My guests today are Will Yates and Joe McCleary. Will is a freelance writer, documentary producer and investigative researcher for television, film and radio with more than 18 years’ experience producing factual programming for outlets such as The National Geographic, BBC and the History Channel. Throughout his career, he has spent many years investigating the war in Iraq and recently published his first book titled ‘War Trials: Investigation of a Soldier and the Trauma of Iraq’.
The book is a true account of Joe’s time serving in Iraq as a British soldier in 2003 and his role in the tragic death of a 15-year-old Iraqi boy, which lead to multiple war crimes court cases of which he was ultimately cleared. Throughout the ordeal, Joe battled with severe mental health issues and has tried to take his own life numerous times. This book is the first time that a British soldier accused of war crimes in Iraq has opened up in an unguarded and in-depth manner. As a result, the book is a deeply moving account of the true nature of war and explores themes of military conduct and responsibilities of those serving in war zones.
Will and Joe join me today to discuss the book as well as to dive deeper into some of the issues Joe’s war experience has brought to light. Some of the topics we covered are:
As you will hear, Joe’s descriptions of soldiering as well as mental health challenges he faced are very emotional and visceral. Hence, this episode may be quite disturbing to some listeners.
Lastly, for my Australian audience, military and otherwise, if you or someone you know are suffering, there is help available. Below are some of the many agencies offering support. For my audience around the world, please look for help. Even if there are no services in your area, the internet has opened up many previously unavailable avenues. As Joe says in the episode, you are important, so please take the necessary first step and look out for yourself and each other.
All-hours Support Line
(1800 628 036 / +612 9425 3878 if O/S)
1800 IMSICK
(1800 624 608)
Defence Community Organisation (DCO)
Defence Family Helpline
1800 624 608
http://www.defence.gov.au/dco/
Open Arms (VVCS)
1800 011 046
https://www.openarms.gov.au/
Lifeline
13 11 14
https://www.lifeline.org.au
Suicide Call back service
1300 659 467
https://www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au
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29. The Story Behind ‘The Voices Of War‘
28. Sahar Fetrat - On the plight of women and girls in Afghanistan
27. Dr Ghassan Jawad Kadhim - Still ‘The Last Optimist In Baghdad‘?
26. LTCOL Dave Grossman - On killing, combat, sleep, ’blind spots’ and everything else in between
25. Dr Mike Martin & Dr Christopher Ankersen - Afghanistan Update and Future
24. Hizbullah Khan - On the current situation and the future of Afghanistan
23. Ehsaan - The Life of a Coalition Interpreter in Afghanistan
22. Hizbullah Khan - Situation in Afghanistan as seen by a local analyst and journalist
21. Dr Kay Danes - On Interpreters and Locally Employed Staff stuck in Kabul
20. Dr Mike Martin - Update on unfolding situation in Afghanistan
19. David Livingstone Smith - On Dehumanisation
18. Shannon E French - On ’The Code of the Warrior’ and Ethics of War
16. Andrew Quilty - Perspectives of a Photo- and Investigative- Journalist
15. John Blaxland - Reflexions on Australian military operations and lessons learnt
14. Džemil Hodžić - Finding Light in the Dark
13. Hasan Aygun - The Pragmatic Diplomat
12. Roger Noble - A Major General’s Perspective
11. Harry Moffitt - A Humble Warrior
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