Thursday, September 18, 2008

Winter Soldier Iraq and Afghanistan: Eyewitness Accounts of the Occupation


Heartfelt Greetings

I dedicate this post to the soldiers. I connect with them through love, prayers, support. For me, an essential part of supporting the troops is welcoming them home and attending to them. After an exceptionally powerful evening recently with Michael Meade and other veterans in which we all listened to the poetry they wrote and shared, I know even more deeply in my heart that to support the troops we must have the courage to listen and be witness to their stories, their poetry, their wounds, their courage, their need to be welcomed home in a substantive way and not simply with hollow words. May all grow in courage to support the troops, and whenever possible, to be the heart with ears that they need.

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Published on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 by Inter Press Service
Book Exposes Iraq Occupation Through US Soldiers' Eyes
"We Blew Her To Pieces"
by Dahr Jamail


MARFA, Texas - Aside from the Iraqi people, nobody knows what the U.S. military is doing in Iraq better than the soldiers themselves. A new book gives readers vivid and detailed accounts of the devastation the U.S. occupation has brought to Iraq, in the soldiers' own words.

"Winter Soldier Iraq and Afghanistan: Eyewitness Accounts of the Occupation," published by Haymarket Books Tuesday, is a gut-wrenching, historic chronicle of what the U.S. military has done to Iraq, as well as its own soldiers.

Authored by Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) and journalist Aaron Glantz, the book is a reader for hearings that took place in Silver Spring, Maryland between Mar. 13-16, 2008 at the National Labour College.

"I remember one woman walking by," said Jason Washburn, a corporal in the U.S. Marines who served three tours in Iraq. "She was carrying a huge bag, and she looked like she was heading toward us, so we lit her up with the Mark 19, which is an automatic grenade launcher, and when the dust settled, we realised that the bag was full of groceries. She had been trying to bring us food and we blew her to pieces."

Washburn testified on a panel that discussed the rules of engagement in Iraq, and how lax they were, even to the point of being virtually non-existent.

"During the course of my three tours, the rules of engagement changed a lot," Washburn's testimony continues. "The higher the threat the more viciously we were permitted and expected to respond."

His emotionally charged testimony, like all of those in the book that covered panels addressing dehumanisation, civilian testimony, sexism in the military, veterans' health care, and the breakdown of the military, raised issues that were repeated again and again by other veterans.

For the full article, please go here: http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2008/09/17-10.

Peace,

Molly

"They could have been heroes, but what they are doing here is even more heroic -- which is telling the truth," Glantz told IPS. "They didn't have to come forward. They chose to come forward."

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