IVAW has joined a coalition of peace organizations to sign a joint statement that counters the Obama administration's claim that the Iraq war is "over."

We, the undersigned organizations and individuals, mark the August 31st partial withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq with the following evaluation and recommendations...

This Sunday, the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment (3rd ACR) at Fort Hood will be shipped out to Iraq. The military wives and family members of 3rd ACR soldiers say that hundreds of the 5,000 about to go to Iraq are suffering from PTSD and other ailments, and are not fit to deploy. This week they demanded that those wounded warriors stay home.

IVAW's Fort Hood chapter and Fort Hood's military families are asking us to join their calls for the military to stop deploying traumatized troops.

1:30 pm, Sunday, August 22, Killeen. There will be a peaceful march to the East Gate of Fort Hood protesting the deployment of additional troops to Iraq and drawing attention to the numbers being sent who are suffering from conditions that should render them “undeployable.” Participants should gather at Under the Hood, 17 S. College, Killeen by 1:00 pm. Contact Under the Hood Cafe for details at (254) 449-8811.

You Know It's Not Really Over

Mainstream television news yesterday made a big show of the withdrawal of America's "last combat troops" from Iraq, but the saga continues for service members and veterans. We know that many returning home to their tearful and joyous families in the coming days will ultimately be sent to serve more tours of duty in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

In fact, members of two different units heading to Iraq and Afghanistan are calling on their commanders right now to halt their deployments because they are not physically equipped or mentally ready to deploy.

Army Reserve members facing imminent deployment to Afghanistan are publicly charging that their company is not properly trained or mentally fit for battle.

Several members of the Indiana-based 656th Transportation Company, which is due to activate August 22nd, are requesting a Congressional inquiry into the unit’s lack of readiness.

IVAW member Alejandro Villatoro, a sergeant in the company, is amongst those coming forward.

By Clare Bayard, Catalyst Project

What: Solidarity Rally in Support of Bradley Manning

When: Monday, August 16, 5:30 to 7:00 pm

Where: Rally at Times Square Recruiting Station, 7th Avenue & 44th Street

Donate: Support Bradley by making a donation to his legal defense fund.

SPREAD THE WORD!

Anti-war activists rallied in a Quantico, Va., municipal park near the marine base for an Army private charged with leaking classified material to the website WikiLeaks.

IVAW DC member Matt Southworth is featured here as well as Jeff Patterson from, Courage to Resist.

You can support Bradley Manning by making a donation to his legal defense fund.

Source: ABC News 7

At its seventh annual national convention in Austin, Texas, IVAW called for the prosecution of senior Bush administration officials for allegedly conspiring to manipulate intelligence in order to justify the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

IVAW alleges that Bush administration officials conspired to create the perception that Saddam Hussein presented an imminent threat to the United States in order to bypass an uncooperative U.N. Security Council and secure a congressional Authorization for Use of Military Force against Iraq. The growing body of evidence, including testimony from British officials in the ongoing Chilcot Inquiry, indicates that Bush officials could be charged with criminal offenses against the United States and violations of international law for making false claims to national self-defense.

Private First Class Bradley Manning is being held in Quantico Brig, facing 52 years in prison, for exposing war crimes.

What: Rally in Support of Whistleblower Bradley Manning

When: Sunday, August 8, noon

Where: Quantico Marine Corps Base where Manning is being held in pre-trial confinement; we will meet at the Amtrak station in Quantico.

Donate: You can also support Bradley by making a donation to his legal defense fund.

Veterans and Military Families Say Pentagon Statements on Wikileaks Aim to Cloud Real Issues

Our organizations represent veterans and military families. We have personally carried the burden of the war in Afghanistan, along with wars past. We are glad that the truth about the war is getting out to the public with the recent 92,000 documents on Wikileaks.

Obama administration officials are trying to spin events in their favor. Their words must be carefully examined.

On Sunday, several news sources reported that Wikileaks released 92,000 classified military records to the New York Times, the British Newspaper the Guardian and the German Magazine Der Spiegel several weeks ago.

The documents reveal incidents similar to those reported by members of IVAW in their Winter Soldier testimonies and illustrate "a devastating portrait of the failing war in Afghanistan" according to the Guardian.