Vets Demand End to Occupation

By MIKE FERNER

Boston.

As military veterans wrangle over whom to support for president, one veterans’ organization has fired a shot across the bow of whoever will occupy the White House next year.

Over 400 Veterans for Peace (VFP) members gathered last weekend in Boston for the organization’s annual convention, hearing from Daniel Ellsberg, historian Howard Zinn, former UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter, members of Military Families Speak Out, and the newly-formed Iraq Veterans Against the War. They also passed a resolution in the form of a memo titled “To White House Occupant After Jan. 20, 2005,” demanding

“[T]hat the next U.S. president announce, within 10 days of taking office, that he will withdraw all U.S. troops from Iraq within 60 days, and that if this 10-day period following the inauguration passes without a publicly-announced decision to withdraw all troops from Iraq within 60 days, Veterans for Peace chapters around the nation will begin a campaign including, but not limited to, petitions calling for the impeachment of the president.”

Larry Holdaway, an artist and photographer, created this chilling composite by combining the portraits of every American soldier killed in Iraq from March 2003 to September 2004.

Larry writes: “This is the face of America’s sacrifice, the face of more than a thousand families’ pain. Do you recognize it?

You can view more of Larry’s work at bluestarfolly.com

Shortly before being detained, the protester, Milan Rai, said: “Today is a day of fear for the people of Fallujah. They need our active solidarity.”

PRESS RELEASE Wednesday 3 November 2004

An anti-war protester has been arrested outside the Foreign Office in Whitehall in a dramatic visual protest against the imminent attacks on Fallujah.

After climbing onto the side of the Foreign Office building next to the gates of Downing Street, the protestor stencilled “Don’t Attack Fallujah, Black Watch Out” onto the wall and splashed it with fake blood.

He was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage.

Shortly before being detained, the protester, Milan Rai, said:

“Today is a day of fear for the people of Fallujah. They need our active solidarity.”