Baxter speaks on conscientious objection in Gulf War
By LIZ ZANONI
News Writer
As part of ongoing dialogue of Catholic Perspectives on ROTC started last spring, Father Michael Baxter, associate professor of Theology at Notre Dame, gave a talk Wednesday night at the Center for Social Concerns (CSC) entitled, "Conscientious Objectors and the Persian Gulf War."
On the 10th anniversary of the United States' involvement in Operation Desert Storm, Baxter reflected on his experiences working with Conscientious Objectors (CO) in Germany after the U.S. and allies launched the largest air assault in military history in retaliation of Iraq's invasion of Kuwait on Jan. 16, 1991.
"This war has never really come to an end for the Iraqi people," Baxter said. Since the cease-fire on Feb. 27, 1991, Baxter said that the U.S. has placed Iraq under an economic embargo and continues to use fighter planes to patrol Iraq on a regular basis.
In the fall of 1990, the U.S. deployed 500,000 troops in the Gulf region, many from Germany and other places in Europe where they had been stationed during the Cold War, said Baxter.
A Mennonite couple working with COs in Germany discovered they had more requests then they could handle and contacted Father Baxter for help. Father Baxter, who had been working on his Ph.D. in Theology and Ethics at Duke University, worked in draft registration in the early 1980s by helping to inform registries of the possibility of filing as a CO. At Notre Dame, Baxter set up a draft counseling center under Campus Ministry and served as Counselor of the Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors (CCCO).
After accumulating donations to raise the necessary money, Baxter and his colleges decided to go to Germany and disperse to various military bases to explain the legal process the department of defense requires of soldiers preparing to come forward as COs.
One important aspect of the registration process occurs when applicants are asked if they have ever applied for CO status before, said Baxter. The applicant must show, "not that he or she has always been a CO but has become one since signing the enlistment contract, thus having to show that there has been some kind of change or crystallization of conscientious after joining," said Baxter.
Baxter and his colleagues faced several critical questions about why COs would agree to enter military service knowing that there is a possibility of active combat.
Baxter said it was important to keep in mind that the soldiers, many of whom came from disadvantaged homes, were entering the military without an awareness of the realities and manifestations of war.
"The military was to them an opportunity for employment," said Baxter. "They weren't Just War people, they weren't pacifists, they weren't anything when they enlisted. They were just out of a job."
During the Gulf War, COs were forcibly deployed to the Middle East, some in handcuffs and leg irons, said Baxter. Once in the Gulf region, many COs were arrested without even the right to receive letters from their families.
Reports after the war showed that of the near 2,500 CO applications submitted, almost none of them were processed in the correct manner. Many COs were prosecuted and brought to trial for unauthorized absence and desertion, said Baxter.
"During the Gulf War no CO applications were processed even though military regulations provided for the rights of COs," said Baxter.
Baxter and his colleges returned to the U.S. and started the CO support network, which encouraged military personal to write objections to commanding officers, Congressional representatives, and the Pentagon.
Baxter said he wanted to let the military know that people were well aware of the army's treatment and failure to recognize COs.
Baxter concluded his talk by focusing on what rights ROTC students should have at Notre Dame. Not only should they be informed about their options as COs, Baxter said, but also the University should challenge them on their own moral convictions of war.
Similarly to the soldiers in Germany, Baxter said many ROTC students join under economic pressures, haven't seriously considered their personal stands on war, and often view their work in the military with certain abstractness as they train for positions as officers.
All News Stories for Thursday, February 1, 2001
