Pacifica Commentary for July 1, 2004

Hello, this is Blase Bonpane with a comment.

Let's talk about Independence Day, July 4th and our troops. Our troops have a

right to question the legitimacy of their orders. The Uniform Code of Military Justice

states that military personnel must obey the lawful command, of superior officers. The

military also has an obligation to disobey unlawful orders including orders of the

president that do not comply with the Uniform Code of Military Justice. And Priciple 6 of

the Nuremberg Charter states:

The fact that a person acted pursuant to an order of the government or of a superior does

not relieve the individual from responsibility under international law, provided a moral

choice was in fact possible.

Now if our troops believe that the Commander in Chief is violating the United States

Constitution and international law they are in a position to disobey unlawful orders.

This was the situation of Sergeant Camilo Mejia who remains the vanguard of legality in

the face of illegal orders. He is behind bars as a free man because he did the right thing.

The right to disobey illegal orders is not simply a personal right, it is a collective right.

As larger numbers of troops make similar decisions it is up to our citizens to support their

legal rights. They are not fighting a war against terrorists. They are fighting a war against

Iraqi and Afghani people. They are fighting a war as invaders and occupiers. Let's stop

the charade.

The new proconsul of empire is John Negroponte.

Yes, he was US Ambassador to Honduras during the Reagan Administration and had the

role of supervising the Contra Mercenaries together with 75,000 US troops based there.

He also supervised the deaths of tens of thousands of Nicaraguans who were tortured and

assassinated in violation of international law. John Negroponte has proven himself as a

war criminal. His record is a matter of history. The International Court of Justice

condemned the very policy that Negroponte fostered.

And now as he reigns as the de facto head of state in Iraq, we can expect the orders he

gives as plenipotentiary representative of George Bush to be illegal orders. Following the

Code of Military Justice, our troops have a right to disobey illegal orders coming from

this war criminal and the one he represents.

Yes, troops are refusing to obey illegal orders. It is incumbent upon conscious

citizens of the United States to support them individually and collectively in their quest

for justice. Thank you Camilo Mejia and a Happy Independence Day to all.

For a free copy of this commentary call 323/852-9808...323/852-9808.

This is Blase Bonpane