Vets Expose Iraq War in Congress Today -- As One Refuses to Deploy

It is being billed as the first full-scale testimony in Congress by anti-Iraq war veterans, and it's a shame it has taken this long. The statement by Matthis Chiroux, 24, who is now refusing to be deployed to Iraq -- after serving in Afghanistan and elsewhere -- will surely get the most attention, but don't miss the rest.

"I stand before you today with the strength and clarity and resolve to declare to the military, my government and the world that this soldier will not be deploying to Iraq," Chiroux said in a House rotunda today. "My decision is based on my desire to no longer continue violating my core values to support an illegal and unconstitutional occupation... I refuse to participate in the Iraq occupation," he said, as a dozen veterans of the war watched.

But there was so much more, following equally vivid testimony yesterday by antiwar vets to the Progressive Caucus in Congress. It may explain why I, and others, have been focusing on the surging vet suicide rate and the 300,000 suffering mental issues.

Former army sergeant Kristofer Goldsmith spoke today of "lawless murders, looting and the abuse of countless Iraqis." He said he had "self-medicated" for several months to treat the wounds of the war.

A terrific AFP report (see link) observed, "A group of veterans sitting in the hearing room gazed blankly as their comrades' testimonies shattered the official version that the US effort in Iraq is succeeding.

"Almost to a man, the soldiers who testified denounced serious flaws in the chain of command in Iraq."

Luis Montalvan, a former army captain, accused high-ranking US officers of numerous failures in Iraq, including turning a blind eye to massive fraud on the part of US contractors.

Ex-Marine Jason Lemieux told how a senior officer had altered a report he had written because it slammed US troops of using excessive force, firing off thousands of rounds of machine gun fire and hundreds of grenades in the face of a feeble four rounds of enemy fire.

Goldsmith accused US officials of censorship.

"Everyone who manages a blog, Facebook or My Space out of Iraq has to register every video, picture, document of any event they do on mission," Goldsmith told AFP after the hearing.

"You're almost always denied before you are allowed to send them home."

Officials take "hard facts and slice them into small pieces to make them presentable to the secretary of state or the president -- and all with the intent of furthering the occupation of Iraq," Goldsmith added.

This is far from the end of this, as you well know.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php...
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Greg Mitchell's new book features several chapters on vet suicides and related issues. It is So Wrong for So Long: How the Press, the Pundits -- and the President -- Failed on Iraq.

Comments

[bentenrai]

This will turn into a war between two military ideologies:
1) Protect the country and its best interests.
2) Do not question. Do or die.

[burnt]

"Chiroux stood fast in his resolve to not report for duty on June 15."

"I cannot deploy to Iraq, carry a weapon and not be part of the problem," he told AFP."

Thank you Mr. Mitchell. I only wish that I might have been present for that testimony. The problems by which these people have been inflicted, will make those after Vietnam, pale in comparison... and they were tremendously horrible.

[ItsNeverOver]

Please see Progressive Future's blog series sharing the experiences of two soldiers who experienced atrocities committed against the troops by both private contractors and VA:http://www.progressivefuture.org/blog/contractor-accountability-one-soldier-leads-our-call-for-consequences

[jupitor]

This is sad. this is from one of our own, who served us well. this is the kind of HERO we need! The kind who will tellthe trueth, no matter what. My boy we raised also is suicidal after holding his dieing buddy in his arms and had his head rocked around in his helmet when a I.U.D went off in the front truck where his buddy was. he's also homeless, because he refuse's to be a burdon on any of us he says. He hasn't had the counseling help he needed and it's gotten worse now for him. he couldn't get over a 100 miles to sign up for his disability. So the county gives him food stamps to eat on, and he goes from friend to freind and moves on as the need arises. He left a strong, healthy, christian young man of 18 yrs old, and came back a broken young man with mental health problems of 23 now. I do understand where this young man is comeing from and thousands like him who returned shattered, and not cared for properly. And we have this administration and senators like Mccain and Clinton to thank who voted for this war.

[lainey]

Thank you for sharing your story and please, thank your son for his bravery. My heart breaks to hear how badly our government treats him and so many others. I watched the testimonies on C-SPAN Thursday and as I did so, I wondered why is wasn't on MSM. Maybe if we all heard their accounts, we would this time around choose the right candidate. I pray that a Senator Obama presidency will bring our troops home, treat them with the right care when they arrive and restore our standing in the world community. I am sorry for the suffering you and your family are enduring.

[LouisPWu]

The truth shall dribble out, and make you ... sick at your stomach.

[hopeless277]

And the band played on. Congress can't stop Bush. Sorry, WON'T stop Bush. Their buddies are making PILES of money killing Iraqis and they're not about to stop now. Next topic.