Inside the Belly of the Beltway Beast

Anti-war Marine receives discharge below honorable Associated Press Published June 14, 2007 KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- An Iraq war veteran was kicked out of the Marines with a general discharge after he wore his uniform during an anti-war demonstration, the military announced Wednesday. Lt. Gen. John Bergman, commanding general of Marine Forces Reserve in New Orleans, agreed Monday to give Adam Kokesh a general discharge under honorable conditions, based on a military panel's recommendation. Kokesh's attorneys argued that their client, a corporal, was not subject to military rules because he is a non-drilling, non-paid member of the Individual Ready Reserve, which consists mainly of those who have left active duty but still have time remaining on their eight-year military obligations. His reservist service had been scheduled to end next Monday. Kokesh had received an honorable discharge from active duty in November. He got in trouble after a newspaper published a photograph of him in ...

Faces of conflict Marine Corps challenge anti-war vets By IAN SANDS Each summer, it seems, the Iraq War springs another issue for the peace movement to rally around, symbolized by a specific face with a story to tell. In 2005, it was Cindy Sheehan’s loss and her dogged insistence that Bush explain why we invaded Iraq, where she lost her 24-year-old son. In 2006, it was Lieutenant Ehren Watada’s refusal to deploy. This summer, the latest phase of the movement may be epitomized by two more faces: Marine Corporal Adam Kokesh and Marine Sergeant and Boston-chapter president of Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) Liam Madden, both of whom were honorably discharged from the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR), a group of unpaid reservists that can be, but rarely are, called up. The pair learned this past week that the Marine Corps was recommending they receive “other than honorable” discharges as a result of certain aspects of their anti-war activities. Kokesh’s troubles began after he received ...

Yesterday Adam Kokesh of Iraq Veterans Against the War and his attorney held a press conference at Union Station shortly before departing for a military hearing in Kansas. What awaits this brave member of IVAW and the individual ready reserves of the US Marines is a possible re-discharge to "other than honorable." This is unheard of, as the individual ready reserves have typically already been discharged. Why is this being done? Simple: Adam Kokesh has been vocal in his opposition to the war and continuing occupation in Iraq. At the press conference, Adam quoted Thomas Jefferson: "Dissent is the highest form of patriotism." So, if the media needs a new "face" of the anti-war movement, let it be Adam. Yesterday he, Tina Richards from the Swarm on Congress and several other supporters boarded the Yellow Rose of Texas Peace bus bound for Kansas. They will fight this assault on veterans' First Amendment rights. Interestingly enough at the press conference,...

What a busy week for me, the Washington Peace Center and the peace movement in general. The week began with those of us regular readers of afterdowningstreet.org and the DailyKoz knowing a full 24-hours ahead of most folks that Cindy Sheehan was calling it quits on being everyone's official peace mom. I have met Cindy on a couple of occasions, and think she is smart, warm and funny. She's articulate, marches to her own drum and has a sharp sense of humor. It turns out she has been both worn down by the demands and competing egos within the movement, and also by the continuing personal slams and death threats against her. She needs time off, and so she originally wrote that she is quitting. She says she felt betrayed by the Democrats who recently took power, and she wanted to see more of us in the peace movement actually begin to make sacrifices in order to change the murderous path that the U.S. government has been on for the last few decades. I share much of Cindy's frustr...