I am sorry for the role I played in FallujahAs a US marine who lost close friends in the siege of Fallujah in Iraq seven years ago, I understand that we were the aggressorsby Ross Caputi The Guardian Dec. 24, 2011 |
House Passes 'Antisemitism Awareness Act' to Silence Criticism of Israel as Hate Speech
WATCH: Sheryl Sandberg's Vile 'Hamas Mass Rape' Documentary Debunked by Electronic Intifada
Zionist Mob Attacks Pro-Palestine Protesters at UCLA While Screaming 'Second Nakba'
Report: Over 1,700 People Have Been Arrested on Campuses Nationwide in Past Two Weeks
'We Own This Country': Mark Levin Says Pro-Palestine Protesters Should be 'Rounded Up and Deported'
It has been seven years since the end of the second siege of Fallujah -- the US assault that left the city in ruins, killed thousands of civilians, and displaced hundreds of thousands more; the assault that poisoned a generation, plaguing the people who live there with cancers and their children with birth defects. It has been seven years and the lies that justified the assault still perpetuate false beliefs about what we did. The US veterans who fought there still do not understand who they fought against, or what they were fighting for. I know, because I am one of those American veterans. In the eyes of many of the people I "served" with, the people of Fallujah remain dehumanised and their resistance fighters are still believed to be terrorists. But unlike most of my counterparts, I understand that I was the aggressor, and that the resistance fighters in Fallujah were defending their city. It is also the seventh anniversary of the deaths of two close friends of mine, Travis Desiato and Bradley Faircloth, who were killed in the siege. Their deaths were not heroic or glorious. Their deaths were tragic, but not unjust. How can I begrudge the resistance in Fallujah for killing my friends, when I know that I would have done the same thing if I were in their place? How can I blame them when we were the aggressors? Read More |