Vet speaks out
The following are some excerpts from an interview with Patrick Resta, an Iraq War veteran who served as a tank battalion medic from March to November of 2004:
Q: Were you critical of the war before you were sent to Iraq? How did your feelings toward the war and occupation change while you were there?
“Once I got there, what I saw was a lot worse than what I could have ever imagined. All of the things we had been told that we were going there to do were shown unequivocally to be lies. We were told we weren't supposed to treat Iraqi civilians unless they were about to die and only if that injury was a result of an attack directed at us or inflicted by us. Our supervisor told my platoon that "the Geneva Conventions don't exist in Iraq and that's in writing if any of you want to see it.”
Q: You could have been held accountable for violating the rules of the Geneva Convention. Had you ever thought about reporting what he said so he—or whoever made that policy—could be held responsible?
“Of course, I thought of reporting him, but who would I turn him in to? I think that when you look at it these things, they are coming from the Secretary of Defense and probably higher. I decided that I wasn't going to do anything that I wasn't comfortable doing and take note if I witnessed anything that I believed to be illegal.”
Q: Speaking of the situation in Iraq, what can you tell us about the effects of war and occupation on Iraqis?
“I didn't see any improvement in the situation for the locals during my time there. The real construction and real money are going to build large military complexes so that the US military can set up a permanent presence in Iraq.”
Q: You mentioned before that you believe some soldiers are hesitant to speak out for fear of being seen as “anti-troops”. What do you think of the “support the troops “rationale”?
“When I was over there, I didn't want to get stale brownies or a five minute phone card in the mail. I wanted the American people demanding to know why hundreds of soldiers are dead for lies. Because they were sent into a country that was no threat to this one without basic equipment, ammunition, training, or even so much as a plan. The only way that you can support the troops is to demand answers and to hold people accountable.”
Q: How do you see antiwar soldiers and veterans being able to affect public opinion on the war and occupation?
“To me this isn't about politics, it's about principles. The principle that as Americans the only values we should be exporting to other countries are peace and social justice. The principle that those responsible for this criminal misuse of the military must be held accountable so something like this never happens again. It'll definitely be a long fight and I would beseech everyone out there to get involved. Dr. King said it best, “Our lives begin to end when we stop speaking out about the things that matter.”
Posted on The Human Stain
The following are some excerpts from an interview with Patrick Resta, an Iraq War veteran who served as a tank battalion medic from March to November of 2004:
Q: Were you critical of the war before you were sent to Iraq? How did your feelings toward the war and occupation change while you were there?
“Once I got there, what I saw was a lot worse than what I could have ever imagined. All of the things we had been told that we were going there to do were shown unequivocally to be lies. We were told we weren't supposed to treat Iraqi civilians unless they were about to die and only if that injury was a result of an attack directed at us or inflicted by us. Our supervisor told my platoon that "the Geneva Conventions don't exist in Iraq and that's in writing if any of you want to see it.”
Q: You could have been held accountable for violating the rules of the Geneva Convention. Had you ever thought about reporting what he said so he—or whoever made that policy—could be held responsible?
“Of course, I thought of reporting him, but who would I turn him in to? I think that when you look at it these things, they are coming from the Secretary of Defense and probably higher. I decided that I wasn't going to do anything that I wasn't comfortable doing and take note if I witnessed anything that I believed to be illegal.”
Q: Speaking of the situation in Iraq, what can you tell us about the effects of war and occupation on Iraqis?
“I didn't see any improvement in the situation for the locals during my time there. The real construction and real money are going to build large military complexes so that the US military can set up a permanent presence in Iraq.”
Q: You mentioned before that you believe some soldiers are hesitant to speak out for fear of being seen as “anti-troops”. What do you think of the “support the troops “rationale”?
“When I was over there, I didn't want to get stale brownies or a five minute phone card in the mail. I wanted the American people demanding to know why hundreds of soldiers are dead for lies. Because they were sent into a country that was no threat to this one without basic equipment, ammunition, training, or even so much as a plan. The only way that you can support the troops is to demand answers and to hold people accountable.”
Q: How do you see antiwar soldiers and veterans being able to affect public opinion on the war and occupation?
“To me this isn't about politics, it's about principles. The principle that as Americans the only values we should be exporting to other countries are peace and social justice. The principle that those responsible for this criminal misuse of the military must be held accountable so something like this never happens again. It'll definitely be a long fight and I would beseech everyone out there to get involved. Dr. King said it best, “Our lives begin to end when we stop speaking out about the things that matter.”
Posted on The Human Stain
posted by James Roberts at
12/03/2005 08:02:00 PM
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