by Elaine Brower

"Our goal is to have the Bush administration tried for war crimes no matter how long it takes.  There is no statute of limitations on war crimes," vets say.
 
Washington - On Saturday, November 15, at 8:00 am, at the National Archives Building on Connecticut Ave., eight military veterans and a military mother climbed a 9-foot retaining fence and occupied a ninety-foot high scaffolding to raise two 450 square foot banners stating, "DEFEND  OUR CONSTITUTION. ARREST BUSH AND CHENEY: WAR CRIMINALS!" and "WE WILL NOT BE SILENT."  The same message was also displayed at demonstrations in Santa Monica and Long Beach, California on Saturday.

Members of Veterans for Peace (VFP) chose the Archives for their nonviolent protest because it is symbolic of their military oath to "defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic."  In September they occupied the Archives for 24 hours, and plan to stay longer this time.

"The offenses of Bush, Cheney, and their accomplices are appalling," said Kim Carlyle, a VFP member and Army veteran.  "Their misdeeds have killed or maimed more than a million people - American soldiers, innocent civilian children, women, and men. They have displaced almost five million people, with millions seeking refuge in other countries. Their total disregard for international agreements has severely tarnished the reputation of America in the world. Their unlawful wars have squandered billions of dollars that could have bolstered a troubled economy."

The veterans are demanding Bush administration be tried for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and crimes against peace; asking the media to clearly inform the public of the administration's crimes; and encouraging citizens to take similar nonviolent actions.

According to Tarak Kauff, a VFP member, "People say Bush and Cheney will be gone soon so what's the point?  The point is, there is no statute of limitations on war crimes, and if not held accountable, criminality will continue regardless of who is in office.  We either are or we are not a nation of law."

Six of those on the scaffold are members of Veterans For Peace, one is from Military Families Speak Out, and one is a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War:

•    Elliott Adams VFP: 61, Sharon Springs, NY, VFP President and former Army paratrooper, Viet Nam
•    Ellen Barfield VFP: 52, Baltimore, MD, former Army Sgt.
•    Kim Carlyle VFP: 61, Buncombe County, NC, former Army Spec 5
•    Doug Zachary VFP: 58, Austin, TX, VFP staff, former USMC Lance Cpl.
•    Tarak Kauff VFP: 67, Woodstock, NY,  former PFC, Army Airborne
•    Will Covert VFP: 63, San Diego, CA, VFP lifetime member, former E4 Navy
•    Elaine Brower MFSO: 54, Staten Island, NY, Military Families Speak Out, World Can't Wait National Steering Committee, mother of USMC Sgt. James Brower on third tour in Iraq
•    Matthis Chiroux IVAW: 24, Army Sergeant, served in Afghanistan, refused deployment to Iraq

Providing support on the ground:
•    Mike Ferner VFP: 57, Toledo, OH, former Navy corpsman
•    Debbie Tolson VFP: 52, Potomac, MD, associate member of VFP
•    Michelle White MFSO: 24, Clarksville, TN, Military Families Speak Out, wife of Iraq war vet currently serving in Afghanistan
•    Michael Marceau VFP: 59, Rockville, MD, VP VFP Chapter 16, former Army, Viet Nam
•    Bruce Berry VFP: 62, Minneapolis, MN, former SPC 4 Army, Viet Nam
•    Fred Nagel VFP: 65, Rhinebeck, NY, former SPC 4 Army
•    Jay Wenk VFP: 82, Woodstock, NY, former rifleman, 90th Infantry Div., WWII
•    Tony Teolis VFP:

Founded in 1985, Veterans For Peace has 120 chapters throughout the country and has actively protested the Afghanistan and Iraq wars since their inception. Membership includes men and women veterans of all eras and duty stations spanning the Spanish Civil War, WWII, Korea, Vietnam and Iraq.  VFP is an official Non Governmental Organization (NGO) represented at the UN.

Military Families Speak Out is an organization of people opposed to the war in Iraq who have relatives or loved ones currently in the military or in the military since the fall of 2002.  Formed by two families in November of 2002, MFSO membership now numbers over 3,400 military families, plus contacts throughout the U.S. and other countries.

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