Live blogging Winter Soldier II (Part I)

There’s a blow-by-blow and more in depth profiles of the testimony at The Sniper by my battle buddy on this operation Thus Spake Ortner.

Clifton Hicks and Stephen Casing ; buildings bulldozed is a crime? “I know of people who took advantage of the “free fire zone”, “collateral damage”, “I heard…” “I know for a fact that (700-800 casualties) were civilians because they were on the other side of the road”, “damaged city square is evidence of civilian casualties”. “I know there were no insugents” “Some insurgents engaged with mortar fire from the buildings.”

Thus Spake Ortner says he saw Dennis Kucinich here.

Hicks; “A packed Hummvee (82d ABN) engaged insugents after an IED attack – couldn’t find insurgents, kicked in door of house (source of fire) found a wedding party (old Grampa, et al.) troops shot up wedding after receiving fire from house. Found six-year-old dead after paratroopers were done shooting up the party. Not soldiers fault, illustrates carelessness over civilian casualties of the command structure – told to charlie mike.”

Gerry Kiley (about 60 years old) just jumped up and shouted “Kerry lied, good men died” and was manhandled from the room by security. Here’s a video I found at YouTube of Kiley’s arrest;

Stephen Casing; Video of busting up a suspected insurgent house – only occupied by “a little old lady”. The “old lady, we can’t see because of the video quality speaks real good (I mean REAL GOOD) English. Supposed frightened she shouts – “My children! My children! Help me!”

Mortillo: “Hard to tell who’s the enemy – makes you mad”

Jesse (); Iraqis (security forces) don’t show restraint firing their weapons. “I never saw civilians getting killed by these actions” “Pretentious of us to change their culture – Iraq is a lost cause because the Iraqis are so primitive” “it’s their culture – let them do what they want”

Adam Kokesh; Now claims he was against the war before he went the first time (he’s claimed the opposite at varying times)

Read aloud the Rules of Engagement (“Isnt that classified?” asked TSO)

Unit unofficial motto; “We care so you don’t have to” “So Paul Bremer, Dick Cheney, George Bush doesn’t have to care. SO you can go to the Mall and not think about what we’re doing in Iraq.” Admits that interrogators were punished for abusing captured Iraqis.

Jason Hurd (medic 2ID) complains that a fifty cal. gunner unloaded 200 hundred rounds returning fire – never shecked the building for casualties so he doesn’t know. He just knows that a fifty cal fired at a building. Appalled that soldiers joked about their exploits “Did you see that car I fired up?”.

Claims he almost (but didn’t) shoot an 80-year-old woman because she wouldn’t stop for him. Does the Army use medics (noncomabtants) to stop traffic? “If a foreign occupation force took over the US…blah…blah…blah” Enthusiastic applause from crowd.

Time for a break.

Category: Antiwar crowd, Bloggers, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Politics, Protests/Rallies, Winter Soldier II Live blogging