By Greg Szymanski

A woman who lost her son in Baghdad and founded an anti-war group has traveled from her California home to Crawford, TX, with other supporters, demanding answers from a vacationing President Bush about his recent statements regarding the “noble nature” of the Iraqi War.

Speaking to the nation about the dreadful loss of life and in the wake of more than 24 Marines killed last week, Bush said, “We have to honor the sacrifices of the fallen by completing the mission and the families of the fallen can be assured that they died for a noble cause.”

And it was the words “noble cause” that sparked anger in Cindy Sheehan, the mother who lost her 24-year-old son, Casey, in 2004, and founder of the anti-war group called Gold Star Families for Peace.

Calling Bush’s statements callous and untrue, his words last week also sparked Sheehan’s trip to the Crawford, where she plans to camp out in a tent near Bush’s ranch until either she’s “arrested or gets answers to many questions” surrounding what she calls an illegal war.”

When Sheehan arrived on Saturday with a group of more than 25 people with tents and supplies, she was greeted by a small contingent of well-wishers, journalists, including NBC News, and several Bush representatives who questioned Sheehan’s purpose and nature of the visit.

“The President’s press secretary came to the entrance of the ranch, assuring us our loved one’s died for a good cause, but of course, we don’t agree and are not leaving until Cindy gets a chance to ask Bush some hard questions,” said Sheehan’s sister, DeDe, from in front of the Crawford ranch Saturday, where the group is planning to pitch tents.

Earlier that day, while Sheehan was en route to Crawford, she expressed anger and disgust for what she called Bush’s “continued lying” about the real reasons behind the Iraqi war.

“I am tired of all the lies while young men continue to die,” said Sheehan, vowing not to leave Crawford until she gets public answers from Bush. “I want him to finally admit that my son, Casey, didn’t die for a noble cause, but died in order that President Bush’s friends could get rich and line their greedy pockets with oil money.”

Sheehan also released a statement to the press today explaining her motives behind the trip to the Bush ranch, adding:

"We want our loved ones' sacrifices to be honored by bringing our nation's sons and daughters home from the travesty that is Iraq immediately. This war is based on horrendous lies and deceptions. Just because our children are dead, why would we want any more families to suffer the same pain and devastation that we are? 

“We would like for Bush to explain this 'noble cause' to us, and I plan to ask him why his two daughters, Jenna and Barbara, are not in harm's way, if the cause is so noble.  If he is not ready to send the twins, then he should bring our troops home immediately. We will demand a speedy withdrawal."

Sheehan also recently expressed deep displeasure with Bush in an exclusive article in The Arctic Beacon and the American Free Press, discussing in depth a recent trip she made to the White House after being invited in the wake of her son’s death after only being in Baghdad five days during 2004.

Called to the White House supposedly to be consoled by the President, instead Sheehan reported just the opposite, saying she was greeted by an “arrogant and heartless man” who entered the private room to meet with Sheehan without even knowing anyone’s, including her fallen son.

“It was a horrendous experience. I left feeling that this man was not even human. It was the worst experience of my life,” said Sheehan in the article that appeared a month ago about her private meeting with Bush.

Besides several of Sheehan’s close family members, Diane Wilson, co-founder of a women’s peace group called Code Pink, also traveled to the where the President is taking an extended August vacation.

"I totally sympathize with Cindy.  The Army even tried to recruit my autistic son. They tried to get my daughter to join too, leading her to believe she would be joining the Coast Guard when it was actually the Army,” said Wilson as she accompanied Sheehan in Crawford.

“My daughter was needing money, we make our living fishing and have trouble making ends meet, so the military can be tempting.  If George Bush really thinks this is such an honorable battle, let him send  his twins over there."

Hadi Jawad, local spokesperson for the Crawford (Texas) Peace House, said his group would be providing Sheehan and the other peace advocates food and other supplies for as long as the group plans to camp out at the President’s ranch.

Besides being founder of Gold Star Families for Peace, Sheehan is an active member of the large Washington D.C. group called After Downing Street, a large contigent of politicians and activists calling for a Congressional investigation over the infamous Downing Street Memo and whether Bush doctored WMD intelligence reports to justify the war in Iraq.

The details of the highly volatile and credible memo from the head of British intelligence MI6, clearly states in no uncertain terms that Bush doctored WMD reports well before the Iraqi invasion, subsequently lying to the American people to justify the illegal invasion.

The group’s activities are being recorded at www.afterdowningstreet.org. The Downing Street group is a rapidly growing coalition of veterans' groups, peace groups, and political activist groups, which launched on May 26, 2005, the campaign to urge the U.S. Congress to begin a formal investigation into whether President Bush has committed impeachable offenses in connection with the Iraq war.

Besides members of the peace group Code Pink, Sheehan is being accompanied to the President’s ranch by members of Veteran's for Peace (VFP), Military Families Speak Out (MFSO), Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) and Crawford Peace House. 

 For more informative articles, go to www.arcticbeacon.com.

Greg Szymanski

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