The following letter is written by a veteran of the first Gulf War.
He's started Veterans for Common Sense -- a group of former military
folks who oppose the current plans for war on Iraq. If you or
someone you know are interested in joining him, please check out
their website:
veteransforcommonsense.org
Sincerely,
--Eli Pariser
MoveOn.org
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Dear MoveOn member,
Twelve years ago, in February of 1991, I crossed the border between
Saudi Arabia and Iraq with the 24th Infantry Division. Back then I
was a 20-year-old Abrams tank crewman, and I fought in several battles
in southern Iraq. I can say from personal experience, the media got it
wrong. The first Gulf War wasn't clean, it wasn't pretty, and it
wasn't precise. In the chaos and destruction of battle, anything can
happen. We killed a lot of people.
Like many of the men and women I served with, I do not believe that
President Bush or Secretary of State Powell, in his presentation at
the United Nations on Wednesday, has made the case that Iraq poses an
imminent threat to the United States. Without proving imminent
threat, the administration has failed outright to justify its rush to
war. Many senior military leaders, including Generals Norman
Schwarzkopf, Anthony Zinni and Wesley Clark, have all questioned the
wisdom of another war with Iraq.
Thousands of veterans of all U.S. wars have stepped forward, marched
in demonstrations and raised their voices to say that the nation they
defended should not be attacking other nations. There is no sense of
just cause in the U.S. armed forces today. Most recently we veterans
have been joined in our message by families with loved ones in the
military.
Tens of thousands of American soldiers and hundreds of thousands of
Iraqis could die in a long, drawn-out war in Iraq.
We need your help to spread our message that veterans oppose this war.
We can win without war.
How can you help? Join Veterans for Common Sense. Whether you are a
veteran, or you have a family member in the military, or you simply
support our message, you can join us in calling for a common sense
approach to Iraq. We need your support.
To find out more, please visit:
veteransforcommonsense.org
Already we have reached across the country through successful press
conferences, innumerable appearances on television and radio programs,
and op-eds, letters to the editor and interviews published in local,
regional and national newspapers. Already we have visited innumerable
congressional offices, winning impressive support across the political
spectrum.
Add your voice to the growing chorus of voices speaking common sense
against the rush to war.
For more information, and to find out the latest news about a possible
war in Iraq, visit our web site:
veteransforcommonsense.org
Together we can win without war,
Charles Sheehan-Miles
Veterans for Common Sense
________________
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