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PRESS RELEASE
Twenty-one ex-soldiers from the British and American armed forces, plus Michael Lyons, the Royal Navy medic who is currentlly serving a jail service for refusing to train to go to fight in Afghanistan, in a war he believes to be unjust and immoral, have signed the declaration printed below, calling for an end to the "war on terror" and for all foreign troops to come home. (Full list below)
Ex-soldiers and members of military families who have lost loved ones or have relatives currently serving in Afghanistan, will lead a march from Trafalgar Square to Downing Street at 4.00pm, at the end of the Antiwar Assembly, to deliver the declartion to David Cameron
FINISHED WITH WAR: A SOLDIERS' DECLARATION
We are making this statement in defiance of the propaganda and lies that have supported the so-called ‘War on Terror’ for the last ten years. We believe that Siegfried Sassoon’s words of a century ago apply to the wars being prosecuted today against innocent people ‘…the war is being deliberately prolonged by those who have the power to end it…’
We are veterans, from the British and American Armed Forces, acting on behalf of soldiers and citizens at home. We know that these wars have nothing to do with democracy, security, women’s rights, peace or stability, they are fought for money and power, nothing else. Our comrade’s blood has lubricated the ambitions of a few. The goals could only have been achieved by negotiation and this remains the case.
We have seen and endured the suffering of the soldiers affected by these wars and, unlike those who send them to fight, we know these people at a human level. We have seen and regret the suffering of the innocent people in the countries involved. We are protesting against the conduct of the war and the reasons it was started by the United States and the United Kingdom. We object to the insincerity and imperialistic objectives, for which people continue to be sacrificed, displaced, tortured, imprisoned and wounded.
On behalf of those suffering now we make this protest against deception. It is our aim to destroy the myths and idea’s promoted at home that these wars are fought in the best interests of the people, or that they are in any way patriotic, meaningful and necessary for the interests of the great majority.
Ten years is long enough for a war that has nothing at all to do with terror, yet is carried out under that premise. At Nuremberg it was decided that ‘…no soldier can hide behind the mythical obligation to obedience at any cost…’ this applies precisely to the situation today. It should also apply to those who claim to represent us.
US MARINE CORPS: Chase Sydnor Victor Brizvela Ross Caputi
US ARMY: Mike Prysner
BRITISH ARMY Joe Glenton, Glenn Humphries Kris Graves Carl House Salman Mirza Kevin Murphy Dannie Ford Jason Thompson Chris Hearne Ginge Atherton James Farrell John Howarth David Lafferty Chris Carress Martin Kilgour
ROYAL NAVY: Micheal Lyons Kris Harvey
ROYAL MARINES: Les Gibbons |