They call themselves “winter soldiers”, and they are planning to show the public what really happens at the fronts in Afghanistan and Iraq. They are US soldiers who have experienced the traumas of war in action in those two countries.
Between 13 and 16 March, they will publish various accounts on their website.
Under the slogan “Now it’s our turn to tell our story”, they will show photographs and videos discussing topics such as “the aims of the global war against terrorism”, “gender and sexuality in the army”, “racism and war: the dehumanisation of the enemy”, and “the cost of war for a country.”
Similar activities during the Vietnam War had resulted in an increase of public pressure on the US government to end the war.
The fact that those condemning the war are not ordinary citizens, but people who have fought in the war, who have killed for their country and have seen their friends die in their arms, makes the protests all the more effective.