Famed War Correspondent Joe Galloway Calls for U.S. Pullout After Iraq Elections

Editor & Publisher ^ | Jan 14 05 | Editor & Publisher

[churchillbuff]

YORK In his latest column for Knight Ridder newspapers, famed war correspondent Joseph L. Galloway, a Bronze Star winner, calls for the United States, following Iraqi elections on Jan. 30, to "declare victory and begin leaving."

He joins the rather small band of commentators or editorialists advocating withdrawal.

Last month, in a USA Today column, founder Al Neuharth called for the United States to leave Iraq "sooner rather than later."

Galloway, co-author of "We Were Soldiers Once... and Young," won a Bronze Star in Vietnam after saving the lives of several soldiers and has covered nearly every major conflict since, including the current one.

In his current column he writes that if we stay the course in Iraq "we're likely doomed to an even bloodier and more costly defeat in a country divided along ethnic and religious fault lines and headed toward civil war. ...

"The problem is that there is no way we can win -- defeat the insurgents and install a stable, democratic, friendly government -- and bad things are going to happen anyway. There is no way Americans are willing to pay the price even of stalemate, never mind an unattainable victory. ...

"Why can't we win? Because we charged in with false premises and bogus assumptions. Because for every insurgent we kill, two or three more join the cause. Because even our advertised victories -- like Fallujah, where we apparently had to destroy the city in order to save it, or Samarra or Ramadi -- only turned the entire Sunni population against the United States and its Iraqi allies. ...

"If we learned nothing else from the bitter history of Vietnam it should be that there are places and people who won't accept change and won't quit fighting until even the most powerful nation and army in the world wearies of the killing and dying. ...

"As we approach the second anniversary of our invasion of Iraq we need to be discussing and debating what we are gaining, if anything, from this war and what we are losing."

[T-Bird45]

Ronnie, can you confirm the following (from article):

Galloway, co-author of "We Were Soldiers Once... and Young," won a Bronze Star in Vietnam after saving the lives of several soldiers and has covered nearly every major conflict since, including the current one.

If this is true, how was it done since he was a civilian and the BSM is a strictly military award?

[FDNYRHEROES]

It sounds like his father should have pulled out long ago...

[M Kehoe]

Gotta give you credit, you are consistent.

He joins the rather small band of commentators or editorialists advocating withdrawal.

So? I advocate staying. We should withdraw after the appropriate number of terrorists and Sunni (redundant?) muslims are killed.

5.56mm

[jec41]

In the latter days of the Roman Empire some states and cities decided that armies for defense were too expensive and terms with the enemy could be negotiated at a cheaper price. Worked for a while until the could no longer pay the enemy not to attack. That is why it was the latter days!!!!

[Grey Ghost II]

Another arm-chair quarterback weighs in.

"Galloway, co-author of "We Were Soldiers Once... and Young," won a Bronze Star in Vietnam after saving the lives of several soldiers"

If this guy is an armchair quaterback, than that would make you nothing more than an armchair cheerleader.

[Calpernia]

Bump!

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1321663/posts?page=81#81

[redrock]

While I disagree with Joe's conclusions...(it's obvious that Democracy will work in Iraq)...he HAS earned the right to say what he thinks.

..unlike some people.

redrock

[Grey Ghost II]

No, we should leave when the job is done.

What is the job? If the job is to eliminate Islam, then I agree with you. If the job is to force our form of govenment on people who don't want it, then I disagree - because it will never happen.

[Grey Ghost II]

it's obvious that Democracy will work in Iraq

You have to be kdding me? It doesn't even work here in the US.

[ALOHA RONNIE]

.

...As I recall,

...it was by a special Act of Congress that JOE GALLOWAY was allowed to become the 1st civilian to be awarded a Military Bronze Star.

...This was for his saving the lives of soldiers in Vietnam in 1965.



.

[af_vet_rr]

I'd actually be all in favor of us starting to withdraw right after the elections IF and only if, I thought it would finally force the Iraqi people to wake the hell up and realize that if they don't get their **** together, pretty soon we'll be gone and they'll be left with a bunch of radical Saudis and/or Iranians running the place.

The majority of Iraqis would not want radical Saudis or Iranians running the place, but unfortunately they don't care enough to really do something about it. That means we'll be stuck there for a few more years until we've done what the Iraqis should have been doing during the past year - knocking off the insurgents.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying we should pull out, this is the most important war we've fought since Korea, and many here could make the argument it's even more important. What we do in Iraq determines how stable and calm the Middle East will be 20 years from now.

[Grey Ghost II]

What we do in Iraq determines how stable and calm the Middle East will be 20 years from now.

Do you really think free elections in Iraq will convert all Muslims? Do you think the US Constitution will replace the Koran? These people hate us - always have, always will. As long a Israel and Muslims are both in the Middle East, nothing will change.

[redrock]

Sad......

redrock

[txhurl]

bttt is right

[T-Bird45]

Thanks, Ronnie -- thought it might be something like that.

[churchillbuff]

Never heard of the guy"""

Galloway, co-author of "We Were Soldiers Once... and Young," won a Bronze Star in Vietnam after saving the lives of several soldiers and has covered nearly every major conflict since, including the current one.

[txhurl]

nice

[Calpernia]

Then, help me out. Why doesn't he support what we are doing in Iraq?

[PhilDragoo]

I concur with Southack's summary at 46.

Thanks to the vision and integrity of our president, and the unfailing valor and service of our troops, we are changing the world to its vast betterment.

Having defanged Iraq and Afghanistan, we are in position to leverage Syria, Iran and North Korea.

We're not leaving the region while the Revolutionary Guard races ahead with its nuclear program.

The party responsible for the 1983 Beirut Marine barracks bombing and U.S. Embassy bombing would be only too happy to repeat the events with greater impact.

Since this isn't Gerald Ford thirty years ago, it isn't going to happen that way again.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!