We must be Doing Something Right if the Army is After Us

Further Reading  “Civilian Organizational Inhibitors to U.S. Army Recruiting and the Road Ahead” (PDF) Democracy Now: Inside the Army Spy Ring and Attempted Entrapment of Peace Activists, Iraq Vets, and Anarchists The Right to Heal Support Our Work Make a Financial Contribution Provide Us With Feedback Dear Kevin, On Tuesday, February 25, Democracy Now! aired a story about US Army informant John Towery. Towery was discovered to have infiltrated a number of organizations in the American Northeast near Joint Base Lewis-McChord, including Iraq Veterans Against the War. Towery’s mission was to research and study leftists and anarchists. In reality, Towery was working with virtually all police and sheriff’s departments in the area to entrap activists and label them as domestic terrorists. Watch the full segment by clicking on the video below. This collaboration between the military and police is an example of the expansiveness of militarism in the United States. The line between civil servant and soldier has become unclear, and peaceful dissent on the subject of US foreign policy and military engagement is considered domestic terrorism. But the good news is that we are being effective. In addition to this infiltration, a recently uncovered report on counter recruitment by Lt. Col Todd M Jacobus of the US Army War College names Veteran Organizations as a direct threat to fulfilling the US Army’s mission in Afghanistan during the 2010 troop surge. The report specifically names Iraq Veterans Against the War, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, and Veterans for Peace as successful inhibitors to military recruitment. Despite the best efforts of the government, we will continue to persevere. We are anxiously awaiting news from the Inter American Commission on Human Rights. We submitted a petition for a hearing to hold the US government accountable for human rights violations in Iraq in the fall. Although that petition was rejected, we were encouraged to re-apply and are hoping for a hearing in March. Regardless of whether the official hearing occurs, we will be holding a people’s hearing at the Friend’s Meeting House in DC on Wednesday March 26 at 6 PM.Members of IVAW will testify along side Iraqi civilians about their experiences with war, its aftermath, and the environmental destruction that has led to increased rates of birth defects and cancer. The event will be open to the public, and we hope that you will join us. Can’t be in DC? We have plans to live stream the event and share videos on our website. Despite adversity, we will continue to bear witness to the impacts of militarism, demand accountability, and work towards transforming American culture and building a better world. Thank you for your continued support and your commitment to this movement. In Solidarity, Joyce, Matt, Maggie, and Julia IVAW Staff

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