Paul Abernathy
has seen firsthand the horrors of the war in
Iraq, and he's devoted his life to seeing the war come to an end.
He suggested people concerned about the war should talk to veterans and see if they need help.
Abernathy, who spent eight years with the
U.S. Army Reserves, did a one-year tour in
Iraq as a combat engineer in 2003-04. He crossed into
Iraq on the first day of the war and was among the first troops to enter
Baghdad.
He has been a member of IVAW since 2005, explaining the group's goals in relation to the
Iraq war.
All occupying forces must leave
Iraq, Abernathy said, including paramilitary groups, such as Blackwater contractors.
Abernathy
also cited the need for a comprehensive care plan for veterans, who he
said have been grossly mistreated. He said he cannot receive treatment
at
Veterans Administration hospitals because benefits are cut off after two years for
Iraq War veterans.
IVAW also supports paying reparations to the
Iraqi people for destroying their country, Abernathy said, because it believes the U.S. has exploited
Iraq's natural resources at the expense of its people.
"We will never forget our commitment to (the
Iraqis)
for the justice we owe them, for the generations that will suffer from
this war," Abernathy said. "They have not yet begun to feel the full
consequences of this conflict, believe me."
Abernathy
said when he joined the military he had a view of the American soldier
as "chivalrous," but he was shocked when he went into combat. He said
most soldiers looked at the
Iraqis as subhuman and had a blatant disregard for
Iraqi human life.
He told a story about an
Iraqi woman in
Baghdad
who came to U.S. soldiers seeking help. Her husband and son had been
taken captive by insurgents and were being held for ransom at gunpoint
in their home.
Abernathy was called to
translate for the woman because he spoke some Arabic, and he relayed
her story to his superiors. He then was told that it was not their
mission to help the woman.
A few days later, Abernathy wasworking on a
Baghdad bridge and saw the woman standing on a street corner with her baby, still looking for someone to help her.
"It was promoted by our chain of command to hate these people, and they were treated like animals," Abernathy said.
The
anti-war movement has always been accused of being against soldiers,
Abernathy said, but he pointed out that some of the most vocal anti-war
activists have been soldiers themselves.
Members of IVAW have testified before Congress, appealed for redress and spoken to groups at universities, churches and schools.
"It's a movement of GIs that are stepping
forward and taking action against this war in many different ways,"
Abernathy said. "We will not stop until this war is over."
