Veterans for Peace activists march in Boston's 2014 Veterans Day parade. (Photo: Tim Pierce/Veterans for Peace/Flickr/cc)
Dec 25, 2020
President Trump's pardon of convicted mass murderers adds insult to injury for the people of Iraq, who lost hundreds of thousands of their loved ones as a result of the unjust and illegal U.S. war and occupation. Pardoning war criminals also adds insult to injury for the U.S. veterans who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, and who carry the trauma of having witnessed atrocities against innocent civilians.
"Soldiers have the right and the responsibility to refuse illegal orders to kill innocent civilians or to participate in illegal and unnecessary wars."
There are "rules of engagement" that soldiers are supposed to follow to avoid committing war crimes. But these rules are frequently disregarded when soldiers are asked to fight unwinnable wars against entire populations. Young soldiers with lethal weapons are overcome by fear, vengeance, racism, and hatred, and they know that there will be no price to pay for murder.
When of a few mercenaries--"soldiers of fortune"--were finally held accountable for their unforgivable crimes in Iraq, they are now pardoned by the president, who is Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. military. This sends the wrong message and must be rejected. Soldiers have the right and the responsibility to refuse illegal orders to kill innocent civilians or to participate in illegal and unnecessary wars.
Veterans For Peace continues to call for the withdrawal of all U.S. troops and mercenaries from Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and all of the Middle East and Africa. We call on President Trump to pardon real heroes like Julian Assange, Chelsea Manning, and Edward Snowden, and much-loved political prisoners like Leonard Peltier and Mumia Abu Jamal. Such pardons would help to heal the wounds of war. President Trump's pardons do just the opposite.
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Join with us today! |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
President Trump's pardon of convicted mass murderers adds insult to injury for the people of Iraq, who lost hundreds of thousands of their loved ones as a result of the unjust and illegal U.S. war and occupation. Pardoning war criminals also adds insult to injury for the U.S. veterans who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, and who carry the trauma of having witnessed atrocities against innocent civilians.
"Soldiers have the right and the responsibility to refuse illegal orders to kill innocent civilians or to participate in illegal and unnecessary wars."
There are "rules of engagement" that soldiers are supposed to follow to avoid committing war crimes. But these rules are frequently disregarded when soldiers are asked to fight unwinnable wars against entire populations. Young soldiers with lethal weapons are overcome by fear, vengeance, racism, and hatred, and they know that there will be no price to pay for murder.
When of a few mercenaries--"soldiers of fortune"--were finally held accountable for their unforgivable crimes in Iraq, they are now pardoned by the president, who is Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. military. This sends the wrong message and must be rejected. Soldiers have the right and the responsibility to refuse illegal orders to kill innocent civilians or to participate in illegal and unnecessary wars.
Veterans For Peace continues to call for the withdrawal of all U.S. troops and mercenaries from Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and all of the Middle East and Africa. We call on President Trump to pardon real heroes like Julian Assange, Chelsea Manning, and Edward Snowden, and much-loved political prisoners like Leonard Peltier and Mumia Abu Jamal. Such pardons would help to heal the wounds of war. President Trump's pardons do just the opposite.
President Trump's pardon of convicted mass murderers adds insult to injury for the people of Iraq, who lost hundreds of thousands of their loved ones as a result of the unjust and illegal U.S. war and occupation. Pardoning war criminals also adds insult to injury for the U.S. veterans who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, and who carry the trauma of having witnessed atrocities against innocent civilians.
"Soldiers have the right and the responsibility to refuse illegal orders to kill innocent civilians or to participate in illegal and unnecessary wars."
There are "rules of engagement" that soldiers are supposed to follow to avoid committing war crimes. But these rules are frequently disregarded when soldiers are asked to fight unwinnable wars against entire populations. Young soldiers with lethal weapons are overcome by fear, vengeance, racism, and hatred, and they know that there will be no price to pay for murder.
When of a few mercenaries--"soldiers of fortune"--were finally held accountable for their unforgivable crimes in Iraq, they are now pardoned by the president, who is Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. military. This sends the wrong message and must be rejected. Soldiers have the right and the responsibility to refuse illegal orders to kill innocent civilians or to participate in illegal and unnecessary wars.
Veterans For Peace continues to call for the withdrawal of all U.S. troops and mercenaries from Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and all of the Middle East and Africa. We call on President Trump to pardon real heroes like Julian Assange, Chelsea Manning, and Edward Snowden, and much-loved political prisoners like Leonard Peltier and Mumia Abu Jamal. Such pardons would help to heal the wounds of war. President Trump's pardons do just the opposite.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.