Austin woman resists Iraq deployment

[Guest guest]

http://austin.indymedia.org/newswire/display/22177/index.php

 

Army National Guard Specialist Katherine Jashinski will, Thursday morning,

publicly announce her refusal to be deployed to the Middle East.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

November 16, 2005

 

 

Woman GI Publicly Stands Against War as She Faces Immediate Deployment to

Middle East

 

WHEN: Thursday, November 17, 11:30 AM

 

WHERE: Front Gate of Ft. Benning, Georgia on Fort Benning Road

 

WHAT: Public Statement of Conscientious Objection by Female GI on eve of

her deployment to Middle East

 

Fort Benning, GA - Army National Guard Specialist Katherine Jashinski, on

active duty with the 111th ASG since January of this year, will make a

public statement against war as a conscientious objector in the face of

orders to participate in weapons training and deploy to the Middle East.

She will be joined by several members of Iraq Veterans Against the War and

Veterans for Peace. Jashinski applied for a discharge as a Conscientious

Objector in 2004. The Army recently denied her claim and ordered her to

weapons training and deployment this week.

 

Speakers at the press conference include Aidan Delgado, an Army

Conscientious Objector and member of Iraq Veterans Against the War. Iraq

Veterans Against the War supports the right of every soldier to follow

their conscience. Today's revelation that chemical weapons were used

against citizens in Falluja is evidence that the war is illegal and

immoral.

 

Jashinski's counselor, Persian Gulf War Army Conscientious Objector Aimee

Allison, will speak at tomorrow's press conference. Speaking today,

Allison stated, " As the first woman GI to publicly take a stand against

this war and to declare herself a Conscientious Objector, Katherine's

actions are very significant. She is showing remarkable courage. "

 

Jashinski's lawyer, J.E. McNeil with the Center for Conscience and War,

will also discuss her legal status and the case. She comments, " Denying

Katherine CO status is yet another in a long line of actions by the

military to defy its own rules in order to get the numbers of soldiers

they need to continue this war. "

 

Katherine is actively supported by Code Pink, a women-initiated grassroots

peace group. Medea Benjamin, co-founder of Code Pink adds, " I applaud

Katherine's courageous stand against the continued U.S. role in bringing

violence to the Middle East. "

 

Father Roy Bourgeois, a Vietnam War veteran and founder of School of the

Americas Watch will also speak. Jashinki's statement comes on the eve of a

national demonstration at the gates of Fort Benning calling for the

closure the U.S. Army School of the Americas. " U.S. foreign policy as it

exists today is fundamentally out of alignment with Americans values of

peace and justice. "

[Guest guest]

http://austin.indymedia.org/newswire/display/22177/index.php

 

Army National Guard Specialist Katherine Jashinski will, Thursday morning,

publicly announce her refusal to be deployed to the Middle East.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

November 16, 2005

 

 

Woman GI Publicly Stands Against War as She Faces Immediate Deployment to

Middle East

 

WHEN: Thursday, November 17, 11:30 AM

 

WHERE: Front Gate of Ft. Benning, Georgia on Fort Benning Road

 

WHAT: Public Statement of Conscientious Objection by Female GI on eve of

her deployment to Middle East

 

Fort Benning, GA - Army National Guard Specialist Katherine Jashinski, on

active duty with the 111th ASG since January of this year, will make a

public statement against war as a conscientious objector in the face of

orders to participate in weapons training and deploy to the Middle East.

She will be joined by several members of Iraq Veterans Against the War and

Veterans for Peace. Jashinski applied for a discharge as a Conscientious

Objector in 2004. The Army recently denied her claim and ordered her to

weapons training and deployment this week.

 

Speakers at the press conference include Aidan Delgado, an Army

Conscientious Objector and member of Iraq Veterans Against the War. Iraq

Veterans Against the War supports the right of every soldier to follow

their conscience. Today's revelation that chemical weapons were used

against citizens in Falluja is evidence that the war is illegal and

immoral.

 

Jashinski's counselor, Persian Gulf War Army Conscientious Objector Aimee

Allison, will speak at tomorrow's press conference. Speaking today,

Allison stated, " As the first woman GI to publicly take a stand against

this war and to declare herself a Conscientious Objector, Katherine's

actions are very significant. She is showing remarkable courage. "

 

Jashinski's lawyer, J.E. McNeil with the Center for Conscience and War,

will also discuss her legal status and the case. She comments, " Denying

Katherine CO status is yet another in a long line of actions by the

military to defy its own rules in order to get the numbers of soldiers

they need to continue this war. "

 

Katherine is actively supported by Code Pink, a women-initiated grassroots

peace group. Medea Benjamin, co-founder of Code Pink adds, " I applaud

Katherine's courageous stand against the continued U.S. role in bringing

violence to the Middle East. "

 

Father Roy Bourgeois, a Vietnam War veteran and founder of School of the

Americas Watch will also speak. Jashinki's statement comes on the eve of a

national demonstration at the gates of Fort Benning calling for the

closure the U.S. Army School of the Americas. " U.S. foreign policy as it

exists today is fundamentally out of alignment with Americans values of

peace and justice. "