Winter Soldier Europe

The following is wrongly labeled Part 1, that will be corrected soon.



Andre Shepherd:





Martin Webster:





Christian Neumann (In German)







Chris Arendt









Afterwards was an Audio Interview of David Cortelyou which isn't on youtube, but can be found on the Courage to Resist Website:

http://www.couragetoresist.org/x/content/view/577/95/

That was followed by Lee Kamara:







Eddie Falcon









Chris Capps-Schubert





Zack Baddorf







It has been a great weekend, and something I'll never forget. Now onto Strasbourg, I just hope people are listening.

-Chris

ASYLUM UPDATE

Hello again everyone!

Well the last week was, to put it in perspective, really intense! By Friday evening I was so worn out, I needed to take a few days off just to get my mind back in order. After a weekend rest and relaxation, I am ready to get back down to business. Hope the weekend was as good for all of you as it was for me.

On Wednesday February 4, I met with the German Bundesamt to present my case. That day was the most important day so far, as it was my only chance during the initial process to tell my complete story. The session lasted around nine and a half hours as we covered the period from the year two thousand up until the present day. The officer that questioned me was very professional and from the impression I got, the case was well received. Dr. Marx (my lawyer) also said that the hearing went very well. Personally I feel that my case has a strong chance of success. This was a huge first step; however there was no indication from the Bundesamt as to what the decision might be. I also did not get a timetable as to when a decision might be reached. It looks like it’s going to be a long wait.

I must take this time to thank everyone for all of their prayers and support. The response to the letters of solidarity circulated by Connection E.V. was overwhelming. Hundreds of letters poured in from around the world from people who understand what the stakes are and have expressed their encouragement. It is very uplifting to read these letters, particularly the ones from the USA and Germany. Actions like this reinforce the notion that we are not alone in our struggle to stop the imperialism that our once great country has chosen to undertake. It is my sincere hope that our efforts will one day reverse the destructive course of our nation, and we will once again be the beacon of freedom and prosperity. Many thanks to organizations such as the Military Counseling Network, Iraq Veterans Against The War, Connection E.V., Tübingen Progressive Americans, Munich American Peace Committee, DFG-VK, and many others for their tireless efforts to help make this endeavor successful. I cannot express to you how difficult it would have been had it been not for your great work.

Vice-President Joe Biden was in Munich last weekend attending the annual NATO Security Conference. For those of you who do not know, the basic point of this conference is to figure out where to next wage war and to whom the lucrative military contracts are awarded to. Of course this isn´t the only conference by far, however I have learned from my sources that this particular conference is extremely important. Anyway, Mr. Biden apparently is under the impression that NATO should send additional troops to Afghanistan in order to improve the security situation there. I don´t know about the rest of you, but since when does sending in more military personnel equate to LESS war? Please do not talk to me about the “success” of the Iraqi surge, because upon closer inspection you will find that is a fantasy perpetuated by the Pentagon and the Lame Stream Media. An increase in the troops in Afghanistan at this stage is going to trigger more battles and more casualties. I also suspect that the bombing campaign that has increased in recent years will continue unabated, thus creating even more civilian casualties for the Afghanis and Pakistanis. We don´t even have to mention that more Soldiers and Marines will be further killed and maimed as well. Whatever happened to the promise of “change” by the Obama Religious Network, I mean campaign? If the plan is to bring stability to the region as the talking heads keep referring to, then a DIPLOMATIC solution is the only way to accomplish this. We need to bring together EVERYONE, which would have include the Karzai Government, the Pakistani Government, the Warlords, and yes even the Taliban to figure out how to handle this mess. The people there need basic necessities, not more bullets. One can´t gain the trust and support of a people if you continuously bomb them into the Stone Age.

(Sigh) I really hope that sanity returns to the U.S. Government real soon. Until then we need to keep up the good work of resisting the call to fight in these God forsaken conflicts. We need to get the word out that we are not just shock troops for the Corporate Gangsters who falsely believe they rule the world. If they want to get themselves killed to try and pacify other nations for their own benefit, there would be no one stopping them. Just leave myself and the six billion other souls who want to live in peace out of it. See you next time.

An Open Letter to Barack Obama

Dear Mr. President:

I want to first congratulate you on your accomplishment. What you have achieved will go down in history as an important step forward in American Politics. Many people will look back on your inauguration with pride, having witnessed firsthand such a momentous moment. After the great disaster that was the Bush Administration, the American People as well as the world at large have rested their hopes on your shoulders. I don´t have to tell you that The United States of America is in a perilous situation. While I am confident that you will do your best to lead the nation in a new direction, I am not blind to the challenges that you will face. I believe that because we as a nation have failed in our duty to be involved in government affairs we have allowed our once proud land to become a militaristic police state that preys on the innocent, and bullies other nations to get our way. It saddens me to know that the America that I have grown up to know is completely unrecognizable. I like others will fight to restore what was lost, to help the country find its way again. I have included some suggestions below as to how we can put our once proud nation back on her feet. I hope that you take these words into consideration.

1. Prosecute George W. Bush

Sir, I understand that this is a serious charge, but I know from first and second hand experience the evidence for a conviction is overwhelming. The reign of terror that Mr. Bush and his associates have brought on the world have cost over one million lives, and shattered the lives of millions more. Iraq will take decades to recover from the devastation that our military has caused. Add that to the death toll of our men and women in uniform, the twenty-five thousand plus soldiers who have gone AWOL (including myself) to protest the war, the families who have suffered greatly because of these atrocities, the war crimes involved, and the knowledge that Mr. Bush deliberately deceived not only America but the world as well and you can see a pretty convincing case for prosecution. I almost forgot to mention that this ill-advised war has put a serious strain on our budget which took precious funds away from our infrastructure. He also has turned our once free society into a quasi-police state by eviscerating the Constitution (more on that later). What I am saying Mr. President, is that we cannot let him get away with the criminal acts that he has committed. To do so would not only make your government look as if it cares less about human rights (among other things), it will set a dangerous precedent for the future. That is a future that I do not desire to see, so I hope that you consider this proposal carefully.

2. Eliminate the Federal Reserve (along with the terrorist organization known as the IRS)

When it comes to the economy, this suggestion should go without saying. Since I haven´t heard you mention this in your campaign speeches or any speeches thereafter, I must humbly submit this alternative. It is common knowledge that the federal income tax is illegal. This tax is nothing more than a modern day shake-down for the illegal Federal Reserve Bank. It is well known that the money we pay to these criminals goes straight to pay the interest for the national debt, which we were tricked into assuming responsibility for by receiving a Social Security Number. Not one service that the Federal Government provides is funded by taxpayer dollars. In other words, everything the Washington does is funded through borrowed money. So, take for example your ‘economic stimulus plan.’ It calls for almost one trillion dollars to fully implement your strategies. Sir, I would like to ask you an important question: Just where will you get that kind of money? I have read and understood that the U.S. Treasury is overdrawn by almost 11 trillion dollars (though some estimates are up to 55 trillion). It is enough to make me sick. Adding more debt to the debt problem is not going to solve anything. We are not in a ‘credit crisis’ as the airheads on TV say. It is a ‘repayment crisis’ on a mass scale. Everyone, including the Federal Government, took the bait of ‘easy credit’ and got up to their necks in debt. Now the piper has come and no one has any money to pay for the excesses for the past thirty years. That Sir is the problem, not “the banks won´t lend to each other”. So, instead of putting the Government at risk of default (which would cause an economic melt-down that would make Zimbabwe look like Disneyland) I suggest that you eliminate the fools that got us into the mess, the Fed. All the Fed has done was stealing the fruits of American labor for almost 100 years. A dollar in 1913 is worth just 4 cents. Inflation is caused by the fed when they expand the money supply. “Helicopter Ben and his magical money machine” is a prime example to this effect. Alan Greenspan with his idiotic policies laid the groundwork for this current crisis. The Fed caused the crash, so we need to get rid of it. We need to go back to sound money practices, and let the criminal international corporations bite the dust. It will be painful for a few years yes, but it is better than the alternative your economic team has proposed. I only ask that you think about it.

3. End the War on Terror and grant Amnesty for all Soldiers Who Have Resisted

From prior experience, whenever the U.S. government in recent years declares war on anything they never defeat the enemy. Examples would be the War on Drugs and the War on Poverty. Both of these examples did nothing but make life worse for the poor and disenfranchised. The same goes for the War on Terror. If we are really going to ‘root out the terrorists’ like George Bush and yourself have stated, why don´t we start by looking in the mirror. Sir, it is with great sorrow to inform you that the United States is the world´s number one state sponsor of terror. The list of nations that we have intimidated or totally destroyed is huge. Take Nicaragua in Central America for example. What we have done to the people there is no less than horrifying. What was their crime? They had a government that only wanted to be independent from outside influences. Hundreds of thousands of people paid with their lives for this ‘unforgivable’ offense. If that is not enough evidence, then look into what has happened to Haiti and the Dominican Republic. These were two resource-rich nations had their mineral wealth utterly raped by western powers. Also, let´s not forget about the situation in Palestine. Israel has repeatedly terrorized the Palestinians while the world stands by. If the United States would be really assertive and withhold foreign aid to Israel until they changed their barbaric behavior, then the situation in the Middle East would be dramatically different. That being said, I have to humbly stress the point that America cannot mess around with other people´s countries until we fix our own.

The stability of the world is at stake, and unless we change course for the better (i.e. using diplomacy) we could end up with a world-wide conflagration. I must ask you to put a moratorium on the War on Terror and enter into productive talks with all sides involved. That also includes the Taliban, Al-Sadr´s militia, as well as Iran. All of these parties have a vested interest in region that extends from the Middle East to the Caucuses Mountains, and if we want to become a respected leader on the world stage again we will have to do whatever it takes to bring all sides together. We also must make a public apology to the Iraqi people as we as the Pakistanis, the Afghanis, and the Palestinians. This entire mess started out by getting Osama Bin Laden. The problem is that we don´t even know for certain if he even committed the World Trade Center Attacks. We are a nation of due process. I know I sound crazy for suggesting this, but we must capture him alive (by cooperating with the local tribes and governments, not bombing civilians into the pre-historic era) and letting him have his day in court. We are supposed to be a civilized nation, and if he did commit the crimes that he is accused of, then he deserves the punishment for those crimes in true American fashion. If he is innocent (and I am not suggesting that he is here…) then we must launch a new investigation into the September 11^th attacks so that way we can capture and prosecute the true perpetrators. History shows that we have not done any of these things I suggested, and our nation has tortured, harassed, lied to and destroyed nations I and others have come to the conclusion that the War on Terror is a fraud that only serves the interests of the international corporations.

Because I have these strong convictions, any soldier that refused to take part in these heinous acts should be applauded, not prosecuted. The U.S. Military is a fine organization that produced a lot of great citizens for this country. They should not have to be pawns in this grand chessboard. I know this from personal experience. I feel like I am nothing more than a common criminal for what we as a nation have done to the inhabitants of our planet. Just because we are the strongest does not mean we should force others to do our bidding. Many people have suffered and died as a result of our foolishness, and others like me have had to go into hiding in order to avoid prosecution for doing the right thing. There is something wrong in this world when true crime pays and positive acts are punished. I also understand that you wish to end the war in Iraq. That is a very positive step. At the same time you have stated your desire to expand the war in Afghanistan. I ask myself, how is that change? The Afghani people have not done anything to us. After seven plus years of war, they deserve a break like the rest of us. I also understand that there will be no rest for those soldiers that stood up for the cause of right and went into hiding than to be part of this madness. I pray that both conflicts will end so that these individuals can once again lead normal lives.

I have just written to you what I feel are the most important issues facing our nation today. In this uncertain world that we live in, I am sure that meeting these challenges will not be easy, but I am positive that you can be successful when you make a concerted effort. You will not be alone. Many organizations and even solo individuals are ready to lend a hand to make the world truly a better place to be in. We all want to participate in getting the label of ´rogue government´ removed. I have faith that with the right decisions we can work together to bring America back to greatness. I hope that with your ascendency to the Presidency things will slowly go back to the way they were before.

Sincerely,

André Shepherd

Asylum Update

First of all, I would like to thank everyone on both sides of the Atlantic for all of their support. Knowing that there are many people out there who not only aware of the chicanery of our runaway government, but they are also willing to stand up and do something about it. May my prayers be with all of you.

As of this moment, I am still waiting for my hearing that is set in early February. The asylum facility is as good as one would expect it to be and the staff there are very friendly and helpful. When I am not busy preparing for my asylum hearing I am exploring this magnificant city(I cannot say where at the moment for security reasons), taking german classes, visiting different peace organizations (such as Americans For Peace, IVAW, Tübingin Progressive Americans, and the Military Counseling Network), doing interviews, and a whole range of interesting things. I am also keeping up with the goings on in the world as much as possible, especially everything regarding the military and what is happening to our fellow servicemen in Canada. Its not the ideal life that I lead because I am not yet truly free, but its ok.

For those of you who do not know, I will tell you a little about myself. My name is André Shepherd. I was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. I joined the Army to provide myself with a better life than working low paying jobs and sleeping in my car. I served in Iraq for six months from September 2004 thru February 2005, and was stationed in Katterbach, Germany from 2005 until April 2007 when I had to leave it all behind. I never in my life imagined that I would ever have to say goodbye to the country that raised me, the country that I had grown up loving. Unfortunately I cannot serve under a tyrranical government that terrorizes the world at large, and at the same time systematically strips the freedoms of its own citizens away. After learning about the atrocities commited in Iraq and later in Afghanistan, I knew that I could no longer be a soldier because that is not how I was taught or what I believe. I am not a murderer, nor are the other brave individuals who have made this difficult decision. I refuse to be a mercenary for our rogue government and the international corporations that are making obscene profits from other people´s misery. I hope everyone who reads this understands.

While I was hiding out in southern Germany trying to figure out how to put my life back together, I came across the Military Counseling Network who helped me reach this point. They are a wonderful organization that helps servicemembers learn their rights in the military system. Yes, you heard me right. Servicemembers have rights too. :) It was through them that I learned about this fine organization and I am now a proud member. Together with IVAW and the other organizations that I listed, we are fighting a battle that has the potential for enormous ramifications throughout the world. I will not go into details about it here, since I am confident you all know what I am talking about. I hope that with our co-ordinated efforts, as well as the enormous support for our mission, that we will prevail.

That´s all I have to say for now. I will send another post next week. Keep up the fight, and eventually we will win!

"It´s not the duty of the government to keep the citizen from falling into error;
It is the duty of the citizen to keep the government from falling into error"

Why Are We in Afghanistan Again?

Hello again everyone!

Well here we are at the end of an era. What is undoubtedly the absolute worst presidency in the history of the United States is finally about to be tossed into the dustbin of history. With the advent of a new President, we return to the old adage of trying to figure out what the priorities are for this individual. Thanks to the foolish criminal acts of the tyrant known as "King George"(that is being nice), the nation is facing simultaneous challenges that no one had ever dreamed of. I wish him all the best, however I will not hold my breath as to how far the "change agent" is going to make things better (more on that next week). With that in mind, let´s turn our attention to what the President-Elect has coined "the central front in the War on Terror" -- Afghanistan.

It has been said in the media, as well as with several people who I have conversed with, that the war in Afghanistan is the "good war" as compared to Iraq which is the "bad war". Whenever I hear those words, I cringe. After seven years of fighting with no end in sight, we still do not have Bin Laden. That makes me wonder if we really wanted to catch him in the first place. Apparently, I am not the only one. According to the October 3rd article from the Persian Afghan Press, French troops were at one point about to capture the "world´s most wanted man", but were stopped by U.S. forces. They base their claims on the documentary Bin Laden, the Failings of a Manhunt that is to be broadcast by Planet, a French network. I am still looking to find a copy of this documentary so I can do independent research on the matter. If anyone has seen this or can confirm these claims, please let me know.

I do not have to explain the devastating implications of this documentary, as well as any information that would support this claim. Our only reason for being in Afghanistan was to get Bin Laden , no other reason . I was personally interested to have this man brought back alive so he could explain for himself what he was doing on September 11th . I am not going to go into a long explanation here as to why I doubt what Bush & Co. have stated on the matter. However I will say that there needs to be a new investigation into the events before and after 9/11 because that one event launched us on a bloody path of war and destruction. Since we all know that the Iraq war was an illegal aggressive act based on deception , it brings the motive of the Afghan War into question, since in reality these are two different fronts of the same war. If that is not the case, then WW2 was also not one war. The warring nations fought not one but several enemies on several fronts , however it was still considered to be one war. The same applies here.

In case no one was noticing the news reports that are coming out if Afghanistan, the only encouraging news seems to be for the defense contractors and the drug dealers. Afghanistan is now once again home to 90% of the heroin trade, and Mr. Obama wants to escalate the conflict there for no reason than to supposedly finish the job that was started in October 2001. The problem is that he also has stated that he would send troops into Pakistan if necessary in order to "root out the terrorists." I don´t know about you, but that kind of aggressive talk sounds frighteningly familiar. Mr. Obama, I was under the impression that you promised "change" to the American people? Oh yes, that´s right, you didn´t say what kind of change, I see the misunderstanding. So the civilian deaths in the sands of Iraq by Bush were a horrible thing, so you will fix it by continuing and expanding the deaths of civilians in the mountains of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Hey, at least it won´t get too hot in the summer. I must trouble you with one question though, Mr. Obama: since when was it moral and legal for us to invade any country that we desire and bomb it into the Stone Age because of one man? In case you haven´t realized it sir; I know that you are new to this position and all, but these countries are inhabited . There are actual human beings that live there. Don´t you think those seven years of strife and warfare are enough for these people? That maybe, just maybe we can find a political solution to this problem? I don´t know, like maybe working with those governments to bring this man to justice? You don´t see the other nations of the world trying to invade America because of Stupid George, even though they would have every right because of the precedent our foolish government has set. Oh I guess I should mention that this man that you said killed our citizens is on record as saying he had nothing to do with it. It would be our best interest to find out if what he is saying is true. The victims of that terrible attack as well as their families deserve the truth , not some fabrication where thousands will suffer like so many already have.

It is my sincere belief that the war in Afghanistan needs to end. All we have done is take a poor country and make it more chaotic and unsafe than before. We have wasted money, equipment and lives for the sakes of whom? I call on the warring parties to cease all combat operations and to sit down together and make peace with one another then hunt for Bin Laden together . Only then will we be able to bring him to justice.

Cowardly Canadian Government to Deport Iraq War Deserters

Hi Everyone:

First I would like to apologize for the long delay in getting my blog posted. Things have been so hectic this past month that I was unable to devote considerable time to this project. Now that things have settled down though, it is time to get down to business:

I originally wanted to talk about how important it is that we also resist the war in Afghanistan, since the Afghani people are also victims of mass slaughter. However a very disturbing development in the war resister´s ongoing battle for freedom has come to my attention. On 26 December 2008 the Canadian government ruled that American deserters do not qualify for refugee status, and they are soon to be deported back to America. The full text of the article is here:

http://www.arabamericannews.com/news/index.php?mod=article&cat=Canada&article=1822

I must admit that I exploded with anger over this one. Just what is the Canadian Government thinking? A ruling like that is equivalent to saying that the war in Iraq is JUSTIFIED, and that anyone who resists is a criminal who should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I don´t know about you, but I do not see how the mass slaughter of 1,000,000 + civilians constitutes as “justified”. And that doesn´t even cover the destruction of the infrastructure, the DU radiation poisoning, and the overall terrorist techniques that are being deployed on a large scale. There is NO WAY you can convince me that the Canadians truly felt that America was doing the right thing, despite all the OVERWHELMING evidence that this war is nothing but an imperialistic power grab for control of the Middle East. How can one successfully argue that the individuals that had the courage to refuse to take part in these atrocities do not deserve some sort of protection from the world´s #1 terrorist regime? Oh wait, I think I know the answer: These soldiers signed a contract saying they must do whatever their superiors tell them to do no matter what. Yeah, that MUST be it…. How can I be so stupid?

To the people that actually believe that garbage, I would like to take the opportunity to enlighten you on some things. Every contract we enter into must satisfy the conditions laid out in them. It doesn´t matter if we are buying a house, using a credit card, or serving in the armed forces. That being said let´s take a look at the oath that we signed in this contract:

“I, (NAME), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.”

When you read that oath, you will see that it is in two parts. In order for this contract to be satisfied, BOTH parts of oath must be followed. The use of the word “and” is the key. It does not say “or” or “when it suits my superiors”. That being said let us focus on the first part of the oath.

You will notice that the first part deals with defending the United States Constitution. The meaning is clear: We must do everything in our power to uphold the supreme law of the land and to defend it from ALL enemies whether they are foreigners or U.S. citizens. That part is very important. So when the President of the United States (POTUS) tries to make us take part in a war that is against the principles of the constitution it is our DUTY to refuse. If anyone has any doubts as to how this war is illegal please visit this website: http://www.resistinggi.com

Now when you look at the second part of the oath, you see the contradiction. In order for us to fulfill our contract, we have to follow the orders of the officers over us, including the POTUS. Here lies the problem: If we follow the orders given to us by the POTUS and engage in an illegal conflict, we are violating the first part of the oath. If however we do our duty and refuse to take part in these atrocities we are violating the second part of the oath. That means that we can never satisfy both parts of the oath, meaning that this contract is NULL and VOID because it is unenforceable. Any reasonable court of law can see the logic behind this. With that argument alone, I do not see how any authority can possibly say that the war resisters do not have a solid case. If one combines this argument with the numerous violations of international law as well as U.S. Code 2441, it’s not difficult to see that the war resisters were right. That being the case, then it would seem plausible that to punish these courageous people for doing the right thing would not only be wrong, but barbaric. It is my belief that the decision of the Canadian Authorities was not based on any legal grounds; rather they were based on purely political reasons.

Is this what the future of the western democracies looks like? That everyone in the world must do what America says even when it’s morally wrong to do so? That right is punished and wrong is rewarded? I don´t know about anyone else, but this is not the world in which my future children should grow up in. The actions of the Canadian government have the potential to set a dangerous precedent. It doesn´t matter how big and powerful the American empire is, when you are wrong you are WRONG, and it’s about time we let the power hungry fools in Washington know that we´ve had enough. What are we going to do, are we just going to let them walk all over us and continue on with business as usual? Or will we fight to restore order to this chaotic world? It´s time to choose.

On Andre Shepherd

Andre should be posting here sooner or later, and from what he has told me has been very happy to receive a lot of support for his decision from all kinds of people. His first hearing will be coming in January, and Germany's position on the Iraq war will be clarified.

The recent news resurfacing here of the BND (Bundesnachrichtendienst, the German equivalent of the CIA) providing invaluable intelligence on the location of Iraqi ground forces to American forces during the invasion has definitely raised some eyebrows on the supposed neutrality of Germany during the invasion. It seems that this was done with the full complicity and support of the same SPD (Social Democrats, pretty much the same as American Democrats) politicians who publicly denounced the Iraq war from its inception.

Andre has a precedent supporting him from the Federal Administrative Court in Germany declaring the Iraq War to be illegal (and therefore the right to refuse to participate is protected under international law).

On the 20th of March 2003 Florian Pfaff, an officer inside the German military refused to work on programs that were going to be used by their NATO allies (primarily the United States) in Iraq. A series of Court cases followed after the German Military tried to prosecute him for disobedience and refusal to obey, and after several cases he was exonerated before the Federal Administrative Court in Germany, with the Federal Administrative Court setting a precedent for Iraq to be an illegal war.

Will Germany set a double standard, and say that our soldiers may not participate, but American Soldiers in Germany must be prosecuted by the US military if they refuse to participate? Article 15 of the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights states quite clearly that Asylum should be granted, regardless of the political implications such a move may have.

Please support Andre, go to Connection's Website to see what you can do about supporting Andre's case. (http://www.connection-ev.de/z.php?ID=369)

-Chris