Sir! No Sir! Exposing and Debunking Military Lies from Vietnam to Iraq

GI Press - March Forward! issue 1

This first issue, of the Veterans and Service Members Stand Up against War and Racism newsletter, was published in March 2009

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IVAW Blog Post - James Circello Responds to

This was originally published on the IVAW website, February 1, 2008. It offers a wonderful antidote to all the chicken hawks who are accusing, most often anonymously, IVAW of being fake soldiers. I can not imagine what it feels like to be ordered to a foreign country and violate every moral code you have been taught since childhood, not the least of which is "Thou Shalt Not Kill." Furthermore, and even less fathomable is how you must feel upon your return, when you decide to speak out about what you have done, you are attacked and your honor and integrity impugned by people who never had the balls to put themselves on the firing line.

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James Circello Admits To Being a Traitor, Live on National Television! (And So Can You!)

To the Men and Women who wear America's freest colors,
To The Red, White and Blue, To The Gathering of Eagles,
To LT Emerson,
To Every Anonymous commenter,
Here is the apology you have been waiting for:

It has come time for me to admit my faults. I have tried answering comment after comment on message boards across the length of the internet (internets if you're George Bush), but I have trouble responding to everything.
Some people have nothing but nice things to say about me. Some people wish me death.
And though I sincerely do not fear for my death, I find it quite strange that people would wish death upon someone asking for peace in the world and an end to bloodshed and yet at the same time elevate a tyrant, such as George Bush, to near sainthood.
So this has made me think about my decision over this last year.
The insults I have had directed at me is something that I will never get used to.
I have been called a Traitor to my country and a Traitor to my family, by my Step Father. A wonderful man but still somehow thinks the world is in such a crisis by this new wave of Islamo-Fascist Extremism, or whatever McCain calls it (by the way, McCain, you're a joke). As if somehow this hatred for the West has just appeared and we have done nothing to provoke it. But maybe that is the case. Maybe America isn't to blame for the world's problems. So, I have battled with my conscience and I am ready to come before you as a changed man.
Okay, here I go. I submit. You are right. America is the greatest country on the planet. And I, James Circello, am a traitor. I deserted Legion Company, 1st Battalion (Airborne), 503rd Infantry while serving on the front lines of this War on Terrorism in 2007. If I wouldn't have listened to those Vietnam Veterans that opposed their genocidal occupation of Southeastern Asia during the 1960's and 70's, I probably wouldn't have done what I have done. I let garbage and filth corrupt my mind.
If only I had access to Youtube.com and was able to play loops of George W. Bush speeches, I would have known who the real enemy was. "The Terra-ists"
I regret that I have to admit it to myself and to the Iraq Veterans Against the War that what I have said is nothing more than half truths and lies, the liberal media brainwashing machine has affected my thinking and manipulated me in such a way that I found myself on television talking about the horrible things that members of my unit had done during the 2003 Invasion of Iraq.
Forgive me, the 2003 LIBERATION of Iraq. I need to get my head back on straight. It wasn't an Invasion, we brought them Democracy. Okay. I have it now.
Okay, I too now have realized that the mistreatment of Iraqi detainees that I spoke of wasn't mistreatment of Iraqi detainees at all. I understand that under the Bush administration, they weren't Prionsers of War and don't deserve the right of the Geneva Conventions. These people that were mistreated were obviously Al-Qaeda and were on their way to get a bus ticket to the U.S.A. to probably spread their crazy religion and blow something up.
Thankfully I was in a unit with certain individuals that recognized this and roughed them up a little bit just so those Al-Qaeda would know who's the boss.
I realize now that when a certain Squad Leader in my platoon shot a man in the back it was only because he feared for his life that this particular man, that he knew to be unarmed, probably had a suicide bomb strapped to his chest and he was running all the way to Boston. Thankfully he was such a great shot.
Unfortunately for me, I didn't deploy to the mountains of Afghanistan with the 173rd Airborne Brigade in 2005. Again the Brigade brought Freedom and Democracy to the People of Afghanistan. What I thought to be a War Crime, turns out was just good old fashioned Texas Justice.
You might not remember this, because most of us in America have short term memories and the liberal media uses that fact to their advantage, but those Communists in the media played video of some guys from Legion Company burning the dead bodies of some Taliban fighters. I know that I am not the first person to tell you that "All is fair in Love and War", so what was the problem with burning this Al-Qaeda Islamo-Fascists?
At the time I thought it was monstrous to say the things that they did to the nearby village. I'll put the article here for you to read. You'll forget about it in 5 minutes anyway:

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Film Rolls as Troops Burn Dead By Tom Allard (of the Liberal Media) October 19, 2005
US soldiers in Afghanistan burnt the bodies of dead Taliban and taunted their opponents about the corpses, in an act deeply offensive to Muslims and in breach of the Geneva conventions.
An investigation by SBS's Dateline program, to be aired tonight, filmed the burning of the bodies.
It also filmed a US Army psychological operations unit broadcasting a message boasting of the burnt corpses into a village believed to be harbouring Taliban.
According to an SBS translation of the message, delivered in the local language, the soldiers accused Taliban fighters near Kandahar of being "cowardly dogs". "You allowed your fighters to be laid down facing west and burnt. You are too scared to retrieve their bodies. This just proves you are the lady boys we always believed you to be," the message reportedly said.
"You attack and run away like women. You call yourself Taliban but you are a disgrace to the Muslim religion, and you bring shame upon your family. Come and fight like men instead of the cowardly dogs you are."
The burning of a body is a deep insult to Muslims. Islam requires burial within 24 hours.
Under the Geneva conventions the burial of war dead "should be honourable, and, if possible, according to the rites of the religion to which the deceased belonged".
US soldiers said they burnt the bodies for hygiene reasons but two reporters, Stephen Dupont and John Martinkus, said the explanation was unbelievable, given they were in an isolated area.
SBS said Australian special forces in Afghanistan were operating from the same base as the US soldiers involved in the incident, although no Australians took part in the action.
The incident is reminiscent of the psychological techniques used in Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison.

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I am back. Have you forgotten about the incident yet? Well, I have. It was easy to forget when I realized this was just your average High School prank. I mean who is really offended by the term "lady boys". The video claims what was said was translated into the local language by some U.S. soldiers, but what I believe it to be was actually a few locally Afghani men that were fed up with Al-Qaeda being in their town and took the microphone from the U.S. soldiers and made these comments. You prove it otherwise, I'm waiting!
I won't even mention the burning of the bodies and boasting that the bodies were facing to the west. This is just your average bleeding-heart liberal commie trying to get a talking point in. U.S. soldiers, especially from the 173rd Airborne Brigade are not blood-thirsty killers, they are god-fearing patriots sworn to uphold freedom and justice, all the world over. They just don't fear the Muslim God.
This letter is mostly for LT Emerson, he has taken it upon himself to start a campaign to attempt to smear my name. You can stop now. I realized I myself smeared my name when I rolled around in the dog house with these anti-war hippies. Now I have the fleas. Now I have the NSA wiretapping my prepaid cellphone. Now I have Dick Cheney reading (but fortunately losing) my emails (when someone asks him about them). I realize Mr Emerson, that I have been a bad boy and I hope you fully accept this apology.
My apology goes out to all of America, I cannot believe some of the things I have said in the last year. It was so immature of me and I just wasn't looking at the big picture. U.S. global dominance is in America's best interest. Hell, it's in the world's best interest. So today I ask all the anti-war activists to put down you signs, take off your masks, stop flooding the streets to ask for the end of a War that is much needed (ask anyone at Halliburton!).
I also ask you to get a job. Cut your hair. Shave. Take a bath. Throw away your Che shirts and buy a Reagan shirt instead.
Listen I have been wrong before, but I am humbling myself before the world and all of America. I ask you all to help me be more like you. Help me be more American so that I never have to say I am wrong again.
Above all I apologize to my family, because I realize this was always about them. And it was wrong of me to put my emotional state of mind and silly ideas of my own particular sort of Christianity to the forefront. I should have realized that if I am not in the Middle East at this very moment, there is a strong possibility that Al-Qaesa could come to America just to do them harm.
I hate those nasty Al-Qaeda's.
I feel I can no longer faithfully be a member of the Iraq Veterans Against the War, because now I support it. And as a symbolic act of Patriotism and valor, and an attempt to save face with all the Americans in America, I am announcing my new organization called Iraq Veterans Supporting the War.

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Question and Answer period. The fans want to know:
Did James Circello get a DUI in Italy prior to going AWOL?
James Circello's response: I have openly admitted this to every journalist that I have talked to. This is not something I am proud of, but something I am not ashamed to admit. I made a mistake. I made many mistakes. And again, I ask you to help me be more American, because Americans don't make mistakes.
Did James Circello go AWOL because of his DUI?
James Circello's response: I have commented on this as well, but I wish now this was the reason I went AWOL, because I see that the War on Terrorism is a justified, noble battle of unprecedented glory of Good (America!) versus Evil (Brown people, eww!) and unfortunately I am now forced to sit on the bench and watch it from the side lines.
No I didn't leave because of a DUI. DUI's are rather common in the 173rd and nothing to lose your rank over, or career. Hell, in just a few months you can have a DUI, serve your extra duty and then regain your Squad. My best friend did it!
Did James Circello mistreat his soldiers?
James Circello's response: I will let them speak about that. But I somehow doubt they will ever get a voice in the liberal media machine here in America.
Why did James Circello re-enlist after he served in Iraq if he was against the War?
James Circello's response: For everyone with this question, you should call my Mother, thankfully for her she doesn't have the Circello family name so it's hard to find her. But she can tell you how many times I called home during my fits of weakness. Crying at times, I would tell her how I wanted to go AWOL and didn't believe this war was right. Thankfully the shame I felt I would face by going AWOL was intense enough to keep me in the military for 3 more years. So My weakness kept me in the military. However, now that I am beginning to become a complete American, I no longer fear being weak or wrong.
Why did James Circello sleep with another woman if he is so morale and Christian?
James Circello's response: I believe the problem wasn't that this woman and I were never in love, but that I never fully accepted my fundamentalist lifestyle. To this day I regret not making this work. It is my duty as an American to live with a woman that will make me unhappy for the rest of my life. I now realize this and it is my quest to ensure I find just such a woman. I should have waited longer after asking for a divorce. And above all I shouldn't have spread such silly rumors about myself. Being a promiscuous boy is not proper, but it makes for the youngster to idolize you!
Why did James Circello call U.S. soldiers blood-thirsty murderers?
James Circello's response: I never said such a thing, thankfully. Even in my most radical rants, I never pointed a finger at the United States soldiers. I believed they were being exploited and used, but I never called them any names. I know a lot of soldiers call me names, but again... that's the American way!
What stance of Mr Circello's should I believe, was his for it or against it, he re-enlisted???
James Circello's response: Again, please, don't become McCain. I am not a "flip flopper". I just simply had not found the compassion in me at the time to slaughter at will. I am ready now and if the Army will accept me back into its ranks, I will gladly serve.
Umm, Not?

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So here today, I make it loud and clear that YES!, James Circello is a coward and a traitor to his country and family.
I am a traitor to the America that believes the U.S. led war of aggression on the men, woman and children of Iraq and Afghanistan is justified and noble.
i am a traitor to the U.S. soldiers who glorify burning dead muslims while his body faces the west. Or to the soldiers who mistreat and dehumanize their prisoners
I am a traitor to the mentality of wishing death upon people. Even my enemies.
I am a traitor against having enemies.
I am a traitor and coward and afraid to murder an Arab based upon xenophobia.
My men are better without me leading them into combat, because God help us, I can not be the American that my enemies are looking for. I cannot murder and be okay with it. And I am so sorry that you can
And I am a traitor to the unwritten oath, that soldiers obviously must take, to remain silent while you witness illegal acts and to furthermore bury the secrets and never speak about them again.
You can join us all at the Winter Soldier Investigation in March where all the Veterans can be traitors together.
Let the Crusader's Banner fly, James Circello; Iraq Veterans Against the War
P.S. Any other questions can be sent directly to James Circello at [email protected] (please allow 4-6 weeks for a response due to James' increased celebrity status and love of the camera) P.S. This letter has been prepared and written for James Circello by the Liberal Media, James Circello has had no part in the making of this letter, nor does he endorse it. But he does endorse Obama.