Protect against enemies, both foreign and domestic
“This
is a war not out of self-defense but by choice, for profit and imperialistic domination. WMD, ties to Al Qaeda, and ties to
9/11 never existed and never will.” 1st
Lt. Ehren Watada
I have broken no law
but the code of silence and unquestioning loyalty. If I am guilty of any crime, it is that I learned too much and cared too
deeply for the meaningless loss of my fellow soldiers and my fellow human beings. If I am to be punished it should be for
following the rule of law over the immoral orders of one man. If I am to be punished it should be for not acting sooner. Martin
Luther King Jr. once said, "History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period … was not the strident
clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people."
The soldier must know
that our narrowly and questionably elected officials intentionally manipulated the evidence presented to Congress, the public,
and the world to make the case for war. They must know that neither Congress nor this administration has the authority to
violate the prohibition against pre-emptive war - an American law that still stands today. This same administration uses us
for rampant violations of time-tested laws banning torture and degradation of prisoners of war. Though the American soldier
wants to do right, the illegitimacy of the occupation itself, the policies of this administration, and rules of engagement
of desperate field commanders will ultimately force them to be party to war crimes.
The Nuremburg Trials showed America and the world that citizenry
as well as soldiers have the unrelinquishable obligation to refuse complicity in war crimes perpetrated by their government.
Widespread torture and inhumane treatment of detainees is a war crime. A war of aggression born through an unofficial policy
of prevention is a crime against the peace. An occupation violating the very essence of international humanitarian law and
sovereignty is a crime against humanity. These crimes are funded by our tax dollars. Should citizens choose to remain silent
through self-imposed ignorance or choice, it makes them as culpable as the soldier in these crimes.
* * * * * * * *
Aidan Delgado webliography:
VIDEO
Democracy Now! http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/12/17/1447233&mode=thread&tid=25
The December 17, 2004 interview begins approximately 11 minutes into the broadcast. However, the interview portion
only is streamed from this site:
Information Clearing House (broadcast of Democracy Now! interview): http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article7508.htm
Not in Our Name, Los Angeles (May 2005), video of Aidan's presentation (2 parts, total: 29 min.): at Information
Clearing House site:
1.http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article9090.htm;
2. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article9091.htm; also at 1:http://websrvr20.audiovideoweb.com/avwebdswebsrvr2143/news_video/adelgado1_300k.mov
2:http://websrvr20.audiovideoweb.com/avwebdswebsrvr2143/news_video/adelgado2_300k.mov
AUDIO
Three-part MP3 files of Not in Our Name presentation (above), plus text transcript (in part): from
the Collectif Bellaciao web site (July 15, 2005): http://bellaciao.org/en/article.php3?id_article=7029; MP3 files:
1. http://www.archive.org/download/iraq_war_veteran/aidan_delgado1-k14.mp3,
2. http://www.archive.org/download/iraq_war_veteran/aidan_delgado2-k129b.mp3,
3. http://www.archive.org/download/iraq_war_veteran/aidan_delgado3-k79b.mp3 .
Remarks at the second Bush inauguration: ttp://www.radio4all.net/proginfo.php?id=11007
Presentation in San Francisco: http://www.indybay.org/news/2005/01/1718901.php
TEXT
The interview with Scott Fleming is reprinted widely; here is one place:
Counterpunch: http://www.counterpunch.org/fleming01262005.html
Three interviews focus on racism and gratuitous violence in the American military in Iraq. Two interviews with Paul
Rockwell, the third interview with op-ed columnist Bob Herbert.
Online Journal: http://www.onlinejournal.com/Special_Reports/040105Rockwell/040105rockwell.html
Black Commentator: http://www.blackcommentator.com/133/133_think_racism_military.html
New York Times (05-02-2005), entitled "From 'Gook' to 'Raghead'" at http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/02/opinion/02herbert.html and follow-up commentary (05-05-2005), entitled "Lifting the Censors' Veil from the Shame of Iraq" at http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/05/opinion/05herbert.html
Sample news items:
Associated Press - Washington Post: "Objector's Iraq stories prompt 2 probes":
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/16/AR2005061601094.html - San Francisco Chronicle: "Former soldier prompts investigations with Iraq stories, pictures": http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/06/11/state/n112737D53.DTL; same item in Naples Daily News: "Ex-soldier prompts probe with stories, pictures from Iraq": http://www.naplesnews.com/npdn/florida/article/0,2071,NPDN_14910_3850682,00.html; same item in South Florida Sun-Sentinel: "Ex-soldier triggers inquiries with tales, photos from Iraq": http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/sfl-fobjector13jun13,0,4259069.story?coll=sfla-news-florida;
Pasadena. CA: http://www.pcc-courieronline.com/032405/news/line.html;
UCLA: http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/news/articles.asp?id=31693
San Pedro, CA: http://www.randomlengthsnews.com/warapril1.html.
