families of US soldiers in Iraq lead anti-war protests

[pippin]

Troops' relatives speak out as death toll rises and morale falls
Suzanne Goldenberg in Washington
Saturday October 25, 2003
The Guardian


http://www.guardian.co.uk/antiwar/story/0,12809,1070682,00.html
Dear Mom... Emails from the war zone

From a female member of the National Guard serving in northern Iraq
"I don't see anything wrong with doing whatever it takes to stay alive. There is nothing sacred about kids with guns. There is nothing sacred about anybody trying to kill anybody else, it don't matter how old they are. I hate this shit ... I don't mind Iraq, I don't mind war, but I absolutely hate the situation I'm in, and I'm beginning to hate most of the people I'm surrounded by."

From a reservist serving as a mechanic near Baquba
"I was offered to go on a convoy today but I did not go. They came back late tonight, and it turns out that the Iraqi people opened fire on them from a rooftop in a small town. We returned, but did not kill any of them, no one was hurt. This happens all the time. No one really aimed at the enemy. You just get scared and pull the trigger and open up in the direction you think they are firing from."

From an artilleryman's wife
"The morning they shipped out they handed them their papers and things were missing that were supposed to be in there. Now I talk to him via the computer because the phones are never working. I'm on anti-depressants and sleeping pills. I try to make it through the day without crying but lately that's impossible. I never thought that this would be so hard. I wake wondering if my husband is still alive and I turn on the news to see more soldiers dead in Iraq."

From a reservist from Indiana
"Everyone hears that morale is high and it is a bold-faced lie. The only people they ever talk to are these commanders. The reserve soldiers never get to speak their mind. We are the pawns of this war. We watch the active duty retire, and move to new assignments. We watch their tours end as we are still trapped because of poor post-war planning."

[MaineDem]

1. Thank you, foreign press

What would we know without your reporting?

[NNN0LHI]

2. Snip from story

>>>"I don't care what the administration says about flag-waving and children throwing flowers. It is just not true. The stories coming back are horrific. All he told me was that he had seen and done some horrible things, that they had all done and seen some terrible things."<<<

[cmd]

3. From my friend who's husband is deployed in Iraq

"I will not vote for George Bush again."
S's husband is a gunner on a suppy convoy. The truck in front of his hit a land mine last week. He was really gung-ho when he was sent over and now cannot wait to get out. He won't be home until sometime next summer. S, her family and inlaws are very upset about the way things are going. She has given up their apartment and moved in with the inlaws.

[underpants]

4. And if injured the call-ups are 3rd on the depth chart for treatment

NPR this week had audio from a reservist who hurt his knee in Kuwait and has been waiting 5 months to see a doctor. 5 frickin months.

The conditions at Ft.Stewart were also said to be wholly unsanitary and almost inhumane in terms of usual military standards and American expectations.

The reservist said that the order of treatment is Active duty then civilian (contractors mostly) THEN Guard and Reservists.

[flamingyouth]

5. Another heartbreaking story

:-(