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Priest tells soldiers to
disobey orders to go to Iraq (Springer-AP) -- A Catholic priest and peace activist says he ordered National Guard soldiers from Springer to disobey military orders to go to Iraq. The Reverend John Dear says he encountered about 75 soldiers from the 515th Corps Support Battalion outside his home November 20th. Members of the Springer-based 515th are to be deployed to Iraq later this month for 18 months active duty. The priest said the soldiers were on a fitness run but had gathered outside his house chanting the word kill. Dear says he told the soldiers to stop “in the name of God.” He says he told the soldiers to quit the military and disobey orders to kill anyone. Lieutenant Colonel Richard Rael said members of the 515th were exercising that morning and Dear came out to tell them to quit the military. But he says nobody was chanting the word “Kill.” (Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) |