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Veterans of the War on Terror to protest in Strasbourg with support from American expatriates
Info | Ticker Iraq Veterans Against the War Europe Americans Against the War France
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 2, 2009
Veterans of the War on Terror to protest in Strasbourg with support from American expatriates
Hanau, Germany; Paris, France – Veterans of the Global War on Terror (now renamed Overseas Contingency Operations) from NATO countries will be participating in the “No to NATO” demonstrations and workshops April 2-5 in Strasbourg, France and Baden Baden, Germany.
Veterans will recount their experiences in war at a workshop in the south of Strasbourg called “Saying No to War and Occupation” with support from Americans Against the War France, an organization of American expatriates living in France opposed to the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The current and former military members will speak out about their opposition to “America’s War” in Iraq, Afghanistan and other “Overseas Contingency Operations”.
“Veterans are growing angrier, more disgruntled, and disgusted as the war on terror continues on a new course with a new name,” said Chris Capps-Schubert, Iraq Veterans Against the War’s European regional coordinator. “Many of us have fought in and occupied foreign lands, and received shoddy or improper care after returning from often dangerous and morally questionable nightmarish deployments.”
Speakers include:
Victoria Santiago -- president of Americans Against the War France Chris Capps-Schubert – IVAW’s European regional coordinator and a veteran of Iraq Christian Neumann – an active-duty officer in the German military and a member of Darmstaedter Signal with past service in Afghanistan David Cortelyou – Frankfurt Chapter president of IVAW who served in IRamadi and Bi’aj raq
On March 14, nine veterans from the United States, Britain and Germany testified in Freiburg, Germany, about their military service in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in the “Winter Soldier Europe” event. The hearing revealed the everyday reality of the “Overseas Contingency Operations” from a soldier’s perspective. Their Testimony can be found at: www.youtube.com/user/wintersoldiereurope. .
WHO: Veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan WHAT:
“Saying
No to War and Occupation” workshop 24, Rue Lixenbuhl 67400 Illkirch-Graffenstaden France
The veterans will also be attending the press conference on Friday April 3 at 1 p.m. at the Centre Sportif Lixenbuhl and are available for interviews.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Arendt, Christopher: Chris Arendt was a member of the Michigan Army National Guard from 2001-2007. He served one deployment to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba as a prison guard.
Baddorf, Zack: Baddorf
is a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer teaching English at an industrial high school
in Barlad, Romania. He joined the U.S. Navy on
Sept. 13, 2001 and served five years as a Journalist, including in Iraq and Kuwait. He deployed to the Persian
Gulf for six months aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Peleliu and spent a
month aboard the guided missile cruiser USS Port Royal in Iraqi territorial
waters protecting Iraq’s
oil terminals. Capps-Schubert, Christopher: Chris Capps-Schubert served in Camp Victory, Baghdad in 2005-2006, he later left the US Army to refuse deployment to Afghanistan shortly afterwards. He now serves as the Regional Coordinator for IVAW in Europe.
Cortelyou, David James: Dave Cortelyou served as a Fire Support Specialist (FISTER, or the eyes of the Artillery) in Bi’Aj and Ramadi Iraq. His mission in Iraq primarily consisted of Route Clearance Missions, House Raids, and Patrols. After coming back to Germany extremely traumatized he left the US Army, and now serves as the Frankfurt Chapter President of IVAW.
Falcon, Eddie: Eddie Falcon served in the US Air Force in Iraq, Afghanistan, and also disaster zones such as Hurricane Katrina. Among the testimony Eddie recounted was the transport of US held detainees on military flights.
Kamara, Lee: Lee Kamara served with Martin Webster (see below) in the Light Infantry of the British Army for several years. Lee was the 3rd British Soldier to enter Basra when the fighting started, and works with Martin in a project called “Voices of War” which is a Veterans organization that seeks to express themselves and heal their mental wounds through various art mediums (music, painting, etc.).
Neumann, Christian: Christian Neumann is a current member of the German Armed forces, and served in Afghanistan as part of ISAF in 2008 and earlier in Kosovo. He is also on the steering committee of Darmstaedter Signal, an organization of critical former and active duty German Officers and Noncommissioned Officers .His testimony is currently in German but transcripts can be made available in English to international media.
Shepherd, Andre: Andre Shepherd served in Tikrit Iraq in 2004 and 2005 on Camp Speicher maintaining, repairing, and arming Apache helicopters in Camp Speicher. He deserted the US Army to refuse a second deployment, and is the first US deserter to apply for Asylum here in Germany. He is currently going through his Asylum case, and is waiting for the first decision from Germany to refuse or accept his asylum application.
Webster, Martin: Martin Webster was a Corporal in the British light infantry who served for over a decade in the British Army before he got caught up in controversy after filming the beating of detainees by British soldiers in Basra. Martin has come to grips with his past, and is working hard to bring the public the truth about what happened in Iraq, and works with the British organization Voices of War. He also has a film that he will be releasing soon titled “Diary of a Disgraced Soldier”.
For more information, visit:
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Our membership includes more than 1,500 recent veterans and active duty servicemen and women from all branches of military service, National Guard members, and reservists who have served in the United States military since September 11, 2001.
Americans Against the War France became an official “Association loi 1901” in 2006 -
roughly the equivalent of a non-profit association in the USA .
Special Thanks to: Zack Baddorf, Voices of War, Darmstaedter Signal, Americans Against the War France, and the Freiburger Peace Forum.
For more information, visit:
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