Grannies want to Iraq

American grannies are so eager to see their grandchildren serving in Iraq, that they are ready to go to the war-wearied country to make their kids back. The grannies even wanted to be enlisted in the army, but a recruitment center officials called the police when the grannies appeared.

A group of anti-war senior citizens calling themselves the "Tucson Raging Grannies" say they want to enlist in the U.S. Army and go to Iraq so that their children and grandchildren can come home.

Members of "Tucson Raging Grannies" range in age from 65 to 81. Five members of the group are fighting trespassing charges after they were cited at a protest here last week at the military recruitment center, reports Tucson’s KVOA.com.

The five members of the group - which is associated with the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom - are due in court Monday to face trespassing charges after trying to enlist at a military recruitment center last week, says the AP.

The group has protested every week for the last three years outside the recruitment center.

As Arizona's Indymedia reports, the Grannies stood in front of the recruitment center and sang songs, prompting Army Sgt. Richardson to close the door to his office. After a few minutes, they began to enter the Army’s office, stating that they wished to enlist. The recruiters tried to turn them away, saying that protestors are not allowed on their property, but the Grannies made their way in.

"We went in asking to be sent to Iraq so our kids and grandchildren can be sent home, but rather than listening to us, they called the police," said 74-year-old Betty Schroeder. "It was their place to tell us the qualifications, but they wouldn't even speak to us." Schroeder said her group may approach the Pentagon to see if they could be sent to Iraq.

Nancy Hutchinson, spokeswoman at the Army recruiting headquarters in Phoenix which oversees Tucson's recruiters, said people who disagree with the war should be contacting their legislators instead of bothering recruiters.

Schroeder said she hopes the trespassing charges will be dropped and an apology given to the group from the Tucson Police Department and from the recruiters.

"This was not a performance, a joke or civil disobedience," she said. "This was an enlistment attempt."

Photo: Indimedia