VERSE AND VOICE FROM SOJOURNERS 26JAN26

Forward this email to someone you know who would like it! Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here to receive this newsletter in your inbox every weekday. Verse of the day And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching. - Hebrews 10:24-25 Voice of the day Working for social change, to me, means to make visible in time and place that which has already been accomplished in principle by God Himself. This makes it possible to struggle for a better world not out of frustration, resentment, anger or self-righteousness but out of care, love, forgiveness and gratitude. - Henri Nouwen Prayer of the day God who acts under the mantle of care, may your presence be revealed through our conviction to love and serve the world. Advertisement Our Latest Stories The Death Cult in ‘The Bone Temple’ Is Scary. Our Real One Is Worse (by Josiah Daniels) It’s not the Satanists pushing to end empathy. The ultimate question, especially for Christians, is whether we can come up with better stories before it’s too late. Read more FBI Arrests Leaders of Protest Inside Minnesota Church (by Mitchell Atencio) Protesters had demonstrated against Cities Church in St. Paul, where a vocational minister also works as acting director of the ICE St. Paul field office. Read more The Cowardice at the Heart of the Trump Administration (by Tyler Huckabee) One year into Trump's second term, Christians need to get serious about bravery. Unlike any of its parodies, real courage is rooted in love. Read more Faith Groups Plan for Major ICE Protests in Minneapolis (by Bekah McNeel) “We are all exhausted and traumatized,” said Rev. Rebecca Voelkel. “At the same time, the pro-queer, multi-faith resistance here is nothing short of miraculous.” Read more Advertisements Become an Agent of Change Connect theory, analysis, reflection, and practice in the Master of Peace and Conflict Studies – a course-based professional degree. Prepare to advance nonviolent peacebuilding and community-led change by identifying and transforming systems of violence, marginalization, and oppression locally and globally. Conrad Grebel University College, University of Waterloo. Apply by February 1. Rest that Your Soul Has Been Craving The new book Light for the Way brings together 50 years of wisdom from Sojourners magazine on how contemplation, rest, and community fuel justice work. With voices like Julia Alvarez, Walter Brueggemann, and Richard Rohr, this is your guide to sustaining prophetic resistance. Donate Subscribe Copyright © 2026 Sojourners. All rights reserved. Email: sojourners@sojo.net | Tel.: 202.328.8842

Chicago anti-NATO march, People's Summit - Free Bradley! & CHICAGO MUSIC VIDEO 9MAI12

CHICAGO....so much history of social movements that have changed the world, from union organizing to civil rights to ending the war in Vietnam. And now another chance to change the world again, to add momentum to end the war in Afghanistan and for the freedom of Bradley Manning. From Courage to Resist, and check out the video of 'Chicago'.....

Join the Bradley Manning contingent in Chicago anti-NATO Summit march Join us in Chicago as we say "Free Bradley Manning!" and "No to NATO's war and poverty agenda!" Sunday, May 20, 2012 Grant Park, Chicago IL At the invitation of the White House, military and civilian representatives of the 28-nation US-commanded and largely US-financed North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are meeting in Chicago, May 20-21, 2012. This is the same military apparatus responsible for waging over 10 years of unjust and illegal wars in our names, committing war crimes exposed by the WikiLeaks revelations, and persecuting one of the most influential whistle blowers of our generation, Bradley Manning. The "Free Bradley Manning" contingent will meet in Chicago IL, at the south entrance of Butler Field in Grant Park, (which is on E Jackson dr, between S Lake Shore dr and S Columbus dr) at 11:00am for the rally and march to McCormick Place on Sunday, May 20, 2012. Look for the massive black and white Free Bradley Manning banner. Please RVSP: via Facebook / on the web / email: michael@couragetoresist.org / 510-488-3559 Bradley Manning workshop @ The People's Summit Saturday, May 12, 2012 Occupy Chicago HQ, Chicago IL Courage to Resist and the Bradley Manning Support Network will also be participating in a panel workshop at the People's Summit May 12-13, 2012, at Occupy Chicago’s headquarters at 500 W Cermak Rd. We will be discussing Bradley Manning & GI resistance in relation to other political prisoners, the prison industry, and U.S. military intervention and world dominance. The panel is scheduled for Saturday, May 12, in workshop block 2 from 2:15-3:45pm. For more info, contact Michael at michael@couragetoresist.org In stark contrast to NATO’s pursuit of war and militarism, the People's Summit is grassroots and open to the public, and entry is free of charge. The event is of, by, and for the 99 percent to discuss our own vision of the kind of world we want to live in. www.peoplessummitchicago.org

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by Graham Nash
So your brother's bound and gagged
And they've chained him to a chair
Won't you please come to chicago just to sing
In a land that's known as freedom how can such a thing be fair
won't you please come to chicago for the help that we can bring
We can change the world rearrange the world
It's dying - to get better
Politicians sit yourselves down, there's nothing for you here
won't you please come to chicago for a ride
don't ask jack to help you `cause he'll turn the other ear
won't you please come to chicago or else join the other side
We can change the world rearrange the world
it's dying - if you believe in justice
dying - and if you believe in freedom
dying - let a man live his own life
dying - rules and regulations, who needs them open up the door
Somehow people must be free I hope the day comes soon
won't you please come to chicago show your face
From the bottom of the ocean to the mountains of the moon
won't you please come to chicago no one else can take your place
We can change the world rearrange the world
It's dying - if you believe in justice
dying - and if you believe in freedom
dying - let a man live his own life
dying - rules and regulations, who needs them open up the door
Drums & Tambourine: Johnny Barbata
Bass: Chris Ethridge
Acoustic Guitar, Piano, Organ & Tambourine: Graham Nash
Whiskers: Larry Cox
Lead Vocal: Graham Nash
Background Vocals: Rita Coolidge, Vanetta Fields, Shirley Matthews, Clydie King & Dorothy Morrison

Exclusive: Peace group tried to scrub involvement with soldier linked to Ft. Hood plot 28JUL11

I have posted information on my blog about Pfc Nassar Abdo and his issues concerning his conscientious objector status and the war in Afghanistan. I got my information from Courage to resist and IVAW. I am not blaming them for what I posted on my site. I posted the information because I believe what these groups believe, that conscientious objectors do have the right to refuse to participate in military combat, including positions that actively support military combat because of their beliefs. In spite of the deception of Pfc Abdo, in spite of his involvement in child porn and in spite of his plans to attack and kill soldiers, a plan so hypocritical of someone who claims to be a conscientious objector, I STILL BELIEVE there are good men and women out there, people of character and strong convictions, who can not participate in military combat because of their beliefs. It is because of these people that I will still, in good faith, work to protect their right to C.O. status. From The Raw Story....

Pfc. Nasser Abdo, the 21-year-old soldier arrested Thursday in connection with an alleged plot to attack Fort Hood, had ties to a number of prominent anti-war organizations, including Iraq Veterans Against the War and Courage to Resist, Raw Story can confirm.
Abdo, who went AWOL from duty over the July 4 weekend after being charged with possession of child pornography, was an applicant for conscientious objector (CO) status, supported by the Oakland-based GI rights group Courage to Resist. In turn, his efforts to resist deployment were supported by Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW), one of the best-known anti-war groups in the nation.
He was arrested Thursday outside Fort Hood, in Killeen, Texas, after police received a tip informing them that Abdo had purchased firearms with cash, from the same gun store that Major Nidal Hasan visited before murdering 13 of his fellow soldiers in 2009.
In the wake of Abdo's arrest, Courage to Resist removed a page on their website that detailed Abdo's plight, but it was preserved through Google cache. Reached by Raw Story, Jeff Paterson, the group's project director, acknowledged that they had tried to cover up their involvement with the soldier and said they would be issuing a statement in the coming hours.
He added that his impression of Abdo was a young man with "mental health issues" who was "very difficult to work with."
"I worked with him last August, in order to help formulate his application as a conscientious objector, then we helped formulate his legal appeals for the objector process," Paterson said. "Then he got hit with pornography charges on his laptop, at which point we told him that we would help him through the resolution of his objection issues, but he would have to find himself legal defense separate for these criminal matters."
"We're shocked [at Abdo's arrest]," Paterson said. "I believe he had some significant mental health issues that became apparent as we worked with him. He had a particular version of Islam that was certainly ... He was disrespectful to women. These were the kinds of issues we argued over late last year. It's not a religious thing, it's a matter of human decency."
"He was a very difficult young man to work with. Our statement is that we hope people don't think of conscientious objectors as homicidal."
IVAW, similarly, admitted to Raw Story that they also worked with Abdo, but a spokesperson who asked not to be named said they absolutely condemn his alleged actions.
"We have worked with him in the past, but he was not ever a member of this organization," the spokesperson said. "We have had three interactions with him in the past: We supported his application as a conscientious objector; we publicized a statement by him condemning Islamophobia; and finally, he lended his support to our 'Operation Recovery' campaign last Veteran's Day. Besides that, we do not have a concrete link with him.
"IVAW is committed to nonviolence. We do not condone any sort of violence against the military or any individual."
The spokesperson added that they had no comment about Abdo's mental health.
"We support conscientious objection, so he was someone who was brought onto our radar because of that."
Abdo was the first Muslim soldier to seek CO status due to his faith. In televised interviews, he claimed that his beliefs would not permit him to kill other Muslims.
In spite of this claim, the American Islamic Forum for Democracy said last year that he should not be granted CO status and instead face a military tribunal for refusing to deploy to Afghanistan.
A message left for Abdo's attorney went unreturned.

Bradley Manning Supporters Rally at Quantico; 30k Petitions Protesting Inhumane Conditions to be Delivered 20JAN11

FROM COURAGE TO RESIST, an update on the campaign to free Bradley Manning, including a petition drive I hope you will participate in by signing, click the link...... and a piece from a former Marine commander of Quantico.......

show details 18:43 (6 hours ago)

Bradley Manning supporters rally at Quantico; 30k petitions protesting inhumane conditions to be delivered Great video of the Quantico action highlights by David Swanson. Click on images below for larger version of photos by Bill Perry. Quantico, Virginia (January 17, 2011) - Over 150 concerned citizens risked arrest today at the gates to the Marine Corps base at Quantico in order to protest the inhumane conditions that accused WikiLeaks whistle-blower Army Pfc. Bradley Manning has been held in for seven months and counting. Supporters marched towards the base front gate chanting "Free Bradley Manning!," approximately a mile from the brig where Bradley has been held in solitary confinement for the last five months, before being stopped by Marine MP's. CodePink activists had collected a care package for Bradley that included a blanket, a Snuggie, cookies, books and music. Unfortunately and unsurprisingly, it was rejected by the Marines. Earlier in the day, many of these activists rallied outside FBI Headquarters in Washington DC to protest the September raids on anti-war organizers in Chicago and Minneapolis. These actions were organized by a wide range of organizations, including: the Defending Dissent Foundation, WarIsACrime.org, Bradley Manning Support Network, DC Bill of Right Coalition, Progressive Democrats of America, World Can't Wait, DC National Lawyers Guild, CodePink, Peace Action, United for Peace and Justice, Witness Against Torture, Backbone Campaign, Courage to Resist, and others. Also, photos of recent rallies in support for Bradley Manning in Oklahoma City, Santa Cruz, and San Francisco. Meanwhile, the website Firedoglake.com will be delivering over 30,000 petition signatures this weekend to Quantico urging that Bradley Manning be treated humanely. There is still time to add your name today here. Former Quantico commander objects to Manning treatment From David C. MacMichael to the Commandant of the Marine Corps, General James F. Amos. January 19, 2011 As a former regular Marine Corps captain, a Korean War combat veteran, now retired on Veterans Administration disability due to wounds suffered during that conflict, I write you to protest and express concern about the confinement in the Quantico Marine Corps Base brig of US Army Pfc. Bradley Manning...I urge you to use your authority to make the conditions of Pfc. Manning's confinement less extreme. Read more... Act to end the inhumane treatment of Bradley Manning We need your help in pressing the following demands: End the inhumane, degrading conditions of pre-trial confinement and respect Bradley's human rights. Specifically, lift the "Prevention of Injury (POI) watch order". This would allow Bradley meaningful physical exercise, uninterrupted sleep during the night, and a release from isolation. We are not asking for "special treatment". In fact, we are demanding an immediate end to the special treatment. Quantico Base Commander; Colonel Daniel Choike; 3250 Catlin Avenue, Quantico VA 22134; +1-703-432-0289 (Media Officer phone) Quantico Brig Commanding Officer; CWO4 James Averhart; 3247 Elrod Avenue, Quantico VA 22134 New highlighted articles Courage to Resist and Bradley Manning Interview with Jeff Paterson. January 18, 2011 Dr. King and Manning show way to revolution of values By Margaret Flowers, MD. January 18, 2011 Manning walking in the footsteps of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. By Kevin Zeese, Voters for Peace. January 18, 2011 How Is Bradley Manning really being treated? By David Swanson, WarIsACrime.org. January 15, 2011 From last week Bradley Manning speaks about his conditions (firedoglake.com) By David House. December 23, 2010 Psychologists for Social Responsibility issue open letter regarding Manning confinement Released January 4, 2011 Updates from the legal team: Speedy trial, confinement conditions update, and motion to dismiss By Bradley's lead attorney David Coombs. January 13, 2011 Bradley Manning and the rule of law By Kevin Zeese, executive director of Voters for Peace. January 11, 2011 WikiLeaks fulfills pledge to support Bradley Manning By the Bradley Manning Support Network. January 13, 2011 Information regarding donating to Bradley's defense Please click here to forward this to a friend who might also be interested in supporting GI resisters.

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Urgent Action Alert: Help end the inhumane treatment of Bradley Manning 22DEZ10

IN the spirit of Christmas please sign the stand with Bradly manning by clicking the link below and also send Bradley a Christmas card or a letter just to let him know he is not forgotten and that you support him! Ckick the header to go to the website for contact information and ways to support Bradley Manning, an American HERO!

Help end the inhumane treatment of Bradley Manning! Bradley Manning Support Network. December 22, 2010 The Marine Brig at Quantico, Virginia is using “injury prevention” as a vehicle to inflict extreme pre-trial punishment on accused Wikileaks whistleblower Army PFC Bradley Manning (photo right). These “maximum conditions” are not unheard-of during an inmate’s first week at a military confinement facility, but when applied continuously for months and with no end in sight they amount to a form of torture. Bradley, who just turned 23-years-old last week, has been held in solitary confinement since his arrest in late May. We’re now turning to Bradley’s supporters worldwide to directly protest, and help bring a halt to, the extremely punitive conditions of Bradley’s pre-trial detention. We need your help in pressing the following demands: End the inhumane, degrading conditions of pre-trial confinement and respect Bradley’s human rights. Specifically, lift the “Prevention of Injury (POI) watch order”. This would allow Bradley meaningful physical exercise, uninterrupted sleep during the night, and a release from isolation. We are not asking for “special treatment”. In fact, we are demanding an immediate end to the special treatment. Quantico Base Commander Colonel Daniel Choike 3250 Catlin Ave, Quantico VA 22134 +1-703-784-2707 (phone) Quantico Brig Commanding Officer CWO4 James Averhart 3247 Elrod Ave, Quantico VA 22134 +1-703-784-4242 (fax) Background In the wake of an investigative report last week by Glenn Greenwald of Salon.com giving evidence that Bradley Manning was subject to “detention conditions likely to create long-term psychological injuries”, Bradley’s attorney, David Coombs, published an article at his website on Saturday entitled “A Typical Day for PFC Bradley Manning”. Mr. Coombs details the maximum custody conditions that Bradley is subject to at the Quantico Confinement Facility and highlights an additional set of restrictions imposed upon him under a Prevention of Injury (POI) watch order. Usually enforced only through a detainee’s first week at a confinement facility, or in cases of  violent and/or suicidal inmates, the standing POI order has severely limited Manning's access to exercise, daylight and human contact for the past five months. The military’s own psychologists assigned to Quantico have recommended that the POI order and the extra restrictions imposed on Bradley be lifted. Despite not having been convicted of any crime or even yet formally indicted, the confinement regime Bradley lives under includes pronounced social isolation and a complete lack of opportunities for meaningful exercise. Additionally, Bradley’s sleep is regularly interrupted. Coombs writes: “The guards are required to check on Manning every five minutes [...] At night, if the guards cannot see PFC Manning clearly, because he has a blanket over his head or is curled up towards the wall, they will wake him in order to ensure he is okay.” Denver Nicks writes in The Daily Beast that “[Bradley Manning’s] attorney […] says the extended isolation — now more than seven months of solitary confinement — is weighing on his client’s psyche. […] Both Coombs and Manning’s psychologist, Coombs says, are sure Manning is mentally healthy, that there is no evidence he’s a threat to himself, and shouldn’t be held in such severe conditions under the artifice of his own protection.” In an article to be published at Firedoglake.com later today, David House, a friend of Bradley’s who visits him regularly at Quantico, says that Bradley “has not been outside or into the brig yard for either recreation or exercise in four full weeks. He related that visits to the outdoors have been infrequent and sporadic for the past several months.” In an average military court martial situation, a defense attorney would be able to bring these issues of pre-trial punishment to the military judge assigned to the case (known as an Article 13 hearing). However, the military is unlikely to assign a judge to Bradley’s case until the pre-trial Article 32 hearing is held (similar to an arraignment in civilian court), and that is not expected until February, March, or later—followed by the actual court martial trial months after that. In short, you are Bradley’s best and most immediate hope. What can you do? Contact the Marine Corps officers above and respectfully, but firmly, ask that they lift the extreme pre-trial confinement conditions against Army PFC Bradley Manning. Forward this urgent appeal for action widely. Sign the “Stand with Brad” public petition and letter campaign at www.standwithbrad.org – Sign online, and we’ll mail out two letters on your behalf to Army officials. Donate to Bradley’s defense fund at www.couragetoresist.org/bradley References: “The inhumane conditions of Bradley Manning’s detention”, by Glenn Greenwald for Salon.com, 15 December 2010 “A Typical Day for PFC Bradley Manning”, by attorney David E. Coombs, 18 December 2010 “Bradley Manning’s Life Behind Bars”, by Denver Nicks for the Daily Beast, 17 December 2010 Bradley Manning Support Network

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COURAGE TO RESIST E MAIL NEWSLETTER 8NOV10

ARTICLES AND UPDATES on PTSD, TBI, conscientious objectors, Bradley Manning, Jeff Hanks, and Naser Abdo.

PTSD Soldier refusing deployment "I am just trying to get help," insists Jeff Hanks, US Army infantryman who has served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is expected to surrender to the Army next week. Bradley Manning legal overview We expect the pre-trial hearing of accused Wikileaks whistle-blower Bradley Manning to take place early 2011, followed by trial about four months later. Naser Abdo, Muslim peacemaker On the anniversary of the shooting at Fort Hood, Naser Abdo, a Muslim servicemember seeking Conscientious Objector status based on the principles of Islam tells the missing story of Muslim peacemaking. SF Bay Area event: Mailing / pizza party this Wednesday Help Courage to Resist mail our tri-annual newsletter and fund appeal to supporters around the world. Join us at 55 Santa Clara Ave, Oakland CA 94610 this Wednesday evening, November 10, from 5pm-10pm. AWOL Soldier Jeff Hanks refusing deployment due to PTSD Please consider a donation to Jeff's defense fund hosted by Courage to Resist. Est. need is approx. $1,500. By Sarah Lazare, Truthout. November 5, 2010 "I am just trying to get help," insisted Jeff Hanks (photo right), active duty US Army infantryman, who has served in Iraq and Afghanistan. "My goal in this situation is to simply heal. And they wonder why there are so many suicides." Jeff spoke rapidly over the phone from Virginia, where he, his wife and his two young daughters are staying while he is AWOL from the military. Days earlier, Jeff had walked out of an airport, refusing to board a plane headed for Kuwait, which was to be his first stop on his way back to Afghanistan. During his mid-September leave from his second combat tour with the 101st Airborne Division, Jeff sought help from Fort Bragg and Fort Campbell military doctors for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and physical wounds sustained in battle. Yet, just as his treatment was getting started, his command interfered, insisting that his military health care providers grant him clearance for immediate deployment. His providers acquiesced, even though they had not completed preliminary testing. Jeff, who has trouble being in large crowds of people and difficulty controlling his anger, says he is in no state to deploy back to the war from which he is still struggling to heal. The 30 year-old soldier decided that his only choice was to go AWOL. Jeff plans to turn himself into his command at Fort Campbell on Veterans Day, November 11. He will be accompanied by supporters, including members of Iraq Veterans Against the War. Read more... Bradley Manning legal update and overview We expect the pre-trial hearing of accused Wikileaks whistle-blower Bradley Manning to take place early 2011, followed by trial about four months later. Both hearings should be open to the public and media in the Washington DC area. Supporters will be encouraged to attend. - Courage to Resist By David Coombs, attorney for Bradley Manning. November 1, 2010 I. The Military Process: The basic structure of the military process is similar to any criminal trial in a civilian court. Once allegations are made, the government begins to investigate the alleged crime. The government’s investigators are usually either Military Police Investigators (MPI) or Criminal Investigation Division (CID) officers. These individuals interview the key witnesses, secure all available evidence, and create a report that details the nature of their investigation. Based upon the investigation by MPI or CID, the government prosecutor (Trial Counsel) then discusses the case with the soldier’s chain of command. The trial counsel will typically recommend to the command the possible charges that could be preferred against the individual soldier and discuss the likelihood of success at trial. II. Charges have been Preferred: Once charges are preferred against a soldier, each level in the chain of command will make a recommendation as to what level of court-martial should hear the soldier’s case. The command can recommend a Summary Court-Martial, a Bad Conduct Discharge Court-Martial, or a General Court-Martial. Each level of court-martial has different maximum punishments that it is authorized to impose. If the charges against a soldier are serious, such as in this case, then they will be most likely be heard by a General Court-Martial. In any case where the command has recommended trial by General Court-Martial, the Brigade Commander will direct that the case be first investigated by an Article 32 Investigating Officer. Read more... Naser Abdo: The missing story of Muslim peacemaking On the one-year anniversary of the shooting at Fort Hood, TX, Naser Abdo (photo right), a Muslim servicemember seeking Conscientious Objector status based on the principles of Islam tells the missing story of Muslim peacemaking. Please consider a donation to Naser's defense fund hosted by Courage to Resist. By Kimber Heinz, War Resisters League. November 5, 2010 Today, November 5, 2010, marks the one-year anniversary of the Fort Hood shooting, in which former Army psychiatrist Major Nadal Halik Hasan shot and killed 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas, wounding 42 others. As U.S. servicemembers and the families of the victims of this shooting grieved for those who were killed and Americans mourned the loss of life, reports on these crimes riveted the mainstream media. The shootings were certainly newsworthy. The problem is that almost the only time Muslims are featured in the U.S. news media is when a Muslim engages in an act of violence. A one-sided focus on violence committed by some Muslims fuels the racist narrative that “Islam is a religion of violence"—which underwrites the so-called “Global War on Terror.” In spite of ongoing efforts by many in the Muslim religious community and Muslim-American organizations, the long and vital history of Muslim peacemaking has been lost in the avalanche of reports on Muslims where the mainstream media connects them only with violent extremism. The lack of acknowledgment and recognition in the U.S. of Muslim peacemakers continues to have grave effects on Muslims all over the world as well as those at home in the U.S. Additionally, the ongoing hyper-focus by the U.S. state and mainstream media on Islamic militants to the exclusion of those Muslims whose peacemaking efforts oppose militarism of all kinds continues to prop up and justify ongoing U.S.-backed military occupations, including those of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Palestine. Private First Class Naser Abdo, a 20-year-old Muslim servicemember currently serving in the U.S. Army and seeking Conscientious Objector (C.O.) status on the grounds of Islam, is a Muslim peacemaker. Read more... Please click here to forward this to a friend who might also be interested in supporting GI resisters.

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We stand with accused whistle-blower US Army Pfc. Bradley Manning from COURAGE TO RESIST 26OKT

JOIN the struggle for Bradley Manning's release from prison and against the continuing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and against the abuse, corruption, deception and manipulation of the American public and the world by the pentagon and the military-industrial complex! Click the header or the link below to sign the letters of support for Bradley Manning!

"We stand for truth, for government transparency, and for an end to our tax-dollars funding endless occupation abroad... We stand with accused whistle-blower US Army Pfc. Bradley Manning."

The Bradley Manning Support Network and Courage to Resist are launching a new campaign, and we wanted to give you a chance to be among the first to add your name to this international effort. If you sign the letter online, we’ll print out and mail two letters to Army officials on your behalf. With your permission, we may also use your name on the online petition and in upcoming media ads.

Read the complete public letter and add your name at:
http://standwithbrad.org/

	Stand with Bradley! A 22-year-old Army intelligence analyst, Pfc. Manning faces decades in prison for allegedly leaking a video of a US helicopter attack that killed at least eleven Iraqi civilians to the website Wikileaks. Among the dead were two working Reuters reporters. Two children were also severely wounded in the attack. In addition to this "Collateral Murder" video, Pfc. Manning is suspected of leaking the "Afghan War Diaries" – tens of thousands of battlefield reports that explicitly describe civilian deaths and cover-ups, corrupt officials, collusion with warlords, and a failing US/NATO war effort. "We only know these crimes took place because insiders blew the whistle at great personal risk ... Government whistleblowers are part of a healthy democracy and must be protected from reprisal," noted Barack Obama while on the campaign trail in 2008. While the President was referring to the Bush Administration's use of phone companies to illegally spy on Americans, Pfc. Manning's alleged actions are just as noteworthy. If the military charges against him are accurate, they show that he had a reasonable belief that war crimes were being covered up, and that he took action based on a crisis of conscience. After nearly a decade of war and occupation waged in our name, it is odd that it apparently fell on a young Army private to provide critical answers to the questions, "What have we purchased with well over a trillion tax dollars and the deaths of hundreds of thousands in Iraq and Afghanistan?” However, history is replete with unlikely heroes. If Bradley Manning is indeed the source of these materials, the nation owes him our gratitude. We ask Secretary of the Army, the Honorable John M. McHugh, and Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, General George W. Casey, Jr., to release Pfc. Manning from pre-trial confinement and drop the charges against him. Sincerely, Bradley Manning Support Network Advisory Board members: Medea Benjamin, co-founder of Code Pink: Women for Peace Dr. Marsha Coleman-Adebayo, board member for the National Whistleblower Center Daniel Ellsberg, Pentagon Papers whistle blower Kathleen Gilberd, co-chair of the Military Law Task Force of the National Lawyers Guild Ray McGovern, former CIA analyst and activist Michael Moore, documentary filmmaker Jose Vasquez, executive director of Iraq Veterans against the War US Army Colonel Ann Wright (ret.), former US State Department official Kevin Zeese, co-founder and executive director, Voters for Peace Bradley Manning Support Network Steering Committee members: Gerry Condon, national co-chair of the Veterans for Peace GI Resistance Working Group Mike Gogulski, founder of bradleymanning.org Jeff Paterson, project director of Courage to Resist Loraine Reitman, privacy advocate
			Add your name! I Stand with Bradley Your name (and title) as letter signer: We will mail these on your behalf and publish your name and title online. Postage donation required to use this form ($5 Suggested). $  Or, sign with no postage donation. Resources & info  Print petition, single signature  Print petition, three signatures  Donate to the defense fund  View Collateral Murder video  Shirts, stickers, buttons... Write a personal appeal  Hon. Mr. John M. McHugh  Secretary of the Army  101 Army Pentagon, Rm. 3E560  Washington DC 20310-0101  General George W. Casey, Jr.  Cheif of Staff of the Army  101 Army Pentagon, Rm. 3E672  Washington DC 20310-0200

COURAGE TO RESIST E MAIL NEWSLETTER 13OKT10

INFORMATION on actions and programs of Courage To Resist, with an intelligent explanation of why they are supporting the application of discharge as a conscientious objector by PFC Nasser Abdo. Also and update on Bradley Manning and Operation Recovery.

Support US Army Muslim objector Fort Bragg infantry soldier Nasser Abdo has applied for discharge as a conscientious objector based on his Muslim faith; however, his unit may attempt to deploy him anyway. Operation Recovery launched "Military commanders are pushing service members far past human limits for the sake of 'combat readiness.' There is a problem, a basic right is being denied, and we will organize to get it back," declares Iraq Veterans Against the War. Alliance for Global Justice We're now a program of the Alliance for Global Justice, a nonprofit 501(c)(3).This allows us to focus on our mission--and less on non-profit administrative paperwork. Free Bradley Manning Alleged Wikileaks whistle-blower Army PFC Bradley Manning remains at the center of our daily work. We'll be launching a public declaration and petition "We Stand with Brad!" soon. Check out "20+ Cities rally support for Bradley Manning" if you missed it. Support US Army Muslim objector Nasser Abdo By Courage to Resist October 12, 2010 Please consider a donation to Nasser's defense via Courage to Resist. We hope to raise at least $1,000 towards his civilian legal representation. Nasser faces deployment, and likely jail if he refuses. "To a soldier the association of terror and Islam serves the purpose of falsely justifying ones actions in combat by stripping Muslims of their humanity. The association of terror and Islam is what we now refer to as Islamaphobia, and furthermore that it is as if the US public is just recently following a trend that has been rampant in the military for years. Only when the military and America can disassociate Muslims with terror can we move onto a brighter future of the religious collaboration and dialogue that defines America and makes me proud to be an American.” --PFC Nasser Abdo As Chuck Fager, Director of Quaker House, Fayetteville, NC, explains in support of Nasser, “A Muslim soldier whose interpretation of his faith leads him to the conviction that he can’t participate in war deserves the same respect from the Army as does a Quaker, a Mennonite, or any other person following their conscience.” A handful of past Courage to Resist donors have expressed objections to our support of PFC Nasser Abdo. There are always a couple of folks that have problems with any particular objector and their reasons for refusing to fight or speak out. However, in Nasser's case, it's been far more than usual. For Courage to Resist, we help objectors tell their stories and support them when they come into conflict with the military as a result of reasons of conscience. For audio and video interviews with Nasser, visit www.freenasserabdo.org Operation Recovery launched to resist repeated deployments By Iraq Veterans Against the War October 7, 2010 Thousands of troops are being sent to war despite suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and Military Sexual Trauma (MST). Many of us within IVAW have faced or are currently facing deployment as we try to recover from the severe trauma we have already experienced. While we recognize that we must stop the deployment of all soldiers in order to end the occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan, we see the deployment of soldiers with PTSD, TBI, and MST as particularly cruel, inhumane, and dangerous. Military commanders across all branches are pushing service members far past human limits for the sake of 'combat readiness.' We cannot allow those commanders to continue to ignore the welfare of their troops who are, after all, human beings. Read more... Operation Recovery web page and resources Making the Pledge of Support Now a program of Alliance for Global Justice By Courage to Resist. October 12, 2010 Courage to Resist is now a program of the Alliance for Global Justice (AfGJ)! We would like to thank the International Humanities Center (IHC) for their fiscal sponsorship during the first five years of our collective. Like IHC, AfGJ is a nonprofit organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code. This relationship allows Courage to Resist to focus more on our mission of supporting the troops who refuse to fight--and less on the administrative paperwork required to keep a non-profit running. Like most fiscal sponsors, AfGJ hosts a number of projects. However, Courage to Resist is autonomous from and independent of any political organization, party, group, or other AfGJ-sponsored project. Read more... Please click here to forward this to a friend who might also be interested in supporting GI resisters.

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