Ross Caputi

Ross Caputi, 29, is a US veteran of the occupation of Iraq. He took part in the second battle of Fallujah in November 2004. That experience led him to become an anti-war activist. Today he is on the Board of Directors of ISLAH and he directed and produced the documentary film Fear Not the Path of Truth.

Articles by this author

What unites marginalized Sunnis in Iraq and the hardcore ideologues within ISIS is their desperation to be rid of Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki, who has left them with no choice but to operate outside of the political system in order to better their lives. (Photo: EPA) Views
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Unthinkable Thoughts in the Debate About ISIS in Iraq
This week Iraq emerged from the recesses of American memory and became a hot topic of conversation. Alarming headlines about ISIS’s “takeover” of Mosul and their march towards Baghdad have elicited a number of reactions: The most conservative call for direct US military action against ISIS to...
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Friday, October 26, 2012
The Victims of Fallujah's Health Crisis Are Stifled by Western Silence
Four new studies on the health crisis in Fallujah have been published in the last three months.
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Wednesday, May 02, 2012
The Vicious Cycle of Jihadism and Patriotism
Many in the U.S. believe that we are locked in a clash of civilizations with the Islamic world, meaning that the American (Western) and Islamic conceptions of the world are so fundamentally different that conflict between us is inevitable. There are obvious differences between the Islamic world and the U.S.—linguistic and cultural differences (although it is hard to say exactly which cultural differences doom us to conflict).
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Monday, April 16, 2012
If Tarek Mehanna is Guilty So Am I
On April 12 th Tarek Mehanna was found guilty of conspiracy and of giving material support for terrorism. He was sentenced to 17 years in prison. The prosecution accused Mehanna of translating statements for Al Qaeda and of disseminating pro-jihadist material on the Internet.
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Sunday, March 18, 2012
After 9 Years in Iraq: Reflections on Peace, Nonviolence, and Reconciliation
Anniversaries, whether celebrated or mourned, are opportunities for reflection. As we reach the 9th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, what should we reflect on? What questions should we ask ourselves? As members of the peace movement, perhaps we should reflect on peace. “Peace” is a vague word full of emotional content that means many different things to many different people. But even in the word’s broadest possible sense, peace has not been achieved in Iraq.
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Wednesday, March 14, 2012
The Systemic Atrocity of Afghanistan's Occupation
The death of innocent civilians is nothing new in Afghanistan , but these 16 victims, nine of whom were children , were allegedly murdered by a rogue soldier, rather than the usual killers – drone attacks, air strikes and stray bullets. This incident has elicited rage among Afghans and westerners alike.
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Sunday, January 15, 2012
The Marines Urination Video Doesn't Show the Real War Crime
The video of US marines urinating on Afghan corpses does not shock me. Though their behavior is disgusting and unacceptable, I find the public's reaction to this video far more troubling. People are not outraged that there are dead Afghans; they are outraged at the manner in which the dead are treated. This is indicative of our culture's tolerance for war and war crimes – as long as they are done in a gentlemanly fashion.
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Friday, December 23, 2011
I Am Sorry for the Role I Played in Fallujah
It has been seven years since the end of the second siege of Fallujah – the US assault that left the city in ruins, killed thousands of civilians, and displaced hundreds of thousands more; the assault that poisoned a generation, plaguing the people who live there with cancers and their children with birth defects .
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