Through the Eyes of Soldiers Fighting

March 16, 2007 5:06 AM

What are good sources for seeing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan through the eyes of the soldiers fighting?

I'm interested in pictures and videos that have been taken by American soldiers and posted on the internet. The more recent and higher quality the better.

posted by CaptMcalister to media & arts (8 comments total)

How about http://www.liveleak.com/
posted by mbarryf at 5:19 AM on March 16, 2007

slate magazine's "sandbox" section is a good source for writing, not so much video, though.
posted by thinkingwoman at 5:29 AM on March 16, 2007

The link from mbarryf has some interesting stuff.

In this video it looks like the soldier might either have a handheld cam or it's mounted somewhere on his body. How the hell can he keep himself safe while having to worry about keeping his camera focused?
posted by SteveInMaine at 6:26 AM on March 16, 2007

There was an excellent documentary out last year called The War Tapes - video shot and narrated by National Guardsmen in Iraq, suggestively edited after the fact. It landed as something of an antiwar document, but it's a lot more complex than any polemic.
posted by waxbanks at 6:42 AM on March 16, 2007

Funny you should ask. Excuse me a moment while I ponder synchronicity*...

OK.

Just this morning a never-before-noticed commenter at an out of the way politics forum (theforvm.org) called our attention to a new YouTube Channel established, allegedly, by MNF-IRAQ to "give viewers around the world a "boots on the ground" perspective of Operation Iraqi Freedom from those who are fighting it..."

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*Synchronicity or super-clever viral marketing?
posted by notyou at 8:06 AM on March 16, 2007

My swami advises ~1 part TM to ~2 parts war films.
posted by The Confessor at 8:19 AM on March 16, 2007

I recommend milblogging.com. The Top 100 and More Top Milblogs should get you started.
posted by MonkeyToes at 9:43 AM on March 16, 2007

Seconding The War Tapes.
posted by asuprenant at 10:24 AM on March 16, 2007