I attended a meeting of the "Iraq Veterans Against the War," at a Methodist church in Baltimore.
There seems to be more opposition to the war among Iraq veterans than the corporate media is letting on. These vets are all young people. They're all against the war and want it ended immediately! They were a cross section of America: white males, black males, a Latina woman -- and all working class youth. In short, sons and daughters of the common people.
They're upset not only that the government put them in harms way by starting a war based on lies for corporate interests (which is precisely how at least one of them phrased it), they're infuriated that they are being used as the butchers of Iraqi civilians than warriors against terrorism that they were supposed to be.
Each mentioned, with a pained conscience, that he/she had slain civilian men, women and children. Each reported in so many words that, "They had us going into homes and neighborhoods, shooting into homes and killing family, killing children," etc. One was ordered to shoot into crowds. (There are, in addition to armed insurgencies, little reported, but more common Iraqi civilian protests and demonstrations, being put down by force of arms.) Another vet mentioned blowing holes in people's homes the size of baseballs.
But what's interesting is the resistance within our military among common soldiers which, according to the vets, is beginning to scare the shit out of the higher officials. Such resistance helped end the Vietnam War some time ago. As in Vietnam, though not yet on as high a level, our soldiers are increasing refusing to go out on assignment -- especially against civilians. The Wash, D.C. president of Iraq veterans against the war stated that a growing number of vets are now in legal trouble (carrying danger of court martial and imprisonment) for refusing to go out on assignments, or refusing to engage the "enemy." Shades of Vietnam all over again.
I found the militancy and awakening conscience of these young vets quite inspiring -- especially when some told how little social conscience they had before the war experience. Now one of the Black vets insists not only that the government end the war immediately, but also that the government makes reparations to the Iraqi people. He also suggested that if the government doesn't shut down the war, then the people should shut down the government -- that the struggle should be brought to the very lawns of the white house!
The young vets insisted that as the resistance to the present war increases there will be more space for disgruntled vets to increase their resistance also. So, the ball is in our court. What are we going to do?
