[Changleen]

Good Lad. I notice the British Army gave him a honourable discharge too - essentially condoning his decision.

First SAS soldier to quit “illegal” Iraq war on moral grounds

Special Air Service (SAS) soldier from Britain has quit his post after a three-month stint in Baghdad, terming the Iraq war as "illegal".

Citing "illegal" tactics by U.S. invaders as the reason, Ben Griffin, 28, told his commanding officer in a formal interview in March 2005 at Hereford that he is not going to return to Iraq as he believed that the war was morally wrong.

Although he believed that the toppled Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was a brutal leader who might have posed a threat, Griffin always had doubts over the "legality" of the war, which was launched in March 20 2003.

Griffin, who was part of the Army's Parachute operations in Northern Ireland, Macedonia and Afghanistan, is the first soldier of the Special Air Service (SAS) to refuse to fight and quit the army on moral grounds.

He said it was the "most difficult decision" he ever took in his life. Griffin decided to quit after he witnessed what he described as "draconian" acts by U.S. troops who kidnap innocents during night raids, jail and torture them in prisons such as the notorious Abu Ghraib.

"I did not join the British Army to conduct American foreign policy," Griffin, slamming the British Prime Minister Tony Blair for lying to his nation and the world about the war, The Mail said.

In an interview with Sunday Telegraph, Griffin, called in his discharge note by the Army as a "balanced, loyal and determined individual who possesses the strength of character to have the courage of his convictions", said the U.S.-led occupation forces had no respect for Iraqis, whom they regarded as "sub-human."

Recalling joint military operations in the war-devastated country, Griffin, said "We would radio back to our headquarters that we were not going to detain certain people because, as far as we were concerned, they were not a threat because they were old men or obviously farmers, but the Americans would say: 'No, bring them back'".

Griffin’s decision not only marks an end to his eight-year military career, but also causes a great embarrassement to the government, the Mail said.

"Trooper Griffin is an experienced soldier. This makes his decision particularly disturbing and his views and opinions must be listened to by the Government," the Mail quoted Patrick Mercer, shadow minister for homeland security, as saying.

Mr. Griffin expected to be arrested, or may be court-martialed and imprisoned for making public such views. But instead he was allowed to leave the Army with his exemplary military record intact, UK’s Telegraph reported.

Nearly three years have passed since the U.S. and its war allies started their illegal military operation in Iraq on the false pretext that Saddam Hussein posed a threat against the United States and the whole world for allegedly possessing Weapons of Mass Destruction and having link to Osama Bin Laden’s Al Qaeda network, said to be responsible for September 11 attacks on the United States.

After numerous inspections conducted inside Iraq, none of those banned weapons were ever found, and no link between the former Iraqi regime and Al Qaeda was ever proved, which makes the whole basis on which the decision to invade Iraq was built “illegal”.

U.S. and Britain’s efforts to rally international support for the war appears to be dwindling with numerous scandals about the troops attitude in Iraq tarnishing the two government’s image worldwide.

Abu Ghraib torture scandal in April 2004, UK’s torture scandal in June 2005, and another video last month showing British troops brutally beating Iraqi teens, and most recently new pictures uncovering the true extent of the U.S. crimes committed inside the notorious jail near the Iraqi capital- All that revealed the true face of the occupation and true actions of the two invading governments.

 

[dan-o]

In other SAS news, the elite corps celebrated motto "Who Dares Wins" has been changed to "We're Soft"

ink:

 

[sanjuro]

I knew the British would betray us....

 

[Reactor]

Good for him. If the Government wanted to try him, they'd be put on the spot to prove the orders he was given were lawful, when in all probablitiy at least some of them were not.

The war this 'political experiment' has been conducted will continue to cause America, England, and the west in general years of grief.

 

[DaveW]

Dammit Chang you beat me to it.

Good for the trooper though

 

[pixelninja]

In other news, President Bush has declared that from from this day forth, english muffins shall be referred to as freedom muffins...

 

[Echo]

There are probably 100,000 American soldiers who feel exactly the same way. I wonder what would happen to them if they made their views known.

 

[BurlyShirley]

There are probably 100,000 American soldiers who feel exactly the same way. I wonder what would happen to them if they made their views known.

Court martial.
You're not legally allowed (per a signed contract) to express negative views toward policy or leadership. Plain and simple.

 

[ohio]

Court martial.
You're not legally allowed (per a signed contract) to express negative views toward policy or leadership. Plain and simple.

But you are allowed to refuse an illegal order, correct?

 

[jimmydean]

Court martial.
You're not legally allowed (per a signed contract) to express negative views toward policy or leadership. Plain and simple.

They tried a National Guard Officer when he tried to resign his commision to avoid going to Iraq because he had been issued orders. If they will go that far, the enlisted folks are screwed anyway. Between that and "stop-loss", your f@cked.

 

[BurlyShirley]

But you are allowed to refuse an illegal order, correct?

Only an order which the institution itself deems illegal. Seems backwards, huh? Well, if every tom, richard and harold decided to question every policy sent down as legal or not, our military would be somewhat innefectvie, no? The rule about refusing illegal orders is there for clear cases of lower-level leadership abuse/negligence/ulterior motives. But Im sure you know that.

 

[Echo]

It was a rhetorical question. I signed that contract once too. Actually there was probably some wording in there that makes it illegal for me to sh!t-talk the commander in chief 16 years after my honorable discharge too.

 

[Reactor]

It was a rhetorical question. I signed that contract once too. Actually there was probably some wording in there that makes it illegal for me to sh!t-talk the commander in chief 16 years after my honorable discharge too.

Not in mine. I can say whatever I want, unless it's classified, or was part of the special projects are Mare Island.

As a soldier you're screwed both ways on the illegal order thingy. If you refuse you're in for a CM or NJP. If obey knowing it's wrong, you'll probably be in the same boat. Going to Iraq isn't really an illegal order, but a lot of what is happening over there, and in Gitmo is plain wrong, illegal.

 

[MudGrrl]

I am sooo lucky that I didn't get sent to the sand box.



I would be in soooo much trouble. Not the hand grenade lobbing in tents kind of trouble, but I would definitely not be supporting the war...in a very peaceful fashion.


I wonder how many people will be tried later for war crimes?

 

[DaveW]

Why do you think Bush and co are trying to shut down the ICC at the Hague.

 

[DaveW]

More on it here :hot:

 

[Changleen]

Ouch.

 

[DaveW]

Yeah it's a pretty "No holds bared" story.