Addams-Melman House, 212 Centre Street in Bath
Pot Luck BYOB

Dear Fellow Maine Activists,

Maine Veterans For Peace invites you to a fund raising party to benefit Winter Soldier, the public war crimes investigation being organized by Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) in Washington, D.C. from March 13-16, 2008 .

At Winter Soldier U.S. veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan will give eyewitness testimony about the war crimes committed by their units at places like Haditha, Fallujah and Abu Ghraib, atrocities which are endemic to wars of occupation directed essentially against civilian populations. “Once again, ” IVAW has noted, “politicians and generals are blaming ‘a few bad apples’ instead of examining the U.S. military policies that have destroyed Iraq and Afghanistan.” Iraqi and Afghan survivors will also testify.

In order to ensure the success of Winter Soldier, IVAW must raise thousands of dollars for travel and hospitality of witnesses, and for the necessary technical support that will allow the event to be simulcast throughout the country. Maine VFP is asking you to join us to help support this historical initiative that we expect will have considerable impact in readdressing public attention to why these wars must be ended and all our troops brought home now.

Please join us. Mid-winter fellowship and dancing will be encouraged. There will be a brief reading by Michael Uhl from Vietnam Awaking, a memoir which provides an account of how Vietnam veterans were organized around the issue of American war crimes in Indochina, which led to the original Winter Soldier in 1971.

Contact: Michael Uhl—677-6018 or Bruce Gagnon—443-9502