Sgt Mathis Chiroux at IAWM AGM- the story of a US soldier

international | anti-war / imperialism | news report Sunday May 24, 2009 12:53 by Paula Geraghty mspgeraghty at yahoo dot ie

For those who missed the account of the US military by Sargeant Mathis Chiroux at the Irish Anti-War Movement AGM here's your chance to catch it again.

The Irish Anti-War Movement held its AGM in April.

Sgt Matthis Chiroux - who spoke had just arrived from the US after winning his case not to do another tour of duty in Iraq.
On April 21st, he appeared before a board of Army officers in St. Louis, Missouri toexplain his refusal to deploy. He said he felt that he was being called on to commit war crimes and that he could not participate. He also said that he could not participate in an illegal and unconstitutional war.The hearing resulted in Chiroux being honorably discharged from the United States Army and the board allowed him to keep his GI benefits. Within a week of his victory he was in Dublin.

Mathis was essentially press ganged into joining the US military. His option was to serve his country or spend time in prison for having magic mushrooms.

Here he gives his account of his youth and how he ended up in Afghanistan.

He describes the underbelly of sexism and prostitution and how it's messed him up.
It emerges that he like a lot of US soldiers have been used as human guinea pigs in medical treatments including the use of Anthrax.

This is quite a harrowing story and it's real. It is the reality of what the US government is doing to its own young men and women.

Mathis is a brave man who has stood up and fought the US Government and won but is not unscathed.

Running time 25:51 minutes

For those who want more try the Amy Goodman interview here:
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/waroniraq/89627/amy_goodm...uty_/

Here is another video of Mathis with Afghan Malalai Joya at the Anti-Nato summit in Strasbourg on 6th April 2009.
http://vimeo.com/4262108

Caption: Video Id: 4804320 Type: Vimeo
Video of Sgt Mathis Chiroux at IAWM AGM