Author: Col. Ann Wright (ret.)

Six years ago in 2018, after returning from a Veterans For Peace trip to Vietnam, I wrote an article called “Why Would Anyone Kill One’s Self In an Attempt to Stop A War?”

Now, six years later, in the past three months, two people in the United States have taken or risked taking their own lives in an attempt to change U.S. policies on Palestine and call for a cease-fire and stop U.S. funding to the State of Israel that would be used to kill in the Israeli genocide of Gaza. An yet unidentified woman, wrapped in a Palestinian flag, set herself on fire in front of the Israeli consulate in Atlanta, Georgia, on December 1, 2023. Three months later authorities have yet to release the name of the woman. Her condition was unknown as of mid-December.

This week, on Sunday, February 25, 2024, active duty U.S. Air Force member Aaron Bushnell set himself on fire at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., while he was stating “Free Palestine and stop the genocide.” Bushnell died from his injuries.

Continue reading “Why Would Anyone Kill Themselves To Stop a War?”

The horrific 49-day Israeli attack on the civilian population of Gaza continues with over 15,000 Palestinians dead, including over 6,150 children and more than 36,000 wounded in the Gaza Strip. Virtually all of the 2.3 million residents of Gaza have been forced into the southern half of the tiny enclave. 226 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Israeli attacks have put 27 of 35 hospitals across Gaza out of operation, according to the World Health Organization.

Bakeries, grain mills, agricultural land, water and sanitation facilities have been destroyed by Israeli attacks.

Continue reading “International Campaign To Send Ships With Relief Assistance for Gaza”

Almost two years after the Navy’s massive jet fuel spill from the 80-year-old Red Hill underground fuel tank facility and one month before the October 16, 2023 defueling begins of the 104 million gallons remaining in 14 of the 20 massive fuel tanks,  Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro has finally held 14 Navy officials “accountable” for the Red Hill disaster, but he did not fire, suspend, dock the pay or reduce the rank of any of the 14 for the toxic contamination of the drinking water of 93,000 and the pollution in the aquifer for the city of Honolulu!!!!

Instead, the 14 have received reprimand through Letters of Censure and Letters of Instruction (whatever that is)—and revocation of end of Red Hill tour medals.

Continue reading “Navy Fails to Hold Officers Accountable Red Hill Toxic Fuel Spill Disaster”

“Repacking” of 3.5 miles of U.S. Military Red Hill Fuel Pipes in Hawaii Begins with October 16, 2023 as the Target Date to Begin “Defueling” the angerous Underground Tanks

U.S. Military Now Has New Capacity to Store Above Ground 104 million gallons of fuel that Must be Removed from Massive Red Hill Underground Fuel Tanks

With the announcement on August 31, 2023, by Island Energy of Honolulu, of the completion of 63-million-gallon capacity for military fuel in five newly constructed above ground fuel tanks at Kapolei, a few miles from Pearl Harbor and the Red Hill underground tanks, the U.S. military has constructed sufficient storage capacity for the 104 million gallons of military fuel that is to be removed from the massive underground Red Hill fuel tanks.

Continue reading “US Military Must Remove Fuel From Massive Red Hill Underground Fuel Tanks”

The knives are out again for those advocating for peace on the Korean Peninsula. Almost eight years to the day, I wrote "The Knives are Out For Those Who Challenge Militarization of the Korean Peninsula," about Washington Beltway pundits and those on the payroll of organizations and corporations that make money out of the U.S. bureaucracy’s need for an enemy. These groups had focused their outrage and diatribes at Women Cross DMZ for organizing the 2015 trip to North and South Korea and daring to challenge the status quo of US policy toward North Korea.

Eight years later as Women Cross DMZ and other Korea peace advocacy groups are organizing a National Mobilization to End the Korean War July 26-28, 2023 in Washington, DC, the knives are out again for those saying that after 70 years of an armistice, and the rising tensions in Asia, for the security of the people of Asia and the world, it’s time to call on again on another US President and another US Congress to support a formal peace agreement with North Korea.

Continue reading “Knives Are Out Again for Those Advocating For Peace on the Korean Peninsula”

Citizen activism to bring about changes in how brutal wars are conducted is extremely difficult, but not impossible. Citizens have successfully pushed through the United Nations General Assembly treaties to abolish nuclear weapons and to ban the use of landmines and cluster munitions.

Of course, countries that want to continue to use these weapons will not follow the lead of the vast majority of countries in the world and sign those treaties. The United States and the other eight nuclear armed countries have refused to sign the treaty to abolish nuclear weapons. Likewise, the United States and 15 other countries, including Russia and China, have refused to sign the ban on the use cluster bombs. The United States and 31 other countries, including Russia and China, have refused to sign the treaty on the ban on land mines.

Continue reading “Why There Should be a Treaty Against the Use of Weaponized Drones”