In March 2008 the Iraq Veterans Against the War, or IVAW, organized "Winter Soldier 2008".
Many veterans testified about atrocities and destruction carried out against the people of Iraq and Afghanistan by the US government, specifically by themselves or witnessed by themselves.
The transcripts – audio and video – of these hearings are on the web here.
Articles from the press concerning Winter Soldier 2008 are linked on the left hand column, or just go here.
Here is a short Youtube clip about Winter Soldier 2008: Iraq war veterans accuse US military of coverups - 16 Mar 08.
(In 1971, during the Vietnam War, some veterans of that war organized the "Winter Soldier" hearings. Organized by the Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) many soldiers testified about what they saw as injustice – atrocities, destruction – brought on by the United States in Vietnam, and specifically by themselves, the soldiers. The complete transcript of these hearings are on the web here.)
From "Winter Soldier 2008" please read the following:
Aaron Glantz, "Winter Soldier Hearings". Foreign Policy In Focus.
"Veterans' testimonies heard at 'Winter Soldier Iraq and Afghanistan'", San Francisco Chronicle April 4, 2008.
"Veterans recall horrors of war in live broadcast", Boston Globe, March 16, 2008.
"We Reacted Out of Fear, and With Total Destruction". IPS News.
Please listen to the following testimonies (there aren’t any printed transcripts yet):
Listen to, and read, as many as you can.
Then for your HW assignment, please choose
Write 350 words on WS ’08 (both print media article and video testimony), compiling the questions that these presentations and documents raise in your mind. Do NOT include quotations in your word count!
Email to your group, and to me.