SANTA FE (July 24) - Actress and activist Jane Fonda says she intends to
take a cross-country bus tour to call for an end to U.S. military operations
in Iraq.
"I can't go into any detail except to say that it's going to be pretty
exciting," she said.

Fonda said her anti-war tour in March will use a bus that runs on "vegetable
oil." She will be joined by families of Iraq war veterans and her daughter.

They plan to return to the Santa Fe area where she was promoting her book,
"My Life So Far" on Saturday.

Prompted by a question from the audience, Fonda said war veterans that she's
met on a cross-country book tour have encouraged her to break her silence on
the Iraq war.

"I've decided I'm coming out," she said.

Hundreds of people in the audience cheered loudly when Fonda announced her
intentions to join the anti-Iraq war movement.

"I have not taken a stand on any war since Vietnam," she said. "I carry a
lot of baggage from that."

Fonda incited controversy in July 1972 when she was photographed sitting on
a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft gun while on a tour of the country to drum
up support to end the war. She has repeatedly said she did not mean any harm
by the photos. Earlier this year, a Vietnam veteran spat in her face at a
signing.

But, except for one booing audience member, the reception was friendly in
Santa Fe. More than 500 copies of her book were sold.

Charles Powell, a member of Albuquerque's Veterans for Peace, said he
believes Fonda's actions in Vietnam should be forgiven.

"We accept her apology and feel that she should be treated like a human
being," Powell said.


07-24-05 22:19 EDT

Copyright 2005 The Associated Press