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."
"The only way Iraq will get "back on its feet" is if we find them either a dicatory, or a shiite theocracy. They will never "get back on their feet" as a democracy, because they were were a democracy in the first place."
Tell me...what ME internet cafe are you sitting at writing this tripe?
Hey, did you have a nice Thanksgiving? We did.
I remember when you were over there from being on CU - I thanked you for your service then and again now. You lived it - you sir are no armchair soldier!
I REALLY appreciate your being here, tx. These are the most ignorant people I have seen in my nearly six years on FR.
I can't believe what I'm reading. It's pure MSM FILTH!
Thank you ma'am. It's an honor to be able to do so.
I can, my nephew is over there - I know from him those guys want to finish the job.
The tripe here makes me sick...
Who do you think he got the 'neocon' insult from........Paul Begala? James Carville?? Howard Dean???
Maybe we should start a list of the trolls on this site so we can update it when required.
I do, because Muslims are not capable of democracy. This is the basic neocon premise that must be rejected. Iraqis are not Europeans after WWII. The only thing they can accomplish is tinpot dictators and theocracies.
The entire country isn't a "military threat"
So lets pick the regions that are, and turn them to rubble. But you won't even grant that granularity. Heck, you won't even let us turn mosques and "hospitals" (read: insurgent bases) to rubble from the air.
War isn't pretty...it's not something that can...if done effectively...be wrapped up in a bow in 100 hours or conducted from effictively from the safety of the wild blue yonder. It's a down on the ground...dirty...bloody and yes deadly business. If you don't have the stones to do something like that yourself...fine...I have no problem with that...but by God you need to get the hell out of the way of those of us that DO pack the proper equipment to go ahead with what needs to be done and not leave until it's finished.
You aren't following your own logic. War isn't pretty - so lets use the biggest non-nuclear weapons we've got to kill the enemy. But you want to wage war by the Marquis of Queensbury boxing rules.
Not a bad idea, but they're pretty obvious when they spout leftist propaganda like they have on this thread.
I could not believe what I was reading and checked some of the sign up dates. Unbelievable.
The dates - that's what has stunned me the most...
He's THERE, you idiot!!
Do you realize how stupid you look??
txradioguy is risking his life to keep you safe and free, and you're insulting him openly and saying unbelieveably ridiculous things about him??
C'mon! NO one is this braindead!
>> Don't worry, as soon as the terrorists murder another 4,000 civilians in NYC, most of us will be on the same page again.
I think those we're referring to will find a way to suggest America deserved such an attack. I believe we're fools if we await the next wave of unity.
I am not a cultural relativist. I agree with Lord Acton - liberty has not existed long outside of Christianity. Until Muslims reject their wicked ways, they will not develop and ordered and free society. It is that simple. Read your Bible sometime. The prophets made similar points to the Israelites many, many times.
I did not deny the power of God to change hearts. I do deny the power of our military to change hearts. If you read your European history you will know that armies never changed hearts. Clovis, Charles Martel, Charlamagne and others all failed. But humble people without weapons who have given their lives to God can change hearts.
The Clinton's have been waging an Internet war against conservatives for a very long time.
I have NO doubt that some of these '98 ers who pop up only to bash and belittle are part of her campaign.
Some of these guys are leftists. The others are miserable, nasty isolationists whose only conservativism is self-centered. They aren't principled. They're one step away from being anarchists, IMO.......and they're mean.
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