More than a decade ago, when I was the editor of Editor & Publisher, I was, as far as I know, the first writer with a national platform who regularly drew attention to the then largely-hidden tragedy of the rising rate of suicides among American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan--and then after they return home. Despite the decline in fighting in those two theaters for many years, that suicide rate remains at very high or record levels. Last year there was this troubling report. I have written about dozens of sad, tragic, individual cases. But one of the saddest of all concerns a young soldier who died eleven years ago last month. Appalled when ordered to take part in interrogations that, no doubt, involved what most would call torture -- another wrong turn by the United States following 9/11 -- Alyssa Peterson refused, then killed herself a few days later, on September 15, 2003. Of course, we now know from the torture memos and the US Senate committee probe and various press reports that the Gitmo-izing of Iraq was happening just at the time Alyssa got swept up in it. I featured her in my book on Bush and media failures in Iraq, So Wrong for So Long.
Posted on: Mon, 13 Oct 2014 20:57:28 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015