IVAW Members,

A number of you have expressed your disapproval of numerous statements made by IVAW Member Carl Webb encouraging or expressing support for the use of violence against U.S. troops deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.

While I recognize the right of all peoples under occupation to engage in resistance using whatever means they deem necessary, I feel that it is distasteful to encourage or express support for the killing of our troops, the vast majority of which I believe are doing their best to fix the consequences of disastrous and immoral decisions made by the previous political administration.

I believe that individuals guilty of war crimes should be held accountable according to the rule of law regardless of their position in the chain of command but we should not engage in blanket condemnation of our troops, most of whom have a limited understanding of the political objectives involved in these conflicts and are operating to their best ability according to the laws of war.

Encouragement or expression of support for violence against our troops is furthermore not in the interests of our organization. Statements such as those which Carl Webb has made are without a doubt a political liability as well as a legal and security risk, particularly in the aftermath of the Ft. Hood massacre and the knowledge that the shooter was in contact with a militant Yemenese cleric prior to the incident.

During my short time on the Board I attempted to have the Code of Conduct amended to prohibit such statements but my proposed amendment was overwhelmingly opposed. I subsequently resigned in protest and am now appealing to you as a member to pressure the Board to reconsider its decision. The Board's implicit sanction of Carl Webb's statements places them in potential legal jeopardy and, more urgently, presents a security risk to all of us, regardless of whether or not we sympathize with Carl's views. If an incident similar to what happened at Ft. Hood were connected to our organization it could invite physical retaliation against us by self-appointed vigilantes. For all of these reasons I implore you to support this petition.

My goal is to obtain the signatures of at least 100 IVAW members, including as many of the founders of the organization as I am able to contact. The petition is simple: if you agree that the Board of Directors should amend the Code of Conduct to prohibit the "encouragement or expression of support for the use of violence in pursuit of IVAW's mission, goals and objectives" then respond to this email accordingly with a 'yes'. If you disagree then you are not required to do anything.

If I cannot obtain the minimum number of signatures I am seeking I will likely resign from the organization and would encourage you consider doing the same. This decision would pain me, having been a member for over two years and having served in the National Office and on the Board with people I deeply admire and respect, but I am not willing to associate myself with what I regard to be a group of extremists who, in their pursuit of justice, are willing to embrace a set of morally dubious values.

To reiterate, if you agree that the Board should prohibit "encouragement or expression of support for the use of violence in pursuit of IVAW's mission, goals and objectives" please respond with a simple 'yes' or 'yea'. I would also encourage you to call and email Board members collectively and individually to express your support for this motion. Lastly, please also pass this along through private channels to other members whom I may not have contact information for.

Thank you for reading and I look forward to your responses.

T.J. Buonomo
Former Military Intelligence Officer, U.S. Army
Member, Iraq Veterans Against the War
tj@ivaw.org