistment periods are being extended and they do not get a say in it. Reserve Units who never thought they would have to fight are also being sent to die in Iraq. They are not allowed to resign.
Effectively conscrition exists under a different name.
I take no joy in the death of US soldiers but they are part of an occupying force. This invasion and occupation has led to the destruction of Iraqi Civil Society.
OK, this guy was not a protestor of the war. He was a bus driver on the FOB, he did not run over 200 combat missions, he was not a sniper - if you believe that, then ask him what weapon systems we use, range, MOA, types of ammo they fire, etc. This is all one big lie. You should really check out his past, he joined the Marines, was kicked out, joined ROTC @ Western Ky Univ., was kicked out of that, joined the Guard, joined Officer Candidate School, was kicked out and got kicked out of Iraq. All of his BS started because he over slept for his bus driving duty and was going to have to pull 4 hours of guard duty. So he then decided to become a C.O. He has lied so much, there are a hundred and five people in his company still in Baghdad that will testify to this. Do a little research on his background and character.