Human Cost of War
A powerful program that goes beyond the usual political and military coverage of the Iraq War to show how the conflict is seen and experienced by the the US soldiers who are fighting it and the Iraqi people who are often caught in the crossfire. The program is anchored by an interview and performance by musician and peace activist Michael Franti, who talks about his recent visit to Iraq, a journey which culminated in his self-produced documentary, I Know I’m Not Alone. Armed with only a guitar, a camera, and few good friends, he reaches through the chaos to find the real cost of war in the lives of everyday people. Clips of Franti’s film, his music video of “Colors In the Box”, and a special, in-studio performance of “Bon Jour” - are interspersed with Franti’s exclusive commentary.
Also included in this segment, is a short feature on the eighth-annual Power to the Peaceful Concert held on September 11th, 2006 in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. A concert founded by Franti and friends in 1998 to raise awareness about the incarceration of Mumia Abu Jamal, it has transformed into a commemoration of the 9/11 attacks.
The special continues with a look at the experiences of US soldiers involved in the conflict. Among the highlights are interviews with Sean Huze, veteran of the Iraq War and author of the critically acclaimed plays "Sandstorm: Stories From the Front," and journalist Peter Laufer, author of Mission Rejected. Interspersed with these interviews are clips from the searing documentary The Ground Truth, which follows patriotic young Americans through their enlistment, combat, and homecoming, War Tapes, a chilling on-the-ground video diary of the soldiers' experience in Iraq, and the short film Soldiers Speak Out, a powerful, first-hand testament to the reality of the military experience, told entirely in the words of American veterans who have been to war and are now opposing it.
We conclude with clips from Robert Greenwald's powerful expose Iraq For Sale, which takes you inside the lives of soldiers, truck drivers, widows and children who have been changed forever as a result of profiteering in the reconstruction of Iraq. Iraq For Sale uncovers the connections between private corporations making a killing in Iraq and the decision makers who allow them to do so.
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Human Cost of War Related Websites:
I Know I'm Not Alone
Power to the Peaceful
The Empowerment Project - Soldiers Speak Out
Iraq For Sale
The Ground Truth
Peter Laufer
The War Tapes
Thank You Lt.org - Ehren Watada
truthout
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