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| Fifth Column | |||
| Sheehan offers refuge to war deserters | |||
| 2006-08-11 | |||
| It was at the Veterans for Peace national convention in Dallas last year that Cindy Sheehan says she was galvanized to seek a meeting with President Bush at his Crawford, Texas, ranch. The result was a 26-day sit-down protest near Bush's ranch that attracted common folk and luminaries from across the nation, rejuvenating the anti-war movement. On Thursday, Sheehan, who became a peace activist after her soldier son, Casey, was killed in Iraq in 2004, was at the Veterans for Peace national convention at the University of Washington. Now almost 40 days into her
Sheehan is among what Veterans for Peace leaders bill as an "all-star cast of war resisters" in Seattle this week. At least 425 of its 5,000 membership signed up for the convention, which opened Thursday with calls for disengagement by the United States in Iraq and Israel in Lebanon. Gray-haired veterans from the Vietnam War joined fresh-faced veterans from the current war. Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Seattle, a Navy doctor in Vietnam and early opponent of the war in Iraq, is slated to speak to the group today. Among a contingent of younger Iraq Veterans Against the War were several current service members. One not wearing a name badge declined to reveal his identity. He said, with confirmation from his peers, that he was from the Seattle area, in his 20s, and had been "away-without-leave from a combat unit now in Iraq" for an undisclosed period of time. The AWOL soldier said he decided to flee the Army after the invasion of Iraq because he believes the war illegal. He said he joined the military before 9/11 "because I had been to five different high schools and went through family problems. The military was a way to get friends and family structure." He said he first began considering risking prosecution for desertion after the invasion of Iraq in March 2003. Being AWOL, however, has been "hell," he said, not only because of rifts in his family, but also because of "the uncertainty of not knowing if I will be caught as a deserter or if I should go public and turn myself in. I am constantly back and forth; it's always on my mind." He will have more to think about at 9 a.m. today, when a fellow soldier he knows who also is AWOL -- Ricky Clousing, a 24-year-old Army sergeant and interrogator from Seattle who served in combat in Iraq -- appears outside the HUB with lawyers, relatives and supporters to announce he is turning himself in to authorities. He left Fort Bragg in 2005 after returning from Iraq with the 82nd Airborne Division. Several members of the military supporting efforts against the war said they were careful to attend the convention on military leaves. Christina Taber, 26, of Madison, Wis., is an Army reservist activated for 18 months who works in behavioral health at Camp Atterbury, Ind., where she hears stories from soldiers returning from war. "I think hearing their powerful war stories motivated me to get involved" in the veterans efforts to end the war, Taber said. Taber said she became a veteran for peace after a fellow soldier died in April 2003 before deployment to Iraq. The death was linked to the mandatory anthrax inoculation she received. Damon Murphy, 26, of Minneapolis, meanwhile, a U.S. Navy submariner based in San Diego, said he joined the anti-war movement seven months ago. Murphy, who has 10 weeks to go on his enlistment, said he has no orders for Iraq but acknowledged that if he did, "I'd be in jail" refusing to go.
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| Posted by:Steve |
| #17 It'd sure be a shame to have a grassfire around Crawford, wouldn't it? With all that crowding, tents, port-o-johns, no water, no electricity... Nasty, nasty. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2006-08-11 19:05 |
| #16 so when is this bitch gonna be charged with treason? |
| Posted by: honkey 2006-08-11 16:59 |
| #15 nice farside ref Mojo |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-08-11 16:44 |
| #14 What are the rules for distributing money from the insurance policy? It goes to the named beneficiary, as with every other insurance policy. |
| Posted by: Angie Schultz 2006-08-11 16:39 |
| #13 At least 425 of its 5,000 membership signed up for the convention, which opened Thursday with calls for disengagement by the United States in Iraq and Israel in Lebanon. Geez, a grand old whopping membership of 5,000 (even from Vietnam era) and you can't even get 10% to show up for your protest. I imagine most of these 5,000 live nearby too, so it's not like it'd be expensive to get to Univ. of Wash. Probably from Portland, Seattle, San Fran, etc. |
| Posted by: BA 2006-08-11 16:06 |
| #12 I have a basic question. If the money for this came from Casey's insurance money, shouldn't this money been shared by all members of Casey's family? Did Cindy take money that was meant for her husband? What are the rules for distributing money from the insurance policy? P.S. I agree on RICO. It can be used for many purposes far removed from its original purpose. Cindy may not have her land for long. Al |
| Posted by: Frozen Al 2006-08-11 15:26 |
| #11 Talking to reporters, Sheehan defended the purchase of a 5-acre (2 hectare) plot of land for use as a protest location. The land was purchased by her supporters through a third party to keep secret her connection to it. "I just had a third party do it because I know that they wouldn't have sold property to me," Sheehan said. The previous owner of the property, Celia Ramsey, told ABC News, "We were duped, we were deceived, we had no idea" that Sheehan was behind the purchase. Crawford residents angry at her presence "just need to relax a little bit and learn to live with us," said Sheehan. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2006-08-11 15:08 |
| #10 "Welcome to Cindystan! Here's your accordion." |
| Posted by: mojo 2006-08-11 14:54 |
| #9 One of you ex-military types should contact her, claim to be a deserter, and see what she does. If she helps you, she can be prosecuted. If she doesn't she's a liar. And if they won't prosecute, she looks like a fool for falling for a sting operation |
| Posted by: Oldcat 2006-08-11 14:53 |
| #8 Isn't knowingly harboring a fugitive a crime? |
| Posted by: Darrell 2006-08-11 14:09 |
| #7 The only thing "fast" about Cindee is her ability to regurgitate a pack of kool-aid. 'scuse me mama, that sammich isn't sittin' right on my stommick. |
| Posted by: Evil Elvis 2006-08-11 14:08 |
| #6 Hopefully, some deer hunter will tie a bloody carcass across the hood of his pickup, and park upwind while it rots and draws flies. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2006-08-11 14:04 |
| #5 CO's? Its an all volunteer force. By now all the 4 year hitches pr-9/11 are done. Anyone in now knows what they are getting into, and should be classified as deserters, subject to federal penalty. And Cindy and her group should very careful read the RICO act statutes as well as aiding and abetting a felony. They've written a lot of the laws for the drug war that make yo liable for the original felony if you actively participate in helping those who are knowingly committing the felony. Cindy might not own that land for long if they get a RICO civil seizure. That "illegal" thing is a bullshit cover for running away and cowardice. If you believe it to be illegal, then challenge it - have the guts go to court and push it to the chain of command. If its truly illegal you will be vindicated. If not you will be forced to go to fight. But either way its better than running away and using it as an excuse to cover your cowardice. Reminder: Desertion during war carries a possible death sentence. |
| Posted by: Oldspook 2006-08-11 14:01 |
| #4 Maybe Cheney will invite her to go dove hunting. |
| Posted by: ed 2006-08-11 13:52 |
| #3 http://www.crawford-texas.org/id9.html Thursday August 4, 2006 (updated Sun, Aug 6) There goes the neighborhood... The five acres of land that was purchased on behalf of war protester Cindy Sheehan is now being riddled with leftist propaganda and ten port-o-potties. Surrounding land owners have denied Sheehan access to electrical lines and the city of Crawford work crew was forced to stop laying water lines to the property since the proper permits were not obtained. Though the protesters purchased five acres, they have already filled the property with displays of their descent that there is not adequate parking. It is dangerous and against the law to park along the side of the highway. There are so many curious people pulling into their drive way and then backing out onto the highway that residents are afraid that a major accident will surely happen. BUSH SUPPORTERS ARE ASKED TO PLEASE NOT COME TO CRAWFORD TO PROTEST SHEEHAN AND HER GROUP! These people feed off the energy of counter protesters and believe that Bushies help center the media back on them. Remember Sheehan sitting all alone at a table in a circus tent last Thanksgiving waiting for someone to ask her to sign her book of rhetoric? I, for one, want to see more photos of her all alone this August. Just Cindy and the media. Sheehan is only looking for press coverage... lets be smart and not give it to her! Many Crawford residents just want to try to have a normal summer and are looking forward the beginning of a new school year and preparing for the upcoming dove season. We will try to update this site frequently so that you will have an idea of what is going on in Crawford without having to coming here. Upon Sheehan's arrival to her new location Sunday, Reuters reports: Talking to reporters, Sheehan defended the purchase of a 5-acre (2 hectare) plot of land for use as a protest location. The land was purchased by her supporters through a third party to keep secret her connection to it. "I just had a third party do it because I know that they wouldn't have sold property to me," Sheehan said. The previous owner of the property, Celia Ramsey, told ABC News, "We were duped, we were deceived, we had no idea" that Sheehan was behind the purchase. Crawford residents angry at her presence "just need to relax a little bit and learn to live with us," said Sheehan. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2006-08-11 13:35 |
| #2 Two words: Winter Soldier |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2006-08-11 13:34 |
| #1 Hey Cin, news flash for ya. The Big Bad gummint can search your 'land' for deserters if they suspect they are there. It's called a warrant. It's called probable cause. It's called hey you dumbass, if you really want to 'hide' them there, why announce it beforehand? |
| Posted by: mcsegeeek1 2006-08-11 13:31 |