VIDEO: Tomas Young Goes to Washington

A Video Report by Geoffrey Millard and Scott Galindez

On the same day that Iraqi prime minister Jawad al-Maliki came to Washington, so did Iraq war veteran Tomas Young. Tomas, in a wheelchair that was being held together with duct tape, came with Phil Donahue. Donahue is filming a documentary about Tomas and the questions he has for Congress and the president. Truthout was there as members of Congress, including Senator Robert Byrd, came out to meet Tomas.

Click on the video (above) to view in Quicktime (DSL) or click here for other viewing options.

Also see:

• Geoffrey Millard | US Peace Delegation and Iraqi Officials Open Dialogue

  Geoffrey Millard writes, "On the 9th of August, what began as the words to a bad joke ('A priest, a shrimp boat captain, an ex-diplomat, and an ex-soldier walk into a room of Iraqis ...') ended as a successful mission of diplomatic communication that found four of its members continuing on into Lebanon to do humanitarian work, including being human shields if necessary."

• Sara Rich | The Waiting Game

  Sara Rich writes, "It has now been 60 traumatic days since my daughter - who signed up with the Army as an MP, and after bravely serving one tour in Iraq, chose to go AWOL rather than engage in the two more tours to Iraq that awaited her - was forcibly taken from our home in handcuffs. Like many soldiers, she was suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. What we didn't know, what she couldn't tell us, is that she was also suffering military sexual trauma."

• Baghdad Morgue Tallies 1,815 Bodies in July

  Figures compiled by the city morgue indicated Wednesday that the number of killings in the Iraqi capital reached a new high last month, and the US military said a new effort to bring security to Baghdad will succeed only if Iraqis "want it to work." The Baghdad morgue took in 1,815 bodies during July, according to the facility's assistant manager, Abdul Razzaq al-Obeidi. The previous month's tally was 1,595. Obeidi estimated that as many as 90 percent of the total died violent deaths.

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