Letter: Call to End War

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

The Virginia Honor Roll of military personnel killed in action in Iraq and Afghanistan is 12 feet long and contains the names and faces of 131 of our fellow Virginians. The Honor Roll also depicts 675 Virginians who have been wounded in action. The Honor Roll is a project I undertook to help present the cost of war to Virginians.

Since I began this project the toll of dead and wounded has grown by 48 percent and there is no end in sight. As a veteran I must admit that I along with those on the Honor Roll, those serving today and those nursing their wounds have been involved in the war racket. The Honor Roll indicates that many people suffer horribly during war and a few people profit greatly. It is logical therefore that if war had no profit for anyone we could end war.

If during wartime members of the three branches of government were compelled by law to receive the same salary and health care plan as the lowest paid troop there would be no war. If during wartime the CEO's of Halliburton, Exxon Mobile, Blackwater and Lockheed Martin were compelled by law to receive the same salary and health care plan as the lowest paid troop there would be no war.

Since no such laws exist consider ways in which you can help to stop the madness. Begin by learning about Iraq Veterans Against the War, Veterans For Peace and Winter Soldier. Make war a daily topic of conversation with family, friends and coworkers.

I will have to change the Virginia Honor Roll again because Army Specialist Christopher C. Simpson of Hampton was killed on March 17, 2008. He was 23 years old. The toll of Virginia's wounded is now 692.

Anthony Teolis

Veterans For Peace

Delwin Anderson Memorial Chapter

www.vfpdc.org

Veterans For Peace

St. Louis MO 63105

www.veteransforpeace.org

March 19, 2008

Honorable James B. Peake M.D.

Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Department of Veterans Affairs 

Washington, DC 20420 

Dear Dr. Peake,

Veterans For Peace is a national organization founded in 1985. It is structured around a national office in Saint Louis, MO and comprised of members across the country organized in chapters or as at-large members. The organization includes men and women veterans of all eras and duty stations including from the Spanish Civil War (1936-39), World War II, the Korean, Vietnam, Gulf and current Iraq and Afghanistan wars as well as other conflicts. We draw on our personal experiences and perspectives gained as veterans to raise public awareness of the true costs and consequences of militarism and war and to seek peaceful, effective alternatives.

It is our duty as veterans to inform you of the grievances we have with the United States government for the abysmal lack of care, services and support for Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans and towards veterans from other wars. Each year resolutions are considered at the national convention and we now present you with them for immediate address. We will accept nothing less than firm and verifiable action from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Veterans For Peace has come to Washington on this tragic 5th Anniversary of the invasion and occupation of Iraq to bring notice to you and the Department of Veterans Affairs that we will not let this tragedy continue. Our stay in Washington will not go unheard or unseen and our voices will ring in a new era of truth throughout America. These days it is clear that the real enemies are our own so called leaders. As veterans we accept another chance to serve, this time, as citizens to free America from the evils that imperil us and the world: an administration spun out of control, wreaking our economy, polluting the earth, waging preemptive wars of aggression and killing millions in our name. These are the times that try our souls. Please join us.

Sincerely,

Ellitott Adams

President

Attachments:

1.         6 Veterans For Peace resolutions 2007 and 2004

2.         “What Happened to Mental Health Care for Vets?”, The American Prospect, February 24, 2008

3.         “Military Doctors Withholding Treatment from Soldiers with Mental Health Problems”, www.alternet.org/story/77867 , February 27, 2008

4.         “Army Suicides Rise As Much As 20 Percent, Report Says”, Associated Press, January 31, 2008

5.         The Cost of War, www.iCasaulties.org

cc:        Thomas G. Bowman, Chief of Staff

Honorable Gordon H. Mansfield, Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Saturday, March 15, 2008; B01

War Stories Echo an Earlier Winter

By Steve Vogel

Washington Post Staff Writer

Grim-faced and sorrowful, former soldiers and Marines sat before an audience of several hundred yesterday in Silver Spring and shared their recollections of their service in Iraq.

The stories spilled out, sometimes haltingly, sometimes in a rush: soldiers firing indiscriminately on Iraqi vehicles, an apartment building filled with Iraqi families devastated by an American gunship. Some descriptions were agonized, some vague; others offered specific dates and locations. All were recorded and streamed live to the Web.

The four-day event, "Winter Soldier: Iraq & Afghanistan -- Eyewitness Accounts of the Occupations," is sponsored by Iraq Veterans Against the War and is expected to draw more than 200 veterans of the two wars through tomorrow. Timed for the eve of the fifth anniversary of the war's start next week, organizers hope the soldiers' accounts will galvanize public opposition.

For some of the veterans speaking yesterday, the experience was catharsis.

Former Marine Jon Turner began his presentation by ripping his service medals off his shirt and tossing them into the first row. He then narrated a series of graphic photographs showing bloody victims and destruction, bringing gasps from the audience. In a matter-of-fact voice, he described episodes in which he and fellow Marines shot people out of fear or retribution.

"I'm sorry for the hate and destruction I've inflicted upon innocent people," Turner said. "Until people hear about what is happening in this war, it will continue."

Winter Soldier is modeled after a well-known and controversial 1971 gathering of the same name at which veterans of the Vietnam War gathered to describe alleged atrocities. John Kerry, then a young veteran, spoke at the Detroit event, which brought him to prominence. The soldiers' claims sparked lasting enmity, which resurfaced during Kerry's run for president in 2004.

The 2008 Winter Soldier will probably be no different. The event drew dozens of counter-protesters who were kept from the conference site at the National Labor College by a contingent of Montgomery County police. Although entrance to the event was limited to participants and the media, one protester managed to slip in and walked toward the stage, interrupting a speaker.

"Kerry lied while good men died, and you guys are betraying good men," the man yelled. The protester was roughly hustled from the room by several men in red knit shirts and jeans -- members of Vietnam Veterans Against the War, who are providing security for the event.

Counter-protesters outside derided the event and were deeply skeptical of the claims being made inside. "We want absolute specifics," said Harry Riley, a retired Army colonel who leads Eagles Up!. "This is too important to our nation. The credibility of our nation and the credibility of our soldiers are involved."

Riley said those making allegations against the U.S. military should have to give sworn testimony instead of speaking at an antiwar conference.

Organizers said they have sought to verify the records of all soldiers speaking, including reviewing their service records and talking to other members of units. Some soldiers had videos and photographs, which were displayed yesterday on a large screen in the auditorium.

"The ubiquitous nature of video, photo and technology really sets this apart" from the original Winter Soldier, said Jose Vasquez, an IVAW member who directed the verification process. Organizers and speakers said Winter Soldier is not meant to vilify soldiers. Instead, they said, it is aimed at changing war policy.

"These are not bad people, not criminals and not monsters," said Cliff Hicks, 23, a former 1st Armored Division soldier from Savannah, Ga., who spoke about his experiences in Iraq. "They are people being put in horrible situations, and they reacted horribly."

A Defense Department spokesman said he had not seen the allegations raised yesterday but added that such incidents are not representative of U.S. conduct.

"When isolated allegations of misconduct have been reported, commanders have conducted comprehensive investigations to determine the facts and held individuals accountable when appropriate," Lt. Col. Mark Ballesteros said.

Yesterday's panels included two sessions on "Rules of Engagement," in which soldiers and Marines described in emotional and often graphic terms incidents in which they said unarmed and innocent civilians were killed.

Most of the stories involved Iraq, though some took place in Afghanistan.

Two former soldiers who served with the 1st Armored Division described an attack by an AC-130 "Spectre" gunship on an apartment building in southern Baghdad that they said took place Nov. 13, 2003.

"It was the most destructive thing I've seen, before or since," said Hicks, one of the soldiers.

Adam Kokesh, a student at George Washington University who served with the Marine Corps in Iraq, said Marines were often forced to make snap decisions about whether to fire on civilians.

"During the siege of Fallujah, we changed our rules of engagement more often than we changed our underwear," he said.

On the screen, a photograph showed him posing next to a burned-out car in which an Iraqi man was killed after approaching a Marine checkpoint.

"At the first Winter Soldier in 1971, one of the testifiers showed a picture like this and said, 'Don't ever let your government to do this to you,' " Kokesh said. "And still the government is doing this."

At a session on shortcomings in veterans' health care, audience members sobbed as Joyce and Kevin Lucey described the suicide of their son, Marine Cpl. Jeffrey Lucey, a death they blamed on his inability to get treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Mental health specialists were on hand to help speakers and audience members, and a workshop was offered on PTSD.

Those who spoke yesterday described the experience as intimidating.

"It was terrifying for me," said Steven Casey, a former 1st Armored Division specialist from Missouri who also described the AC-130 attack. "I knew somebody needed to hear it. All I wanted to do is say what I saw. I'm not accusing anyone of a crime."

The conference can be viewed at http://www.ivaw.org.

March 15, 2008-04-07

Dear Mr. Vogel,

I am a member of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War security team at Winter Soldier II and I am writing to assist you with a necessary addition to today's article. I hope that you will take the time to investigate my report and follow up with a note in your next article making the necessary clarification of your portrayal of yesterday's expulsion of an unruly protester to the Winter Soldier Investigation. I was standing to the left of the speakers as they faced the audience and I had an uninhibited view of the incident. Your article stated "Although entrance to the event was limited to participants and the media, one protester managed to slip in and walked toward the stage, interrupting a speaker. "Kerry lied while good men died, and you guys are betraying good men," the man yelled. The protester was roughly hustled from the room by several men in red knit shirts and jeans -- members of Vietnam Veterans Against the War, who are providing security for the event. "

From my vantage point the person ejected from the audience violated requests for identification and charged through the entrance with a look of malice intent. Prior to him being apprehended he attempted to pull something from his pants that was wedged between his belt and abdomen. We received professional training prior to this assignment and this person clearly displayed an attempt to disrupt the proceedings with an unknown object. He was verbally warned 3 times to stop and did not. The speed with which this event occurred required immediate action and he was escorted without delay from the audience. My fellow security team members and I were greatly relieved when he was no longer considered a threat to anyone. Later I realized that what I saw was true as we have photographic evidence of the man pulling out a rolled up t-shirt from his pants. At the time we could not determine what he was trying to do only that we saw a threat that required immediate action. I can provide you pictures and contact information of the person who happened to be in place to take the photos. If you had witnessed what I did you would have written your article differently. The rules of engagement were followed properly and we look forward to a correction from you. Your time and consideration is most appreciated.

Sincerely,

Anthony Teolis

Veterans For Peace

Delwin Anderson Memorial Chapter

October 2, 2007

Honorable Jim Webb, Junior Senator from Virginia, Democrat

On behalf of Veterans For Peace Chapter 16 of Northern Virginia, Virginians For Peace and Accountability and the Prince William County Peacemakers I request to make an appointment with you at your earliest available time.  Preferably this meeting will take place in your office at the Russell Senate Office Building.   We met with your military legislative advisor Gordon Peterson on April 20 and the time has come for a follow up meeting.  This time we wish to meet with you directly to express particular concerns and solutions we have for the occupation of Iraq, preventing war on Iran, Impeachment of the President and Vice President and reallocation of the Federal budget to better fulfill the needs of American society versus the military industrial complex.

We have met with Representative Tom Davis and Senator John Warner and we have written to you several times.  Our concerns about the State of the Union have gone unheeded by our elected officials and we wish to reach out to you once again in a face to face meeting.  Please have one of your aids contact me so that we can arrange for a meeting.  Your time and consideration is greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Anthony Teolis

Veterans For Peace

Treasurer, Chapter Contact

www.vfpdc.org

NOTE:

Respecting Courage

Letter to the Editor

Thursday, September 20, 2007

To the Editor:

I enjoyed your article "Soldiers with Picket Signs" [Connection, Sept. 13-19, 2007]. I served in the same unit with Tony Teolis [Veterans for Peace] for 13 months from 1990-91 in Southwest Asia during the Gulf War and he gives a poignant interview in this article about his feelings on the current war in Iraq. Tony was a great soldier and is a great American speaking up for what he believes is a unmoral and unjust war. Men like Tony and Adam Kokesh I respect deeply for the courage they have shown in publicly denouncing the war in Iraq. No matter what your feelings are on the war one would do well to at least listen to their point of view. It is a very difficult thing for a veteran to come out against the war. The last thing one wants to do is negatively effect the morale of the troops and we are have a sense of patriotism and dedication to the mission at hand. As a veteran and a American citizen, you have to ask some difficult questions about our involvement. Is this war worth anymore American lives and treasure? Is it even in our best national security Interests to stay there? Were we told the truth about the reasons we invaded Iraq? Is the situation as it stands on the ground now being represented to us in a honest way?

These are the questions one must wrestle with. I do not think I can answer affirmatively to any one of those questions at this point.

When Senator John Warner (R-Va.) asked Gen. Petraeus whether the strategy in Iraq was making America safer, the four-star general responded by saying "I don't know."

I think when America's commanding general answers that question with "I do not know," it is time to leave. That is of course is if national security is our real reason for being in Iraq.

Thank you for writing a great article I look forward to the rest of the series.

Sean P. Eagan

ACWV

Soldiers with Picket Signs

More than five years after war began in Iraq, veterans speak out against the occupation.

By Amber Healy

Thursday, September 13, 2007

(This is the first in series of articles about local sentiment to the war in Iraq.)

Being a good soldier means following the orders given by higher ranking officers, out of a sense of duty and loyalty to protect his country.

But what happens when a soldier feels his commanding officers, even the Commander in Chief, has betrayed and abandoned the Constitution?

Tony Teolis of Fairfax wrestled with that question for years before joining Veterans for Peace, one of many organizations that help veterans find the courage and the voice to speak out against the current occupation of Iraq.

"As veterans, we believe in the Constitution as the law of the land, and we took an oath to preserve, protect and defend it," Teolis said. It is the same oath congressmen, senators and the president also take when they step into office, and Teolis and other like-minded veterans believe those elected officials have abandoned the Constitution by going into Iraq under false pretenses.

"A declaration of war without a direct order from Congress, combined with the abuse of human rights, the abuse and threat of invasion to other nations are all signs that Congress and the president are not fulfilling their duties," Teolis said.

A VETERAN of the first Gulf War in the early 1990s, Teolis spent several years in Japan following his combat duty. With a long family history of military service, he was proud to serve his country and for the work he had done in helping to liberate Kuwait from Iraqi control.

"The Army let me travel and gave me training because they thought I had a skill with languages," he said.

That sense of pride changed for him shortly after Sept. 11, 2001.

"When I heard Bush essentially say you're either with us or you're against us, that didn't sit well with me," Teolis said. "The world is too complex to speak in absolutisms."

Steve Hayes of Herndon has a similar story. A soldier in the Army from 1978 to 1982, Hayes was stationed in Germany during peacetime, continuing a family tradition.

"What is going on in the military, especially what might be waiting for the younger generation, is important to my family and for people of my generation to pay attention," he said. "We need to make sure these soldiers get treated well so the military remains honorable and we don't have to go back to a draft system."

For Hayes, concerns about the current military began in 2003 and 2004, early in the Iraq occupation, when news started trickling out that the reasons for the U.S. invasion were not factually correct.

Hayes, joined by other members of Veterans for Peace and the Prince William County Peacemakers, began visiting Walter Reed and another military hospital in Bethesda to talk with veterans returning from Iraq to be treated for injuries.

The two hospitals had different methods in place to help veterans recover. Walter Reed provided homes for veterans' families to stay in while visiting their loved one; the hospital in Bethesda provided a Marine Corps officer to make sure injured vets had whatever resources needed for a full recovery.

AS THE VETERANS Hayes worked with began to speak out about the conditions of Walter Reed, another group began to stage counter-protests each Friday, accusing the group of betraying their country.

"We just wanted to make sure these guys got a fair shake from their government," Hayes said.

Tina Richards fought with the Department of Defense for nine months to prevent her son, who had already served two tours in Iraq, from returning to battle after the Veterans Administration determined he was 80 percent disabled from post-traumatic stress disorder.

"We were in the middle of getting the VA paperwork filed with the Marines when they tried calling him back for a third tour," said Richards, now an activist on behalf of veterans who return home from Iraq with mental health issues that directly result from their duty overseas.

"When my son first came home, he was telling me about how the occupation was destroying people's lives and I knew I had to do what I could to stop it," she said.

Despite a serious medical problem, Richards said her son was in danger of losing his honorable discharge for refusing to return for duty, which could have cost him the medical benefits he needed.

"When he first came back, he tried to speak out, but now the Marine Corps has taken that away from him too," she said.

"For every person we kill, we're making 10 more people angry," Richards said of the tension in Iraq. "Who knows how many of those people will become extremists in the future?"

Like Hayes and Teolis, Richards said many men on both sides of her family have proudly served in the military. Like so many other mothers and family members, she felt guilty every time her son called her after soldiers had died, knowing some other mother would be getting the call that her son or daughter wouldn't be coming home.

"By the end of his second tour, he knew it wasn't right," Richards said. "In the beginning, with all the rhetoric going around, he was already a Marine and was going to do what his commander said."

Adam Kokesh joined the Marines when he was 17 in 1999, fresh out of high school and eager to serve.

Kokesh and his division were among the first on the ground in Iraq, eyewitness to the raids on Fallujah in 2004.

"It was a very interesting time," he said. "We were there for the battle in April, we were there when Saddam [Hussein] was taken out of power and we held our position through the alleged transfer of power to the Iraqi parliament."

FROM THAT VANTAGE point, Kokesh said he saw the rise in the number of insurgent attacks against American soldiers who were stationed in the city to protect Iraqi homes and streets. Early on, he said, he believed the mission in Fallujah was "a failure."

"We waited until August to disband and until November to try to get into the city from the outer perimeter because [President] Bush couldn't get elected with 20 Marines dead in Fallujah," he said. "We saw two or three guys die each day patrolling the city."

Kokesh gained a measure of national notoriety earlier this year when he was stripped of his honorable discharge from the Marines for wearing parts of his uniform during protests in Washington in March. He's also become a leader of Iraq Veterans Against the War, a national organization of veterans and currently enlisted members of the military who want troops to begin coming home soon.

All these groups and other will be converging on Washington on Saturday, Sept. 15 and staying for nearly a week, with marches, rallies and days set aside for lobbying members of Congress to demand a withdrawal of troops and the restoration of Constitutional law.

"The first casualty of war is the truth," Teolis said. The American people were told what they needed to hear to support the invasion of Iraq, he believes.

"When we took the oath to join the military, we made a promise to defend the law of our land," Teolis said. That promise has been forgotten or betrayed by leaders who continue to support the war, he said.

"The way I see it, we have two options for going forward," he said. "We can either throw out the Constitution as our laws and start all over again, or we have to act like we mean what we say, and that goes for the president, for Congress, for soldiers and veterans and citizens."

Which brings up the question of what it means to support the troops still serving overseas.

"It's a vague statement," Hayes said. "I'm concerned about people from the Navy being used in combat when they weren't necessarily trained for that. There's the stop-loss program which allows a soldier's tour of duty to be extended after he's been deployed. I'm not one to say that recruiting is bad, but people need to read and understand what it really means to join the military before they enlist."

Some of the protesters expected at the planned anti-war rally in Washington this weekend will be calling for the impeachment of President Bush.

A large anti-war rally, similar to this one in March, is expected to fill some streets in Washington, D.C. this weekend.

Songs of Protest

Metro's 'Suspicious Activity'

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

I am a daily Metro rider, and I was surprised to be greeted at the Vienna station on Monday morning by a sign that said: "Terrorist alert. Report suspicious activity. Call transit police."

So I wish to report that petty crime such as bike theft and violent crime such as assault are all-too-common occurrences at Metro stations and are not dealt with effectively.

I also wish to report that the frequency of equipment malfunctions at Metro stations rivals what I have seen in the Third World. Why do escalators and elevators break down so frequently? Who benefits from these purchases and from maintenance contracts?

It's Orwellian how Metro attempts to divert the public's attention from the truly suspicious behavior at its stations. If Metro were serious about protecting its customers, it would investigate these sightings of poor service being delivered at increased cost to riders.

ANTHONY D. TEOLIS

Suspicious Acts To Report

Letter to the Editor

Thursday, August 23, 2007

To the Editor:

I am a daily Metro rider and I was surprised at being greeted with a mobile sign this morning at the Vienna Metro station. "Terrorist Alert, Report Suspicious activity, Call transit police." Being a good Metro rider, I wish to report that petty crime such as bike theft and violent crime such as assault is all too common and not dealt with effectively at Metro stations. I wish to report that construction at Metro stations rivals what I have seen in the third world. Why is there a constant occurrence of out of use escalators and elevators? Where is this equipment purchased? Who benefits from these purchases and maintenance contracts? I want to report that the regular increase in Metro fares is suspicious. This continuous increase in costs to the customer for poor service, poor maintenance and buses that refuse to follow a regular and reliable schedule is truly suspicious.

Please demand that Metro remove its Orwellian attempt to divert the public’s attention from the truly suspicious behavior at Metro stations. Unless Metro investigates sightings of corrupt service and increased costs to their customer base it is not serious about protecting its customers.

Tony Teolis

Veterans For Peace Chapter 16

August 7, 2007

Meeting

Honorable John Warner, Senior Senator from Virginia, Republican

We are Virginians and Veterans of the United States military who have taken oaths to support and defend the Constitution of the United States.  That oath has no expiration date.  We present you for the last time detailed information and evidence regarding; the failed state of Iraq, the degradation of the U.S. military, its troops, its veterans and it families, and the case for the impeachment of the Vice President and President of the United States.  This is our final SOS.  Save our nation now!  For the sake of Virginia and the nation we appeal to your honor and your oath of office to support and defend the Constitution.  This is our distress call. 

Senator Warner will you stop the war now, get all troops and contractors home, close all permanent bases, and pursue the impeachment of George W. Bush and Richard B. Cheney?  For the support of this statement we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.

Ron Fisher

Stephen Hayes

Earle Mitchell

Anthony D. Teolis

Veterans For Peace Chapter 016 

Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia

Fairfax, VA 22030

WWW.VFPDC.ORG

WWW.VETERANSFORPEACE.ORG

TABLE OF CONTENTS of materials presented to Senator Warner

1)                  Veterans For Peace Statement to Senator John Warner August 7, 2007

2)                  Veterans For Peace Impeachment Charges

3)                  Peoples Action Plan to Replace President Bush and Others

4)                  Iraq Exit Strategies

a.                                           ACERS NOW

b.                                          Democracy Rising

5)                  The Police State

a.                                           Executive Order: July 17, 2007, Blocking property of private citizens

b.                                          Military Plans to treat U.S. Dissidents as Insurgents

c.                                           Terrorism in Virginia

6)                  Virginia KIA

7)                  Virginia Wounded Troops

8)                  Coalition Casualty Count

9)                  Iraq Body Count

10)              Cost of War

11)              Iraq Veterans Bear Witness

12)              Veterans Administration Care Scandal / GI Bill Crisis / Extended tours of Duty

13)              Senator John Warner and Vietnam

14)              Senator John Warner Defense and & Energy PAC Contributions

15)              War Profiteers

16)              US Military Bases around the World

17)              Troops Against the War

18)              Punishing the TROOPS

19)              Top 10 Reasons to Get Out of Iraq

20)              Iraq by Numbers

a.                                           #1 Jihadist Training Ground

b.                                          #2 Failed State

c.                                           Dead Contractors

d.                                          126,000 Private Contractors

e.                                           10 year Occupation

f.                                            50 year Occupation

g.                                           2,000,000 Out of Iraq

h.                                           1,900,000 Iraqis Displaced in Iraq

i.                                             55% of Refugees Under Age 12

j.                                            70% of Iraqis Without Water

k.                                          Iraqis Want End to Occupation

21)              Veterans & Families Against the War

22)              Communication with Senator John Warner

23)              War on Iran

June 12, 2007

Honorable

John Warner, Jim Webb, Tom Davis

On behalf of Veterans For Peace Chapter 16 of Northern Virginia I present you a list of U.S. Troops Killed in Iraq, March 21, 2003, to May 25, 2007. Thirteen page fax with over 3,000 names of US troops killed in Iraq.

Sincerely,

Anthony Teolis

Veterans For Peace

www.vfpdc.org

NOTE:

June 7, 2007

Honorable John Warner, Senior Senator from Virginia, Republican

On behalf of Veterans For Peace Chapter 16 of Northern Virginia I write to you in regards to your actions last fall eliminating the fundamental right of habeas corpus when it passed the Military Commissions Act. I urge you to reverse this assault on our American legacy of liberty by supporting the Habeas Corpus Restoration Act of 2007 (S.185).

The elimination of basic legal rights undermines, not strengthens, our ability to defeat terrorists. It is from strength that America should defend our values and our way of life. It is from the strength of our freedoms, our Constitution, and the rule of law that we can prevail. We can ensure our security without giving up our liberty. We must restore the checks and balances that are fundamental to preserving the values that define us as a great Nation.

It is urgent that we restore our legal traditions and ensure there is a fair and independent check on the ability of any president to lock someone up illegally. I urge you to sign on as a co-sponsor of the Habeas Corpus Restoration Act today.

Sincerely,

Anthony Teolis

Veterans For Peace

www.vfpdc.org

NOTE:

June 7, 2007

Honorable Jim Webb, Junior Senator from Virginia, Democrat

On behalf of Veterans For Peace Chapter 16 of Northern Virginia I write to you in regards to your actions last fall eliminating the fundamental right of habeas corpus when it passed the Military Commissions Act. I urge you to reverse this assault on our American legacy of liberty by supporting the Habeas Corpus Restoration Act of 2007 (S.185).

The elimination of basic legal rights undermines, not strengthens, our ability to defeat terrorists. It is from strength that America should defend our values and our way of life. It is from the strength of our freedoms, our Constitution, and the rule of law that we can prevail. We can ensure our security without giving up our liberty. We must restore the checks and balances that are fundamental to preserving the values that define us as a great Nation.

It is urgent that we restore our legal traditions and ensure there is a fair and independent check on the ability of any president to lock someone up illegally. I urge you to sign on as a co-sponsor of the Habeas Corpus Restoration Act today.

Sincerely,

Anthony Teolis

Veterans For Peace

www.vfpdc.org

NOTE:

Tom Davis

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 11th district, Republican

Date: Thu, 17 May 2007 15:15:51

va11ima.pub@mail.house.gov> wrote:

From: "Congressman Tom Davis"

<va11ima.pub@mail.house.gov>

To: <vfpdc@vfpdc.org>

Subject: Responding to your message

Dear Mr. Teolis:

Thank you for contacting me regarding H. Res. 333, a resolution impeaching Vice President Richard B. Cheney. I appreciate hearing from you on this issue.

As you may know, H. Res. 333 would impeach Vice President Dick Cheney for high crimes and misdemeanors for two alleged offences. First, this resolution states that the vice president deliberately manipulated intelligence reports to deceive Congress and the U.S. citizenry into believing Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and had a direct relationship with al Qaeda. Secondly, this resolution claims the vice president has undermined U.S. national security by openly threatening aggression against Iran without Iran posing a real threat to the United States.

With respect to the allegation of a manipulation of intelligence, the universally held view, both by domestic and international intelligence operatives, was that Saddam Hussein possessed WMD. The decision to invade Iraq was fiercely debated. While many of our allies declined to participate in our action, their refusal was not based on a belief that Hussein did not have WMD.

On the second notion concerning Iran, I have concerns on what a precipitous engagement with Iran could mean for our nation. Diplomacy must be the first course of action when entering into any international engagement. While many hurdles for negotiation exist, we must approach Iran no differently. There is much evidence, however, that Iran's actions do pose a threat to our security. Their support of terrorism, pursuit of nuclear weapons, divisive activities in Iraq and zeal to disrespect the international community should not be taken lightly.

While I do respect your opinion on this matter, I can not support this legislation. Please be assured that I will continue to monitor all of these issues closely.

Again, thank you for contacting me. Please continue to keep me informed of issues of importance to you.

Sincerely,

Tom Davis

Letters to the Editor

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Presidential Accountability

To the Editor:

I thank U.S. Rep. Tom Davis for his recent meeting with Veterans For Peace and Virginians For Peace and Accountability. I handed Mr. Davis a book containing “Laws violated by President George W. Bush, Vice-President Richard Cheney, public officials under their authority, and members of the U.S. military under their command, sufficient for impeachment.” If he reads the evidence presented to him, he will be left with only one conclusion: that this administration’s war on Iraq is an unmistakable violation of our Constitution and federal law which he has sworn to uphold.

See http://www.veteransforpeace.org/File/pdf/violations_documented.pdf

If tomorrow the government asked the American people for $5,000 and a child to fight the Iraq war, the war would be over the day after tomorrow. As a veteran with an extensive knowledge of history I believe we are unnecessarily locked in war for resources.

President Bush and Vice President Cheney chose not emulate Nixon and his Open China Policy. Instead they chose the path of war. We can lessen the consequences if the following steps are taken now.

1) Impeach the President and Vice President

The best way for Congress to demonstrate its support for the troops is to relieve the President and Vice President.

2) Plan and execute an exit strategy from Iraq

A. Development of an appropriate international peace-keeping force.

B. Support Iraqi self rule and free and fair elections.

C. The U.S. should provide humanitarian aid to Iraq to rebuild its infrastructure.

Tony Teolis

Veterans For Peace Chapter 16

May 11, 2007

Honorable Tom Davis,

I would like to thank you for the time and consideration you extended towards Veterans For Peace Chapter 16 and Virginians For Peace and Accountability on May 7 at your Annandale office.  I also wish to commend you on your meeting with President Bush on Tuesday.  I do not believe in coincidences and when I read about your meeting I was filled with hope that Democracy is still in action in America.  Thank you for listening to us on Monday and voicing those concerns further in our government.  Veterans for Peace is working to impeach George W. Bush and Richard B. Cheney. We hope to impeach them for sake of Peace. I hope you will work with us for all our sake.  I handed you a book containing “Laws violated by President George W. Bush, Vice-President Richard Cheney, public officials under their authority, and members of the U.S. military under their command, sufficient for impeachment”.  If you will read the evidence presented to you, you will be left with only one conclusion: that this administration's war on Iraq is an unmistakable violation of our Constitution and federal law which you have sworn to uphold.  http://www.veteransforpeace.org/File/pdf/violations_documented.pdf

I am very fortunate to have met you in person 4 times since I moved to Virginia from Japan three and a half years ago.  You have also met my young son twice.  Several things you said in our meeting caused me to respond out of order but I never intended to offend you or to be impolite. The most frightening thing you said was in reference to war in general and future wars as if they must happen.  You know as well as I do that if tomorrow the government asked the American people for $5,000 and a child to fight the Iraq war, the war would be over the day after tomorrow.  The size of the “Defense” budget is proof enough to the rest of the world that the United States has given up on dealing with them rationally and peacefully.  This budget is not paid for solely through our taxes but through inflation and credit that will be handed to us in the future.  This is immoral and it does not have to be so.

I understand the grave threats that our nation and the world faces from the challenges of Global Warming and Peak Oil amongst others.  As a veteran with an extensive knowledge of history I believe we are unnecessarily locked in war for resources.  President Bush and Vice President Cheney chose not emulate Nixon and his Open China Policy.  Instead they chose the path of war.  My children and yours do not have to deal with the consequences if the following steps are taken now.

1) Impeach the President and Vice President

The best way for Congress to demonstrate its support for the troops is to RELIEVE the President and Vice President. 

2) Plan and execute an exit strategy from Iraq

A. Development of an appropriate international peace-keeping force.

B. Support Iraqi self rule and free and fair elections.

C. The US should provide humanitarian aid to Iraq to rebuild its infrastructure.

Thank you very much for your time and consideration and I look forward to meeting you again soon. 

Sincerely,

Anthony D. Teolis

May 7, 2007

Meeting with Honorable Tom Davis

In addition to what others have said here today and on behalf of Veterans For Peace I deliver to you Laws violated by President George W. Bush, Vice-President Richard Cheney, public officials under their authority, and members of the U.S. military under their command, sufficient for impeachment. The best way for Congress to demonstrate its support for the troops is to RELIEVE the President and Vice President. 

If you will read the evidence presented to you, you will be left with only one conclusion: that this administration's war on Iraq is an unmistakable violation of our Constitution and federal law which you have sworn to uphold.

As of May 3, 2007, the war in Iraq has cost Virginia $11,442,230,000.

For its contribution Virginia has received:

• Combat tours of duty extended to 15 months.

• Troops going to Iraq 2-3-4 times for duty.

• At least 6 months for claims approval time by the Veterans Benefits Administration.

• Poor outpatient care that has extended far beyond Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

• GI Bill benefits that don’t pay enough to cover costs at even the most inexpensive schools.

• 538 Wounded troops.

• 107 Killed in Action.

The failure of Congress to confront the untruths that have resulted in the death and destruction in Iraq dishonors these Virginia service members.  You cannot turn a blind eye to the truth while continuing to ask for more to sacrifice their lives and limbs.  A nation that cares not to investigate and impeach its leaders if necessary has no footing in reality or conscience.

If Congress has learned any cautionary lesson they have not demonstrated it because the amount of force now located in a confrontational stance with Iran will lead to more war.

In the name of humanity we beseech and direct you to act most urgently.

Sincerely,

Anthony D. Teolis

Chapter 016

Veterans For Peace

vfpdc@vfpdc.org

www.vfpdc.org

TABLE OF CONTENTS of materials presented to Representative Davis

VFP Statement to Representative Tom Davis

Previous communication with Rep. Davis

VFP Impeachment Charges

Tom Davis Defense PAC Contributions

Bases around the World          

Cost of War

VA Care Scandal/ GI Bill Crisis           

Virginia Wounded Troops

Virginia KIA    

Coalition Casualty Count

War on Iran     

Troops Against the War

Veterans/Families Against the War       

April 25, 2007

Honorable Jim Webb, Junior Senator from Virginia, Democrat

I urge you to co-sponsor Rep. Dennis Kucinich's Articles of Impeachment, H.Res. 333, which read:

In his conduct while Vice President of the United States, Richard B. Cheney, in violation of his constitutional oath to faithfully execute the office of Vice President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, has

1. purposely manipulated the intelligence process to deceive the citizens and Congress of the United States by fabricating a threat of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction to justify the use of the United States Armed Forces against the nation of Iraq in a manner damaging to our national security interests

2. purposely manipulated the intelligence process to deceive the citizens and Congress of the United States about an alleged relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda in order to justify the use of the United States Armed Forces against the nation of Iraq in a manner damaging to our national security interests

3. openly threatened aggression against the Republic of Iran absent any real threat to the United States, and done so with the United States proven capability to carry out such threats, thus undermining the national security of the United States

Wherefore Richard B. Cheney, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, and removal from office.

Sincerely,

Anthony D. Teolis

Chapter 016

Veterans For Peace

vfpdc@vfpdc.org

www.vfpdc.org

NOTE:

April 25, 2007

Honorable John Warner, Senior Senator from Virginia, Republican

I urge you to co-sponsor Rep. Dennis Kucinich's Articles of Impeachment, H.Res. 333, which read:

In his conduct while Vice President of the United States, Richard B. Cheney, in violation of his constitutional oath to faithfully execute the office of Vice President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, has

1. purposely manipulated the intelligence process to deceive the citizens and Congress of the United States by fabricating a threat of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction to justify the use of the United States Armed Forces against the nation of Iraq in a manner damaging to our national security interests

2. purposely manipulated the intelligence process to deceive the citizens and Congress of the United States about an alleged relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda in order to justify the use of the United States Armed Forces against the nation of Iraq in a manner damaging to our national security interests

3. openly threatened aggression against the Republic of Iran absent any real threat to the United States, and done so with the United States proven capability to carry out such threats, thus undermining the national security of the United States

Wherefore Richard B. Cheney, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, and removal from office.

Sincerely,

Anthony D. Teolis

Chapter 016

Veterans For Peace

vfpdc@vfpdc.org

www.vfpdc.org

NOTE:

April 25, 2007

Honorable Tom Davis

I urge you to co-sponsor Rep. Dennis Kucinich's Articles of Impeachment, H.Res. 333, which read:

In his conduct while Vice President of the United States, Richard B. Cheney, in violation of his constitutional oath to faithfully execute the office of Vice President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, has

1. purposely manipulated the intelligence process to deceive the citizens and Congress of the United States by fabricating a threat of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction to justify the use of the United States Armed Forces against the nation of Iraq in a manner damaging to our national security interests

2. purposely manipulated the intelligence process to deceive the citizens and Congress of the United States about an alleged relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda in order to justify the use of the United States Armed Forces against the nation of Iraq in a manner damaging to our national security interests

3. openly threatened aggression against the Republic of Iran absent any real threat to the United States, and done so with the United States proven capability to carry out such threats, thus undermining the national security of the United States

Wherefore Richard B. Cheney, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, and removal from office.

Sincerely,

Anthony D. Teolis

Chapter 016

Veterans For Peace

vfpdc@vfpdc.org

Fairfax Legion Welcomes President

President Bush delivers televised speech from American Legion Post 177.

By Lauren Glendenning

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Members of the American Legion Post 177 in Fairfax wait to pass through security in order to see President Bush, Tuesday, April 10.

Amid a political crisis over a war many say has been mismanaged from the start, President George W. Bush received a warm welcome from veterans at American Legion Post 177 in Fairfax.

The president arrived at the post Tuesday, April 10, around 10:20 a.m. and delivered a stern speech about what he called an urgent need for more funding and additional troops in Iraq. He criticized Democrats in the House of Representatives and Senate for trying to pass legislation that "makes a political statement" in a time when he said American troops desperately need emergency funding.

"Congress’ failure to fund our troops will mean military families will have to wait longer for their loved ones to return from the front lines," said Bush. "This is unacceptable."

Bush not only threatened a veto of what he described a politically motivated bill, he guaranteed it. And the Fairfax veterans in the room liked what they heard.

"Politics shouldn’t get involved," said Bob Sussan, Post 177’s commander, after the speech. "We have troops over there risking their lives; we need to support them."

The speech was a first for the post and for the entire American Legion organization, said Sussan. A standing president has never come to a post before to speak to its members, he said, so the Fairfax members were "honored and excited."

Suzanne Owings, a city resident, lost her nephew, 22-year-old Gordon Misner II, to the Iraq War last year. She said he had re-enlisted after having completed a tour in Iraq because he believed in what he was doing. She still supports Bush’s strategy of sending in an additional 21,000 troops to finish the job, but Gordon Misner, her brother and the father of Gordon Misner II, just wants to do what it takes to bring the troops home safely.

"I’m watching the second Vietnam of my life now," he said.

Post 177 member Tom DeShazo, a 46-year resident of the city and a World War II veteran, said he does not second-guess the president’s strategy. "He is the president; he is the chief," said 84-year-old DeShazo.

WHILE VETERANS who attended Bush’s speech seemed to generally support him, not all veterans stand by the president’s strategy. Kevin McCarron, a member of the DC/Northern Virginia chapter of Veterans for Peace, said people shouldn’t support lies based on who is telling those lies.

"I don’t think it’s rational behavior; I don’t think it’s good citizenship," said McCarron, a Washington, D.C. resident.

Veterans for Peace is an organization dedicated to abolishing war as an instrument of national policy. McCarron said if Bush’s excuse for sending more troops is to accelerate the pull-out of all troops, he should just end the war.

According to Marcia Wheatley, president of the Virginia American Legion Auxiliary based out of Woodbridge, the soldiers recovering just want to get better so they can go back.

"None of them want to start something and not see it finished," said Cindy Kikernak, the 17th District president of the Virginia Department of the American Legion Auxiliary, in Linden, Va.

Bush referred to his father’s experience fighting the Japanese in World War II as evidence that "liberty can transform enemies into allies." He stood by his conviction that the work the American armed forces are doing in Iraq "will yield peace for generations to come."

The price for that peace is high, though, and many argue it is not worth it.

"Civil war has already broken out; it’s madness over there," said McCarron. "I don’t see how it could get any worse, but it could get better if foreign occupiers could leave."

But a lack of American security in Iraq and Afghanistan would create opportunity for extremists to move in, said Bush, citing that those extremists could control oil revenues and use them as blackmail.

"As commander in chief, you must listen to your military and trust their judgment in military matters," he said.

The two main points Bush wanted to make clear on Tuesday were that doctrine matters, and a failed state "can lead to severe consequences for the American people." He does not blink at the thought of sending in more troops, citing the need to spread the American ideology of freedom and liberty to nations that spread oppression.

Bush told the American Legion members that the mission is more than just a military one. The Iraqi people need to respond politically, which Bush said they have begun to do by showing up at the polls to vote.

Citing the 64-days since the president asked Congress for more military funding, Bush said the longer it delays, the worse the impact will be on American troops. He said he hopes to have a bill he can sign by mid-May.