The symbol turns

This is US Marine Lance-Corporal Blake Miller in a famous photo taken during the battle of Fallujah by Luis Sinco. He was dubbed the "Marlboro Marine" and came to represent the supposed nobility and bravery of the US troops fighting the Iraqi insurgency. He was, however, soon forgotten, just another "hero" of the occupation.

He has started speaking out about his war experiences. Suffering from mental trauma, he now questions US tactics and advocates withdrawal:

"When I was in the service my opinion was whatever the Commander-in-Chief's opinion was. But after I got out, I started to think about it. The biggest question I have now is how you can make a war on an entire country when a certain group from that country is practising terrorism against you. It's as if a gang from New York went to Iraq and blew some stuff up and Iraq started a war against us because of that."

The US federal Veterans Affairs department recently revealed that up to a third of US troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan - around 40,000 - suffer mental health issues. Red tape is also an issue for returned veterans. Supporters of war focus on "liberation" and rarely examine the long-term effects of those actually involved in the fighting. It is unsurprising, therefore, that many former soldiers end up questioning their original missions.