Frequently Asked Questions

BRING THEM HOME NOW.

“Stay the Course” or Get Out Now?

The death and destruction strewn by hurricane Katrina may equal or even exceed the death toll of U.S. soldiers in the Iraq War. But while 6,000 miles separates the two, the links between war overseas and the fate of those in Katrina’s wake are closely interwoven.

The cost of having over 6,000 National Guardsmen stationed from Mississippi and Louisiana far overseas in Iraq hampered a quick response to the horrific aftermath of hurricane Katrina.

While the President was quick to note that 60 percent of the Guard remain in the States, he failed to note that many who have been drawn to the frontlines in New Orleans are just home from serving in Iraq where the average tour for a Guardsman is 420 days. These brave men and women have returned from the battlefield and are now being called upon once again into service.

Not only are Guardmembers in Iraq, much of their equipment is too. Louisiana National Guard Lt. Colonel Pete Schneider told reporters in early August 2005, “Dozens of high water vehicles, humvees, refuelers and generators” used by the Louisiana Guard are tied up abroad. Schneider forbode, “The National Guard needs that equipment back home to support the homeland security mission.”

Just as Katrina has awoken Americans to the costs associated at home while we fight a war in Iraq, Cindy Sheehan’s August vigil outside President Bush’s ranch brought the human cost of the war into our living rooms.

The Iraq war has taken the lives of more than 1,900 U.S. troops and up to 100,000 Iraqis. It has cost over $204 billion and the costs keep increasing.

Sixty percent of the American public disapproves of Bush’s handling of Iraq, 60% don’t believe the war has been worth the cost, and recent polls indicate that 55% of the public want to bring all or some of the troops home now.

Why not get out right now? Won’t a U.S. withdrawal mean violence and civil war?

The U.S. occupation isn’t bringing security to Iraq. It is a source of insecurity. U.S. military actions are responsible for most of the Iraqi killed and wounded since the U.S, invasion. The armed resistance is a direct result of the U.S. presence.

Iraqis, like people everywhere, do not want to live under foreign occupation. Yet the Bush administration refuses to commit to any “exit strategy” whatsoever. Instead it is constructing permanent military bases and refuses to say that U.S. troops will ever completely withdraw. This is a recipe for never-ending violence, not stability.

The divisions between Sunni and Shiite Muslims and between Arabs and Kurds are not being lessened by military occupation. Leaders in all of these communities condemn sectarian violence and inter-ethnic strife. But they cannot successfully negotiate their differences as long as the U.S. holds ultimate power.

But didn't the Iraqi election mean that the U.S. is bringing democracy to Iraq?

In national elections, Iraqis took the valiant step of voting in order to change the course of events. While the jubilation in the streets was very real, it masked another reality—exit polls indicated that more than two-thirds of the Shi’ites wanted U.S. forces out of Iraq either immediately or once the elected government is in place.

The country is on the brink of ripping apart over a constitution process that was designed by the United States. Far too little attention has been given to creating space for a national dialogue and far too much focus has been on politics at the national level. And there has been little input from Iraqi citizens in the process and far too much influence by the U.S.

Plus, the new Iraqi government doesn’t really hold power in its own country. One hundred laws put in place by former U.S. administrator Paul Bremer are still in force and Iraqis have little say over U.S. troops and operations. Iraqis want democracy and self-determination. Neither exists under occupation.

Still, doesn't the U.S. have an obligation to stay and help the Iraqi people?

The U.S. has both a moral and legal responsibility to help reconstruct Iraq. But continuing military occupation prevents rather than helps fulfill this obligation.

Most Iraqis - and most people in the world - believe that George Bush is more interested in controlling Iraqi oil than helping Iraqis. The indefinite presence of U.S. troops reinforces this belief. So does the fact that only a small proportion of the money allotted to reconstruction has been spent - while U.S. companies like Halliburton and Bechtel make millions.

The Iraqi people are capable of rebuilding their country. The U.S. should supply funds, and support international expertise if requested. But control must be in the hands of the Iraqis.

Won't getting out of Iraq bring an increase in terrorism?

A new report by the Saudi Arabian government and an Israeli think tank found that the majority of foreign fighters are not former terrorists and instead became radicalized by the war itself—a troubling statistic given that the Bush administration’s goal for the war is to stem future terrorism. The CIA-affiliated National Intelligence Council declares that “Iraq has replaced Afghanistan as the training ground for the next generation of ‘professionalized’ terrorists.”

Data collected by the State Department and the National Counterterrorism Center confirms this analysis. The number of “significant” terrorist attacks in 2004 reached 655, three times the previous record of 175 in 2003. Terrorist incidents inside Iraq also increased by a factor of nine—from 22 attacks in 2003 to 198 in 2004.

The longer the U.S. occupies Iraq, the more resentment builds against the U.S., increasing the danger of terrorism. The best way to reduce this danger is to get out now.

Won't announcing a withdrawal undermine and demoralize U.S. troops?

Attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq average several hundred each week. Frightened young GI’s are shooting first, asking questions later. The best way to support the troops is to get them out of a situation where they are killing and being killed for no good reason. Iraq Veterans Against the War says: “We, the veterans of the war, now know…the reasons for invading the sovereign country of Iraq were false, and we have paid a heavy price for these lies….We call upon our President, the Congress, and all elected officials to immediately and unconditionally withdraw all U.S. troops from Iraq and the Middle East.”

Won't setting a timetable for withdrawal allow resistance fighters to "wait it out"?

Setting a time and date for withdrawal to start will likely decrease much of the strength of the resistance. The resistance is comprised of more than 40 different groups-many of them are united only by the U.S. presence and occupation. By removing their chief recruiting tool, the occupation, most will be weakened. Foreign fighters, numbering no more than a few thousand, and a handful of hard core Baathist groups will remain but as they are increasingly isolated, more and more Iraqis will turn against them, limiting their strength and power.

SUFFERING FROM POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

What is Combat PTSD?

Many Vietnam veterans returned home to a troubled period of readjustment from their wartime experiences. Their emotional problems were characterized initially as post-Vietnam syndrome. It took mainstream psychiatry till the mid-1980’s to finally codify symptoms that have been associated with returning combat veterans since time immemorial. What had been dubbed "homesickness" after the Civil War, shell shock in WWI, and combat neurosis during WWII, was finally recognized by the American Psychiatric Association as an anxiety disorder in its own right, and termed post traumatic stress disorder — or PTSD.

Among veterans of Vietnam, PTSD can express itself in a variety of ways, as depression, in episodes of rage or violence — often accompanied by substance abuse problems, and/or as an inability to relate appropriately to friends, co-workers, and family. These and other symptoms of PTSD develop following exposure to traumatic events and actions in combat that shatter one's basic sense of meaning and security.

PTSD can also be brought on by non-combat acts of brutality or violence toward enemy combatants or civilians. There are many PTSD vets that have never been aggressive towards others, but who may suffer feelings of profound guilt by mere association with such acts of violence. In any case, PTSD is clearly triggered by violence in warfare, and is therefore an outcome of the reality of war, a reality that is far different and more horrible than the portrayal of war by politicians and entertainment media.

What are the symptoms of PTSD?

An onset of PTSD is often accompanied by bouts of intense fear, helplessness, or horror. Characteristic symptoms may include.

• persistent re-experiencing of the traumatic event(s). * avoiding experiences or people that trigger memories of such event(s).
• increased arousal, to include nervousness, over-reaction to sudden noises, (are you jumpy?), difficulty sleeping (night sweats), and nightmares (ever hit your wife, girlfriend in your sleep, or are they scared to wake you up?).
• bouts of "inappropriate" rage and-or depression.
• difficulty relating emotionally to others.
• feelings of extreme alienation and meaninglessness.
• isolation from others (do others see you as cold, unfeeling?).
• in the most extreme cases, persistent thoughts of murder and-or suicide.

PTSD behaviors take many forms, including,

• inability to trust others,
• fear around others (sitting with back against the wall, watching others' hands, etc),
• illusions (looking at objects and thinking they are something else),
• doing perimeter checks,
• using alcohol or drugs to numb out,
• not being able to remember what happened, or not wanting to remember,
• classic anxiety symptoms (sweating, chest pain, chest tightness, dizziness, shortness of breath, hot or cold flashes, things feel like they're closing in, tingling or numbing sensations, all for no apparent reason),
• feeling that you need to leave NOW, zoning out, or not being able to concentrate,
• being irritable all the time,
• suffering chronic fatigue,
• muscle tightness (particularly in neck and shoulders), restlessness (feelings or inability to sit still),
• depression (increase or decrease in appetite, sleep, sex drive and/or weight, decrease in energy, motivation, self-esteem, persistent memories and/or feelings of sadness).

PTSD is a potentially life-destroying disorder, which in the most severe instances has lead to individuals taking their own lives. It is not true, however, that those with PTSD can be characterized as sociopaths. True sociopaths (antisocial personality disorder) are prone to not develop PTSD, because of their personality structure. It is true that individuals with PTSD may display antisocial behaviors, or behave violently, but they are not sociopaths.

PTSD is difficult to diagnose, because soldiers are socialized to believe that complaining of the symptoms is weak and un-masculine, that they are "sniveling." The disorder can be particularly insidious within the active or inactive military, because soldiers who are suffering from it, and are as yet undiagnosed, are constantly exposed to training and operations related to the preparedness for the exact situation with which the disorder is associated — warfare.

What Should One Do If These Symptoms Appear?

Your loved ones with PTSD are suffering from a disorder related to what the military exposed them to, and, given the military mission, the services are unequipped to take responsibility for this disorder, or to provide care to assist soldiers and families in adjusting and learning to manage constructively the symptoms of PTSD. It is likely you will have to seek professional help outside the military system. (Note that the VA may pay for treatment through the Vet Centers which tend to be much more Vet friendly.)

If your military loved one is re-experiencing combat through recurrent and intrusive recollections, recurrent distressing dreams during which the event is replayed, or in extreme instances, as psychotic (extremely irrational) states that last from few seconds to several hours, or even days, during which combat is re-lived and the person behaves as though experiencing combat, seek help. DO NOT allow anyone to approach your loved one from a return-to-duty orientation. Every aspect of normal military duty will serve as a potential trigger for acute PTSD episodes.

When the service member is diagnosed, she/he should immediately call 1-800-827-1000, and ask to be connected to the Veterans Administration Regional Office. Once connected, ask for instructions on how to apply for services related to PTSD. Do not take no for an answer. Depending on the VA facility, or even a given individual VA employee, you may be discouraged from filing a claim. Even if they tell you that you are not entitled, demand the application paperwork and file it.

Service agencies like the DAV, VFW, American Legion, AMVETS, VVA and others, exist, in part, to aid you in filing these claims. They are generally located on the premises of most VA regional offices and medical centers. Seek their help.

Don't underestimate the importance of getting copies of all your military records, records of service in theater, as well as evaluation reports, letters, and commendations. This should be done by every person leaving the service, since vets may not begin to develop symptoms until years after they first experience the trauma in question.

Late on-set PTSD is quite common. The hardest part of getting service connection is not the diagnosis of PTSD, but linking your disorder to a documented account of wartime actions you experienced or participated in. Combat records that would confirm your accounts can literally take years to obtain.

But you can provide your own record with the help of witnesses. Take a picture of your combat buddies in the theater of war. Write down their first and last names, SS#, DOB, and get their addresses, in particular the addresses of a stable relative. This material could provide you with the vital information you may require in later years.

EXPOSURE TO DEPLETED URANIUM

What is Depleted Uranium?

During the war, US and British forces shot ammo made from Depleted Uranium (DU), a radioactive and toxic waste that is suspected as a cause of some illnesses affecting veterans of the 1991 Gulf War.

Scientists believe respiratory irritation caused by sand storms, oil fires, and concentrated vehicle fumes during Operation Desert Storm weakened the blood/brain barrier and allowed DU to enter the central nervous system of soldiers in the field resulting in slowly developing neurotoxic responses. Their brains, in effect, were slowly poisoned.

The brain is a target organ for dissolved uranium. Tests on some Desert Storm vets show lowered ability to think and solve problems, as well as lowered motor skills in subjects with above average uranium levels.

During the latest operations in both Afghanistan and Iraq, American and British tanks fired thousands of depleted uranium armor penetrators. American A-10 and AV-8B aircraft shot hundreds of thousands of small caliber depleted uranium rounds.

Many troops in Iraq are being exposed to some level of DU, and the exposure this time may be far more long-term. The longer troops stay in theater if they are in a contaminated area, the more exposure they will have. DU is also toxic to the kidneys, and is known to cause cancer from inhalation. It is reasonable to assume that neither skin exposure nor swallowing particles of DU is wise.

The exposure to DU combined with the exposure to extensive combustion products from oil fires and blowing sand from the desert environment, however, is unique and the extent of exposure to respiratory irritants during this war was probably greater than in previous wars. These exposures for some soldiers may be more intense and more sustained now than they were in 1991.

What Are the Symptoms of D.U. Exposure?

Depleted uranium has two different effects on the body, chemical poisoning and radiation poisoning. Symptoms are similar to those described as Gulf War Syndrome. DU may also cause respiratory problems and is known to elevate the risk of lung cancer and leukemia.

• Chronic Fatigue

• Neurological signs or symptoms

• Signs or symptoms involving upper or lower respiratory system

• Menstrual disorders

• Kidney problems

What Should One Do If These Symptoms Appear?

• Report them to a physician and get them on record. If they persist, do not be discouraged by military doctors who seem to brush them off. Return again and again if necessary as long as the symptoms persist.

• Those who are still on active duty should immediately register with DOD by calling 1-800-796-9699. Those who have left active military service should call the Veterans Administration at 1-800-PGW-VETS.

• Increase the frequency of screening for lung cancer and leukemia.

What Can One Do to Limit Exposure to D.U. and Other Causative Agents?

Get out of Iraq or Afghanistan. If that is not an option . . . Cover the face to prevent inhalation of dust, and keep dust out of food and water. Avoid exhaust fumes and other respiratory irritants. Inform the chain of command when there is a way to reduce exposure to dust and respiratory irritants, and explain to them why.