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Anti-War Veteran Quits Anti-War Organization

11:15 AM, Oct 19, 2007 • By BRIAN FAUGHNAN
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Frustrated by the lack of progress toward surrender in Iraq, veteran John Bruhns has quit the anti-war group AAEI:

The leading Washington coalition for ending the war in Iraq has lost its highest-profile Iraq veteran.

John Bruhns, a former Army sergeant who participated in the 2003 invasion, left his position as legislative representative of Americans Against Escalation in Iraq (AAEI) at the beginning of October.

He had started in May, but quickly became frustrated with the group's lack of legislative success as well as some of its tactics.

I have a 'personal connection' to Bruhns: I've received at least one robocall from him (and if memory serves, several). I found the call an annoying interruption and an insult to my intelligence. Bruhns wanted to let me know that my Congressman had voted against an immediate withdrawal from Iraq--which improved my opinion of the Congressman considerably.

But the question everyone seems to be asking, what does Bruhns's departure mean for the antiwar movement? Here's the Hill:

Supporters of the Iraq war and President Bush's "surge" strategy say the departure of someone like Bruhns could be an early sign of trouble for anti-war forces.

More by Brian Faughnan

'An early sign of trouble?' You mean, like the departure of Rumsfeld was an early sign of trouble for the Bush administration--or the way Saddam's capture in a hole was an early sign of trouble for his brutal regime? It would be premature to say that the anti-war campaign has run its course; it clearly has not. But unless Iraq gets dramatically worse, it's all over but the shouting. Even in Berkeley, antiwar activist now find themselves outnumbered--what does that mean for the antiwar movement?