Posted on 11/24/2006 6:46:08 PM PST by kristinn
I'm reading an astonishing number of comments on Free Republic these days by posters who have joined the ranks of the anti-American left in calling for an immediate withdrawal from Iraq. Some claim to have military experience, some claim to be patriotic Americans and some claim to be smarter than the rest.
These posters are joining the Murtha-Rangel-McDermott treason caucus. Oh, they say they love the troops, but their decision to abandon them in the field speaks otherwise.
Three years ago, the United States led an international coalition to rid the world of one of the worst regimes on the planet. Saddam Hussein was an international terrorist: He financed terrorism, he trained terrorists and he harbored terrorists. He waged war on Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Israel. He waged war on the people of Iraq, including genocidal campaigns against the Kurds in the north and the marsh Arabs in the south.
Saddam successfully subverted the Oil-for-Food program and was wearing down support for continuing the sanctions keeping him in check.
He had numerous contacts with al Qaeda over the years. He tried to assassinate a former U.S. president. He maintained research capabilities to implement nuclear, chemical and biological weapons as soon as the sanctions were lifted. There is evidence that some of these programs would have been operational within a year even with the sanctions in place.
The decision to remove Saddam and his regime as part of the Global War on Terror was correct.
Three-and-a-half years after Iraq and the world were liberated from Saddam and his terrorist regime, there are those on Free Republic who are clamoring to give up, surrender, cut and run, stab the troops in the back, betray the Iraqis, betray our allies in the GWOT, spit on the graves of our fallen heroes and join Cindy Sheehan, Medea Benjamin and Ramsey Clark in bringing about America's defeat in the GWOT.
It's only been three-and-a-half years--only six months since the freely elected government in Iraq was formed. In that time, what has been called a mini-Marshall Plan of construction and reconstruction has come to fruition. The Iraqis have held three national elections, they have held numerous local elections, fourteen out of eighteen Iraq provinces are relatively peaceful and stable.
Six months ago, when the Iraqi government was formed, the experts said the war would be taken to Baghdad because our enemies in the region could not abide the example of a free, democratic society in the Middle East. For once, the experts were right. The battle of Baghdad has been a prolonged Tet Offensive style operation of headline-grabbing attacks intended to sap the morale of Americans and Iraqis alike.
From what I've been reading on Free Republic lately, a lot of Freepers have fallen for the enemy's ploy and are howling like barking moonbats for our immediate withdrawal from Iraq. Some of that talk is couched in talk of 'we're fighting a PC war like Vietnam!' The soldiers I met in Iraq recently told Debra Argel Bastian to pass on a message to the Vietnam vets criticizing the war: With all due respect to your service, this is not Vietnam. It is not being fought like Vietnam. Please let us finish our mission.
But our enemy is playing the Vietnam ploy to great benefit. They know they can count on the American and world media to broadcast their propaganda. They work with leftist Americans to sabotage the war effort at home. They know these leftist Americans have allies in the Democratic party. They know they do not need a military victory--only political and psychological victories are needed to defeat America.
You guys are playing right in to their hands. Congratulations.
There are those who argue that murder and dictatorship is the mindset of the Middle East and that will not be changed by our actions. Funny how those who smugly denigrate the Arab peoples' capacity for freedom forget the wholesale slaughter of millions of Westerners by Westerners at the hands of Western dictatorships just a few generations past.
I hear complaints that the Iraqis aren't standing up. Yet, to use one common example, when police recruits are slaughtered in bombings, Iraqis line up the next day at the same recruiting center. The insurgency is small in number, but they are able to do enough damage on a daily basis to stretch out the time it will take to secure the whole of Iraq.
At this time of our testing, the American people are starting to go wobbly. Sadly, many Freepers are too. Our troops and their Commander-in-Chief are not, thank God. It's only been three-and-a-half years. The progress made has been phenomonal. Throw in the towel now, and you'll just have the terrorists follow us home. Everyone knows that, including you. I'm not willing to pay that price, not now, not ever, but you are.
Let me close by offering similar sentiments recently offered by two men 'in the know' on the situation in Iraq who are not giving up. First, Kurdish Regional Government Prime Minister Barzani: "When I was in the United States recently and read the negative news in the Washington Post, New York Times and in the network TV broadcasts, I even wondered if things had gotten so bad since I had left that I shouldn't return."
Next, Gen. Abizaid: "When I come to Washington, I feel despair. When I'm in Iraq with my commanders, when I talk to our soldiers, when I talk to the Iraqi leadership, they are not despairing."
I have. That's what worries me.
I'm so thankful I don't have that job.
AMEN! But God bless the ones who have to do it.
So out them. Compile a list of names and publish it on here. Sunshine does much for truth, eh?
Bump
I would also like to see a poll!
One of the things saddam did was create a sense of iraqiness in Iraq.
Thank you for posting this. Even though I haven't been posting on the Iraq war threads, what I was hearing about conditions over there was disheartening to say the least.
My head knew things would get worse for the Iraqi's if we pulled out. It also told me there'd be an out and out civil war if we pulled out with wholesale slaughter as well as our losing a potential ally in Iraq.
Then with the dem's which were elected on the 7th, it's seemed as if our pullout was a given.
Imagine that if General Abizaid feels despair when he comes to Washington, how much more we who aren't over there can feel.
Damn the MSM for not reporting the positive as well as the negative they so love.
Thank you again for your thread. I needed to read it.
I want to second what Txsleuth said. You've taken quit a beating today. Thank You!
Sixty-five years ago, if we had fought with the KGC (Kinder Gentler Compassionate) warfighting rules our GOP Leadership has handcuffed our troops with today in Iraq, you'd be speaking Germanese.
"He does good work and means well"....that was your quote in Post #1217.
I just find it amazing that you can call kristinn a "total ass" in one post.
And then in another say the above.
Which is it?
I think the author forgot to mention it was sarcasms.
Voters are not angry over the Iraq War itself, they're angry that we're not fighting it like we should.
Obviously these people don't know they are supposed to hate Americans. Someone should really tell them.
Well...then we should just put Saddam back in power...all would be well?
I have never said a thing about legitimate debate of what might be done at this stage of the mission, nor adjustments that may need to be made.
And I'm getting pretty tired of people like you putting words in my mouth that I have never said so that you can diminish the point that I am making by diminishing me.
Prove to me that taking support away from our troops is conservative, and we can go from there.
What would our soldiers have done during WWII if a horde of nazi supporters had confronted them? I believe they would have mowed them down. IMHO.
?
____________ Wed April 09, 2003 04:22 AM ET BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Hundreds of jubilant Iraqis mobbed a convoy of U.S. Marines on Wednesday, cheering, dancing and waving as American troops swept toward central Baghdad through slums and leafy suburbs from the east. Reuters correspondent Sean Maguire said crowds threw flowers at the Marines as they drove past the Martyrs' Monument, just two miles east of the central Jumhuriya Bridge over the Tigris river. "These are quite extraordinary scenes," Maguire said after a morning's drive through first the rundown sprawl of Saddam City and then more prosperous, suburbs with villas and trim lawns. The crowds, mainly young and middle-aged men, many wearing the soccer shirts of leading western clubs like Manchester United, shouted: "Hello, hello" as Marines advanced through local traffic. "No more (President) Saddam Hussein," chanted one group, waving to troops as they passed. "We love you, we love you." One young man ran alongside a Marine armored personnel carrier trying to hand over a heavy belt of ammunition. An older man made a wild kicking gesture with his foot, saying "Goodbye Saddam." http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/888727/posts
There are many more photos where those came from.
They speak TRUTH to the lies being put forth on this thread.
They would have, without a second thought.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.