posted May 09, 2008 05:50 PM            

These soldiers deserve our respect for their sacrifices.
Let's hear what they have to say.

U.S. Soliders Returning From Iraq Testify Against the War at the Winter Soldier Conference

Hear the Eye-Witness Indictments NOT being reported by the corporate media

US Vets, Active-Duty Soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan Testify About the Horrors of War

US veterans gathered in Maryland this past weekend to testify at Winter Soldier, an eyewitness indictment of atrocities committed by US troops during the ongoing occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Soldiers spoke of free-fire zones, the shootings and beatings of innocent civilians, racism at the highest levels of the military, sexual harassment and assault within the military, and the torturing of prisoners. While the corporate media ignored the story, we broadcast their voices. [includes rush transcript]

Winter Soldier Jon Turner http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0m_f3WPvzU4&feature=related

Winter Soldier Mike Prysner testimony, Pt1
Part 1 is introductory, deals with the military teaching and using racism,
and the bulk of the experience on the ground which involved him. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4i5ZUfpxnV0

WINTER SOLDIER: MIKE TOTTEN
Mike Totten, Former US Army specialist who served with the 716th MP Battalion in the 101st Airborne and was deployed to Iraq in April 2003 until April 2004 (from Democracy Now). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtMlXABWmxE&feature=related

WINTER SOLDIER: JEFFREY SMITH http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sl65KHxGQRo&feature=related

WINTER SOLDIER: TANYA AUSTIN
Austin, an Arab linguist in Military Intelligence, speaks on behalf of a female soldier who was raped in Iraq and then blamed for her own rape. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLIBCvcCwe0&feature=related

WINTER SOLDIER: HART VIGES
Hart Viges fought with the 82nd Airborne Division in Iraq before being granted conscientious objector status upon his return home. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnldeEEQB0s&feature=related

Winter Soldier Jason Hurd on DN-IVAW
At Winter Soldier, I reported my own experience and the information that came to me about the shooting. I also gave my own opinion that the shooting was indiscriminant and unnecessary; some in my unit may disagree with me. That being said, this incident did cause some debate within the unit about whether or not the gunner over-reacted. Whether the gunner over-reacted is actually trivial in my argument. My argument was that we do react out of fear imposed by the chain of command and that soldiers shouldn't be placed in these situations to begin with. Finally, I have an addition to my testimony that should be mentioned here. I in no way intended to indict or defame the character of my fellow soldiers with my testimony (a point that I failed to make clear at Winter Soldier). We all did what we had to do to get home alive and I have the utmost respect for the people in my unit. My only intentions are to prevent other soldiers from seeing the things that I have seen and to keep Iraqis from suffering any longer." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_cjkWevHNM&feature=related

posted May 09, 2008 08:14 PM            

Iraq Veterans Against the War Washington, DC Chapter president, Geoffrey Millard holds forth on veterans issues, his own experiences while serving in Iraq, and pays tribute to the Vietnam Veterans Against the War, for their having laid the foundation upon which IVAW was built. Geoff was one of 50 Iraq veterans interviewed in the July 30, 2007 issue of The Nation http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070730...
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ABx4fG1ZJL4&feature=related

posted May 09, 2008 09:02 PM            

How about it HSC? Murderers, or those who deserve our respect?

If it's respect HSC, is that because you get some I Hate America propaganda value out of them today?

posted May 09, 2008 10:30 PM            

These men have come forward to confess their warcrimes,
and for that, they certainly deserve our respect.

It is not easy to confess to killing innocent people.

posted May 10, 2008 01:31 AM            

Unfortuneately, what they are confessing to is common military practice.

posted May 10, 2008 08:59 AM            

Bring them in front of a grand jury and let them testify under oath.

If they commit perjury, lock them up.

If they're telling the truth about crimes they committed, then punish them to the full extent of the law.

posted May 10, 2008 09:53 AM            

This kind of dung doesn't even phase me any more. Most often it is touted by those that are too big of cowards to serve in the Military to begin with- see any anti-war / anti-Military website.

Just more leftest rhetoric.

For those that believe deeply about being anit-war and are in the Military, I urge them to get out ASAP and return to their normal lives. For those that enlisted after 9-11 and still have reservations about the war, well they knew the Nation had been attacked, they knew we would go to war. Recruiters didn't pull the wool over their eyes, so unless they grew up without TV, without newspapers or without common sense, they knew exactly what the potential was for deployment.

posted May 10, 2008 04:17 PM            

I personally find their testimonies very convincing.
Its clear to me that they are speaking straight from the heart.

Confessions like these, true or not, ought to be front page news.
So, why isnt our government pursuing these men?

They are willing to incriminate themselves,
but Bush is not willing to bring them to trial?

It would be great if they got a chance to testify before the Grand Jury, jwhop.

But I wouldnt hold my breath.

posted May 10, 2008 05:03 PM            

In case there are those who don't know it, this is the very same group who lied through their teeth about US military personnel during the Vietnam War. They were lying and quickly changed their stories when military investigators looked them up and started asking questions.

The American traitor John Kerry built his political career off his lying testimory before the Senate Select Committiee and the lying testimony of the guy behind this latest smear of the military. His name is Joe Bangert.
http://www.linda-goodman.com/ubb/Forum16/HTML/004093.html

HSC believes it because he wants sooo badly for it to be true. A leftist in pursuit of propaganda with which to give America and the US military a black eye.

There have been other phonies who have screeched about what they said they saw. They turned out to be liars. Some had never been in the military, one had washed out of basic training..thrown out, others had never served in Iraq or Afghanistan or had never had been posted where they said the incidents occurred. In every single case, investigators questioned soldiers who had been assigned there and the incicents never happened.

In any event, your credibility is shot to hell on this site. I think you might gain some acceptance over at CE. You might want to hook up with a guy using the screen name "Archaeus" there. You and he would make a nice set of bookends.

posted May 10, 2008 05:09 PM            

quote:

---

Up yours HSC.

---

Sorry to provoke you, jwhop.

posted May 10, 2008 05:24 PM              

I would have kept it to this thread though....but thats just me.

posted May 10, 2008 06:20 PM            

quote:

---

It seems obvious that there will always be some, in the world, who aren't even prepared to listen to people such as these soldiers.

---

They cant be helped, I suppose.

For everyone else, here is the truth.

Since I am in no position to judge who cant be reached,
I speak my truth to everyone; the rest is up to them, and God.

quote:

---

I would have kept it to this thread though....but thats just me.

---

That would have been less provocative, yes.

But I think its alright to speak my truth wherever I am.

And the point of a protest is to make it where it will be seen and heard
by the very people who you are trying to get through to.

You dont just get out of the way of the war-mongers' parade;
instead, you sit down right in front of it and block its path.

This is how protest works.

The topic of the thread posted by Eleanore
was tailor-made to suit the information I had to share.

So I shared it. Precisely where it applied.

posted May 10, 2008 06:39 PM              

And I know it's a very sensitive subject.

How to best go about communicating information?

When one feels so passionate....about an issue as important as this?

posted May 10, 2008 06:41 PM            

I'm sure I'll refine my methods in time.

But I dont see a better way, at the moment.

I think some conflict is unavoidable.

posted May 10, 2008 06:53 PM              

I just hope people can find a way to discuss these matters here without resorting to personal attacks.

If this happens, all one can do is to try not to take it personally,
which isn't easy.
But I've heard it gets easier eventually.

God bless you all.

posted May 11, 2008 02:50 PM              

I feel its about time we started taking these guys seriously.

posted May 11, 2008 03:14 PM            

Jason Lemieux

Marine sergeant who served three tours in Iraq.