Geoff Millard of Iraq Veterans Against the War discusses the Winter Soldier event in Washington DC from March 13-16th, his time in the National Guard, and the tradition of American soldiers speaking out against war.

MP3 here. (15:16)

Geoffrey Millard was born in Buffalo NY. At the age of 17 Geoffrey Millard graduated high school and enlisted in the New York Army National Guard. Geoff went to Niagara County Community College where he went on to earn an AAS in business administration. Geoff’s education continued with his attending of SUNY Buffalo where his BA in African American Studies remains unfinished.

With the attacks on the World Trade Center of September 11, 2001 Geoff as a member of the 42nd Infantry Division was activated and given “ground zero” security missions. In 2004 Sgt Millard was activated with the 42nd ID ROC to participate in 13 months of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIFIII).

From 5th grade up to university level SGT Millard has lectured on subjects covering the war in Iraq, the Black Panthers, and the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. Geoff has also traveled around the world, from Buffalo to Venezuela and Greece to Crawford TX, working toward peace and justice through nonviolent direct action. Geoff is a journalist for TruthOut.org and has been featured in or on Democracy NOW! The NY Times, MTV, MSNBC, Yahoo News, Fox News, Common Dreams, Indy media, BringThemHomeNow.org, and many other sources. Also Geoff has spoken with Cindy Sheehan, Howard Zinn, Anthony Arnove, Amy Goodman, Ann Wright, Stan Goff, Michael Stipe (from REM), Chuck D (from Public Enemy), to name but a few.

Along with a peace delegation Geoff became the first (and only) Iraq war veteran to meet with members of the Iraqi parliament about their 26-point peace plan. Also Geoff has been to Jordan and Syria in order to meet with Iraqi refugees.

Geoff is a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War and Veterans For peace. He has organized the Toronto and DC chapters of IVAW as well as numerous events to include the historic Peace Has No Borders. Geoff now lives in Washington DC and is the DC Chapter president of IVAW.

Geoff has also joined the project board of Voters For Peace.

Steve Clemons, director of the American Strategy Program at the New America Foundation and author of the influential blog The Washington Note, discusses his view that there will not be a war against Iran barring the creation of some sort of incident, al Qaeda’s goals in the region, the end of Castro’s reign in Cuba, Ron Paul and Chris Dodd’s position in favor of normalizing relations with them and the differences and sames between the neocons, realists and liberal internationalists.

MP3 here. (37:42)

Steven Clemons directs the American Strategy Program at the New America Foundation, which aims to promote a new American internationalism that combines a tough-minded realism about America’s interests in the world with a pragmatic idealism about the kind of world order best suited to America’s democratic way of life. He is also a Senior Fellow at New America, and previously served as Executive Vice President.

Publisher of the popular political blog The Washington Note, Mr. Clemons is a long-term policy practitioner and entrepreneur in Washington, D.C. He has served as Executive Vice President of the Economic Strategy Institute, Senior Policy Advisor on Economic and International Affairs to Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and was the first Executive Director of the Nixon Center.