Threat of Nuclear War – veterans for peace
Veterans for Peace statement
April 14, 2018
Call for Veterans and GI's to Resist Illegal Orders
U.S. Attack on Syria and
the Threat of Nuclear
War
The United States, along with NATO allies France and the United Kingdom, has launched a military attack on Syria.
This assault is totally illegal, violating the UN Charter, international and domestic law, and the U.S. Constitution. President Trump's claim to be defending the security of the United States is not credible.
This attack is not defensive in any sense of the word, as Syria was not threatening any of the three countries who attacked it.
This attack is not a response to an alleged chlorine gas attack by the Syrian government; there is no proof yet that such an attack actually occurred, or of Syrian government responsibility. International inspectors are arriving in Syria on Saturday to investigate the alleged chemical weapons attack. So why did the U.S., UK and France decide to attack Syria on Friday night?
This attack is a response to the defeat of western-backed jihadi terrorists who for years had been killing civilians with mortar attacks on the Syrian capital Damascus.
If the governments of the U.S., UK and France were actually concerned about the health and welfare of Syrian civilians, they would be working to end the war in Syria, rather than prolonging it with their own acts of terrorism.
This attack has so far been reported to be relatively limited, which is somewhat of a relief. If this aggression goes unchallenged, however, the U.S. empire and the former colonial powers will feel emboldened to continue their bullying aggression, risking a wider war, even a nuclear war.
Veterans For Peace calls on all veterans and military family members, and all our friends and allies to join emergency protests against the U.S. attack on Syria, and to participate in regional antiwar marches and rallies this weekend.
We call upon active duty military personnel to refuse to participate in illegal wars Whether you are a low ranking GI or a top general or admiral, you have the right and the responsibility to refuse to obey illegal orders to participate in war crimes. Initiating a non-defensive war of aggression is the greatest war crime of all.
We look forward to seeing veterans and active duty military in the marches and rallies this weekend. You will be very welcome to march with Veterans For Peace.
Just look for the Veterans For Peace flags, which are white with black lettering, and with a peace dove on a soldier's helmet.
Gerry Condon
President, Board of Directors
VETERANS FOR PEACE
www.veteransforpeace.org
HEAL THE WOUNDED • HONOR THE DEAD • END THE WARS
In distributing our National VFP President's "Call for Veterans and GI's to Resist Illegal Orders." VFP East Bay Chapter 162 also wants to say that this latest display of militarism by the Trump Administration and the Pentagon underscores the need for ending the arms race, eliminating nuclear weapons, and the abolishment of war as an instrument of national policy, as called for in our Mission Statement,
Further, in keeping with our call for diplomacy not war, we urge President Trump to build upon his planned meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his past meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and follow former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev's call for a "fully-fledged" U.S.-Russia summit that could lead to a lasting peace in the Middle East.
About Veterans for Peace
Veterans for Peace is an educational and humanitarian organization dedicated to the abolishment of war. As a global organization of military veterans and allies with over 140 chapters worldwide, we affirm our greater responsibility to serve the cause of world peace and global justice. To this end we will work with others, locally, nationally and internationally,
• To increase public awareness of the causes and costs of war
• To restrain our governments from intervening, overtly and covertly, in the internal affairs of other nations
• To oppose domestic militarization of law enforcement and society
• To end the arms race and to reduce and eventually eliminate nuclear weapons
• To seek justice for veterans and victims of war
• To abolish war as an instrument of national policy.
To achieve these goals, members of Veterans for Peace pledge to use non-violent means and to maintain an organization that is both democratic and open with the understanding that all members are trusted to act in the best interests of the group for the larger purpose of world peace.
VETERANS FOR PEACE
East Bay Chapter 162
Our East Bay Chapter of VFP meets on the second Saturday of most months at The Grassroots House, 2022 Blake St, Berkeley, CA 94704. For more info, contract Gene Ruyle, 510-332-3865 email: cuyleruyle@mac.com.
