Matthew Chiroux continues resisting Bush's illegal wars

Hi folks,

Just passing on the press release for my hearing with the Army this Tuesday. If you are or know any journalists or bloggers, independent or otherwise, please pass this release on and help spread the message that just because Obama's in the whitehouse doesn't mean G.I. Resistence to our illegal wars is going to stop!

Peace and Solidarity,

Matthis Chiroux

matthisresists.us

For Immediate Release

(ST. LOUIS, MO) The U.S. Army will hear the case of Sgt. Matthis Chiroux, an Individual Ready Reservist who last summer publicly refused activation and deployment orders to Iraq, on April 21 at 1 Reserve Way in Overland, St. Louis, MO, at 9 a.m.

Chiroux, a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War, refused to participate in what he described as "an illegal and immoral occupation" May 15th, 2008, in Washington D.C., after nine other veterans testified to Members of the U.S. Congress about atrocities they experienced during deployments to Iraq. Chiroux also vowed to remain public in the U.S. to defend himself from any charges brought against him by the military. (see matthisresists.us for a record of that speech and others by Chiroux)

"My resistance as a noncommissioned officer to this abhorrent occupation is just as legitimate now as it was last year," said Chiroux, adding, "Soldiers have a duty to adhere to the international laws of war described as supreme in Art. 6 Para. 2 of the U.S. Constitution, which we swear to abide by before the orders of any superior, including our former or current president."

Following Chiroux's refusal to deploy, the military did not contact him until after he and 10 other IVAW members marched on the final presidential debate Oct. 15, 2008, in Hempstead, N.Y. demanding to question then Senators Obama and McCain regarding their war policies and plans to care for returning veterans. After the veterans were brutalized and arrested by police, (one suffered a fractured skull and is currently suing the police for damages) the Army charged Chiroux with "misconduct" for refusing to deploy, announcing their intentions to discharge him from the reserves as a result.

"I go now to St. Louis to honor my promises and convictions," said Chiroux. "Obama or No-Bama, the military must cease prosecuting Soldiers of conscience, and we will demonstrate to them why."

Following the hearing, Chiroux and other IVAW members will testify about their military experiences which led them all to resist in different capacities the U.S.'s Overseas Contingency Operation (formerly the Global War on Terror).

For more information, see matthisresists.us and ivaw.org.

Shoe throwing update-join in the protests.

Rumours of a letter from Muntadar to the president of Iraq, requesting his forgiveness, exemplify the Iraqi justice system under US control. Muntadar has held a telephone conversation with his lawyer, in which he mentioned no letter, and he has not been seen by his family and friends.

He met with an 'interrogating judge' without representation and was denied bail. This is justice, US style.

Protest spreads!

This week a protestor hurled his shoe at the head of the New York subway system after he threatened to increase fares. Iraqis pelted US soldiers with shoes, and American anti-war activists sent rancid footwear to Bush for Christmas.

Come today to show solidarity with shoe protestors everywhere! 1pm, US Embassy, Grosvenor Square, London.

George Bush learns that there's no shoes like good shoes

In the end all it took was a well-aimed shoe. US president George Bush faced his final humiliation when an Iraqi journalist pelted him with his size 10s during the president’s “farewell trip” to the country he destroyed.

Bush was addressing a press conference in Baghdad on the achievements of the occupation when journalist Muntadar al-Zaidi shouted, “This is a farewell kiss, you dog! This is for the widows and orphans and all those killed in Iraq.”

He took off his shoes and hurled them at the US president. Bush was visibly shaken and tried to make light of the incident while the Iraqi president made whimpering noises of apology. But the damage was done.

Muntadar, who remains in custody, is being hailed as a hero in the Arab world and beyond. And in this season of goodwill, Socialist Worker would like to pass on a special message to him: Thank you, Muntadar—you have made millions of people very happy.

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Protest against the arrest of shoe-throwing Muntadar Al-Zaidi

Protest against the arrest of shoe-throwing Muntadar Al-Zaidi

Called by: Stop the War Coalition


Date: 19 December 2008
Time: 13:00 - 14:00
Location: US Embassy
Grosvenor Square
London, United Kingdom

Media Workers Against the War, and the International Federation of Journalists have called for the immediate release of Muntadar Al-Zaidi, the journalist who hurled his shoes at George Bush in protest at his bloody occupation. Al-Zaidi has not been seen since he was arrested. The BBC reports he has been severely beaten.

The swift incarceration of this journalist contrasts sharply with the treatment of war criminals Bush and Blair. Their decision to go to war in 2003 has led to the deaths of up to a million Iraqi civilians.

Muntadar Zaidi's life is now in great danger. Not even his family know his whereabouts. We must speak out for the right of Iraqis to protest this criminal occupation.

Supported by Media Workers Against the War, Iraqi Democrats Against the Occupation and Stop the War Coalition.

All welcome, please forward widely.

Play the 'Throw a Shoe at Bush' game HERE-hilarious...

Play the 'Throw the Shoe at Bush' game HERE...

And another slightly harder one HERE...

And a brilliant Norwegian one HERE...



Protest against the arrest of shoe-throwing Muntadar Al-Zaidi

Called by: Stop the War Coalition


Date: 19 December 2008
Time: 13:00 - 14:00
Location: US Embassy
Grosvenor Square
London, United Kingdom

Media Workers Against the War, and the International Federation of Journalists have called for the immediate release of Muntadar Al-Zaidi, the journalist who hurled his shoes at George Bush in protest at his bloody occupation. Al-Zaidi has not been seen since he was arrested. The BBC reports he has been severely beaten.

The swift incarceration of this journalist contrasts sharply with the treatment of war criminals Bush and Blair. Their decision to go to war in 2003 has led to the deaths of up to a million Iraqi civilians.

Muntadar Zaidi's life is now in great danger. Not even his family know his whereabouts. We must speak out for the right of Iraqis to protest this criminal occupation.

Supported by Media Workers Against the War, Iraqi Democrats Against the Occupation and Stop the War Coalition.

All welcome, please forward widely.

Angry Iraqi throws shoes at President Bush in Baghdad

Pakistan - the beginning of a long expected spillover

If one had asked anti-war activists, socialists and sympathizers of the left which country were to be the next target of Bush’s ‘war on terror’ Iran would have probably been the answer a year ago. But as even journalists in the mainstream media were preparing for an attack on Iran the events of the last few weeks appear to come out of nowhere.

As Pakistan has been co-operating with the Bush regime since the beginning of the war on terror it seemed remote that it now would be facing an American invasion. And indeed, it is unprecedented that the USA is moving into an allied country.

Read the full arcticle at Comrade Mark's blog here

Bush, No! Mad Cow

Even the London Shite, oops I mean Lite, reported this story.

London Lite noun ; one of the many crap, target obsessed, free papers; the bosses of which force their underpaid employees to thrust this nonsense in your face whilst trying to negotiate the packed streets and public transport at rush hour. Entitled London Lite because it is totally light of anything interesting or useful (usually). See also London Paper, Metro, Girl About Town etc etc. See Facebook group: No, I do not want a free London Lite/London Paper. Fuck off

Thousands of protesters greeted George Bush on his arrival in Seoul, South Korea, on Tuesday of this week.

Twenty thousand police were deployed to protect the US president from demonstrators.

The protesters are angry over the South Korean government’s decision to resume beef imports from the US – despite fears the beef may be contaminated with BSE (mad cow disease).

Over a million people have marched against the imports.

The protest was also over Bush’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and continuing threats to attack Iran.

President Lee-Myung bak described the alliance with the US as “the backbone of South Korean diplomacy”.

South Korea has committed troops to Iraq and Bush will try to persuade Lee to send greater numbers to Afghanistan to help deal with the growing resistance to the occupation there.

“Obviously we’d like to see a greater role for South Koreans in Afghanistan, if the South Korean people are willing to move in that direction,” Dennis Wilder, the National Security Council’s senior director for Asian affairs, told reporters on Air Force One.

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Police attack anti-Bush protestors

Written by Stewart office

Archived from from Tuesday, 17 June 2008

The ban on the demonstration down Whitehall to protest the visit of war criminal George Bush was enforced with violence by the Metropolitan police. My best friend Suzanna Wylie "sustained a bloody head wound in the melee" according to the Guardian paper. "I'm angry that the police have treated us like we are rioting, and we're not," she said. "I've been on lots of demonstrations before, and every one of the Stop the War demonstrations have been peaceful; this time because Bush is here, because of his own security arrangements, they won't let us demonstrate. "If they let us demonstrate, there would have been none of this." Stop the War Coalition, one of the organisers, added that "this was very predictable. If they had allowed us to deliver our letters of protest to Downing Street, as we had asked, none of this would have happened." Two protestors were hospitalised by baton weilding police. Stop the War Coalition have organised over 20 national protests all of which have been peaceful. We have written a letter of protest to the Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith. GeorgeGalloway MP, a vice president of the Stop the War Coalition, has also written a letter of protest to the Commissioner of Police, Sir Ian Blair. Images of the demo can be found here and here. Police Brutality Two protestors were hospitalised after police batoned those who approached the security fence around the protest free 'green zone'. The image below shows one hospitalised protestor being pulled towards the police before being struck on the head and back. Civil liberties another casualty of war Prominent supporters of Stop the War Coalition condemned police violence. Human rights campaigner Bianca Jagger said, “Our civil liberties are becoming another casualty of the ‘war on terror’. I was born in a dictatorship and look with great concern at recent erosions of our liberties. At the demonstration today all I wanted to do with others was to peacefully deliver my letter to the Prime Minister. I was prevented from doing so and instead witnessed brutality towards the demonstrators.” Andrew Murray, Chair of StWC, said, “We condemn the decision of the British government and police to deny the British public the right to peacefully demonstrate while acting on behalf of the criminal administration in the USA. We also denounce the brutal conduct of many police officers towards demonstrators in Whitehall. This evening’s events highlight both the growing menace to freedoms in Britain and also the fear that George W Bush and Gordon Brown have of being held to account for their disastrous war policies.” More Media Reports BBC VIDEO: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7455206.stm GUARDIAN: http://tinyurl.com/4nl4uq EVENING STANDARD: http://tinyurl.com/6nbtw7