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Dear Captain Sibert and Brigadier General Moore,

As an esteemed US Attorney and a General, you both must have a sense of the potential significance of my separation hearing. The prosecution of a member of the inactive reserve under these circumstances is unprecedented. As citizens, we all have a right to freedom of speech. In the Marines, we often joke that you signed away that freedom, and I understand the necessity for certain restrictions while on active duty. But those who have risked their lives to defend the rights of all Americans have a special claim to those rights when they have completed their service. Is the Marine Corps attempting to strip away those rights from the hundreds of thousands in the inactive reserves?

Maybe that’s not the case. Perhaps I am being singled out because I have become a vocal opponent of the war. Maybe Brigadier General Darrell L. Moore just got upset when he saw a picture of a Marine in the paper disagreeing with him. Maybe that’s when he decided to order Colonel Steve Brown, Deputy Commander of the Mobilization Command to recommend that I be separated with an Other Than Honorable Discharge. Maybe he thought that I would be intimidated by the long letter, the official letterhead, and the threats in official Marine Corps terminology. Maybe he thought that I would just ignore it, and let the Marines “Paper-f***” me behind my back. Maybe I would shut up for a while. But let me tell you, you messed with the wrong veteran.

While there may be some purpose of this prosecution in order to maintain the, “good order and discipline” of the inactive reserve, it is clear by its prejudice that it is intended to silence the voices of dissent. Thousands of taxpayers’ dollars are being spent on this case. I love the Marine Corps, and to see it abused for political ends makes me sick. You should all be ashamed to call yourselves Marines.

I joined the Marines out of patriotism. I said that when I enlisted in 1999, before it was cool, and even wrote it as my reason on the form I filled out at the Military Entrance Processing Station. As Thomas Jefferson said, “Dissent is the highest form of patriotism.” Now that I am out of the Marines, I am continuing my patriotic duty by speaking out. It is Marines like you, Brigadier General Moore, and Colonel Brown, who are preventing the American public from hearing the truth about Iraq by intimidating those who would disagree with you from speaking out. If the policies that you support are so righteous, why are you afraid of the truth?

If I accept this “Plea bargain,” I would have to allow you to punish me for speaking my mind, allow you to say that it is somehow less than honorable for thousands of IRR Marines to exercise their freedom of speech, allow you to silence the voices of those whose experiences are most relevant in the most pressing debate before the nation, and allow you to say that Thomas Jefferson was wrong. If this is your intent, I would ask to please, kindly, go f*** yourself. I will not allow it.

Semper Fi,

Adam Kokesh, PFC

Proud F***ing Civilian

[More at http://kokesh.blogspot.com]

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ADAM KOKESH IS BEING PROSECUTED AS MUCH, FOR HIS "OBSCENITY TO AN OFFICER" IN THIS LETTER, AS FOR HIS "STREET THEATER" PERFORMANCE ON THE STREETS OF WASHINGTON DC, WHERE HE AND OTHER MEMBERS OF IRAQ VETERANS AGAINST THE WAR, DID A SIMULATED "ARMY PATROL" WHICH WAS THE SAME AS THEY WOULD HAVE DONE IN IRAQ.

HE IS BEING THREATENED WITH HAVING HIS "HONORABLE" DISCHARGE, TURNED INTO A "DIS-HONORABLE" DISCHARGE. THE EXCUSE IS, THAT HE WAS WEARING PARTS OF HIS ARMY UNIFORM AT THE TIME. IF HE HAD SHOWN UP FOR SERVICE DUTY WEARING WHAT HE WAS WEARING AT THE TIME HE DID THE STREET PATROL IN WASHINGTON DC, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN PUNISHED FOR NOT WEARING HIS FULL UNIFORM! [And, Adam Kokesh is theoretically a civilian, now.]

THE MOST DANGEROUS PART OF ADAM KOKESH'S DISSENT, IS THE ABOVE EXPRESSION. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF EVERY SOLDIER ON THE GROUND, AND EVERY VET AND RETIRED OFFICER, WHO DISAGREED WITH THIS WAR AND ILLEGAL OCCUPATION, SAID F*** YOU TO BUSH, THEIR FALSE "COMMANDER"?

BUSH IS THE ONE AT THE TOP-OF-THE-HEAP, YOU KNOW: CALLING HIMSELF "THE DECIDER".

WILL YOU LET HIM "DECIDE" FOR YOUR SOLDIERS-IN-THE-FIELD? WE SAY, F*** NO

During the Viet Nam War, a contingent of troops SAT DOWN ON THE BATTLEFIELD and REFUSED TO FIGHT.

In a famous incident, a group of soldiers ordered on a dangerous patrol, REFUSED TO GO, RIGHT WHILE BEING FILMED BY TELEVISON CAMERAS!

I have both these references bookmarked, and can bring them up.

[Even ALEXANDER THE GREAT'S Macedonian troops, refused to let him cross the Hyphasis River, and conquer the rest of India, when they had been deployed away from their homes and families for too long!]

Events are moving much faster than we realize.

I doubt very much that the troops want "more support" from more troops. I think that is JUST THE SPIN THE PENTAGON IS DESPERATELY TRYING TO PUT ON THE INCIDENT.

I don't doubt for a SECOND that the report is TRUE; or, that this is PRECISELY THE REASON THE PENTAGON WANTS TO CLAMP DOWN ON ALL INTERNET COMMUNICATION.

The Pentagon DOES NOT WANT THE PUBLIC TO KNOW OF THIS. Just as they try to keep the many attacks on, and deaths in, the supposedly-safe "Green Zone", HIDDEN from us.

These troops do NOT want "more & more troops" sent into the MEAT-GRINDER they are in. THESE TROOPS WANT TO COME HOME.

We the civilians, the families and friends of the troops, MUST NOW MORE THAN EVER, SHOW OUR SUPPORT FOR THEIR "SIT-DOWN STRIKE" AND TELL THE ARMY, THE CONGRESS, AND THE NEWSPAPERS, THAT WE SUPPORT THEM UNEQUIVOCALLY AND WANT THEM HOME. WANT THEM HOME NOW!

[If news of this were to spread thru Internet communication within the army, it could, and would, SPREAD LIKE WILDFIRE. THEY ALL FEEL THIS WAY. It would take just a spark.....Anyone who knows any troops, please tell them.....this encouraging news.......]

They may be coming home SOON on THEIR OWN timetable, NOT on Bush's "timetable".....

PLEASE TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW, ON AND OFF OF CARE2 AND THE INTERNET, ABOUT THIS INCIDENT; AND ESPECIALLY, PLEASE TELL ANY TROOPS AND ANY FAMILY OF TROOPS, THAT YOU KNOW.
COUNTERACT THE PENTAGON'S ATTEMPT TO SUPPRESS THIS NEWS ON THE INTERNET, AND TO KEEP IT FROM REACHING ALL THE TROOPS IN THE ARMY.
The troops clearly want to come home; Iraqis want them out of their country, where they did not invite them in, in the first place.

BRING THEM HOME ON THE TROOPS' TIMETABLE; NOT BUSH'S TIMETABLE!