Posts Tagged ‘whistleblower’

Killeen: Under the Hood Update, April 2011

Saturday, April 16th, 2011

Check out what’s going on this month at Under the Hood.  
 April 2011
UTH continues to team up with Iraq Veterans Against the War in an effort to stop the deployment of troops suffering from PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury, and Military Sexual Trauma.  The Operation Recovery Campaign is in full gear and members of IVAW will be coming to Under the Hood in the coming weeks to continue  work on this important campaign.
 
There is still time to join us for “Monday Night at the Movies.”  every other Monday through September.  Click here for a full list of scheduled films.
 
A new internship opportunity has opened up at Under the Hood. This internship through the national G.I. Coffeehouse Network starts on May 9th and will last for a total of 12 weeks. This is a great opportunity for anyone interested in learning how to run a young nonprofit or community organization and in building strong connections and working relationships with veterans and servicemembers.  For more information about this internship check out the information on our website.
 

It takes courage to risk one’s career and reputation by becoming a whistleblower,

defined as “a person who informs on someone engaged in an illicit activity.” For retired FBI agent Coleen Rowley, after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, remaining quiet was not an option. Her actions put her on the cover of TIME Magazine’s 2002 Person of the Year issue, along with fellow whistleblowers Cynthia Cooper of WorldCom and Sherron Watkins of Enron.

 
Coleen Rowley’s memo to FBI director Robert Mueller was published in Time Magazine in May 2002.  Since that time, Ms. Rowley continues to speak out against misuse of national security and the resulting loss of civil liberties. 
 
Coleen Rowley shared her story to a captivated audience in Austin on Sunday, April 3rd at 5604 Manor with her presentation entitled “How Top Secret America Misfires”.  All proceeds raised were donated to Fort Hood Support Network to support the work of Under the Hood Cafe & Outreach Center.  To view her Austin presentation, view the video here.
Your continued support of Under the Hood allows us to continue our important work in Killeen. Whether you are making a one-time donation or want to sign up as a sustainer, it’s easy to contribute through PayPal.  
 
The Fort Hood Support Network (FHSN) operates Under the Hood Café and Outreach Center.  FHSN is a Texas non-profit corporation with 501(c)(3) tax exempt status.  Donations may be treated as tax-deductible.  
Interested in sharing some of your time and talents with Under the Hood?   We are always happy for support in any form.  Along with monetary support to keep our doors open, we can always use other forms of assistance.  If you believe that you can provide support in some way, please feel free to contact us.  We’d be happy to put you to work!
Check out the  ResiStore!   Now you can purchase great items and support Under the Hood at the same time. Check it out here.
  
 Under the Hood Update is on Facebook.  Become a fan!  You can find archived issues and connect with other fans of Under the Hood.  Visit our Facebook page by clicking here.
 
Past issues of Under the Hood Update are now on the Under the Hood website!  If you’ve missed any of our past issues, or if you just want to re-read past articles, please click here. 
 
 
 
P.O. Box 16174 | Austin, TX 78761-6174 US

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Killeen: Under the Hood Update, March 2011

Sunday, March 20th, 2011

March 2011
 
After months of waiting, Kyle Wesolowski is finally acknowledged as a conscientious objector!  We first met Kyle Wesolowski in January 2010.  After returning from Iraq, Kyle spent his leave in New Jersey with his family.   Realizing that he could no longer serve in combat, he returned to Fort Hood concerned and discouraged.  As fortune would have it, the day he returned to town, a vigil lead by Under the Hood was being held at Fort Hood’s East Gate.  The vigilers caught his attention and he stopped to learn more.  The rest is history.
 
It was several months after returning from that combat tour in Iraq, that SPC Kyle Wesolowski submitted an application for a conscientious objector discharge based on his Buddhist faith. Since that time,  Kyle has completed a rigorous examination of his beliefs by military authorities, including required interviews by a psychiatrist, a chaplain and an independent investigating officer. All of these officials recommended that Kyle be discharged based on the sincerity of his beliefs.
 

Today, we are pleased to announce that Kyle’s Conscientious Objector claim was approved by the U.S. Army. Wesolowski’s honorable discharge will likely occur in March or April 2011.
 
Kyle has received a great deal of encouragement from the community who helped to support him through this arduous process.  He explained that there are many people that he wants to thank, including his attorney, James Branum, the staff at Courage to Resist, Aaron Hughes and Iraq Veterans Against the War, Cindy Thomas of Under the Hood and many individual supporters and friends.  Kyle also points out that there are many within the army who showed him compassion during this long process and he wants to thank them as well.  “In the spirit of Under the Hood’s motto — pro soldier, anti war —  I know that there are many good people in the army and I appreciate those that supported me.”
 
Wesolowski’s attorney, James Branum, had this to say:
“I am so proud of Kyle. He stood strong in a long and difficult process. Many other applicants would have given up, but Kyle stood firm. Thankfully the Army has now recognized what I’ve known all along—Kyle is a sincere conscientious objector to war.”
 
Under the Hood has teamed up with IVAW in support of Operation Recovery.   Join Iraq Veterans Against the War and Under the Hood in our effort to stop the deployment of troops suffering from PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury, and Military Sexual Trauma.  By signing our pledge, you agree to do what you can to defend our right to heal and to hold accountable those responsible for the deployment of traumatized troops.  We need your help to build the Operation Recovery Campaign.  You can take the pledge at www.ivaw.org/operation-recovery.
Your continued support of Under the Hood allows us to continue our important work in Killeen. Whether you are making a one-time donation or want to sign up as a sustainer, it’s easy to contribute through PayPal.  
 The Fort Hood Support Network (FHSN) operates Under the Hood Café and Outreach Center.  FHSN is a Texas non-profit corporation with 501(c)(3) tax exempt status.  Donations may be treated as tax-deductible.  
 
Join us for a very special evening with   Coleen Rowley
Coleen is a former FBI Special Agent and Legal Counsel, whistleblower, and Time Person of the Year. 
 
“How Top Secret America Misfires” 
When:  Sunday, April 3, 2011, 6:30 p.m.
Where: 5604 Manor, Austin, Texas
$10 suggested donation at the door
 
All donations benefit Under the Hood  Café and Outreach Center.
 
Check out the  ResiStore!   Now you can purchase great items and support Under the Hood at the same time. Check it out here.
  
 Under the Hood Update is on Facebook.  Become a fan!  You can find archived issues and connect with other fans of Under the Hood.  Visit our Facebook page by clicking here.
 
Past issues of Under the Hood Update are now on the Under the Hood website!  If you’ve missed any of our past issues, or if you just want to re-read past articles, please click here. 
P.O. Box 16174 | Austin, TX 78761-6174 US
 

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Virginia: Supporters Rally for Bradley Manning, Accused Whistle-blower

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010

from Courage to Resist, http://www.couragetoresist.org/x/content/view/849/1/

Bradley Manning Support Network, www.bradleymanning.org.

Washington D.C., July 27, 2010 – The Bradley Manning Support Network is accepting donations for the defense of Private First Class Bradley Manning. The Network, a grassroots initiative formed to defend and support accused whistleblower Pfc. Bradley Manning, has partnered with Courage to Resist, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting military objectors.

Manning, a 22 year old intelligence analyst stationed in Iraq, stands accused of disclosing a classified video depicting American troops shooting civilians from an Apache helicopter in 2007. Eleven adults are killed in the video, including two Reuters employees, and two children critically injured. The video, available at www.collateralmurder.com, was published by WikiLeaks on April 5, 2010. No charges have been filed against the soldiers in the video.

Bradley Manning faces up to 52 years in prison if convicted of the charges against him.

While news sources have speculated about Manning’s involvement in a new leak of over 90,000 secret documents (collectively known as the Afghanistan “war logs”) made public by WikiLeaks on Sunday, no charges regarding this recent breach have been filed.

As of this writing, Manning has not yet chosen a civilian attorney to defend him in the expected trial. While several news sources had previously indicated that funding for Manning’s legal counsel was already arranged, the Bradley Manning Support Network states that there is an immediate need for donations to his legal defense.

Legal defense in this case will be particularly expensive because any legal team will most likely need a background in military law and the flexibility to travel overseas for the trial as well as secret security clearance. . . . .

Courage to Resist. July 14, 2010

“From what I’ve heard of (Pfc. Bradley) Manning, he is a new hero of mine.” —Daniel Ellsberg, Pentagon Papers whistle-blower

In April, the Wikileaks website released a video depicting a US helicopter attack in Baghdad that killed eleven unarmed Iraqi civilians, including two Reuters employees, and seriously wounded two children. Titled “Collateral Murder”, the video was widely posted and reported on.

Last week, the Army charged 22-year-old intelligence analyst Pfc. Bradley Manning with providing the video after he allegedly took credit for doing so online. For the past month, he has been held in isolation from supporters and civilian legal assistance in a US military confinement facility in Kuwait.

The Potomac, Maryland native was charged with two counts of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). The first encompasses eight alleged criminal offenses, and a second covers four noncriminal violations of Army regulations governing the handling of classified information and computers. According to the Army, the “classified video of a military operation in Iraq was transmitted to a third party, in violation of a section of the Espionage Act, 18 USC 793(e),” which involves passing classified information to an uncleared party, but not a foreign government. He allegedly also provided Wikileaks with 50 classified diplomatic cables that are thought to contain embarrassing insights into the state of the US occupation of Iraq.

News articles initially reported that the Iceland-based Wikileaks website intended to provide Bradley Manning with a legal defense team. However, the Army has so far blocked all communications with the soldier. Meanwhile, Army spokesperson Lt. Col. Eric Bloom has gone on record to deny that the isolation even exists.

It is possible that the Army prosecutors, in collaboration with an appointed military JAG “defense” lawyer, are using this time to pressure Bradley into accepting a plea bargain that will send him to prison for many years—but less than the threatened 52 years.

Courage to Resist, along with members of Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) and Veterans for Peace, is launching an effort to support Bradley Manning. We know other concerned organizations and individuals around the world who are also in the process of finding ways to support Bradley Manning, and we expect to collaborate when possible. These include advocates for whistle-blowers and supporters of the freedom of information.

Writing a letter to Bradley is one step in attempting to break his isolation. Mail to: Inmate Bradley Manning; TFCF (Theater Field Confinement Facility); APO AE 09366; USA . . . . .

for the full story, see http://www.couragetoresist.org/x/content/view/846/122/

see also http://www.ivaw.org/, “IVAW Supports Bradley Manning,” with a video

Rally for Pfc. Bradley Manning, August 8, Quantico, VA

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