Inside the Belly of the Beltway Beast

"My experiences in Iraq made my convictions stronger... In the end I felt that I had to listen to my conscience." — Agustin Aguayo Agustín Aguayo, a 35-year-old Army medic and conscientious objector, was convicted of desertion and missing movement on March 6 in a U.S. military court in Germany. Although he faced a maximum of seven years, Agustín was sentenced to eight months in the brig for resisting redeployment to Iraq (see Courage to Resist's report from Germany). Since he had been imprisoned pending trial since September, he was released from the brig on April 18. Agustín is still in the Army for the time being, and he is still in Germany. We are expecting his unit give him leave during his transition out of the Army so that he can come home, hopefully within a couple of weeks. However, Agustin's wife Helga notes, "For now the sad truth is it seems that the unit's inefficiency will keep him in Germany a while longer—an undetermined amount of time." I...

The Washington Peace Center and CHOICES is co-hosting an intensive six-hour training and workshop on military counter recruitment and the most effective ways to prevent the militarization of youth in our communities. We will be assisted by experts from the Center on Conscience and War and other experts in the field. Topics will include: Providing alternatives to youth, providing GI support to potential conscientious objectors and those selecting to go AWOL, strategies in the schools and at the school board and county levels, and related laws to recruitment and military access to students. The organizers believe peace activists need to be prepared to go far beyond simple protests in front of military recruitment offices, and to challenge the entire industry of military recruitment. Time: 12 noon, Saturday, March 31st Location: St. Margaret's Episcopal Church, 1820 Connecticut Ave., NW For more info: Pete, 202-234-2000 Suggested donation will be $10