Anti-war film gets criticized by VFW

A local anti-war group's plan to provide public showings of a documentary critical of the Bush administration's decision to go to war in Iraq is drawing criticism from the commander of the Cape Girardeau VFW post.

Rodger Brown, a Vietnam War veteran and commander of VFW Post 3838, said plans to present the documentary, "Uncovered: The Whole Truth about the Iraq War," shows "disrespect" for American troops including local soldiers that have been deployed to Iraq.

Brown said showing such a documentary in Cape Girardeau is particularly offensive because this is the home of the 1140th Engineering Battalion of the National Guard, whose members have been deployed to duty in Iraq.

"To me, it really verges on sedition," Brown said.

But Dr. Robert Polack, assistant professor of social work at Southeast Missouri State University and a leader of the local anti-war movement, defended the decision of his group -- the Southeast Missouri Coalition for Peace and Justice -- to sponsor showings of the movie.

Polack said he hates to see American soldiers put in harm's way unnecessarily.

"This is a bogus war, and we should all be working to get those kids back here," he said.

Polack said the movie includes interviews with former CIA and Pentagon officials who accuse the Bush administration of distorting military intelligence and misleading the public to turn public opinion in favor of ousting former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

The movie includes interviews with former ambassador Joe Wilson, weapons inspectors Scott Ritter and David Albright, and former CIA analyst Ray McGovern, among others.

The documentary will be shown twice at the Cape Girardeau Public Library and once at Southeast Missouri State University over a five-day period beginning Thursday.

The Southeast Missouri Coalition for Peace and Justice will sponsor the showings at the public library. Three Southeast Missouri State University student groups will sponsor the campus showing. They are the Biology Club, the Social Justice Club and the Student Rainbow Alliance -- a gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender support group.

The film is being distributed through grassroots advocacy groups.

Polack said the Southeast Missouri Coalition for Peace and Justice has 15 core members who have protested the U.S. military involvement in Iraq weekly in Cape Girardeau for more than a year. But about 40 people have contributed money to pay for advertising the movie locally, he said.

Polack said he's not surprised by the response of veterans like Brown. "I think there is a lot of hostility," he said. "We still get stuff thrown at us and things yelled at us."

mbliss@semissourian.com

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