UK: Veterans to throw down medals, urge disobedience in Downing Street Syria protest

December 7, 2015 By administrator

Special Forces veteran Ben Griffin has called on military personnel and munitions workers to disobey and block the bombing of Syria ahead of a Downing Street protest in which ex-services personnel will throw down their medals in disgust at the war.

“If you work in a bomb factory, walk out. If you fill up bombers with fuel, stop it. If you fly missions over Syria, don’t release your bombs,” Griffin, who served with the Parachute Regiment and SAS in Iraq, Afghanistan and Northern Ireland, told RT on Monday.

“Our attack on Syria will make things worse. You only need to look at the outcome of our attacks on Iraq and Libya to see that.”

“We have no confidence in the government of this country to do the right thing, so we call on the public to resist participation in the ongoing slaughter,” he added.

Griffin made his comments ahead of a planned protest by other decorated British military veterans of the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Northern Ireland and Libya.

https://youtu.be/tDYtnH_IuMs

According to a blog by ex-services group Veterans for Peace UK (VFPUK), four military veterans of recent wars will cast off their medals outside Downing Street on Tuesday in protest at MPs’ decision to bomb Syria.

The action is set to take place at 1:00pm GMT on Tuesday and aims to oppose what the group terms “yet another attack on a Middle Eastern country.”

MPs voted on Wednesday to extend UK airstrikes from Iraq into Syria, despite widespread public opposition to the move.

Writing on the VFPUK website, Daniel Lenham, a Royal Air Force (RAF) veteran of Iraq and Libya, said he was casting off his decorations “in protest at the decision to bomb Syria.”

“We will hand back medals given to us for participating in previous attacks on the Middle East,” he said.

David Smith, who served with the Royal Green jackets infantry regiment, said: “I want to express my utter disgust at the decision to unlawfully bomb Syria, god help all those who are likely to suffer as a result of this action.

“I renounce all forms of state sanctioned warfare and violence.”

VFPUK claims to have 265 members, some of whom served as along ago as D-Day. The group hopes “to convince people that war is not the answer to the problems of the 21st century,” according to its website.

President of the Armenian volunteers Affairs offers medals to 7 members of the Special Forces commando who brought the bodies of the three pilots of the helicopter

November 25, 2014 By administrator

The president of Yergrabahs (voluntary Affairs), General Manvel Grigoryan was awarded the medal of the 20th anniversary of Yergrabahs 7 members of the Armenian Special Forces commando who brought the bodies of trios Armenian helicopter pilots shot down by the Azeris 12th November. Only 2 of the 7 members of the unit were present in Yerevan for this discount coin, the other 5 are in Karabakh. They will receive their medals in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). Recall that on the night of November 22 Armenian commando that had succeeded in the area where the camera had fallen Armenian, Azeri area under fire. The commando had succeeded at the cost of exceptional courage to take the bodies and some debris from the helicopter “insulating” some Azeri soldiers. An operation that was crowned with success, demonstrating courage and good level of preparation of military Special Forces of the Armenian Army Karabakh thus defy all dangers.

Krikor Amirzayan

Armenian students win six medals at international competitions

July 13, 2014 By administrator

The 2014 competitions in different school subjects have started, with Armenian students participating, Armenia’s minister of Education and Science Armen Ashotyan wrote on his Facebook page.

The 55th international mathematics competition took place in South Africa, July 3 to 13. The Armenian team won two silver medals and one bronze medal, as well as three diplomas.

The 25th biology competition took place July 6 to 13. Armenian students won three bronze medals.

“I congratulate all of us – students and teachers for high marks. Chemistry, physics, information science and astronomy competitions are ahead,” Ashotyan wrote.