Posted on 06/24/2005 12:03:41 PM PDT by sactodan
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A suicide bomber in a vehicle killed two U.S. Marines and left four troops unaccounted for when it exploded near their convoy in Falluja, the volatile city west of Baghdad, a U.S. military official said Friday.
Why does the insurgency in Iraq seem to be gaining in determination, instead of fading away? The majority of Iraqi's expressed a clear desire for democracy in their historic election.
There are at least two reasons that come to mind. One is instigation by Syria and Iran. American success is not in their interest so they will do what they can to hinder our progress.
The second reason lies at home. There is a rift between supporters of the war and those against it. Republicans largely back the President and support the war. Democrats largely oppose the the war and do so persistently and vocally. Democratic opposition ranges from calling for withdrawal from Iraq to comparing American Troop behavior to Nazi's and Stalinists.
When Al Jazeera reports the dissent by some American Political leaders the insurgents gain hope that they can drive us out. Coming to a conclusion that increased attacks on American troops will further weaken the US's determination to win is reasonable to assume.
One might wonder why the Democrats would engage active and vocal opposition to the war when it would be over more quickly and fewer lives would be lost if we showed the world a unified front. It appears they have put their political aspirations ahead of the country's interests.
By giving hope to the insurgents, Durbin, Kennedy and Pelosi for example appear to be unwitting assistants to the insurgency. Though they claim to be patriotic Americans, and in their minds they no doubt are, the net effect of their opposition is more dead American Soldiers.
I know all of Iraq is a combat zone, but what is the percentage of troops killed by IED's rather than in firefights etc?
Is there anything that can be done to protect the troops better from IED's?
The Killers are responsible!
Amen to that.
"Is there anything that can be done to protect the troops better from IED's?"
You go to war with the army you have, not the army you want.
By giving hope to the insurgents, Durbin, Kennedy and Pelosi for example appear to be unwitting assistants to the insurgency.
Unwitting?
Hardly, American lives mean nothing in their quest to regain
POWER.
Rummy! I didn't know you were a FReeper!
I saw a recent article (source?) that said the IED's are the number 1 cause of death in Iraq, and that traffic accidents are number 2.
Perhaps someone can verify this with a source....
That's interesting. I thought there were no allied troop deaths after WWII in Germany. I know that there were Nazi plans for resistance, but that fell apart. Perhaps your grandfather struck an old landmine?
But even if your granddad was killed by Nazi insurgents, I think it's the wrong arguement to make. SO WHAT if there were no deaths after WWII ended? The issue on the table was that Saddam was intending to plan a way to accure WMDs, and then give them to terrorists.
I think Americans are wimping out big-time. You didn't see our grandparents whine after 1700 deaths, did you? The president warned Americans that the War on Terror would be a generational confilict. It's better that we are fighting the terrorists in Iraq than in Atlanta.
"Nazi plans for resistance, but that fell apart. Perhaps your grandfather struck an old landmine?"
No. There was quite a strong resistence to our occupation of Germany. For the most part the "werewolves" assasinated German officials working with the allies but targets of opportunity killed quite a few allies after the war. The resistence was ultimately ended by the German people who were simply fed up.
I've never seen shred of evidence showing the existence of the "werewolves". I believe that this rumor was completely discredited sometime back in the late 1940's.
It's amazing how it keeps popping up.
Maybe the trolls who are saying there was no Nazi resistance after WWII would like to tell Mark Levin, he is a liar:
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June 01, 2004, 2:33 p.m.
A Familiar Place
It got ugly in postwar Germany, too.
With all the nay saying about our presence in Iraq, it's worth noting that none of these difficulties are particularly new. No postwar occupation has been without serious challenges, including the occupation of Germany after World War II. The New York Times ran a series of news stories in late 1945 reporting, in part, the following:
"Germans Reveal Hate of Americans," October 31, 1945
The German attitude toward the American occupation forces has swung from apathy and surface friendliness to active dislike. According to a military government official, this is finding expression in the organization of numerous local anti-American organizations throughout the zone and in a rapid increase in the number of attacks on American soldiers. There were more such attacks in the first week of October than in the preceding five months of the occupation, this source declared.
This official views the situation as so serious that he and others are protesting the withdrawal of 1,600 experienced military-government officers form the German governments on township, county and regional levels between Nov. 1 and Dec. 15. "We have been talking since the summer about the trouble that we expect this winter," the source said. "That trouble has now begun and we meet it with a plan to withdraw officers from communities where trouble is already being encountered.
"Loss of Victory in Germany Through U.S. Policy Feared," November 18, 1945
Grave concern was expressed today by informed officials that the United States might soon lose the fruits of victory in Germany through the failure to prepare adequately for carrying out its long-term commitments under the Potsdam Declaration. Government failures were attributed in part to public apathy. The predictions of a coming crisis are predicated upon three points:
1) The failure to start training a civilian corps of administrators to take over when the Army's Military Government pulls out of Germany by June 1.
2) The failure of the Government to set up an expert advisory group, such as that which existed in the Foreign Economic Administration's Enemy Branch to back up the American administrators of Germany with informed advice and provide a focal point in Washington for policy-making on the German question.
3) The failure of the Allies to decide together, or the United States for itself, the crucial economic question raised by the Potsdam Declaration; namely what level of German economic activity is desired over the long term?
"Germans Declare Americans Hated," December 3, 1945
An exhaustive compilation of opinions of Germans in all walks of life on their reaction to the United States occupation of their country was released this afternoon from the confidential status under which it was submitted to officials of the United States Forces in the European Theatre recently.
Bitter resentment and deep disappointment was voiced over the Americans' first six months of occupation, though there was some praise for the improvements in transportation, health conditions, book publishing and entertainment.
"German Election Set In Towns of U.S. Zone," December 19, 1945
United States Seventh Army headquarters announced today that plans had been completed for initial German elections in January at Gemuende. A statement said that a vast majority of Germans remained passive in attitude toward politics and displayed no disposition to take over civic responsibilities.
I think we can agree that the postwar occupation of Germany, and the rest of Europe, worked out quite well, despite numerous difficulties and the best efforts of the New York Times to highlight them — as it does today in postwar Iraq.
Mark R. Levin is president of Landmark Legal Foundation and talk-radio host on WABC 770 AM in New York.
Lately, IEDs (and VBIEDs) have become the primary method the terrorists use and are the top killer right now.
I am quite comfortable with the fact that my grandfather was an honest man. I appreciate the back up anyway.
I, also, trust the History Channel more than I do trolls/moles on Free Republic to document history.
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