Collegiate Times

Soldiers were told in briefings that if an individual is seen fleeing, "assume that he is maneuvering against you and kill him." The same response was encouraged toward individuals seen in possession of weapons, binoculars and cell phones, rules of engagement that seem to evoke the free fire zones of Vietnam.

Jeff Englehart emphasized the similarity between the current occupation of Iraq and the U.S. invasion of Mexico and Vietnam. He and a friend created a blog consisting of their Iraq experiences but were told to stop by military authorities. Englehart stressed that the best work of IVAW has been "soldier outreach," or talking to soldiers and "letting them know they're not alone" in their opposition to the war.

Another testifying soldier, Garret Repenhagen, emphasized the citizen aspect of the soldiers serving in Iraq. As citizens, it should not be considered unpatriotic for soldiers, even those currently serving, to exercise their freedom of speech in criticism of the war. He went on to contrast the contemporary military experience with that of Vietnam. Without a draft, there are no parents and college students worrying over conscription, and thus resistance to the war has been less campus-based than during Vietnam. Furthermore, approximately three-quarters of the war's veterans are still in the military, many of whom are stuck through the stop-loss policy. This, in effect, creates a military of professional, career soldiers, people who "take pride in the fact that they are soldiers."

Even so, these soldiers "didn't ask to be sent to Iraq" but "wanted to be used in a just way when all peaceful solutions have been exhausted." Repenhagen stressed the fact that these soldiers consider their profession a career -- they didn't want or endorse this war.

He suggested a number of reasons why more soldiers don't resist, including loyalty to the military and their friends, unit cohesion and the fear of leaving a military career.

The soldiers repeatedly emphasized the goals of IVAW, which are threefold: an immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all soldiers and contractors from Iraq; full benefits for all returning soldiers, regardless of discharge status; and reparations for the Iraqi people. If anything is shared by the anti-war movement at large, it is these three noble goals. Let's recognize the courage of these soldiers to call for them.

Continue Reading:  « Previous12