Rumsfeld: War Criminal - Known or Unknown???

Blogger's News Flash!  Since writing the following post I've learned that Ashley Joppa-Hagemann, about whom the post was written, really did confront Donald Rumsfeld at his book signing event, and was forcibly removed by "security agents and military police officers."   Read Ranger's widow ejected from Rumsfeld book signing in The News Tribune.  Also see Veteran and Military Spouse Dragged from Rumsfeld Book Signing at the Coffee Strong Blog for another perspective from someone who was there.  The executive director of Coffee Strong accompanied Ashley to the signing and was "ejected" with her.  Coffee Strong is a veteran-owned, veteran-operated GI coffeehouse - veteran owned, Pro-GI and AntiWar.  Learn more at CoffeeStrong.org.

Photo courtesy of The News Tribune

Friends,

Where's the International Criminal Court when you need it???  War criminal and one-time U.S. Secretary of War Donald Rumsfeld was at Joint Base Lewis-McChord to tout his new book "Known and Unknown," and meet with local soldiers and airmen, many of whom he sent off to wars that he and others (you know who) illegally manufactured. 

What is known to many is that Rumsfeld, Bush, Cheney and others should be held accountable for their conspiracy to engage in immoral and illegal actions while sworn to uphold the Constitution of the United States.

What is unknown is how so many, especially so many of the men and women who have come back from Rumsfeld's endless wars damaged physically and psychologically, would even want to meet the man except perhaps to give him a piece of their minds. Said Rumsfeld about his upcoming visit, “One of the real enjoyable aspects of writing a book and then going to various places is that people come up who I’d met in Iraq or Afghanistan or around the world, and it gives me a chance to thank them again for their service for the country." (source: Seattle Times)

Perhaps Rummy would like to meet Ashley Joppa-Hagemann and thank her for her dead husband's service to his country.   Her husband Jared, an Army Ranger, committed suicide in June after countless deployments to Afghanistan (the next would have been possibly his 9th!!!).  Ashley told her husband's story at the State of the Soldier forum in Tacoma on August 23, 2011, and you can watch the video here (Thanks to Todd Boyle for documenting this testimony).



We must end these endless wars, take care of all who have been affected, and prosecute those who brought about (and profited from) all this suffering. 

And by the way, the Seattle Times article said that "although Seattle is a favored stop of authors on book tours, Rumsfeld will not appear at any locations in the city."  Hmmm... Maybe he thinks Seattle is a War Criminal-Free Zone.

Peace,

Leonard

Blogger's Note:  Read more about Jared here: Army Ranger killed himself to avoid another tour, wife says at OregonLive.com.  Rumsfeld to tout his book at Joint Base Lewis-McChord at the Seattle Times.