"Peace Groups" Condemn Anti-War Activists For Marching!

[Itsthetruth]

PEACE GROUP OPPOSES RUSH to WITHDRAWAL,
ADVOCATES CONTINUED U.S. ASSISTANCE for IRAQI-LED RECONSTRUCTION
U.S. veterans and Iraqi-Americans join EPIC in questioning anti-war protests
For Immediate Release
Contact: Patricia Pino at EPIC, 202-543-6176

On Saturday, several thousand protestors will rally outside Fort Bragg, North Carolina to mark the 2nd anniversary of the Iraq war. But at least one respected peace organization will not be there.

"The call for an 'immediate U.S. withdrawal from Iraq' by some of the organizers of this weekend's protest represents a way to save American lives in the short-term, but offers no solution for ending the ongoing war and terrorism against the people of Iraq," says Erik Gustafson, the executive director of the Education for Peace in Iraq Center (EPIC).

Founded in 1998 by human rights advocates, EPIC promotes peace, human rights, and democracy for the people of Iraq. Since the March 2003 invasion of Iraq two years ago this week, EPIC has advocated U.S. and international assistance for Iraqi-led nation-building and opposed the withdrawal of UN-sanctioned forces until Iraq is able to provide for its own security.

"The only responsible way out of Iraq is through nation building," explains Gustafson, who is also a U.S. Army veteran of the 1991 Gulf War.

Iraqi-Americans and veterans groups have joined EPIC in questioning the wisdom of rallies that call for a quick withdrawal.

"The Iraqi population, who suffered through multiple wars and years of sanctions, cannot be abandoned to a small and violent minority which makes targets of children and civilians. Though we believe further changes are needed in our strategy in Iraq, leaving without stabilizing Iraq is not an option," said Charles Sheehan-Miles, executive director of Veterans for Common Sense (http://www.VeteransforCommonSense.org) and a 1991 Gulf War veteran.

Other veterans groups which question the conduct of the war have also criticized the protests. In a press statement issued yesterday, Operation Truth (an Iraq War veterans' organization, http://www.optruth.org) said that by protesting in Fayetteville, North Carolina, the anti-war groups were blaming the troops for policy set in Washington.

The following speakers are available for comment to the media:

Ala Faik, Iraqi-American activist for peace and democracy based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Mr. Faik assisted with reconstruction in Iraq from June 2003 until March 2004.

Erik K. Gustafson, founder and director of the Education for Peace in Iraq Center (EPIC) based in Washington, DC. He is a U.S. Army veteran of the 1991 Gulf War and a respected policy analyst on Iraq.

Charles Sheehan-Miles, executive director and co-founder of Veterans for Common Sense, a national security veterans organization. He is a decorated combat veteran of the 1991 Gulf War and was the founding director of the National Gulf War Resource Center in 1995.

Chris Toensing, executive director of the Middle East Research and Information Project in Washington, DC and editor of Middle East Report.

END OF NEWS RELEASE
http://www.epic-usa.org/Default.aspx?tabid=741
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These self-proclaimed "peace groups" question the "wisdom of rallies that call for quick withdrawl", advocate U.S. led nation building and spread the lie that " anti-war groups were blaming the troops for policy set in Washington"!!!!

[bryant69]

1. Some Anti War Protesters

do blame the troops. My bet is that some groups do too.

At any rate, I'm not sure I disagree with the idea that the only way to real peace is through a stable Iraq.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[IrateCitizen]

13. The Fayetteville demo was primarily organized by vets' and...

... military families' groups. Most of the speakers were from Military Families Speak Out, Veterans for Peace, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Gold Star Families for Peace, and so on.

I can attest fully to this because I was in Fayetteville as a member of IVAW. It is the truth, despite what all these other groups who weren't there might say to the contrary.

While there are certainly people on the left who are antagonistic to the troops, they weren't at this rally.

[bowens43]

2. fuck'em

BRING THE TROOPS HOME NOW

[bloom]

3. There is a "Peace" web site

basically run by the State Department or somebody like that.

I don't go by what they say they are - but what their mission is and what they advocate.

Condemning anti-war activists is bunch of nonsense.

[Itsthetruth]

4. "Operation Truth" Blasted Anti-War Demonstration At Fort Bragg

Press Release
March 15, 2005:
Operation Truth Blasts Antiwar Groups’ Plans to Demonstrate This Weekend at Fort Bragg

NEW YORK -- In observation of the second anniversary of the Iraq War, a number of national and local antiwar groups are planning to protest this weekend in Fayetteville, N.C., the home of Fort Bragg. Iraq Veteran and Operation Truth Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff issued the following statement today opposing the protestors' plans to protest in the Troops' backyard:

"Demonstrators have every right to protest the Iraq War this weekend. However, their choice of location forone protest -- Fort Bragg --is wrong and insensitive. It blames the warriors for the war. The decision makers are notat Fort Bragg, they are in Washington. Rallying against the war by marching at Fort Bragg is like protesting the cows if you don't like McDonalds.

"The anti-war protesters say they support the Troops. They can say it until they are blue in the face, but that's a hollow sentiment when they're protesting the busloads of Troops coming and going from Bragg to Iraq every day. If you support the troops, don't protest them in their backyards, especially not as they're sent to war or returning home.

Finally, as families living in and around the bases try to salvage some sense of normalcy as they worry about their loved ones overseas, the last thing they need to see on Saturday morning is a crowd of protestors outside their window. This is the height of insensitivity by the anti-war organizations.

If we are to make real progress in supporting and protecting our Troops we should hold our elected officials' feet to the fire for the decisions they make. But protesting the Troops will accomplish nothing; we should be listening to them."

END OF PRESS RELEASE
http://www.optruth.org/main.cfm?actionId=globalShowStaticContent&screenKey=pressReleases&htmlId=1561

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And they call themselves "Operation Truth"???? They spread the right-wing lie that anti-war protestors are against our GI's and that we blame the soldiers for the Bush governments policies in Iraq. Nothing could be farther from the truth. This is absolutely shameful and disgusting, especially coming from a peace group that calls itself "Operation Truth"!

[IrateCitizen]

6. Paul Rieckhoff is exercising his future political ambitions

The lesson from Kerry's campaign to someone like Rieckhoff is that he should distance himself from the antiwar movement. So that is what he is doing -- not in the spirit of furthering any movement on behalf of veterans and soldiers, but out of his own naked ambition.

This demonstration was planned for months. Paul Rieckhoff had more than enough time to approach other groups involved with setting it up like Military Families Speak Out and Iraq Veterans Against the War to privately voice his concerns. Rather than doing this, he chose to go public days before the event, effectively stabbing us in our collective backs.

Furthermore, OpTruth is NOT a "peace group". They have never questioned the legitimacy of the Iraq war. Their sole focus to this point (other than furthering the personal ambitions of Paul Rieckhoff) has been soldiers' and veterans' concerns.

[IrateCitizen]

5. Operation Truth is HARDLY a "peace group"...

They have been completely silent on the legitimacy of the Iraq War. Their role is solely for bringing soldiers' stories to the public and advocating for veterans' benefits.

Paul Rieckhoff, their executive director, pissed all over the shoes of veterans' and military families' groups that are questioning the basic legitimacy of the war. Then again, he has come to strike me as someone concerned a great deal with self-promotion, most likely has political aspirations, and saw distancing himself from the antiwar movement as a means to achieving those aspirations.

The other groups are entitled to their opinion, to be sure. However, I am of the belief that the US occupation is what is DRIVING the resistance, and that Iraqis should be given the chance to sort out their own affairs. Furthermore, none of the groups in Fayetteville (I was there with IVAW) are advocating the abandonment of the people of Iraq. They are all united in calling for US funding of Iraqi reconstruction efforts to be headed up BY IRAQIS.

[diamond14]

7. bush* FEARS a military revolt...active duty military JOINED the

War-Veterans, Gold-Star Mothers (mothers of DEAD soldiers), and Military Families at Fort Bragg....


War-Veterans handed out info to the ACTIVE duty troops so they know how to go AWOL....over 6000 Active Duty troops have split on bush* wars, with War-Veterans providing legal, financial, and an underground RR for their escape...


IMO, there will be a LOT more nasty spin on the Fort Bragg rally real soon...


keep bumping up the PHOTOS from the rally and SEND THOSE PHOTOS ALL OVER THE WORLD....stand strong...Fort Bragg was an EARTHQUAKE that broke the neo-cons delusions...expect a huge backlash from those snakes...


Rochester NY: War-Veterans and Military Families SHUT DOWN military recruitment center...


Baltimore, Maryland SHUTS DOWN military recruitment center



Cleveland SHUTS DOWN military recruitment center



San Diego SHUTS DOWN military recruitment center



Brooklyn SHUTS DOWN military recruitment center...



NYC Times Square SHUTS DOWN military recruitment center



Harlem SHUTS DOWN military recruitment center..

[IrateCitizen]

12. Active Duty folks at Ft. Bragg were ORDERED not to attend...

I was there as a member of IVAW, and I can tell you with certainty that there were a fair number of AD soldiers there who came from Bragg.

I'm fully expecting groups like IVAW, MFSO and the like to come under surveillance pretty soon, if they're not already....

[Itsthetruth]

16. Thanks

Thanks for the pictures. Here's the DU link to the other pictures you posted.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=3321134&mesg_id=3321134

[diamond14]

8. "Peace Group Opposes RUSH to WITHDRAWAL"

LOL


:crazy:

[Junkdrawer]

9. Astroturf at it's worse...

1.) Form a group that opposes a liberal group

2.) Give it a confusing name that sounds like it's a liberal group

3.) Fund it heavily and people it with paid "volunteers"

Rinse and repeat

[ultraist]

10. BINGO!

Further investigation into who Operation Truth really is, is warranted. I smell propaganda BS.

It sounds like another Swift Boat liars group.

Here's a little propaganda piece from Operation Truth's website:
http://www.optruth.org/main.cfm?actionId=globalShowStaticContent&screenKey=hear&htmlId=1563

Words of an Iraq Vet:

Returning home on 17Jul04 was difficult emotionally and physically. I, and I'm sure my fellow soldiers, was drained. Then to come home and be on a bus to FLW watching for IEDs on Missouri Roads... and I know I wasn't the only one watching overpasses and cars pulling up along side. The sound of a nailgun in the distant construction sites has a very familiar sound as well.

It has been easier for me transitioning than it has for others. When I was there, I didn't ever think of being anywhere but home. Now that I'm home, I think often of being back.

I don't really have any complaints about the deployment (though as I type, I'll probably think of some) except that there were plenty of logistic issues when we first arrived. So many issues getting med supply and chronic meds that my mother-in-law organized a campaign in Atlanta to ship us the things we couldn't get like Tylenol, Ibuprophen, bandaids, bacitracin, footpowder, and some smaller sundry things until the logistics caught up to get us things.

[IrateCitizen]

11. Trust me, it's not. But it certainly is suspect....

Especially its founder and executive director, Paul Rieckhoff.

From his bio, he is a former Wall St. analyst/trader and now he works full-time for OpTruth. He's a very telegenic guy, and I think he has some serious political ambitions. However, his full-time job is as OpTruth's exec director, and from what I can gather, he STILL lives in Manhattan.

Now, I know that Manhattan is pretty damned expensive. It seems to me that Mr. Rieckhoff would have to be making a pretty good salary from OpTruth in order to continue to afford to live there. A lot of what he's doing right now smells of stuff of furthering personal ambition, even at the expense of those groups with which he should have a good deal of common cause....

[ultraist]

14. There sure seems to be a lot of glamorizing the war on that site

http://www.optruth.org/main.cfm?actionId=globalShowStaticContent&screenKey=hear&htmlId=1185

The line of Marines began working their 5.56mm Squad Automatic Weapons into the fight before the last mortar rounds hit the deck. This was true combined arms. I forgot all my fear as I marveled at the artistry with which this Lieutenant was employing his Marines. It was hopeless for the enemy. It occurred to me that in the moments since we had received a smattering of small arms fire, the only violence I had seen was an unrelenting storm of steel and movement toward the source of the shots. I could hardly believe the agility and speed with which these men could collectively respond. Nothing in the vicinity of the source of the shots could have survived intact.

http://www.optruth.org/main.cfm?actionId=globalShowStaticContent&screenKey=hear&htmlId=1037

The only time during the war that made any sense to us was our arrival in Baghdad. People cheered in the streets, we were thrown cartons of local cigarettes, children gave us flowers which we wore on our body armor. We all felt that this justified what we had gone through. We felt we had a purpose as we heard stories from Iraqi civilians about what Saddam did to his own people. A dictator and regime had been toppled and the people of Iraq were free of his reign. We felt as if it had all been worth it. By late April, we would move south for stabilization operations and would turn from war-fighters into humanitarians.

Candycoated version of the Iraq war:

http://www.optruth.org/main.cfm?actionId=globalShowStaticContent&screenKey=conflict&lnav=1#facts

For 12 years, Iraq failed to comply with UN Security Council resolutions regarding weapons inspections. On January 29, 2002, during his State of the Union Address, President Bush publicly identified Iraq and its leader Saddam Hussein as an enemy of the U.S. and an ally to terrorists. The U.S. "will not permit the world's most dangerous regimes to threaten us with the world's most destructive weapons", declared President Bush. On October 11th, Congress authorized an attack on Iraq.

Since then, the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq has been questioned by several American inspectors, including David Kay (link), former top US weapons inspector, who has said, "we have not yet found stocks of weapons" and "we were almost all wrong" about Iraq's WMD program. On March 20th, 2003 at 9:30 pm, the U.S. launched Operation Iraqi Freedom with "Shock and Awe," a campaign of air strikes, and the entry of U.S. ground troops into the country, crossing into southern Iraq from Kuwait. By April 9th, U.S. troops were in Baghdad.

After about three weeks of fighting, the Baathist government was overthrown, and on May 1st, 2003, President George Bush declared the end of "major combat operations." But the long-term difficulties associated with the occupation were far greater than expected. The insurgents in Iraq (including Baathists, Islamic extremists, foreign fighters, and others) have become more organized and more deadly in their attacks on U.S. troops, and on Iraqis working with Iraq's provisional government.

About 150,000 U.S. troops continue to serve in Iraq. National elections are scheduled for January 30th, 2005, but there are severe questions about the possibility of free and fair elections in all areas of Iraq.
__________________
I don't see much truth in that accounting.

[BiggJawn]

17. I wonder if Rieckhoff is a "Pioneer"?

He WOULD have to be making some major coin off of somebody to maintain his Manhattan presence AND change carreers from Wall Street.

"Jack-Off, this is Dubya..."
"Yes Sir?"
"I wantchu to quit yer trading job and head up this little operation Dick and Karl put together. Karl will call you with the details later, an' don't worry aboutcher income, the RNC will cover it..."
"Thank you Sir! Pleasure to serve, SIR!"

[unhappycamper]

15. We slowed them down a bit in Boston

http://boston.indymedia.org/feature/display/34004/index.php

[clem_c_rock]

18. Funny - I was there and many speakers offered solutions

And they were all quite reasonable.

The solutions offered by soldiers that had fought in this invasion were to get out now as our occupation, they feel IS THE PROBLEM.

Next step they suggested is to provide Iraqis every bit of humanitarian and structural assistance they need. You need 3 million for this building, here's 3 million. You need electricity up in your city, here's the money, the engineers and a giant mass of US troops to protect them and their work. No troops in the country for anything else.

Our country did not really enter the status of a true democracy until the 60's when we finally gave every citizen the right to vote. That means it took us well over 200 years to build our democracy - that was only 40 years ago. W/in that time we had 400 years of slavery, our own civil war.

We were given the time to grow up and come of age and the rest of the world allowed us to do so. Our country was founded from an insurgency against the British occupiers. We may have to be patient an allow other countries to do the same. Less than 50 years as a true democracy (highly debatable now as the last 2 elections were fucking stolen) does not provide us enough status to walk around telling others to get theirs immediately or else.