» We join with over 760 people around the world who have signed an international petition in demanding that Mr. Mejia be immediately and unconditionally released. Read more

» Reported cases of sexual assault involving Army personnel increased by 19 percent from 1999 to 2002, with annual increases ranging from 2 percent to 13 percent. During the same period, the number of reported rapes increased by 25 percent. Read more

» Lord Morris set up independent inquiry into Gulf War Syndrome
An independent inquiry asking why veterans of the first Gulf war became ill was announced today. Read here
» RAF reservist Mohsin Khan refuses the Iraq war
Although it is possible for British troops to seek a discharge on the grounds of conscientious objection, "I never heard the words," Khan said. "People think I should have known about it, but there are officers who have been in the RAF for 20 years who don't know about it." Read his story here

From Neither Blood Nor Rape for Oil protest, 5 June 2004.
From left to right: Marcus from Veterans for Peace; Ron Kovic at the microphone, author of Born on the 4th of July; and Margaret Prescod from the Global Women's Strike.

» Amnesty International and Stephen Funk back Camilo Mejia
Amnesty International issued a statement demanding Camilo's immediate release. Stephen Funk, one of the first US refuseniks of the Iraq war, writes to support Camilo. (Read Stephen's story here).

» Camilo Mejia sentenced for one year is appealing, while a campaign to free him begins
Jailed for one year for desertion, Camilo will get a hearing on his application for conscientious objector. The outcome of that hearing, however, does not directly affect his prison sentence, although an approval might enhance his appeal prospects. Read here
» Write to Camilo and sign the petition 
Your support is vital. Action here

» Alex Izett's hunger strike continues
Read press release here 

» Camilo: Sign the international on line petition 
After three days on line, more than 425 people from all over the US, Canada, UK, Puerto Rico, China, Ecuador, Croatia, Australia etc. have already signed. Take a minute and sign here.
 

»  A former soldier, Alexander Izett, has gone on hunger strike in an attempt to secure a public inquiry into Gulf War Syndrome. Read here. 

  
Camilo Mejia and family

»  Maritza Castillo, Camilo's mother, speaks out
She says that her son has been "gagged" by the army, which has ignored his application for conscientious objector status and is instead charging him with desertion. Read here
» Strong defence witnesses 
UN weapons inspector Hans Blix, and former U.S. national security advisor Richard Clark will appear as defence witnesses for him. His lawyer, Louis Font, a conscientious objector during Vietnam war, is a leading expert on military codes. Witnesses will expose the illegality of the war in Iraq. Read here

» Aunt of US conscientious objector speaks out
Norma Castillo spoke on behalf of her nephew at a demonstration by military families outside Fort Bragg, North Carolina on 20 March. When he was in Iraq, he saw no weapons of mass destruction. He saw no chemical weapons. He saw no reconstruction. What he saw was innocent people being killed.
Read more here.
» Refusing to Kill events in London & Philly
On Friday 12 March, a packed room of over 80 people in London heard an unprecedented array of speakers determined, in the words of one, "to expose the horror of war while being uplifted in describing what they have done, and what we can do, against it". Read the report here and BBC report here. A packed and diverse crowd of 50 came to a similar event in Philadelphia on Saturday 6 March. Read here.  Leggi qui.

Demonstrators outside the U.S. Embassy in Managua, Nicaragua carry portraits of Camilo Mejia in support of the Nicaraguan native who refused to report to duty in Iraq.

» Another US conscientious objector makes a public stand 
Camilo Mejia turned himself in to the military authorities at Hanscom Air Force Base west of Boston and said he wanted to be considered a conscientious objector. Read here.
» Israeli Refuseniks meet in Chicago
This remarkable conference brought together 11 Israeli refuseniks representing various organizations (Yesh Gvul, Shministim, Parents Forum, New Profile, and Courage to Refuse) with the Refuser Solidarity Network (RSN) to discuss the next steps forward. Read here.

» Refusing to Kill meetings : great success 
Meetings organised by Payday in Philadelphia and London as part of the Global Women's Strike's week of events attracted very enthusiastic audiences. The meetings were an opportunity to make new connections between conscientious objectors and other refuseniks, military family members and veterans, from around the world. Full reports available next week on this page. Read Vietnam war veteran Ron Kovic's (Born on the Fourth of July) message of support here.
» Israeli Refuseniks - Conference in Chicago
First international conference of Israeli Refuseniks and supporters took place in Chicago on 13 and 14 March. Read about the aims of the Conference here. A member of Payday who attended the Conference will report next week.

Tiananmen Sq, Beijing 1989 - During the students' protest, a protester defied the tanks. It is now rumored that the tank commander who refused to run him over was later executed for his refusal.

  
from www.notinourname.net

» Whistle blower punished
An Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran says Army officials refused him medical treatment after he talked publicly about poor care at the base, which helped spark hearings in Congress. Read here

» The Five sent to different prisons 
The Five were sent separately to the Nizan (Ramle) jail, held in the 'Closed Branch', in cells built for 4 but containing 7 prisoners - some of whom sleep on the floor. They were allowed out of the cell for 1 hour in every 24. Later, two of them were sent in the north in prison Hermon-Tzalmon the other three in Maasiyhou prison in the city of Ramle. (28 February 2004) 

»   Troops accused on Iraq killings
One family was offered about $1,000 (£530) for the death of Waleed Fayayi Muzban. Lawyers said the sum was derisory, and are preparing to sue the MoD in civil courts in the UK to provide better compensation. Read here

»   10% of troops at hospital had mental problems
As many as 1 of every 10 soldiers from the war on terror evacuated to the Army's biggest hospital in Europe was sent there for mental problems. That means about 1,000 soldiers were evacuated for mental problems. Read here

 
Everything for the flag of liberty

A G.I. in Iraq

»  Stephen Funk is free!
After 5 months in jail, US Marine Stephen Funk was freed. Internationaly known refusenik of the Iraq war, his fight has established an important precedent. Many soldiers in Iraq for over a year could well consider few months in jail as a better alternative to hell and death. Read Stephen story here.

» Victory against depleted uranium
Former soldier won a landmark ruling, becoming the first veteran to win a war pension appeal after suffering Depleted Uranium (DU) poisoning. Read here.

  
from Schnews 

»  US women soldiers raped by fellow men soldiers
At least 37 female service members have sought sexual-trauma counseling and other assistance from civilian rape-crisis organizations after returning from war duty in Iraq, Kuwait and other overseas stations, following assaults from fellow American soldiers. Read here.

»  Read the whole report 
Betrayal in the ranks - the complete series
Extensive series about sexual abuse in the military -- the stories of 50 women.
source: Denver Post. January 15, 2004

» The Five: latest news
The Five refuseniks are preparing their appeal. Read here. Keep circulating their petition!

» Vanunu: Israeli nuclear whistle blower
Mordechai Vanunu, a former Israeli nuclear technician, is now serving the last year of an 18-year sentence in an Israeli prison for blowing the whistle on his government's secret nuclear weapons program.  Only 85 days until Mordechai Vanunu's release! Read his story here

 
Washington anti-war march 25 October 2003 

»  UK : Army widow holds Minister responsible
Mrs Roberts, whose husband Steven was shot dead after being ordered to hand back his flak jacket, also bitterly attacked the Government for failing to provide adequate protection for troops. Read here.

» Troops write to Michael Moore
I’m writing it from the trenches of a war (that’s still going on) not knowing why I’m here or when I’m leaving. I’ve toppled statues and vandalized portraits, while wearing an American flag on my sleeve, and struggling to learn how to understand. Read them here.

» The Five: now an international fight
- After a week, over 8000 people have signed the petition to Sharon. Go and sign here and read some of the comments from people in France, Italy, the US, UK etc. 
- The UK press reported it, and in Rome, there will be a sit-in in solidarity with the Five on Wednesday 14 January at 5pm at Largo Argentina.

» Who wants to die in Iraq? 
You have a 50% chance of substance abuse and a 45% chance of mental illness - and let's not even talk about Gulf war syndrome and depleted uranium.  Read here.

 
Photo printed  in The Guardian + The Independent (UK)

 
Rights to the picture by Sichi Gilad reserved to Tzomet Hasharon

» . . . and a colonel resigned
A reservist colonel has resigned his commission in protest at Israel army's "immoral conduct" in the occupied territories. Read here.

» Son dies in Iraq, father deported
With the family still in mourning, the father of a soldier killed in Iraq is deported to Mexico as an illegal immigrant. Story here.