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<h1>In Breach Of Military Law, Soldiers Secretly Become Pacifists</h1>
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<span class="cat-date-line3"> <a
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<span class="cat-date-line4">By Mark Nicol, <a
href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2644857/Soldiers-secretly-join-pacifist-group-forbids-bearing-arms-remarkable-breach-military-law.html"
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June 1st, 2014</span><br>
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<p>Above photo: Easter Sunday launch of UK Veterans For Peace,<a
href="http://www.indymedia.ie/article/101705"> IndyMedia</a>.</p>
<p>Serving members of Britain’s Armed Forces have secretly joined
a pacifist organisation directly opposed to war and the carrying
of weapons, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.</p>
<p>In a remarkable breach of military law, members of the Army,
Royal Air Force and Royal Navy have joined Veterans For Peace
UK, which campaigns against armed conflict.</p>
<p>It also campaigns to stop the UK Government ‘intervening in the
internal affairs of other nations’ and has organised protests at
the Cenotaph on Remembrance Day as well as visits to schools to
teach pupils the ‘true nature’ of armed conflict.</p>
<p>Last night there were calls for the Ministry of Defence to
launch an investigation over fears the group’s members will seek
to undermine discipline in the Forces.</p>
<p>Veterans For Peace UK founder Ben Griffin, 36, refused to name
the troops because they would face disciplinary action if their
identities were known. Mr Griffin, who resigned from the Special
Air Service (SAS) in protest over its role in secret US
operations in Iraq, said: ‘While retired troops are free to
declare their membership, those in uniform are not. They would
almost certainly face official sanction, and perhaps personal
reprisals that may threaten their safety.</p>
<p>‘These men have taken the brave step of joining us because they
have come to the conclusion that war is not the answer to our
problems.</p>
<p>‘Given the issue with Queen’s Regulations and membership of
political organisations we were not actively seeking to recruit
serving troops. But we were not going to turn them away and will
not do so in future.’</p>
<p>Under these regulations, regular troops are forbidden to play
an active role in political organisations. But Mr Griffin
confirmed the troops had done so.</p>
<p>In the past year, the group – which was founded in the US by
veterans of Vietnam and has 120 UK members – has undertaken
fasts in solidarity with prisoners at Guantanamo Bay and
highlighted ‘lies’ told by the Army in recruitment campaigns.</p>
<p>The troops, who are believed to include soldiers who saw
frontline action in Iraq and Afghanistan, have agreed to abide
by the group’s principle of non-violence and to increase public
awareness of the costs of war. Veterans For Peace UK also
obliges its members never to carry weapons of any kind.</p>
<p>The former commander of British Forces in Afghanistan, Colonel
Richard Kemp, said: ‘The authorities should investigate the
group to ascertain whether they are encouraging servicemen to
break the law by joining.</p>
<p>‘It is also wrong for the taxpayer to be paying wages to people
whose principles do not allow them to do the job.</p>
<p>‘These troops should undergo disciplinary procedures and either
sever their association with the group or cease to serve in the
Forces.’</p>
<p>Last night an MoD spokesman said: ‘If an individual’s beliefs
were incompatible with their commitment to the Army then both
the Army and the individual would need to consider whether it
was appropriate for them to continue serving.’</p>
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