Peace Rally, 9/11 Walk Become Dueling Events

The Washington Post and other corporate entities signed up as co-sponsors. But critics from within the paper and from the antiwar movement said partnering with the Pentagon raised questions about objectivity, and two weeks ago, The Post pulled its co-sponsorship.

Other media co-sponsors -- WTOP radio, WJLA-TV and NewsChannel 8 -- plan to continue their support.

"I don't know what people can be critical of when you look at the purpose of the Freedom Walk. It's to commemorate the victims of Sept. 11 and their families and veterans, past and present," Barber said. "It's unfortunate when things get misconstrued."

The other side sees plenty to criticize.

"There has been this perpetual linking of Sept. 11 to the war in Iraq by the Bush administration, and this is another example of it," said David Portori, who organized a group that advocates for a peaceful U.S. policy after his brother died in the World Trade Center attacks. "There are 364 other days in the year that the Pentagon can ask America to support the troops. Sept. 11 should be a day for honoring the dead, the innocents."

Organizers of the antiwar rally said they were very conscious about avoiding that date. "We have steered clear of Sept. 11," said Brian Becker, national director of ANSWER, an antiwar collective that demands a hands-off U.S. foreign policy worldwide.

Opponents of the Freedom Walk see a pro-war side even in how the Department of Defense is staging its event. When the walk was first publicized, each participant was required to submit his or her name, age, e-mail address and home address. After some groups accused the Pentagon of using the registration as a recruiting tool for the military, the requirements were changed.

Barber said the government now asks for a full name, age group, T-shirt size and e-mail address (each registered walker will get a T-shirt). Walkers have until Sept. 9 to register, which can be done online. Several thousand have registered, Barber said, saying that the process is like that for a 10K run.

The entertainment planned for the event has hit another nerve among critics. A headliner, Clint Black, is to many an all-American country singer. "There will be no speeches, no demonstrations," Barber said. "A guy like Clint Black, he cares about our victims, our families."

But one of Black's signature songs, "I Raq and Roll" -- with lyrics about "a high-tech GI Joe" with "infrared," "GPS" and "good, old-fashioned lead" -- makes others cringe. "That's just a very pro-war song and not right for this kind of thing," Portori said.

Supporters of the walk say that all the complaints are pointless and that there are no hidden motives.

"I know the Pentagon is trying to do the right thing," said Marcus Flagg, a former Navy fighter pilot who lost both parents in the Pentagon attack. "I hope this doesn't turn into a pro-war rally. I support the troops, sure, but that's not what this is about."

The military overtones are inevitable, given that most of the victims in the Pentagon attack worked for the armed services, Flagg said.

He added: "Yes, the Pentagon is putting it together. But the Pentagon was attacked that day."