US: Vets Break Silence on War Crimes

[Echo In Light]

US:Vets Break Silence on War Crimes
By Aaron Glantz

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 28 (IPS) - U.S. veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are planning to descend on Washington from Mar. 13-16 to testify about war crimes they committed or personally witnessed in those countries.

"The war in Iraq is not covered to its potential because of how dangerous it is for reporters to cover it," said Liam Madden, a former Marine and member of the group Iraq Veterans Against the War. "That's left a lot of misconceptions in the minds of the American public about what the true nature of military occupation looks like."

Iraq Veterans Against the War argues that well-publicised incidents of U.S. brutality like the Abu Ghraib prison scandal and the massacre of an entire family of Iraqis in the town of Haditha are not the isolated incidents perpetrated by "a few bad apples", as many politicians and military leaders have claimed. They are part of a pattern, the group says, of "an increasingly bloody occupation".

"The problem that we face in Iraq is that policymakers in leadership have set a precedent of lawlessness where we don't abide by the rule of law, we don't respect international treaties, so when that atmosphere exists it lends itself to criminal activity," argues former U.S. Army Sergeant Logan Laituri, who served a tour in Iraq from 2004 to 2005 before being discharged as a conscientious objector.

"Americans are bred deep into their psyches to think of America as a good country and, I think, much harder than just the hurdle of getting troops out of Iraq is to get Americans to realise the terrible things we do in the name of the United States."

http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=41398

http://www.warcomeshome.org/

[tpsbmam]

1. K&R n/t

[ixion]

2. anyone who has paid taxes have paid for the ammunition that kills these people

it is most definitely done in our name.

Everyday, I weep for what's become of our republic. :cry:

[Echo In Light]

3. Chomsky always hammers that point home: in a rep democracy, govt actions are done in OUR names

So involved is a great deal of responsibility, hence the enormous propaganda effort toward apathy and depoliticization.

[flashl]

4. American men with guns conducting URBAN warfare against a majority female population

is not very rewarding.

[lonestarnot]

5. What in the fuck have we become?

[malaise]

6. When will Bush ad Cheney be flown to

the Hague?

[malaise]

7. Cosy of the Iraq War coming up on CSpan1 at 8.15am

Have you noticed that M$M never replay that debate with Kerry and Bush when Kerry challenged Bush's figures.

[Spurt]

8. K&R

[UTUSN]

9. And can the next generation of Swift-BOTS be far behind?!1

Commendations to those speaking out.