<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div class="print-logo">[Leah Bolger is president of Veterans For Peace, a United States organization founded in 1985. Made up of male and female US military veterans of World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and other conflicts, as well as peacetime veterans and non-veterans, the group works to promote alternatives to war. The organization has opposed the military policies of the United States, NATO and Israel, and has opposed military actions and threats to Russia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Libya and Syria. This statement is published on <em>War Is A Crime .org</em> (<a href="http://warisacrime.org">http://warisacrime.org</a>).]</div><div></div>
<h1 class="print-title">An Open Letter to Secretary of Defense Nominee Chuck Hagel--A 10-point Plan</h1>
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<div class="metanode"><p>By <span class="author">Leah Bolger</span> - Posted on <span class="date">26 February 2013</span></p>
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<div class="content"><div style="margin-left: 40px; "> <br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p style="margin-left: 40px;">Dear Senator Hagel,</p><div style="margin-left: 40px; "> <br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p style="margin-left: 40px;">Congratulations on your recent nomination
to the office of Secretary of Defense. As you await the Senate’s
decision on your confirmation, I would like to express to you some ideas
about the office of Secretary of Defense, and what I would like to see
from this office. I am the member of an organization called Veterans
For Peace (VFP), which has been around since 1985. VFP was formed by a
Viet Nam veteran with the intention of creating a bridge between the
peace movement and veterans. VFP members believe that our collective
experience as veterans allows us to speak about the true costs and
consequences of war and militarism with a voice of credibility and true
standing. We feel a responsibility to speak out against war and
militarism, particularly when it is manifested in illegal and immoral
wars of choice and aggression. I appreciate very much that President
Obama has chosen you--someone who has seen first-hand the horrors of
combat--to fill the position of Secretary of Defense. Like the members
of VFP, your voice will carry an extraordinary credibility, because you
understand war in a way that a civilian cannot. It will not be easy to
dismiss your words when you caution against military force, or speak in
favor of abiding by the Geneva Conventions. I hope that you will become
a force for reshaping the Department of Defense, by consideration of
the following:</p><p style="margin-left: 40px;">1. <strong>Refuse to put troops into harm’s way as part of an illegal, immoral war of aggression.</strong> The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authorization_for_Use_of_Military_Force_Against_Terrorists">2001 Authorization to Use Military Force</a> <span class="print-footnote">[1]</span>
(AUMF), signed as a knee-jerk reaction to 9/11 has been used, first by
the Bush administration, and now by the Obama administration, as a blank
check for perpetual war. As the Secretary of Defense, you should
refuse to deploy any combat troops until Congress provides a legally
binding authorization to do so. As a combat veteran, you truly
understand that no one should be asked to kill or be killed for a war of
choice, particularly one that has not even been legally authorized.
Demand adherence to the War Powers Act.</p><p style="margin-left: 40px;">2. <strong>Take responsibility for the deaths, damage and harm done by the U.S.</strong> The <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rXPrfnU3G0">“Collateral Murder” video</a> <span class="print-footnote">[2]</span>
leaked to Wikileaks showed the world just one instance of war crimes
conducted by U.S. forces. For the United States to have any moral
credibility whatsoever, we must take responsibility for our actions.</p><p style="margin-left: 40px;">3. <strong>State unequivocally that the U.S. will abide by the </strong><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geneva_Conventions"><strong>Geneva Conventions</strong></a> <span class="print-footnote">[3]</span> and will not torture, or participate in the extraordinary rendition of prisoners.</p><p style="margin-left: 40px;">4. <strong>Stop the illegal use of combat drones</strong> that are responsible the extrajudicial assassinations of thousands of civilians in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia.</p><p style="margin-left: 40px;">5. <strong>Call for the closure of all U.S. military bases in foreign countries. </strong>The U.S. currently has military troops stationed in more than <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_military_deployments">150 countries</a> <span class="print-footnote">[4]</span>
around the world. Bringing U.S. troops back to the U.S. will send a
strong message to the international community that the U.S. is not
interested in hegemony, or in being the world’s policeman.</p><p style="margin-left: 40px;">6. <strong>Call for the dismantlement of all nuclear weapons, </strong>and
immediately take nuclear weapons off of naval vessels. There can never
be a justified use of a nuclear weapon and if the U.S. is going to
demand that other countries refrain from obtaining nuclear weapons
capabilities, then it needs to lead the way in disarmament. </p><p style="margin-left: 40px;">7. <strong>Stop the use of Depleted Uranium weapons. </strong>“DU”
weapons violate the Geneva Conventions. Once exploded, DU particulates
enter ground water, travel on air currents, and are inhaled by innocent
civilians. DU weapons are responsible for a huge spike in deformities,
birth defects and other ailments in Iraq where they were widely used.</p><p style="margin-left: 40px;">8. <strong>End foreign military sales</strong> to countries who violate international laws and basic human rights, and who have child soldiers.</p><p style="margin-left: 40px;">9. <strong>Push to become a signatory to the Land Mine treaty. </strong>The
international community recognizes land mines and cluster bombs as
weapons that kill a high number of civilians, often long after the
“official” conflict is over. </p><p style="margin-left: 40px;">10.<strong>Slash the Pentagon budget.</strong> The U.S. spends more on the military and war than the rest of the world combined. Bring our war dollars home.</p><div style="margin-left: 40px; "> <br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p style="margin-left: 40px;">In summary, I hope that you will use your
unique qualifications and experience to push this administration into
adherence with international law. I urge you, as a fellow veteran, to
use your voice, your influence, and your power to guide and inform this
administration towards a new type of Department of “Defense…” one that
uses military force only for its actual defense.</p>
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<div class="taxonomy">Tags <ul class="links inline"><li class="taxonomy_term_124 first last"><a href="http://warisacrime.org/obama" rel="tag" title="">Obama Administration</a> <span class="print-footnote">[5]</span></li>
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<div class="print-footer">Maintained by a union shop at <a href="http://www.mayfirst.org">MayFirst.org</a>
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<div class="print-source_url"><strong>Source URL:</strong> <a href="http://warisacrime.org/content/open-letter-secretary-defense-nominee-chuck-hagel-10-point-plan">http://warisacrime.org/content/open-letter-secretary-defense-nominee-chuck-hagel-10-point-plan</a></div>
<div class="print-links"><p><strong>Links:</strong><br>[1] <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authorization_for_Use_of_Military_Force_Against_Terrorists">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authorization_for_Use_of_Military_Force_Against_Terrorists</a><br>
[2] <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rXPrfnU3G0">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rXPrfnU3G0</a><br>
[3] <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geneva_Conventions">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geneva_Conventions</a><br>
[4] <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_military_deployments">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_military_deployments</a><br>
[5] <a href="http://warisacrime.org/obama">http://warisacrime.org/obama</a><br>
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