US and British military veterans' declaration: End the 'war on terror'

Twenty-two ex-service men from the British and American armed forces, including Michael Lyons and Joe Glenton, both jailed by the British military for refusing to fight in Afghanistan, signed the declaration printed below, which calls for an end to the "war on terror" and for all foreign troops to come home. The declaration was delivered to David Cameron at Downing Street on 8 October 2011 and read out in Parliament by Jeremy Corbyn MP on 5 December.

Finished with War: A Soldiers' Declaration

We are making this statement in defiance of the propaganda and lies that have supported the so-called 'War on Terror' for the last ten years. We believe that Siegfried Sassoon's words of a century ago apply to the wars being prosecuted today against innocent people '…the war is being deliberately prolonged by those who have the power to end it…'

We are veterans, from the British and American Armed Forces, acting on behalf of soldiers and citizens at home. We know that these wars have nothing to do with democracy, security, women's rights, peace or stability, they are fought for money and power, nothing else. Our comrade's blood has lubricated the ambitions of a few. The goals could only have been achieved by negotiation and this remains the case.

We have seen and endured the suffering of the soldiers affected by these wars and, unlike those who send them to fight, we know these people at a human level. We have seen and regret the suffering of the innocent people in the countries involved. We are protesting against the conduct of the war and the reasons it was started by the United States and the United Kingdom. We object to the insincerity and imperialistic objectives, for which people continue to be sacrificed, displaced, tortured, imprisoned and wounded.

On behalf of those suffering now we make this protest against deception. It is our aim to destroy the myths and idea's promoted at home that these wars are fought in the best interests of the people, or that they are in any way patriotic, meaningful and necessary for the interests of the great majority.

Ten years is long enough for a war that has nothing at all to do with terror, yet is carried out under that premise. At Nuremberg it was decided that '…no soldier can hide behind the mythical obligation to obedience at any cost…' this applies precisely to the situation today. It should also apply to those who claim to represent us.

• US MARINE CORPS:
  Chase Sydnor
  Victor Brizvela
  Ross Caputi


• US ARMY:
  Mike Prysner


• BRITISH ARMY
  Joe Glenton,
  Glenn Humphries
  Kris Graves
  Carl House
  Salman Mirza
  Kevin Murphy
  Dannie Ford
  Jason Thompson
  Chris Hearne
  Ginge Atherton
  James Farrell
  John Howarth
  David Lafferty
  Chris Carress
  Martin Kilgour


• ROYAL NAVY:
  Micheal Lyons
  Kris Harvey


• ROYAL MARINES:
  Les Gibbons