Back to Iraq as a Human Shield - By Ken Nichols O'Keefe
In 1989, at the age of nineteen I committed the most ignorant act of my life, I joined the United States Marine Corps. In 1991 I went beyond ignorance into criminal participation in a war against the Iraqi people which ultimately included the use of Depleted Uranium against the civilian population. My reward as an American "Hero" was to be used by Bush Sr. as a human guinea pig along with several hundred thousand other "Heroes." This crime being carried out by virtue of the admittedly experimental drugs that were injected into us without our consent. How many of us have died as a direct result of this blatant human experimentation is unknown, but what we do know is the value our own leaders put on our lives. When a nation's leaders do not even respect the lives of their own "sons and daughters," the enemy does not even enter into the realm of consideration? Madeline Albright said it best when responding to a journalist who asked how she felt about the U.S./British lead sanctions that resulted in death for 500,000 plus Iraqi children; "we think it was worth it." God Bless America is right, because we as "citizens" allowed it to happen, while preaching peace and the "Rule of Law" no less.

It was understandings just like these and even worse that compelled me to lawfully renounce my U.S. citizenship in shame and disgust in 1999, and it is this same shame and disgust that compels me to return to Iraq now. Simply put I would rather die in defense of justice and peace than "prosper" in complicity with mass murder. As far as I understand it, it is the "citizens" who are responsible for the actions of their governments when they live in so-called "democracies." And if that be true, we as U.S. and British citizens are collectively guilty of mass-murder for what we have done to the civilian population of Iraq, and indeed around the world. The "prostitutes of propaganda" in CNN or BBC can say what they will but the truth remains the same, we in the West are guilty of massive Crimes against Humanity by virtue of the policies our "elected representatives" have carried out in our name. Ignorance is no defense, the existence of other tyrants, worse or not, is again no defense, we are responsible for "our" governments. Just like the "decent Germans" who did nothing to stop their Hitler we in the USA have yet to show we are any better. Just give Bush and his embarrassing lapdog Blaire some time, just one of their nuclear weapons could exceed Hitler's death toll and the U.S. has already made clear its right to use them. If America's 21st Century Nazi's are allowed to continue their insanity Hitler may well look docile in comparison.

In 1999 I arrived at the logical albeit late conclusion that my government was not worthy of my funding (taxes) and certainly not my allegiance; which is inherent in citizenship. Paying for roads and schools is one thing, paying for "Weapons of Mass Destruction" to the point of insanity and nurturing global oppression is another thing all together. No moral being can be compelled to fund murder. To this extent breaking the law is one of the most noble actions a human being can commit. The facts speak for themselves and only the most indoctrinated and ignorant of human "Sheeple" would deny that the United States is far and away the greatest "terrorist" in the history of our world. I challenge anyone, anytime to debate this issue in public. Furthermore, I charge the CIA with being the greatest "terrorist" organization in the history of our world. And yet "We the Sheeple" are allowing the CIA to "investigate global terrorism." While further allowing our so-called leaders to "support" this farce known as "The War on Terror" which is in reality the ultimate "War on Freedom." All the while following the world's greatest terrorist into this war. You have got to be kidding me???

Let us think sanely for one moment, between Hussein and Bush, who is more dangerous? I think the guy who has thousands of nuclear weapons and declares his right to use them is, but that's just me. I guess that CNN & BBC declaring Saddam as the problem means it must be true. Yeah right! As long as our heads continue to be buried in the sand we are assured of escalating violence/terrorism. That in turn will all so predictably be used to justify increasingly brutal oppression with even greater centralization of power ending in total global domination and/or nuclear annihilation. Can you say "New World Order"?

I am a stateless 'World Citizen,' I have lawfully declared my allegiance not to the nation/state of my birth but to my human family as a whole and to the planet that gives me life. In doing so I honor the principles and laws of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. I invite everyone to join me in declaring this powerful, revolutionary, yet peaceful and lawful option of World Citizenship that is the living application of the "Golden Rule."

"Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make, either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists." George W. Bush

For he record; I am not with George W. Bush nor am with the "terrorists," imagine that, we actually have more than two choices. Iraq is where you will find me George, and should I die there it will be as a man at peace with himself because he saw the truth and acted on it. Even in death I will pity you and your pathetic clan of tyrants, call me subversive, call me an "enemy combatant," call me a "terrorist," but do not dare call me a United states citizen so long as you and those like you are America's "democratically elected" leaders. Shame on you all.

My Reasons for Going Back to Iraq
1. To employ Gandhi's principles as a human shield in the interest of protecting human life.
2. To pay penance for my participation in the first Gulf War as a US Marine and to personally apologize to the Iraqi people.
3. To express to the Iraqi people the reality that the majority of people in the West do not support this criminal war, while not ignoring the fact that much, much more could be done to stop it.
4. To document the effects of depleted uranium on the Iraqi people and produce a documentary that will formally charge George Bush Sr. with War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity for his knowing use of this horrendous weapon against a civilian population.
5. To document first hand the international crime of Aggression that is set to be committed primarily by the US and Britain against Iraq.
6. To exercise the inherent human right of Self-Determination and reaffirm my lawful status as a stateless World Citizen.

'We the People' can stop this war and all future wars; it is up to us. All we need is several thousand Western people out of hundreds of millions to join our brothers and sisters in Iraq. Justice and Peace are ours if we want it badly enough, I most certainly do and I know that I am not alone so for those like minded I hope to meet you soon.
Ken can be reached by email at universalkinship@yahoo.com

Sign the "World Peace Now - Not With Bush" Petition authored by Ken Nichols O'Keefe by clicking on the above link