(A note on this post: I realize that by posting on an issue that has hit a nationally-syndicated columnist’s blog and has stirred people’s passions that people from around the nation might come here for this. That’s fine, but I will warn anyone who posts here now that I will not tolerate anything less than civil discourse on this issue. Name-calling and insults will not remain in the comments section, as I will delete such comments without remorse. Please see the rules to the right if you need more clarification. Debate and discussion is awesome. Let’s be adults)

Evan Knappenberger is seen above during the Wednesday, March 19, event organized by Ferndale High School students to protest the fifth anniversary of the Iraq War, where Knappenberger was a guest speaker.

Evan Knappenberger, a local Iraq War veteran who did the Stop Loss Tower Guard vigil last summer and started the local Iraq Veterans Against the War chapter was suspended from the group, but reinstated after four days, for making threats online against pro-war activists two weeks ago.

Knappenberger, who initially suffered an indefinite suspension, told me on the phone this morning that he had received an apology from the IVAW board for what he called their “arbitrary decision” to suspend him in the heat of the moment.

I’ve e-mailed IVAW and a blogger about the issue (the blogger may or may not be an IVAW official, I’m unclear from the blog).

Anyway, a recounting of events:

The issue occurred during the run-up to Winter Soldier II, the IVAW’s revisiting of the Vietnam Veteran’s Against the War’s 1971 media event, Winter Soldier, where they recounted atrocities they had committed and witnessed. The IVAW would share their stories about Afghanistan and Iraq, according to the group’s Web site.

Leading up to the event, words started flying back and forth, Knappenberger said, between IVAW members and the Gathering of Eagles, a pro-war group whose mission is to guard war memorials, but also counter-protest IVAW and other groups. Knappenberger said that there has been violence between the two groups before, and that the executive director of GOE had assault charges filed against him for attacking an IVAW member.

That’s where things took a turn for the worse. Knappenberger and another IVAW member, Jonathan De Wald, began making comments online against Gathering of Eagles who were arguing with them. Knappenberger made his comments on his personal blog, http://wobblynomad.blogspot.com/, which he has since made private and is accessible by invite only. *Update* - Since I posted this, Knappenberger has completely deleted the blog. However, conservative blogger and commentator Michelle Malkin (who comes into this story in a bit) grabbed screen captures of Knappenberger’s blog before he made it private, so we can see his words.

First, a warning, what I’ll be linking to has adult language so visit at your own discretion. I can’t even quote some of it here because it’s fairly profane.

On March 10, Knappenberger posted the following:

Gathering of Smeagols:

You are going to eat it unless you cease and desist from your planned “events".

Not a threat. Just a warning.

That’s where Malkin and others come in. Knappenberger said today on the phone that his blog isn’t even searchable, but that he believes GOE members had a Google news alert set up for when people discussed their group. So they saw his comments, and then those comments got to Michelle Malkin, who took the torch and ran with it (making several posts and follow-ups on the incident throughout several days).

After Malkin posted, Knappenberger posted again (you can see that in the above link), where he then said that GOE “all need to either go eat an IED in Iraq, or go drink some dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (agent orange, [expletive delete])".

He proceeds to talk about more violence against Malkin and conservative commentator Ann Coulter, discussing them being “hog-tied with electrical wire in an Iraqi ditch” with a death squad around them.

In a subsequent post he calls for a “fatwah” against Malkin to assassinate her.

*Note - some people may not go to the links I’ve posted, and I realize that, so I should note that later on in the post that Knappenberger states that he doesn’t actually intend to do harm, but he does “not apologize” for his views.*

Another conservative blogger states that someone had filed a complaint with the U.S. Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive Bureau (commonly known as the ATF) after the comments, though it’s unclear whether the complaint was against De Wald or Knappenberger.

After this, another blog from the IVAW side chimed in. “Army Sergeant,” an IVAW member who runs the Active Duty Patriot blog on Blogspot.com, posted an “official statement” from the organization where he she said that De Wald had been removed from IVAW and Knappenberger had been suspended indefinitely.

Later in the post on Army Sergeant says:

While this blog is not primarily an official blog, and often veers into the personal, I would like to put my official hat on and make the following statement on behalf of Iraq Veterans Against the War.

… Iraq Veterans Against the War does not condone threats of violence or violence against idealogical opponents, for Winter Soldier or for any other event.

Iraq Veterans Against the War and I personally have invited a number of military and veteran bloggers to attend Winter Soldier, because it is an event for military and veterans. Some of those bloggers support the war in Iraq. Some do not. All of these bloggers will be safe and welcomed at Winter Soldier as fellow servicemembers and veterans. They will be blogging from an enclosed space with controlled access, and security personnel will be there for their safety and to help alleviate any concerns. I will also give my personal word of honor as a non-commissioned officer as a guarantor for the safety of any bloggers under my charge.

*Update* - I just spoke with Army Sergeant on the phone, who told me she will be forwarding my e-mail on to IVAW officials who will explain more of their perspective. She said that there are some specifics that are not accurate from Knappenberger, though she didn’t elaborate because she said she is not responsible for disciplinary actions of IVAW members.

“I’ve been getting death threats for quite awhile now,” Knappenberger told me today. “I just kind of boiled over. Yeah, I slipped up.”

Knappenberger, who suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, said that the issue has been dead for two weeks and it’s not a big deal.

He asked how I had heard about the information, and I explained to him it was another blog commenter here, the conservative-minded AFY, who often e-mails me tips or articles to post here (if you all only knew how much I DON’T post from him. Seriously, he’s an addict).

So that’s where it stands now. Knappenberger is still a member of IVAW. I’m still waiting to hear back from IVAW on the issue. He said the IVAW is also “redefining” its terms of non-violence after the incident, with the recognition that they have soldiers in the group.

Because Knappenberger was not allowed at the Winter Soldier event, he offered up his testimony to them and he is also offering it up here. *Update* - Knappenberger has asked me to take the testimony down.