Soldier's chilling testimony fuels demonstrations against Iraq war

[NNN0LHI]

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article314735.ece

A former American soldier who served in Iraq and filed for conscientious objector status has given an extraordinary insight into the war's dehumanising effects ­ an insight that helps explain why the British and American public has turned sharply against the occupation.

On the eve of large anti-war demonstrations in Washington and London, Hart Viges has told how indiscriminate fire from US troops is likely to have killed an untold number of Iraqi civilians. Mr Viges, 29, said he was still haunted by the memories of what he experienced and urged President George Bush to withdraw US troops from Iraq.

"I don't know how many innocents I killed with my mortar rounds," Mr Viges, who served with the 82nd Airborne Division, said during a presentation this week at American University in Washington. "In Baghdad, I had days that I don't want to remember. I try to forget," he added

The rare insight into the chaos of the combat ­ including an order to open fire on all taxis in the city of Samawa because it was believed Iraqi forces were using them for transport ­ comes as US support for the war in Iraq slumps to an all-time low. Polls suggest that 60 per cent now believe the war was wrong. Mr Bush's personal approval ratings are also at a record low.

[Dharma_Bum]

1. MORE!!!!

Now this is what we need to see more of!!

We Iraq Veterans SPEAKING OUT!!!!

There were two major elements of social unrest in the sixties that assisted in ending the Vietnam War ...

... The Student movement and the Veterans Movement!

The students have long been formed ... now we Iraq Veterans must push to the front!

Kudos Hart Viges, Kudos!

[RC]

2. Rummy finds outs the Iraq vets are talking, they never will come home

I can see the house of cards the neo-cons have built is starting to fall. Between Iraq and our gulf coast, I can see a very messy future.

[yorkiemommie1]

3. Interesting what he said about " the Passion of the Christ "

Despite his growing horror with what he was experiencing, it was only when he watched Mel Gibson's film The Passion of the Christ, that he decided to file for conscientious objector status. "I consider myself a Christian and I thought Jesus wasn't talking smack," he told the American-Statesman newspaper, in his current home of Austin, Texas.

not a reaction that *'s fundie base would appreciate ! funny what happens when people reflect on the REAL meaning of Christ's preachings, eh, Falwell/Robertson?