Veterans
Groups Unite Behind Kokesh Battle With Marines For Free Speech
By Kevin Zeese
04 June, 2007
Countercurrents.org
I’m
writing this while on the road to Kansas City, MO in what the Veterans
of Foreign Wars, in supporting Adam Kokesh in his fight for the free
speech rights of vets, has described as a "circus" but which
is a very real effort to muzzle veterans of the Iraq War and preventing
the public from hearing their views of what is going on in Iraq.
We held a press conference
outside of Union Station in Washington, DC before departing for Kansas
City, MO on the Yellow Rose of Texas Peace Bus. You can see the press
conference at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8kAXF1Ylss
Kevin Zeese introduces Marine Mom Tina Richards of Grass Roots America,
Garret Reppenhagen Chairman of the Board of Iraq Vets Against the War
and Liam Madden, an IVAW member who is facing disciplinary action not
only for speaking out while wearing a uniform but for "disloyal"
statements while not wearing a uniform.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67
geLw6w3Rk&mode=related&search= KZ introduces attorney Michael
Lebowitz, after his statement he responds to media inquiries.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=6ApVMr4XcGk Kevin Zeese introducing Adam Kokesh
On the road Adam Kokesh,
Liam Madden and Tina Richards did constant radio interviews. This morning
Adam, Liam and Cloy Richards -- all three who have been threatened for
their speaking out against the war -- appeared on Good Morning America.
The three had very little sleep the night before as we drove through
the night to get to Kansas City. They broke off with a car and arrived
in Kansas City at 4 AM and had to be in the studio at 8 AM. The Yellow
Rose of Texas Peace Bush did not arrive till 8 AM after two days and
nights of driving to get here.
When I was not trying to
sleep in various uncomfortable positions, I spent my time on the bus
directing media calls to the three spokespersons, providing background
to the media and, as an attorney in the case, interviewing potential
witnesses. I also stayed in touch with Michael Lebowitz, the lead lawyer
in the case, about witnesses and other issues. One issue that came up
was that the Marines were excluding the media from the hearing. The
media was told that they were being excluded to "protect"
Adam Kokesh. We filed a motion on Saturday asking that the media be
allowed to observe and report on the hearing saying that Adam would
be better protected by allowing the media to be present. We have not
heard a response to this motion. The decision is at the discretion of
the administrative board.
On the road we also got the
good news of a second excellent Washington Post news article on the
case as well as an excellent AP article. Both are reprinted below. They
focused on the Veterans of Foreign Wars making a very positive statement
of support for Adam Kokesh and the other vets under investigation. They
urged the Marines to put an end to this "circus." It is great
to see major veterans organizations uniting in their support of the
free speech rights of vets. At the rally scheduled for Monday at noon
in Kansas City we will have representatives of Iraq Veterans Against
the War, Veterans for Peace and Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Along the road we were received
friendly assistance from members of the Mennonite Church who provided
us with breakfast in Columbia, MO yesterday and gave us some gas money
for the trip -- both were greatly appreciated. Today when we arrived
at a camp site in Kansas City peace activists had set up tents for us
and reserved us an excellent space. They waited until 3 AM for us to
arrive and to help direct us to the site but we did not arrive until
the next morning. They also had food and a comfortable fire waiting
for us. Along the way we received many honks, flashes of peace signs
and flashes of lights in support of the large peace messages on our
bus. There were a few people who were unable to get the two fingered
peace sign up and only were able to get up one of those fingers but
they were greatly outnumbered by the messages of support.
Tina Richards, Linda Schade
and I are very pleased that Polly Richards and Pete Perry are working
extra hard to keep the SWARM on Congress organized while we travel to
this disciplinary hearing. I hope people will join them, U.S. Labor
Against the War and Iraqi oil workers at a protest march planned for
Tuesday at 5:00 PM in Washington, DC. The march begins at the offices
of Bearing Point (80 M St., SE, Washington, D.C. – near Navy Yard
Metro), the authors of the Iraq oil law, with a march to the U.S. Capitol
at 5:30 (3/4 mile). Please join them.
People seem to recognize
the importance of this case and the brave stance the vets are taking
in challenging the Marines in their efforts to muzzle them. We appreciate
the support and hope the Marines see the absurdity of their position.
The only thing the Marines have succeeding in doing is sending a message
that they do not want the public to hear the views of Iraq vets on the
war. This only reduces their credibility which is already at a low level
with many Americans.
In discussing the case with
Adam and others we recognize that we win no matter how this turns out.
If the review panel applies the law and facts fairly they will not even
hear the case as they do not have jurisdiction over a civilian and Adam,
an honorably discharged vet, is a civilian. Further, he did not even
violate the regulation. But, if the hearing board takes the Kangaroo
Court approach and rules against Adam and reduces his discharge to less
than honorable, that will only free Adam to be more aggressive as an
advocate for peace. And, believe me, you will see more aggressive advocacy
by Adam and other vets no matter how this turns out. We've cooked up
some great plans on this ride that will be announced at the appropriate
time.
Kevin Zeese
is director of DemocracyRising.US and chair of VotersForPeace.US.
My previous article on this
case can be seen at:
http://democracyrising.us/content/view/939/151/
News reports below:
Washington Post http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/
article/2007/06/01/AR2007060102421.html
In Clash With Marines,
Reservists Gain Ally in VFW
By David Montgomery
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, June 2, 2007; C01
The national commander of
the proud, patriotic, 2.4 million strong Veterans of Foreign Wars (motto:
"Honor the dead by helping the living") took one look at the
mushrooming dispute between three antiwar Marine reservists and the
U.S. Marine Corps, and knew where his sympathies lay: with the protesters.
"What the Marine Corps
is trying to do is hush up and punish these individuals who served our
country," Gary Kurpius, the national commander, said in a telephone
interview. "All they're doing is exercising the same democratic
voice we're trying to instill over in Iraq right now."
The Marines have accused
the three reservists, all members of Iraq Veterans Against the War,
of wearing their uniforms during political protests and making "disrespectful"
or "disloyal" statements. All three were honorably discharged
from active duty, but now face "other than honorable" discharges
from the inactive reserve, which could affect future employment and
veterans benefits.
The VFW issued a blistering
statement on the controversy yesterday. Headline: "VFW to Corps:
Don't Stifle Freedom of Speech."
Kurpius, an Army vet who
fought in Vietnam, doesn't even agree with the protesters. "We're
pretty much on record supporting the troops, and if you're going to
support the troops, you're going to have to support their mission,"
he said. "I may disagree with the message . . . but I and my organization
will always defend their right to say it."
The Marines respond that
this is not a free-speech case. Adam Kokesh, 25, one of the protesters,
"violated Marine Corps uniform regulations and he was disrespectful
to a commissioned officer," said Master Sgt. Ronald Spencer, a
spokesman for the Marine Corps Mobilization Command in Kansas City,
Mo. "That would be the issue. It has nothing to do with free speech."
Kokesh, who fought in Fallujah
and now is a graduate student at George Washington University, was wearing
parts of his camouflage uniform in March during a demonstration where
13 veterans roamed Capitol Hill and downtown Washington carrying imaginary
weapons to mark the fourth anniversary of the war in Iraq.
When Kokesh was contacted
by the major assigned to investigate the case, he responded with an
e-mail about his service and opposition to the war, and concluded with
a profane suggestion about what the major could go do.
While all three reservists
wore parts of their uniforms during demonstrations, at least one of
the charges seems to involve speech only: Liam Madden, 22, of Boston,
is accused of making disloyal statements in a speech where he accused
the Bush administration of "war crimes"; said the conflict
is a war "of aggression" and "empire building";
and said Bush "betrayed U.S. military personnel." Madden says
he was not in uniform during that February speech in New York.
Spencer, after addressing
the uniform issue, said he needed a few hours to research questions
about the alleged disloyal statements, then did not return messages
to answer those questions. Maj. Stewart Upton, a Pentagon spokesman,
referred those questions back to Spencer, saying, "I'm unable to
speak to the legal reasoning behind the freedom of speech charges issued
by the Marine Corps."
Kokesh's lawyer, Michael
Lebowitz, an Iraq Army vet with the Washington firm of Greenberg &
Lieberman, says what's at stake is the very definition of a civilian.
These reservists are among the 158,000 on the Individual Ready Reserve,
a pool of discharged former active-duty soldiers and Marines who aren't
paid, don't drill, have no chain of command, yet may be recalled to
duty during the few years they are on inactive reserve. Lebowitz says
they have the free-speech rights of civilians; the Marines disagree.
"Someone in the Marine
Corps needs to exercise a little common sense and put an end to this
matter before it turns into a circus," said the VFW's Kurpius.
The circus may already have
arrived, in a white touring bus. Yesterday evening, Kokesh, 25, held
a news conference at Union Station. Then he and his supporters boarded
what they call the Yellow Rose of Texas Bus for Peace, festooned with
flags and antiwar slogans for a road trip to Kansas City, where Kokesh
faces a discharge hearing Monday.
In the crowd was Tina Richards,
an antiwar activist who is the mother of Cloy Richards, 23, who served
two tours in Iraq -- and who was also investigated for wearing his uniform
during protests. The young man is 80 percent disabled and can't afford
to risk the $1,300 a month he receives in veteran's benefits. He has
been told he could lose them if he receives an other-than-honorable
discharge, according to his mother.
"It's a form of intimidation
and blackmail on the military's part to quiet the combat veterans who
are speaking out against the war," said Tina Richards, who wears
parts of her son's uniform to protest on his behalf.
Kurpius noted the example
of retired generals -- including at least one Marine -- criticizing
the war effort, even though retired top officers retain certain obligations
to the military.
"I see them on CNN all
the time, badmouthing the administration," Kurpius said. "Why
is something not done about those individuals, when these poor troops
are being hammered?"
# # # # #
Associated Press article
has been published throughout the country and is at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content
/article/2007/06/02/AR2007060200377.html
VFW Backs Vet in
Trouble Over Protest
By SAM HANANEL
The Associated Press
Saturday, June 2, 2007; 7:20 AM
WASHINGTON -- The nation's
largest combat veterans group on Friday urged the military to "exercise
a little common sense" and call off its investigation of a group
of Iraq war veterans who wore their uniforms during anti-war protests.
"Trying to hush up and
punish fellow Americans for exercising the same democratic right we're
trying to instill in Iraq is not what we're all about," said Gary
Kurpius, national commander of the 2.4 million-member Veterans of Foreign
Wars.
"Someone in the Marine
Corps needs to exercise a little common sense and put an end to this
matter before it turns into a circus," Kurpius said.
Marine Cpl. Adam Kokesh had
already received an honorable discharge from active duty before he was
photographed in March wearing fatigues -- with military insignia removed
-- during a mock patrol with other veterans protesting the Iraq war.
A military panel in Kansas
City, Mo., will hold a hearing Monday to decide whether he should be
should be discharged from service and, if so, with what type of discharge.
Col. Dave Lapan, a Marine
Corps spokesman, said Kokesh is under administrative review because
he wore his uniform at a political event, which is prohibited. And,
Lapan said, when a senior officer told Kokesh that he violated military
regulations, Kokesh used an obscenity and indicated he would not comply
with the rules.
"It's the political
activity that is prohibited, not the type of event that it was,"
Lapan said. "If it had been a pro-war rally, it would still have
been a violation."
The panel could recommend
an honorable discharge, a general discharge or an other than honorable
discharge. Kokesh could not be given a dishonorable discharge, which
generally results from a court-martial. The final decision would be
made by the commanding general.
A second Marine who was at
the same event was also called about the violation, but told the officer
he was unaware he was breaking the rules and said he would not do it
again, Lapan said. That Marine has not been called to an administrative
hearing.
Kurpius said the possibility
of receiving a less than honorable discharge from service could threaten
educational and other benefits Kokesh is eligible to receive from the
Department of Veterans Affairs. The action might also prevent Kokesh
from future employment opportunities that require a security clearance,
Kurpius said.
"We all know that people
give up some individual rights when they join the military," Kurpius
said. "But these Marines went to war, did their duty, and were
honorably discharged from the active roles. I may disagree with their
message, but I will always defend their right to say it."
Kokesh received his honorable
discharge after one combat tour in Iraq, but he remains part of the
Individual Ready Reserve, a pool of former active duty service members
in unpaid, non-drill status.
Kokesh's attorney, Michael
Lebowitz, has called the investigation an effort to stifle critics of
the Bush administration's Iraq policy.
AP Writer Lolita C. Baldor
contributed to this report.
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