Ex-military members, unite...

The resistance to Bush and his preemptive war-mongering just keeps growing… and growing… and growing.

AlterNet received an impassioned letter from reader James Ryan, cofounder of new grassroots group West Point Graduates Against The War. The group's mission -- as spelled out in its name -- is pretty clear, and Ryan (a '62 graduate of the US Military Academy) minced no words in explaining why he hopes his fellow ex-cadets will join him in protesting the Bush administration's "illegal, immoral" war. Read his inspiring call to action below:

We mince no words. Time is of the essence. Iraq is a human and political catastrophe, stark testament to the deceitful behavior of the Bush administration. The dangers are clear and present, and too many human beings are dying for an ignoble cause. The preemptive war launched against Iraq on March 20, 2003 stands illegal to its roots. Premised on lies, misstatements, and subterfuge, the destruction of that sovereign nation and its people has destroyed the reputation of America, perilously debilitating its military.

These malefactions, in violation of a host of international treaties, protocols, and conventions, have placed the military, in particular its officer corps, in legal and moral peril. West Point Graduates Against The War, a grassroots movement to redeem the honor of our country, stands opposed to the Bush administration and its callous disregard for honorable behavior. At issue -- which directly assaults the West Point Honor Code -- are the falsehoods of the Bush administration, culminating in Secretary of State Colin Powell's presentation to the United Nations on February 5, 2003.

The West Point Honor Code -- "A cadet will not lie, cheat, or steal, or tolerate those who do" -- defines honor and duty as a way of life. This provides graduates with a lifelong sense of duty, a shared responsibility for us all to do the right thing, even admonishing our country's leadership when democracy and its inherent freedoms are at stake.