Brandon Toy

I spent 2005 as a "military policeman" on the east side of Baghdad ( Al Muthana, Sadr City). My unit's mission was to train and equip Iraqi Police and Iraqi National Guard. Like many Iraq vets, I figured out too late that our mission was not about WMDs, taking the battle to the enemy, bringing democracy to Iraq, or fighting terrorism. My time in country woke me up to the true nature of US politics and foreign policy. I am disappointed, angry, ashamed, and disgusted. My disappointment reached a boiling point in March when the Guardian and BBC published its damning exposé of Iraq's Dirty Wars. The realization that I unwittingly participated in training, equipping, and transporting death squads, infuriated me. Long story short: I want to take all those negative feelings and the knowledge my disillusionment has created, and turn it into resolve. I want to spend my time and energy fighting our country's true battle: winning back control of our own government. In other words, I want to help rid the US of WMD, bring democracy home and fight the terrorists within our own government.