Soldiers Miss Flight Back To Iraq

[Yavin4]

They're just following the great example set by their "great" leader, Bush.

More than 30 soldiers who came home from Iraq for two weeks of leave have failed to show up for their flights back to the combat zone, military officials said yesterday. The soldiers, among more than 1,300 troops so far in the first large-scale home leave program since Vietnam, have yet to be declared absent without leave -- a violation of military law, said Army Col. Paris Mack, the Pentagon official overseeing the program.



http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A56494-2003Oct20?language=printer

[theivoryqueen]

1. On Today

I heard a snippet of a story concerning the possibility of soldiers resisting or refusing to comply with orders given them. Has there been any confirmation of such (civil) disobedience in any reliable news source?

[fishnfla]

5. Very few it sounds like

to my untrained ear that there are only a few AWOL suspects here. Some missed flights, illnesses and other extenuations. We'll see, or then again, since the AWOL troops will be hiding out and the Gov't won't want to advertise the problem, we may never know.

Now that I think about it, this may be the last we'll hear on this subject.

[wryter2000]

6. National news on Sunday night

I forget which network, but one had a soldier saying he wasn't going back. A reservist. They reported that 8 soldiers had said they'd go AWOL.

[PaDUer]

2. Not surprised..

there's probably going to be many more who won't be going back.

[theivoryqueen]

3. But...

I wonder if their actions can truly bring to light the reasons for current dissatisfaction over leadership decisions. The fear is that they will be denounced as traitors and dodgers.

[revcarol]

4. jUST OVER 2%.

Now we know why some troops won't get leave: because probably 2600 soldiers wouldn't return, and they couldn't hide that.

On the other hand, they are hiding all those flag-draped coffins, so.... AAAARRRGH. Don't wanna go there.

[Devils Advocate NZ]

7. Hmmm....

"If you put it into the context of the 1,200-plus who have returned, it's not a large number," Escudie said.

Actually, 2.6% of the soldiers who went on leave have failed to return. I think that is actually rather high considering it is a crime to do so.

[MUAD_DIB]

8. If going AWOL is good enough *

then it's good enough for these guys.

[rocktivity]

9. There might be a logical explanation

Since they were dumped in Baltimore, maybe they couldn't AFFORD to make the conencting flight back!


rocknation

[peterh]

17. That could be…

It happened to me back in `71….was on leave from Adak, Alaska. I couldn’t afford the civilian flights, so I was relying on military hops. My hop got grounded in Anchorage because of weather and I ended up being 3 days late….I was written up and if I remember correctly, was fined and given 3 days extra duty….the captain was a prick.

[symbolman]

10. A Smart Lawyer

Needs to create the "Bush Defense" for being AWOL..

That would make them either let the guy go or make Bush look BAD during an election..

I wouldn't go back either.. and I served.

[0007]

11. I thought thing were going well?

junior said, "even better than expected"

260 newspapers were operating. The shops were busy with shoppers. And the Iraqis were showing their love for Americans and didn't want us to leave.

How come, those boys don't want to go back? I don't understand.

[qb]

12. I hope a lot of these people

start holding press conferences and hitting the talk show circuit. This is something that should be heard in the court of public opinion.

[tom_paine]

13. Underground Raliroad!

Anyone for helping these victims of the Busheviks escape to Free Canada?

The Amerikan Empire can be a very ugly place...

[thebaghwan]

19. You Bet! and I am close to the border.

We need to protect these brve people and have their story told just like we need to confront Bush with the misery his lousy war and terrible economy are causing.

[booksenkatz]

21. I can help with the Detroit leg

and I have a big, dry basement!

[revcarol]

23. Get in touch with the Friends(Quakers.)

They have over one hundred years' experience in running an Underground Railroad.(The founders of the original Underground Railroad, helping slaves escape to the north.)

And they helped many get to Canada in the Vietnam War.

Here's an address for you, together with their blurb:
Central Committee of Conscientious Objectors
1515 Cherry Street, Philadelphia PA 19102
Tel: [phone] TOLL-FREE 1-800-NOJROTC
g. i. rIGHTS hOTLINE: [phone]
Website: www.objector.org

The CCCO individual and dollective resistance to war and preparations for war. It has been active since 1948, helping people seek DISCHARGE(CAPS MINE) from active military service on grounds of conscientious objection, providing information and assistance to those faced with a military draft, enlistment obligations, and registration.

They're not all Quakers, some other groups involved also.

[DuctapeFatwa]

14. More than 30 Americans find the courage to say NO

May they be an inspiration to 190 thousand and something more!

[Yavin4]

15. If I Were A Soldier, I'd Go AWOL

I'd rather be in prison or flee to Canada than die for Halliburton's profit margin. Sometimes, you have to make a stand. I'd run.

[lostnfound]

16. What a sick choice for them to make, especially the young ones

Can you imagine feeling so trapped into either committing a crime with the risk of serious jail time and a lifelong record; or going back to that hellhole?

What a choice these kids are given.

[cdeca]

18. Shameful.....

...that they will be vilified for saying the Emporer has no clothes.

[thebaghwan]

20. I am flying my flag upside down (an international sign of distress) for

those who have made this serious choice. Join me!!!

[Mari333]

22. Yes fly all US flags upside down now

Its time.

[cliss]

24. Well, it's a volunteer army, right?

If it's on a voluntary basis, would the punishment be as harsh as if there was a draft?

After all, it's voluntary, so they don't want to jeopardize their recruits, do they?

[Big_Mike]

25. If it were somewhere other than...

a combat zone, I'd look on this with a less jaundiced eye.

Political points are all well and good.

But they are trickfucking their squad mates. All the politicos can eat large piles of crap, so far as I'm concerned. But they are endangering their buds, and that can NEVER be right!

A the pointy end of the spear, all you have are the folks on your left and your right. Everything else is inconsequential.

[Devils Advocate NZ]

26. But wouldn't it be better NOT to have someone you can't rely on

beside you? If these soldiers were so disturbed with the war that they did the runner, would you want them watching your back?

[Big_Mike]

27. You may be right.

I hadn't considered it in that light.

But if you get down to it, you need everyone around you to pitch in. The point is, as the saying goes: "You signed the papers, youse gots to perform."

If they wanted to bail after returning, more power to them. The Reserves and the Guard have simple discharge procedures. Basically, you just transfer in the IRR.

But they are still abandoning their buds. Were one of them to die due to being outnumbered, would you be able to live with yourself?

I don't believe I could.