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AWOL in America: Why Over 5,500 U.S. Soldiers Discharged
Themselves
Three U.S. Soldiers Refusing to Fight Speak Out Against the
Iraq War
The Invisible Wounded: Injured U.S. Soldiers Arrive Home
Under Cover of Darkness
AWOL in America: Why Over 5,500 U.S. Soldiers Discharged
Themselves
The Pentagon has estimated that since the start of the current
conflict in Iraq, more than 5,500 U.S. military personnel
have deserted. We speak with journalist Kathy Dobie who wrote
the cover story for this month's issue of Harper's magazine
titled "AWOL in America: When Desertion is the Only Option."
Dobie says, "Some of them leave because they're unwilling
to kill, some because of family and personal problems and
some because of the unjust recruiting process."
"AWOL, French Leave, the Grand Bounce, jumping ship,
going over the hill-in every country, in every age, whenever
and wherever there has been a military, there have been soldiers
discharging themselves from the ranks. The Pentagon has estimated
that since the start of the current conflict in Iraq, more
than 5,500 U.S. military personnel have deserted, and yet
we know the stories of only a unique handful, all whom have
publicly stated their opposition to the war in Iraq, and some
of whom have fled to Canada. The Vietnam war casts a long
shadow, distorting our image of the deserter; four soldiers
have gone over the Canadian border, looking for the safe haven
of the Vietnam years, which no longer exists: there are no
open arms for such refugees and almost no possibility of obtaining
legal status. We imagine 5,500 conscientious objectors to
a bloody quagmire, soldiers like Staff Sergeant Camilo Mejia,
who strongly and eloquently protested the Iraq war, having
actually served there and witnessed civilians killed and prisoners
abused, and who was subsequently court-martialed, found guilty
of desertion, and given a year in prison. But deserters rarely
leave for purely political reasons. They usually just quietly
return home and hope no one notices."
That is from the cover story of this month's issue of Harper's
magazine titled "AWOL in America: When Desertion is the
Only Option." It is written by journalist and author
Kathy Dobie - she joins us today in our firehouse studio
- Kathy Dobie, she wrote the cover story for Harper's magazine
titled "AWOL in America: When Desertion is the Only
Option."
Three U.S. Soldiers Refusing to Fight Speak Out Against
the Iraq War
We speak with three U.S. soldiers who are refusing deployment
to Iraq: Carl Webb, who is AWOL after refusing to report for
duty when his term was extended under the military's "stop-loss"
policy, Kevin Benderman who has been charged with desertion
and is facing a court martial after refusing to return to
Iraq and another soldier who served in Iraq and is now AWOL
after refusing to return when he has called up for a second
tour off duty.
As we continue to discuss American troops who are resisting
deployment to Iraq, we wanted to take a look at some of the
stories of soldiers who are speaking out against war.
We are joined in the studio by Carl Webb. He enlisted in
the Texas Army National Guard in 2001. His three-year term
of service was due to expire last August - but just two months
before that, he was informed his term had been extended under
the military's stop-loss policy and he was to be deployed
to Iraq in November. Carl Webb refused to report for duty
and has been AWOL since then. He joins us in our firehouse
studio today.
We are also joined on the line by another soldier who is
AWOL. He was deployed to Iraq for a year. After returning
home he refused to return to Iraq when he was called up for
a second tour of duty. He has asked to remain anonymous.
And on the line from Georgia we are joined by Kevin Benderman,
a sergeant in the 3rd Infantry Division. He is seeking conscientious
objector status and has just been charged with desertion.
His court martial trial is set to begin on May 11.
The Invisible Wounded: Injured U.S. Soldiers Arrive
Home Under Cover of Darkness
We speak with journalist Mark Benjamin about the hidden
casualties of the Iraq war: wounded U.S. soldiers. We look
at how injured soldiers evacuated to the U.S. never arrive
in the light of day as well as how veterans suffering from
post traumatic stress syndrome are being provided with inadequate
and ineffective psychiatric care at Walter Reed Army Medical
Center.
Among the stories that are rarely heard in the corporate
media's coverage of Iraq are what some are calling the hidden
casualties of war: wounded U.S. soldiers.
We are joined in our DC studio by Mark Benjamin. As the UPI
investigations editor - Mark Benjamin closely covered the
stories of wounded American soldiers.
He was awarded the 2004 American Legion's top journalism
award for his reporting last Fall on the plight of hundreds
of sick and injured soldiers at Fort Stewart, Georgia.
Mark Benjamin is now a national correspondent for Salon.Com
- where he continues to write about the war wounded. His latest
article is an investigation that reveals government efforts
to limit pictures of wounded soldiers returning from Iraq.
The article details how planes carrying the wounded - fly
into the U.S only at night. Mark Benjamin reports that the
Pentagon has refused to go on record with an explanation of
these nighttime arrivals - even though they deny that there
is policy in place. His other recent article reports on what
he says is the inadequate - and ineffective - psychiatric
care, provided to soldiers at the Army's top hospital - Walter
Reed Army Medical Center. This report was the result of spending
one year following and interviewing wounded soldiers at Walter
Reed.
For a copy of today’s program, call 1 (800) 881 2359.
Our website is www.democracynow.org.
Our email address is mail@democracynow.org.
Democracy Now! is produced by Mike Burke, Sharif Abdel Kouddous,
Ana Nogueira, Elizabeth Press, Jeremy Scahill and Parvez Sharma.
Mike Di Filippo is our engineer.
Thanks also to Uri Galed, Angela Alston, Orlando Richards,
Simba Russeau, Johnny Sender, Rich Kim, Joe Murgio, John Randolph,
Chris Zucker, Karen Ranucci, Denis Moynihan, Eric Rweyemamu,
Jenny Filipazzo and Isis Phillips.
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