WASHINGTON: US anti-war groups are bringing hundreds of Iraq war veterans to Washington on March 13 to hold public testimonies against the Iraq war on the fifth anniversary of the start of the US invasion.

An anti-war umbrella group, Act Now to Stop War and End Racism, has initiated a broad coalition to organise mass demonstrations in more than 12 cities on the occasion.

The testimonies, organised by another anti-war group, the Iraq Veterans Against the War, will be held form March 13 to 16 in a Washington suburb.

The event, called Winter Soldier Hearings, will feature live testimonies from Iraq veterans and others about war crimes committed in Iraq. The IVAW asked that there be no mass march during their four days of testimony. There will be a number of other anti-war activities as well in Washington between March 12-19, including civil disobedience actions.

The ANSWER Coalition has planned a mass demonstration in LA on March 15. The group said the March 15 march is just one of thhe thousands of actions taking place around the world on the fifth anniversary of the start of the US invasion and occupation of Iraq.

One million Iraqis have perished; tens of thousands of US troops have been badly wounded or killed, the coalition noted.

In San Francisco, ANSWER has scheduled a mass demonstration for March 19, the actual day that the invasion began, following militant direct actions that will take place throughout the earlier part of the week in the Bay Area.

In other cities, group organisers are working to bring people into the streets.