Support for a Soldier’s Right to Conscience

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The original copy of this statement can be found at Iraqpledge.org 

We stand here today influenced and inspired by the bravery and honor of American soldiers who have taken it upon themselves to refuse deployment to Iraq, at grave risk to their liberty and futures. Our soldiers sign on to go into harm’s way if necessary to defend their country, but instead they have been turned into harm’s ministers in a war that has claimed more then 100,000 Iraqi lives and more than 1,500 of their fellow soldiers. The President and Congress have breached a sacred trust with our soldiers and abused their oath to defend the Constitution by leading young Americans to kill and die in a war based on lies.

Thus influenced and thus inspired by a growing number of soldiers who are refusing orders to Iraq, or otherwise speaking out, we choose to knowingly and willingly break the law — 18 USC Section 2387 — that abrogates our right of free speech and dissent, the law which throws a cloak over the immorality of this war and its oppression of our soldiers.

We also obey a higher law, knowing that Iraq is an illegal war and our country has committed war crimes there. As noted at the Nuremburg Trial, “individuals have international duties which transcend national obligations of obedience imposed by the individual state.”  (See Nuremberg Principles)

 We therefore advise, counsel and urge soldiers to refuse orders to Iraq if in good conscience they decide to do so. We publish and distribute today, and we urge others to do likewise, a call for refusal of orders, and we pledge to follow up with support for soldiers who choose to exercise their right of conscience. Soldiers who seek support can contact some of the organizations listed here, many of which will provide you with advice as to your options. 

We fully recognize that soldiers are at far greater risk then we on the outside might be for counseling them to refuse their orders to Iraq, so it is our moral responsibility to them that we share that risk to the extent we can. Our violation of this unjust law is undertaken in a spirit of love, with compassion and respect for all we encounter, especially our soldiers.

Soldiers have a right of conscience as does every human being. We will not allow our right to support and encourage soldiers to act on conscience to be stripped away by any nation or any unjust law.

See also Refuse to Kill