Press release, March 16th 2009, PDF
Testifier Biographies — .doc — PDF
Hearing Schedule — .doc — PDF
Press release, February 12, 2009
Appeal for Winter Soldier Europe
Chris Capps-Schubert
Europaische Koordinator IVAW (Irak Veteranen Gegen den Krieg)
December 11th, 2008
In early April of 2009, leaders of NATO nations will meet in Strasbourg to discuss the current status of their military forces, plan for greater coordination and cooperation of their military forces in the future, and most importantly discuss the new strategic direction of NATO in which policies of preemption and prevention of threats are central.
Not every soldier is happy with the new direction western leaders have taken their nations. Soldiers from several NATO nations have quietly or even openly dissented against the open aggression member countries of NATO have displayed in Iraq and Afghanistan. In a time when NATO politicians and generals will try to whitewash the truth about the occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan, we feel the need to speak the truth about operations there, and to explain to people the day to day reality of these occupations in order to bring an end to the suffering of the Iraqi and Afghani people, and bring our brothers in arms who are currently deployed to these countries home.
The words “Winter Soldier” were inspired by Thomas Paine in Valley Forge at a time when America was a revolutionary country, a revolutionary concept, and soldiers of the American Revolution were freezing and starving outside of Philadelphia.
“These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.”
In these dark times it is not one nation, or one tyrant that has brought these destructive wars to Iraq and Afghanistan, but rather a coalition lead by the United States, and primarily consisting of countries within NATO. It is no longer time for soldiers to fight in these occupations, but rather to serve their country, and indeed serve the world by speaking about the truth of our experiences at a time when politicians would lie about them and tell the public our presence helped the Iraqi and Afghani people instead of oppressed them.
In Freiburg on March 14th Iraq and Afghanistan veterans of the US military, German military, and British military will tell the truth of their experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan in the hopes of letting the protesters know the horror of what they are protesting against, and to counter the lies of “humanitarian wars” that will undoubtedly be emanating from the conference.
We are calling upon your support to help with psychologists for the veterans who are traumatized, lawyers to deal with the consequences of what telling the truth means, media to make sure our contradiction of what the NATO conference says is heard, and most importantly fundraising to make the event possible.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Chris Capps-Schubert
Operation “Iraqi Freedom” Veteran 2005-2006
US Army Deserter
