Winter Soldier report back

Courage to Resist. April 9, 2008 update

Courage to Resist was proud to attend and support “Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan” held March 13-16 at the National Labor College near Washington DC. Iraq Veterans Against the War brought together over 200 recent veterans to speak out against the occupations. Below is audio testimony of “The Future of GI Resistance” panel which ended the hearings. Also are a few snapshots of the weekend. We also have brief commentary from Courage to Resist organizers Sara Rich (who attended with her active duty daughter Suzanne Swift) and Lori Hurlebaus—the behind the scenes stage manager of the hearings. Select “Read more…” for audio and photos.

Courage to Resist member Sara Rich, mother of active duty Iraq War veteran Suzanne Swift, explained, “Witnessing the testimonies of Winter Soldier was a profoundly intense honor. There were times I could not even emotionally deal with the pain that I sensed from our veterans and the Iraqi civilians. Being a military mother of a soldier who served in Iraq it just made it even more sad for me. I have every faith that the testimony of Winter Soldier is the first substantial and tangible step to ending the illegal and immoral occupation of Iraq.”

Courage to Resist’s Lori Hurlebaus took on the challenging role of stage manager for the hearings. “This was an amazing example of different sections of the justice and peace movement coming together. It couldn’t of happened without the support of hundreds of allies who stepped up to support IVAW’s effort and their growing leadership in working toward ending the occupations.”

Winter Soldier testimony video archive
Veterans’ testimonies heard at ‘Winter Soldier Iraq and Afghanistan’
Gerald Nicosia. Opinion published by the SF Chronicle. April 4, 2008

Winter Soldier Marches Again
Amy Goodman, King Features Syndicate. March 20, 2008
5 years on, US soldiers recall Iraq war horrors
Karin Zeitvogel, Agence France-Presse. March 18, 2008