Elizabeth Vos on the social-media suppression of information that could help U.S service people refuse to join the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran as fears grow that Trump will send ground troops into the conflict.
A sailor signals an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford in support of the U.S.-Isreal attack on the Iranian regime in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Feb. 28. (DoW/Public Domain)
By Elizabeth Vos
Special to Consortium News
As the U.S. and Israel’s deeply unpopular war with Iran enters its second week, social media platform X is censoring the accounts of people providing information to military servicemembers on how they can refuse to serve. This is particularly relevant as fears have grown that U.S. ground troops may enter the conflict.
The Center on Conscience & War, an 80-year-old nonprofit that, according to its website, “advocates for the rights of conscience, opposes military conscription, and serves all conscientious objectors to war,” was banned on X for 12 hours. The center’s executive director, Mike Prysner, shared a notice that the center received from X which labeled their posts as having “violated X rules” against “illegal and regulated behaviors.”
X has just suspended @CCW4COs for informing service members of their legal rights. pic.twitter.com/joNYvW9E2w
— Mike Prysner (@MikePrysner) March 7, 2026
Prysner wrote: “This is the post @CCW4COs was suspended for, informing service members of their legal right under DoDI 1332.14 to report “failure to adapt” within first 365 days of service and receive an entry-level discharge.”
This is the post @CCW4COs was suspended for, informing service members of their legal right under DoDI 1332.14 to report “failure to adapt” within first 365 days of service and receive an entry-level discharge https://t.co/PLPQslEz6x
— Mike Prysner (@MikePrysner) March 7, 2026
It remains legal to conscientiously object to military service. The only conceivable way that the post could be framed as encouraging illegal or irregular behavior would be to recast such objections as mutiny, which is exactly what pro-Israeli voices on social media have been frantically doing in the last few days.
In response to conservative commentator Candace Owens also encouraging those in the U.S. military to conscientiously object to serving in Iran, pro-Israel journalist Emily Schrader wrote on X:
“This is illegal. She is literally advocating mutiny. Under 18 U.S.C. § 2387 (Advocating overthrow or disloyalty in the armed forces). It is a crime for any person, including civilians, to willfully advocate or attempt to cause:
• insubordination in the armed forces
• disloyalty among service members
• mutiny or refusal of duty
It also criminalizes distributing materials intended to encourage those outcomes.
The penalty can be up to 10 years in prison and fines.”
Other pro-Israel voices like Bill Ackman, the billionaire hedge-fund manager, reposted Shrader’s sentiments.
The social media ban on the Center for Conscience and War came less than 24 hours after its executive director, Prysner, also wrote via social media regarding anecdotal evidence of troops being readied for combat:
“I just spoke with the mother of a service member in this unit. They were given one last call home before having to turn in their phones. He told his mom they were going ‘boots on the ground’ tonight.”
I just spoke with the mother of a service member in this unit. They were given one last call home before having to turn in their phones. He told his mom the were going “boots on the ground” tonight. pic.twitter.com/3OCupSfp9Q
— Mike Prysner (@MikePrysner) March 7, 2026
As noted by The Cradle,
“Mike Prysner … said in posts on X that his office has been overwhelmed with requests for guidance from service members seeking to dodge deployment…. ‘Phone has been ringing off the hook,’ he wrote … adding that many troops had not been told the mission involved combat until the last moment and were initially informed they were heading to training.”
As veteran Greg Stoker said via X: “Service members knowing their rights is a direct threat to both the secular imperialists who own these apps and the rapturous evangelicals trying to bring about Armageddon.”
Service members knowing their rights is a direct threat to both the secular imperialists who own these apps and the rapturous evangelicals trying to bring about Armageddon.
You don’t want to be fighting for either. https://t.co/hMzq96xSir
— Greg Stoker (@gregjstoker) March 7, 2026
Some X users have also been anecdotally reporting the apparent mobilization of troops:
“Spoke to a family member tonight — a Marine stationed in California. He said half\ the troops on base have disappeared in the past couple days and that the situation is chaos with those still remaining.”
Despite official denials that troops on the ground are part of the current plan, President Donald Trump has not ruled out the possibility. Democrats expressed alarm over the possibility following a March 4 classified briefing.
Democracy Now! noted that Sen. Richard Blumenthal said, “I just want to say I am more fearful than ever, after this briefing, that we may be putting boots on the ground.”
Sen. Elizabeth Warren also stated after the briefing:
“I just left a classified briefing on Iran, and here’s what I can say. It is so much worse than you thought. You are right to be worried. The Trump administration has no plan in Iran. This illegal war is based on lies, and it was launched without any imminent threat to our nation. Donald Trump still hasn’t given a single clear reason for this war, and he seems to have no plan for how to end it, either.”
The censorship of an account sharing information for troops regarding how to conscientiously object is particularly relevant now as thousands of U.S. troops are facing the potential for imminent deployment in the escalating conflict with Iran: a war largely unsupported on the home front.
Breaking news: The Army abruptly canceled a major training exercise, officials said, fueling speculation within the Defense Department that soldiers specializing in ground combat and a range of other missions may be sent to the Middle East. https://t.co/1nuTFn8acH
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) March 6, 2026
According to The New York Times, support for U.S. intervention in Iran is incredibly low, having “ranged from 27 percent in a Reuters/Ipsos poll to 41 percent in a CNN survey, far below the level of public backing that Mr. Trump’s predecessors initially enjoyed when they used force overseas.”
Many see the intervention as a war waged overwhelmingly for Israel, especially in light of broad daylight comments from figures like U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said:
“The president made the very wise decision: We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action, we knew that that would precipitate an attack against American forces, and we knew that if we didn’t preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties.”
Other veteran activists have also been speaking out against the war, and urging servicemembers to refuse to serve. As reported by Breakthrough News, at a Chicago rally on Saturday, veteran Daniel Lakemacher urged U.S. soldiers to “refuse this illegal and immoral war” on Iran.
“To all those who are not yet deployed: Now is the time to resist.”
At a Chicago rally on Saturday, veteran Daniel Lakemacher urges U.S. soldiers to “refuse this illegal and immoral war” on Iran.
The rally was part of a “Stop the War on Iran!” national day of action. The… pic.twitter.com/ukeY6Sci3i
— BreakThrough News (@BTnewsroom) March 8, 2026
This negative sentiment was also voiced by former U.S. Marine Sgt Brian McGinnis, a Green Party candidate for U.S. Senate for North Carolina, who was dragged out of a recent congressional hearing after shouting that “America does not want to send its sons and daughters to war for Israel.”
Sen. Tim Sheehy and police officers reportedly broke McGinnis’s arm as they struggled to remove him from the room. McGinnis was then charged with multiple counts of assault.
Former US Marine Sgt Brian McGinnis as he’s dragged out of Congress:
“No one wants to fight for Israel!”
Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-AIPAC) can be seen helping cops manhandle the veteran
Expect to see much more of this as the Zionist war drags on pic.twitter.com/itHaOkexf2
— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) March 4, 2026
The violent repression of a former service member’s speech against U.S. intervention in Iran, like the social media suppression of information that might help military members use legal methods to refuse to serve in that war, demonstrates how desperate the government is to preserve its ability to force Americans to fight for Israel.
The president and his supporters seem increasingly confused when justifying the U.S. involvement to the press. When asked about U.S./Israeli strikes on Iran’s water desalination plants, Trump rambled about beheaded babies and referenced Oct. 7. This behavior is stoking public resistance to the war, including amongst members of the military.
At a time when a dangerous war of America’s own making is escalating dangerously out of control, it cannot be acceptable to censor or render it illegal for members of the U.S. military to have a conscience.
Elizabeth Vos is a freelance reporter, co-host of CN Live! and regular contributor to Consortium News.
Views expressed in this article may or may not reflect those of Consortium News.
Thanks for an important article, Ms Vos! I think more and more service members may decide the attack on Iran – it’s not a war – is illegal in spite of the steady stream of lies by the Trump/Netanyahu regime and the teleprompter propaganda news prostitutes on the mainstream media outlets too cowardly to stand up for the truth for fear of losing their jobs and overpaid salaries.
Next time Scott Ritter comes around ask his take on the sinator breaking
another Marines arm or hand .
Love to hear it .
Everyone who joins U.S. military service has a reason. It has always been that way, including during Vietnam when large numbers of individuals who would have been drafted, “volunteered for the draft and given a choice of which service they would go to.
I would like to know an accurate number of individuals who joined by volunteering for the draft to avoid being slotted as U.S.. rather than Regular Army. Enlistments, which normally call for three years voluntary service, your service number on you dog tags had the word Enlisted preceding their service number. Draftees served two years and their service number was preceded by U.S. Early on lots of guys drafted were treated as a lesser in some military social groups. Some lifers disliked them intensely.
Totally different game now with an all volunteer “Professional Military”. We no doubt have some bad actors in the services it will always be that way. Once the wars lasting 20-30 years started these troops with the aid of National Guard units served with honor. As the wounded survivors returned, worked to heal themselves the reality of the price so many paid, set in. Now enlistments are way down.
It is what it is and I see it as a good thing, especially given the current cluster – frog sex happening right now.
Finding yourself being enlisted -Regular Army for instance – you are in for a world of hurt IMO. You should have learned over the last 25 years depending on the service you were in for long frequent deployments. This is what would be expected of you. The reason for those fat bonus checks.
My advice is you should be very vigilant about those illegal orders things. These people in charge in D.C. have no idea of what they are doing.
Now prepare to slow way down and enjoys the view seeing the country this summer on $10 dollar a gallon for gas, it it’s available.
Y’all thinking anti-war sentiments are getting heated up now, wait until General Catastrophe, Mr. Orange restarts the draft.
If I never hear that word “honor” again, I’ll be content.
There’s no honor fighting when you realize it’s not for your country but for the CEOs on Wall Street, and definitely not for the people in your neighborhood, who they care nothing about or the country the rest of us love. If they did, they’d pass fair taxation of the rich, and wouldn’t be so hell bent on destroying our beautiful wild places, what’s left of them.
Tom the way I have it figured you may end up being very content.
911 I voiced my opinion at lunch in the break room. After watching hundreds if civilians die and hundreds of first responders die in those two buildings I was asked by one of the group of co-workers, most much younger than I, some veterans and National Guard what Grumpa though about the whole thing.
My response about got me thrown into the parking lot. It was at that point I realized how ignorant far too many Americans were when considering what exactly this country’s foreign policy had done to countries around the world since Ron Reaguns Iran-Contra, guns, drugs, lawyers and money politics circa 1980.
My response? I said, “Well folks the U.S.has been asking for it and we not got what so many in government have been asking for.
We asked for it and we just got it.!” It did not go over very well. I had been prepared for just the type of event which occurred.
When I explained why I said what I had said the crowd was looking at me as it I had two heads. I didn’t care then and I don’t care what anyone thinks now about my read on reality.
I read Trump & Companies take on the world as they state it. My take on them is that they all are crazy, perverted anti-social criminals. All they have to do is prove me wrong. So Far They Can Not!
This country has had no real honor Since CIA stood idly by and allowed JFK to be murdered. None. The Zionists saw to it we did not.
The troops signed on in good faith, to ignorant of life experience to know any better. They went and got chewed up and then insulted by U.S. leadership and I use the term very loosely.
If this history isn’t bad enough Israel convinced dunb asses in D.C. to support and participate materially in the on going genocide in Israel. Now this bull shit with Iran.
I can pretty much guarantee you will not be hearing Honorable and American in the say sentence coming from our neighbors around the world.
I wrote what I wrote and your only comment was a back headed slap at me for referring to troops as being honorable. You have our right to your opinion, I can respect your rights, I am not under any circumstances required to respect you or your opinion.
“If I never hear that word” honor” again, I’ll be content*”.
You may not hear it again. You may have a heart event and no one be around to furnish you aid. I was very lucky to have people around me who did the honorable thing, rendering me aid and saving my life.
So you could end up content and dead both! Good luck!
It would be good to hear more in-depth discussion of how much leeway lower ranking troops have to question their orders for an unlawful war.
Hearing “hair on fire” comments from lawmakers coming out of closed military briefings from the likes of Warren & Blumenthal is laughable when it’s their job to be holding open public debate about any US war.
Unless the Constitution in this fast moving technological “utopia” is just some old piece of paper that Pete Hegseth gets to throw out with other rules of engagement.
Rob I agree. However with a scotus aiding seditionist faux potus in his treachery and the troops falling under the authority of Uniform Military Code of justice coupled with the fact they willingly joined they do not have much wiggle room to make their cases. They signed a contract.
While this will be used against them always remember General Orange Nuisance “GI Joe chicken spurs, faux Commander of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has Never known a contract he could not brake these poor souls will be held accountable if it is left to the war criminal in Chief.
We can discuss how I really feel at some later date.
Advice to young people of war fighting age – for get those bonuses until you talk to recent veterans. Especially those who have lost limbs, eyes, hearing or their minds. Go visit them and watch them struggle to survive After they finish serving. Trump and his cult call them cry babies, fakes and losers.
Do not think money it will not buy your sanity back!
All this to keep Bibbi out of jail.
The “traitors, insurrectionists, and disloyal” people are those in this Regime and in this Congress who take an oath to the Constitution
and refuse to honor it. Political whores follow the money.
Those citizens in the country who follow them are simply misinformed, and a distinct minority, IMO.
Watching only Faux News will do that to a person. Being misinformed because you choose to be misinformed is, when dealing with electing leadership, no excuse for not understanding the difference between right and wrong or lies and truth. Being stupid implies one is slow or has learning difficulties.
Not recognizing the downside to Trump I believe was based on emotions driven by those who somehow feel they are victims. Likely stupid slow witted from being handicapped. If a Trumpster is a true believer they are not simply misinformed. IMHO. You do not seem to be taking into account the dismal caliber of help he hired. These freaks are a cult bent on destroying everything because of their interpretations of ancient mystical of writings.
A distinct minority, simply misinformed elected Fuax POTUS, is this what you are claiming? Not the reality of them being lied to and purposely misinformed by dear leader? If this were the case and I do not agree does it make any difference if Trump received the voted he is credited with receiving that votes were purposely shaved from the totals his opponent received by vote tabulating machines.
I have to wonder what the hell these people are thinking but I cannot make anything up which challenges reality in the required manner.
Think cognitive dissonance and vote tampering.
Instead of complaints about Trump, here is some practical advice.
Establish a record that says you have a conscious that you object. You will likely need to provide information about your beliefs, so you need a record. Back when the Democrats were drafting people and send the off to Vietnam, one way of doing this was to go attend Quaker services. A peaceful religion that objects to war. Documentation and witnesses that you were doing this could be very useful.
Be peaceful. Be seen being peaceful. Be willing to testify to others peacefulness.
And, while I like the article, less ranting about the bi-partisan system and military machine and more practical advice would have been more useful in my opinion. A sure lesson from Vietnam, voting Democrat will not be the answer.
carrie lucarini
End timer goto ?
Nima missed an interview
According to The Wall Street Journal, citing US officials on Monday, Trump told aides he would back the killing of Khamenei if he declined to comply with American demands, including ending Iran’s nuclear programme.
*
Iranian negotiators had already agreed to comply with American demands to an extent more restrictive than the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), hours before Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the ruthless, criminal war-of-aggression carpet bombing of the Iranian people on February 28, 2026.
To be perfectly clear: ZioFascist war criminal mass murderers Trump and Netanyahu refused to take “yes” for an answer.
*
February 26, 2026
(Source: hxxps://thehill.com/policy/international/5757110-us-iran-talks-oman-complete/ )
“A war with Iran today is both unnecessary and dangerous,” Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), a sponsor of the resolution, said on the Senate floor on Thursday. A vote is expected next week.
“We shouldn’t be at war without a vote of Congress. … I can’t believe that this nation is like, itching for another war in the Middle East,” he continued.
“Haven’t we learned something from a quarter century of war in the Middle East? I hope we have,” the senator added. “I hope my colleagues will join me in suggesting no war unless we vote to authorize it.”
You don’t wanna kill, maim, torture and be psychologically scarred for the rest of your Life?
Bad luck, it goes with the territory.
Right. Find another occupation.
Johnny-
Define the territory of which you write, please.
Thee is no luck involved; war was decided upon, repeat decided, by aipac and potus47.
So bombing people is less of a war crime if Congress authorizes. Okay Senator.