Retired. Colonel Ann Wright Arrested at House Judiciary Committee.

[CODEPINK]

Source: CODEPINK

Capital Police arrested a 26 year veteran of the United States Army
and Reserve as she quietly exited the House Judiciary committee
hearing on the "FBI's Use of National Security Letters." Retired
Colonel Ann Wright voiced opposition to the committee's lack of
oversight before being asked leave by Rep. John Conyers, House
Judiciary Chair. As Wright left the hearing room, Conyers asked
Capital Police to escort her out. Despite orders from Conyers not to
arrest her, Capital Police officers arrested her for exercising her
first amendment rights. She is being processed at the D Street
Station but has not been notified of any charges.


This is the second times in less than a week that a citizen opposing
the Iraq war in Congress was subject to a random arrest. Last
Thursday, CODEPINK Co-Founder Gael Murphy and two other CODEPINK
members were arrested outside the House Appropriations Committee
hearing. As documented on YOUTUBE, Capital Police aggressively
arrested Murphy and prevented citizens from attending the hearing on
the Supplemental Funding for the Iraq War.


Retired Colonel Wright served for 26 years in Army and the Army
Reserves and served 15 years in the Diplomatic Corp. She received the
State Department's Award for Heroism as Charge d'Affaires during the
evacuation of Sierra Leone in 1997. She resigned from her post as
Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in 2003 due to her
opposition to the war on Iraq. In her letter of resignation to then
Secretary of State Colin Powell Wright explained, "I have served my
country for almost thirty years in the some of the most isolated and
dangerous parts of the world. I want to continue to serve America.
However, I do not believe in the policies of this Administration and
cannot defend or implement them. It is with heavy heart that I must
end my service to America and therefore resign due to the
Administration's policies".


To learn more about CODEPINK's campaign to pressure Congress to cut the war funding,
please go to www.dontbuybushswar.org or codepinkalert.org

Read more: www.dontbuybushswar.org

[peacetalksforall]

1. Do Capital Police report to Congress? If yes, why would they

go against Conyers? Does anyone know the heirarchy?

[Kagemusha]

6. They answer to the Speaker, who would be Pelosi

I have no idea what kind of authority Conyers has but, if he has any it's probably solely within the chamber he holds his committee hearings in.

[mahina]

I know when she was arrested by them in the past,

with every digit's fingerprint they took, the officer said,
"Way to go"...
"Way to go"...
"Way to go"

I respect her so deeply and am grateful to her. Her actions make you look inside and ask, what can I do?
I know she said, every time you go to DC on vacation with the fam, plan on an hour or an afternoon to go stand, even all by yourself, in front of the white house with a sign or some protest. You'd think there is someone there every day but there isn't.

What can each of us do? Everything...

[pecwae]

15. I was fortunate

to serve with COL Wright at Ft. Bragg in the 80's when she was a Major. She showed genuine concern for the troops and went out of her way to encourage us. She is a remarkable woman.

[Dhalgren]

2. "Meet the new boss"...etc., etc....

[NV Whino]

3. I don't understand this comment.

" Retired Colonel Ann Wright voiced opposition to the committee's lack of
oversight before being asked leave by Rep. John Conyers, House
Judiciary Chair."

Was she opposing Conyers' committe?
Was she opposing the war?
Why was she asked to leave?

[cali]

4. Was Wright disrupting the Hearing?

Is that why she was asked to leave? Glad to see Conyers do that, though I'm sorry she was arrested.

[MADem]

5. That's my guess. But we're only hearing one side of the story. And on EDIT...

She likes to get arrested to make her points. It will be interesting to learn if there was any provocation beyond what happened in the hearing room. The Cap Police wouldn't go against Conyers' request, unless the individual being escorted out committed additonal, chargeable offenses. Here's an interesting article that gives us an idea of the methods the retired COL employs:
http://news10now.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=97675

In the past year and a half, Wright's been arrested eight times.
She's also been banned from the National Press Club and two military bases.

"It's just so ludicrous. Here I spent my whole life with the government. I've had the top highest security clearances of our government."

But, she said she'll continue to protest on her path to peace.

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. And here is a good part too:

Ann Wright said, "We have the responsibility to be critical thinkers in America and to look at things. And, if we in our gut say, 'This doesn't make sense to me,' then we need to speak out."

[Cassandra]

8. She was disrupting the hearing...

but Conyers just wanted her to leave, not be arrested.

[MADem]

12. Like I said, I bet the Cap Cops were willing to just let her go.

But if you commit additional, chargeable offenses, after the demonstration, well, all bets are off.

Of course, we don't KNOW anything. We don't know details. We'll have to wait for the media reports.

[ellenfl]

7. wasn't she at the dsm hearings that conyers held?

i'd like to hear the rest of this story. i don't want to think that conyers is shutting people up.

ellen fl

[proud2BlibKansan]

9. Oh go Ann!!

She is a most remarkable person. Here she is with Willie Nelson's wife Annie at a Karl Rove protest last August. Ann is in the middle, holding the microphone:

[The Magistrate]

11. Glad To Hear It, Ma'am: This Is Excellent News

First, anyone belaboring Rep. Conyers for insufficient dilligence is a fool, badly in need of another hobby than politics.

Second, demonstrations that do not result in arrest are worthless, not even good grandstanding: if they do not haul you away in cuffs, you have wasted your time, and everyone else's.

"Politics ain't bean-bag."

[MADem]

13. I'm with you!!! n/t

[cali]

14. I'm getting a wee bit impatient with Codepink myself.

I think they consistently put more time into targeting folks on our side than others.

[Bo]

16. Long Live Col. Ann Wright !

A True American......