On the day that Gordon Brown tried to justify to the Chilcot
Inquiry his role in the illegal Iraq war -- which is widely
condemned as a war crime -- Lance Corporal Joe Glenton has
been sent to jail for 9 months for his refusal to fight the war in
Afghanistan which he believes is unjustified and a sensless
loss of life for Afghans and British soldiers alike.
This extremely harsh sentence ignored many of the facts of the
case; that Joe had post-traumatic stress disorder, that he had
raised concerns about the war with his superiors and been
bullied as a result, and that he had voluntarily returned to
barracks after going absent without leave.
The judge herself made it clear the sentence was not based on
the facts of the case but on a desire to deter other members
of the military from taking a stand of conscience.
Joe's Mother, Sue Glenton said:
"I am extremely angry. The court barely paid lip service to
justice. The judge clearly didn't listen to the arguments or
if she did she ignored them. The lawyers are considering an
appeal. The Ministry of Defence will be hearing a lot more
from me."
I shall be present on Saturday in Parliament St to support the protest against the war in Afghanistan and the charges
against my son currently on sick leave following a PTSD diagnosis.
He was released from Colchester Detention Centre on the strength of this diagnosis by a civilian psychiatrist and has
been on sick leave since December 14th. Despite having symptoms on his return from tour three years ago he has only last
week had a meeting with a military psychiatrist. We await the outcome but as they seem reluctant to diagnose or even
acknowledge PTSD in the services we, the family, are not optimistic about the findings.
His initial concern was that the war in Afghanistan was and is illegal and we have had over 500 letters and cards from
people all over the world, military, ex military and civilian who totally agree and are offering support;
defendjoeglenton@google.mail has received 300 messages in the last few weeks.
There have been demonstrations in New Zealand, Moscow and St Petersburg protesting against Joe's imprisonment and unjust
treatment at the hands of the MOD and British government. We remain strong in the knowledge that Joe is right and
anticipate the forthcoming pre hearing at Bulford with interest.
During induction in 2004 Joe and his colleagues had intensive workshop sessions called C-DRILS
C - Courage
D - Discipline
R - Respect for Others
I - Integrity
L - Loyalty
S - Selfless Commitment
He was taught during these sessions, that it was his duty as a soldier to report any unethical immoral behaviour
he witnessed whether the deed was carried out by a colleague, or by an organisation. Service personnel are obliged to
report any vestige of wrongdoing. During his time in Afghanistan he began to question whether the war of which he was
a part met the requirements of this code.
He had been told by superior officers that the presence of British forces in Afghanistan was in order to bring about
peace in the country, combat the threat of terrorism in the UK and elsewhere. He was told that the position of
ordinary people and especially women, would improve as a result of the war. He was told that the British & Coalition
troops were there to enable a democratic govt and society to be reconstructed. In addition he was told that the
reasons for being in Afghanistan were to provide security, reconstruction and to re build infrastructure.
Joe was promoted on his return to the UK, three years ahead of his promotion curve, demonstrating that the army found
him an exemplary soldier with potential to advance. This exemplary soldier did not take his decision lightly, his
sense of loyalty to his fellow soldiers and his own personal involvement in a situation he disagreed with caused him
turmoil. This exemplary soldier has recently been arrested and is currently being held in Colchester Detention Centre.
The outcome from Wednesday's hearing which you haven't read in the papers is that Joe was unlawfully arrested on
charges which had been previously withdrawn. His only remaining charge is that of desertion, which was changed without notice
or explanation from AWOL. He was offered bail by the Judge but refused as the offer included a gagging order. He is
now in custody for a further 28 days.
All this despite having since been diagnosed with PTSD, something I suspected for the last two years; the judge has refused
to allow a hearing before 16th Dec. The psychiatrist recommends that Joe is released to get the treatment he needs.
His is not the only case, hundreds of ex and serving service personnel are suffering too.
Lance Corporal Joe Glenton, from York, first went to Afghanistan in February
2006 thinking he was going to help support and rebuild the country. He was
told, like everyone else, that the war would improve the lives of ordinary
Afghans. But the reality of war came as a shock to him. He saw morale
falling and many soldiers starting to question why they were there.
Joe felt so strongly about the Afghan war that he refused to return and faces charges
for desertion. Despite this he bravely led the demonstration Troops out of Afghanistan in
London on 24 October. Now he has been arrested and charged with five further
offences for leading the demonstration and for expressing his opposition to the media in
defiance of orders.
Joe is facing charges which carry a maximum of ten years imprisonment in addition to the
sentence of two years that he could get if the desertion charge is upheld.
On 18 November a military court refused bail deciding he should remain in
custody in an army jail for a further 28 days. The court martial is due to commence on 4 January 2010.
Lindsey German, convenor of the Stop the War Coalition said:-"This is not about a breach of military regulations. This is about the
persecution of a soldier who believes in telling the truth in accordance
with his conscience. He is saying what the majority of the population believe, that
this war is unwinnable and immoral."
Good evening. My name is Clare Glenton. I am the wife of Lance Corporal Joe Glenton. For those of you who don't
know, Joe is a serving soldier in the liitish Army, he is an Afghan veteran and has been charged with desertion
after refusing to obey illegal orders to re-deploy to Afghanistan in 2007.
I am here this evening to express the views of a serviceman's wife and of a liitish citizen.
For most of the last 8 years since the invasion of Afghanistan I like many other liitish citizens have felt quite
detached from the realities of this situation. It always seemed to be something that was happening to other people.
It seemed so far away and distant however, since I met my husband this has changed.
All that has happened over the last two years to me and Joe stands as a shocking testament to the nature of
this conflict. It leaves me humbled and ashamed because the same injustices being forced upon Joe are being forced
upon the people of Afghanistan only thousands of times more savagely and in my name.
I realise while Joe stands to loose his liberty for nothing more than fulfilling his legal and moral duty,
the people of Afghanistan have lost and will continue to loose much much more as long as this occupation continues.
They are also victims of terrible crimes.
When I think of the children of Afghanistan, the risks they face daily and of the potentially grim future that
lays before them, I can't help but compare this to the lives of my year old twin nieces growing up in Australia
and how I would feel if this situation had been imposed upon them and the impact it would have on their lives and their futures.
The liitish and American govts have done an excellent job of dehumanising the people of Afghanistan. Joe is determined
to re humanise them because he believes his legal and moral obligation as a soldier and a human being is to protect the
international community. That is all people, everywhere, regardless of imposed boundaries. That is the oath he took.
Whilst in Afghanistan he realised that he and his comrades had been hired out like mercenaries to US foreign policy
This situation has challenged Joe and I and tested us to our limits but the experience has only strengthened our
convictions particularly with the astonishing amount of support we have received from all over the world both in and outside the military.
I have been honoured and inspired by the people I have met along the way such as Malalai Joya a woman the same age as me but born
into an utterly different world and Moazzam Begg a man submitted to the most horrendous treatment imaginable and has born it with
such dignity and by the encouraging words of Rose Gentle and Graham Knight who have both experienced the loss of a son in recent conflicts.
As the mother of a serving soldier Joe's mum has experienced the dread of hearing the word Afghanistan on radio and TV and tim
standing still as you listen and hope that it is not your loved one, then the guilt that follows knowing that some other family is
about to experience the knock on the door. 212 families know this feeling and 9000 others are still listening. The PM has almost
casually assured us there will shortly be more troops deployed.
What is also disturbing is the concealed numbers of Afghan casualties as though they are not relevant and they have families too.
I don't know what the immediate future holds for Joe and me but we are convinced that we have not only the moral but the legal high
ground. The courts martial is set for 2 Nov.
Last week we set the first precedent and won the first victory, when 2 extra charges which had been conjured up to gag not only
Joe but all UK servicemen from telling their stories and expressing their views were withdrawn.
