Dissent in the Ranks

San Francisco Chronicle reporter Joe Garofoli filed an article on April 7 about active duty troops in the U.S. military who are speaking out about the war in Iraq.

In addition to his portraits of "the few, the proud, the disillusioned," Garofoli also lists two interesting ways in which the Web is being used to organize in-the-ranks dissent.

One is an on-line petition drive, called Appeal for Redress.

The petition is brief:

As a patriotic American proud to serve the nation in uniform, I respectfully urge my political leaders in Congress to support the prompt withdrawal of all American military forces and bases from Iraq. Staying in Iraq will not work and is not worth the effort.

Appeal for Redress's Web site also cites military regulations that both provide protection for and limit the ways in which military personnel are free to express opinions on political and military matters.

More freewheeling is G.I. Special, an on-line "near-daily news bulletin for service members," with annotated reprints of newspaper clips and wire service photos dealing with the war and military experiences in Iraq.

At the end of every issue is a reminder to military personnel: "If printed out, this newsletter is your personal property and cannot legally be confiscated from you 'Possession of unauthorized material may not be prohibited.' DoD Directive 1325.6 Section 3.5.1.2."

— Barnett Axelrad