U.S. unaware of realities of Iraq war, vet says

[illflem]

Critical of the U.S. media and Bush administration, a veteran of the war in Iraq spoke Thursday night about the realities of the conflict, saying that U.S. soldiers there were ill-equipped, poorly trained and largely unsupportive of the war.

Specialist E-4 Patrick Resta, who served as an Army medic in Iraq for eight months before returning to the United States in November, spoke before an audience of about 80 Brown students and local community members in Salomon 001.

Resta criticized the poor coverage of the Iraqi war by the U.S. media and said the goal of his speech and accompanying slide show was to show what it was really like in Iraq.

"One of the most important things veterans can do, like myself, is come out here and present a true picture of Iraq, because the American media isn't letting people have that true picture," he said.

Resta also dismissed the idea that most of the troops in Iraq were satisfied with their situation, citing a poll in a military magazine that found that about 60 percent of soldiers in Iraq did not approve of the war. He also said soldiers were open about their disapproval of the war, and many wanted to leave.
"There was a running joke that IRAQ stood for 'I really am quitting,' " he said.

Good article
http://www.browndailyherald.com/news/2005/03/11/CampusNews/U.Unaware.Of.Realities.Of.Iraq.War.Vet.Says-892406.shtml

[Cocoa]

1. "I didn't realize there was this much violence"

quote from woman who watched troops' gory Iraq footage.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=3272782&mesg_id=3272782