Winter Soldier 2008 Begins Today - Democratic Underground

Hissyspit

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Thu Mar-13-08 04:46 PM
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Winter Soldier 2008 Begins Today

Edited on Thu Mar-13-08 05:44 PM by Hissyspit

Give this 4 recommendations and I'll change the title from "Barack Obama Eats His Own Boogers" to "Winter Soldier 2008 Begins Today." (And I Did)

Via Various E-Mails:

From United For Peace And Justice:

We also want to remind you that tonight the historic Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan hearings will begin in Washington, DC. Please take some time tonight or over the weekend to watch or listen to the testimony of veterans who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. The stories they share will be difficult to hear, but it is critical that we do so, and that we get as many people in this country as possible to do so as well. Their voices, their truth must be heard.

Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan

Winter Soldier will feature testimony from U.S. veterans who served in those occupations, giving an accurate account of what is really happening day in and day out, on the ground. The four-day event, March 13-16, will bring together veterans from across the country to testify about their experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan -- and present video and photographic evidence. In addition, there will be panels of scholars, veterans, journalists, and other specialists to give context to the testimony. These panels will cover everything from the history of the GI resistance movement to the fight for veterans' health benefits and support.

From Courage To Resist:

Hundreds of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans gather in Washington DC for Winter Soldier

Iraq Veterans Against the War

To mark five years of the U.S. occupation of Iraq, Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) will gather beginning today through Sunday at the National Labor College near Washington, D.C. to disclose the realities of U.S. war policy in a public investigation called “Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan”.

Veterans and civilian survivors of both conflicts will give public testimony and share the eyewitness stories that have been censored from the American public about the true human cost of these occupations. This testimony also will reveal how the Iraq occupation is tactically un-winnable, morally wrong, and has brought our military to its breaking point.

Winter Soldier: Iraq & Afghanistan aims to:

Motivate veterans and active duty service members to get involved in today’s growing GI resistance movement;
Awaken America to the real human costs of war that have not been exposed sufficiently by the American media; and
Hold both Democrats and Republicans accountable for the illegal Iraq occupation they have jointly kept going.

The term, Winter Soldier, is a play on the words of Thomas Paine who wrote in “The Crisis” (1776) that summer soldiers, “shrink from the service of their country” in times of crisis. In contrast, Winter Soldiers are those who stand up for the soul of their nation in its darkest hours.

America’s democracy is in crisis today, motivated by an economic addiction to oil and empire, engaged in ongoing illegal occupation that has cost the lives of hundreds of thousands, and stymied by a political process that values moneyed interests more than the majority of the American people.

Over 35 years after the first Winter Soldier investigation conducted by Vietnam Veterans Against the War, America needs Winter Soldiers again. Continuing in this tradition, IVAW’s Winter Soldiers are performing a difficult but essential service to our country.

For the past five years, Americans have heard from generals, pundits, and politicians about the occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan, but they haven't heard enough from those who have first-hand experience.

From incidents like Fallujah and Abu Ghraib to the awarding of no-bid contracts, Winter Soldier will show that wrongdoings and failures in Iraq and Afghanistan are part and parcel of war policy set at the highest levels of power. Troops are being ordered to do things that violate their conscience and the rules of war.

As hundreds gather to hear the Winter Soldier testimony in Silver Spring, Maryland, thousands will gather simultaneously in their homes, houses of worship, on college campuses, and on military bases around the globe to bear witness to these stories via live broadcast. The Winter Soldier: Iraq & Afghanistan proceedings will be carried via satellite on the Deep Dish network, Free Speech and Link T.V., public access television stations, the Pacifica Radio network, and via web streaming on www.ivaw.org.

From Iraq Veterans Against The War:

Latest updates

- 3/13/08 IVAW members begin to arrive in DC. Winter Soldier starts today.

Dear IVAW Supporter,

Countdown to Winter Soldier

In just eight days, IVAW members from around the country will come together for Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan. We're holding this event to tell people about the experiences of veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan occupations. We've all heard from the politicians. We've heard from the generals. Now its our turn.

And the word is getting out.

This past Sunday, the London Times Magazine had a cover story on Winter Soldier and some of our members who will be testifying next week:

"The veterans are not against the military and seek not to indict it – instead they seek to shine a light on the bigger picture: that the Abu Ghraib prison regime and the Haditha massacre of innocent Iraqis are not isolated incidents perpetrated by “bad seeds” as the military suggests, but evidence of an endemic problem. They will say they were tasked to do terrible things and point the finger up the chain of command, which ignores, diminishes or covers up routine abuse and atrocities."

You can read the London Times article online here.

Winter Soldiers march to Valley Forge

Our members in IVAW's Philadelphia chapter organized a two-day march from the Constitution Center in Philadelphia to Valley Forge this past weekend to draw attention to Winter Soldier. Valley Forge was the site where Thomas Paine's The Crisis (the inspiration for the name Winter Soldier) was read aloud to soldiers during the winter of 1777As Steve Mortillo, president of the chapter, put it: "230 years ago, a group of soldiers gathered at Valley Forge to stand up against oppression on behalf of their people. And we aim to do the same here today."

You can read the Philadelphia Daily News' coverage of the march here.

Body of War: coming soon

Winter Soldier is just one of the ways veterans' stories are being told. In the next few weeks, Body of War, a new documentary by Phil Donahue and Ellen Spiro, will be coming to theaters across the country. This film follows IVAW member Tomas Young upon his return from Iraq, where, after serving for less than a week, he was paralyzed by a gunshot wound. It's important that stories like Tomas' be told, and it's important that Americans hear them. You can find out when Body of War is opening at a theater near you at http://www.bodyofwar.com.

Tomas has also curated a two-disc album to accompany the movie, with contributions from Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Bright Eyes, Tom Morello, Serj Tankian, Ben Harper, Tori Amos and Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder. The album will be released March 18th, and all proceeds from the sale of this album benefit IVAW. You can find out more about the album and pre-order it online now.

Warrior Writers: Re-Making Sense

You can also find the stories of our members in Warrior Writers: Re-making Sense, the second book in the Warrior Writers series that is on sale now. This book is filled with poetry, prose, letters, photos and art by our members - its one of the ways we try to make sense of our experiences. You can get your copy through our website.

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It's not an easy thing to do - talking about the experience of war. IVAW members come together to gain strength from each other and to remind other servicemembers and veterans that we have a responsibility to speak up and talk about the full story of what is happening in the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. Next week, over 250 of us will be together for Winter Soldier, and we hope you'll join us at one of the many Winter Soldier events around the country where you'll be able to watch the testimony. If you'd like to organize your own event, you can find out how on our website, and get information on other ways to watch and listen online, via satellite, and on the radio.

It's our turn to speak, and in eight days, you're going to hear us loud and clear.

Peace,

Kelly Dougherty
Former Sergeant, Army National Guard
Executive Director
Iraq Veterans Against the War