A Message to All the Cut and Run Freepers Currently Polluting Free Republic

Friday, November 24, 2006 | Kristinn

[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."

[Steve Van Doorn]

I don’t believe that answers the question. Bombing in my opinion will only take out strategic locations. It will have a side effect of bolstering radical Islam from 10% to say 15%. An air campaign is like doing something half ass. My opinion if your going to do it do it right.

Islam is about territory. If you take territory you are winning, if you don’t you are losing. An Air campaign does not take territory.

[Killborn]

If the DSM were to cover America the same way they cover Iraq, more than half the country would be clamoring to go back to the tender mercies of the Crown, including many FReepers.

Thank you for your much needed post. I see the "runners" and other mobs of deluded people have assembled.

I especially like that part about Western people and dictatrorships slaughtering each other. Touche! I guess we really don't deserve freedom because of the liberal infestation in our country. ;)

Then again, others might argue that point seriously. :(

[TET1968]

Time for a reality check on War.
After the Versailles treaty, every country we have ever defeated has prospered.
Every enemy nation we have cut and run from has descended into poverty and starvation.
Conclusion. If you have to lose, lose to the U.S.

[ohioWfan]

But premise #1 dictates that Iraq is best off with a dictator of some sort.

Wow. I guess it wasn't just last night......

I do hope you realize how many leftist academic elitist statements you've made on this thread.

You do, don't you? Are you a student at a New England university?

[MHGinTN]

Indeed! Thank you so much for writing this... it is a sense of what I wanted to be able to write but had not the words so well arranged as you have done. At the start of Gulf War phase two, I wrote and posted an essay here at FR that dealt with the notion of preemptive deterrence as a goal in deposing Saddam's regime. With Iraq, we have the greatest opportunity to establish a self-governance of Arab peoples sans dictatorship. The voting Iraqis see that and want it, want it so badly that they risk their lives to vote!

If the cut and run strategy of the democrat socialists is successful in withdrawing our courageous military personnel and allowing the genocidal shiia islamicists (like the Iranian stooge, Sadr) their way, the result will be perhaps the most immoral act this nation has ever committed. The longterm effects will get millions of Americans killed, eventually right in our own assaulted cities by the suicidal demon spawn that Islam is generating as a reaction to self rule by Arab peoples.

[stephenjohnbanker]

B U M P !!

[Nancee]

"...I trust this President. He will not leave office before taking care of the big one; Iran..."

I have trusted this President, too. I just fear that he might not have the resolve to do what is called for here as a result of the fiasco of Nov. 7, 2006. Before that date, it hardly seemed possible that the Democrats would be able to give this man any MORE resistence and trouble. Now it appears inevitable! :-(

Your thoughts on this, please; i.e. why do do think he will not leave office before taking care of the big one?

Nancee

[melancholy]

An air campaign is like doing something half ass. My opinion if your going to do it do it right.

You gotta have some sense of urgency. Iran is developing nukes and meanwhile, killing our troops in Iraq, fomenting civil war in Lebanon and tinkering with wiping out Israel. How long do you want to wait in order to do a perfect job? If we wait and get blown up history will call our leaders full asses, that's for sure.

Islam is about territory. If you take territory you are winning, if you don’t you are losing.

This is the first time I hear that this is what Islam is about. What do you say to the Islam that's taking over Western Europe? Where is the territory involved?

After Iraq, we will never "invade" Iran. Even if we do, what do you suggest we do with the territory? How long do we occupy the territory? What do we do with the inhabitants? And last but not least, why can't we apply your principle to what we have now, Iraq?

The only thing left is that we have to stop being full asses and do what you call a half ass job. It's the only way given the shortage of time.

[melancholy]

Your thoughts on this, please; i.e. why do do think he will not leave office before taking care of the big one?

Bush doesn't know who will become president. Even if he knew, he couldn't possibly trust A RAT or a RINO.

This president feels deeply about this country and the danger we're facing in the short and long range in spite all the hits he endured and still enduring.

Time is too short to leave it to politicians playing games. He will take care of it sooner than later.

Call it just a feeling.

[Nancee]

"...The only thing left is that we have to stop being full asses and do what you call a half ass job. It's the only way given the shortage of time.",

Great wisdom here!

I am looking forward to some specifics when you are able to respond further.

This thread is huge.

Nancee

[jveritas]

And we shall keep hitting them again and again and again. Iran and Syria arrogance must be broken, they must be humiliated. The intensive Air Campaign will teach them that we can destroy them anytime we want and destroy them hard, and that they are not going to control the Middle East.

[Alas Babylon!]

I actually think your argument has some merit. not because air power alone can get the job done; it can't. I say that as a retired airman.

Remember Operation Desert Fox? This was Clinton's bombing campaign against Saddam's Iraq for throwing the 1st group of UN inspectors out in 1998. Of course it happened right at the House impeachment vote (tail wags dog vigorously).

How much damage did it do? Not much, but I was in favor of it in the sense it was better then letting Saddam think he could just do whatever he pleased without any repercussions.

Perhaps we need to start a long road of lessons to Iran. Face it, since Jimmy Carter and 1979, we have proved again and again to them that we're wimps. Any air campaign would have to be full shock and awe, no pussyfooting.

We wouldn't win anything but time, though. Eventually we'll have to escalate our activity against them.

[melancholy]

Thanks, JV.

I must have repeated this argument 100 times in the past few days! LOL

[ohioWfan]

Let's put a face on your condemnation of the Iraqi people to live under a dictatorship simply because they are Muslim, shall we?

With your permission, kristinn........this is one of the many photos, kristinn took while he was in Iraq very recently.

These are the faces of those you condemn to servitude and brutality simply because they have been born in a Muslim country. These are a few of the people that you, in the name of being a good Christian, believe don't deserve freedom.....

And these are a very few of the millions of people that our military has liberated 'with the sword' to live lives in freedom, and Lord willing, some day, peace.

God bless our troops for what they have done......'for the least of these.'

[txradioguy]

Doesn't matter if they are isolationist or pacifist...neither group is living in reality.

[Jibaholic]

Let's put a face on your condemnation of the Iraqi people to live under a dictatorship simply because they are Muslim, shall we?

I wish things were different. I wish Islam were not a violant religion. But it is. Until the Middle East changes their religion, it will remain a violant and oppressive region. And there is nothing that our soldiers can do to change that. All we can do is pray for their hearts to change.

[Jibaholic]

Re-read your posts from last night, Jib, please.... What came across is arrogance, not the humility that comes from being a follower of Jesus Christ. Perhaps you misspoke in the heat of 'battle,' (one often does around here)....

I reread the thread. In the heat of 'battle' you got quite insulting. Here are some examples (there are more):

#1836 I could say, "Boy, you are truly a Masshole. Massachusetts finest, just like Barney, Ted and John F'n." But I won't, as that would be insulting.

#1817 Arrogant and ignorant, mixed with really bad theology. Good day.

#1798 You are clueless.

#1785 Wow. You're a piece of work. Arrogant and ignorant all rolled into one.

#1775 He's THERE, you idiot!! Do you realize how stupid you look?? ... C'mon! NO one is this braindead!

#1760 Jib is a perfect example of ignorant arrogance arguing with informed intelligence.

That does not count how you repeatedly called me a racist because I said that "Muslims are not capable of democracy." You decided that what I really meant was "Arabs are not capable of democracy."

[ohioWfan]

Agree completely. In the real world, there are enemies.

And you can't stick your head in a hole and pretend they don't exist, as the isolationists here do, nor can you reach out your hands to them and sing Kumbaya as the pacifists (some here as well) do.

Real life requires real answers. Sometimes they're not easy, but neither running away nor chanting about 'peace' has never solved a single problem in the real world.

[melancholy]

I actually think your argument has some merit. not because air power alone can get the job done; it can't. I say that as a retired airman.

Thank you, sir and thank you for you service.

Of course, a job is completed with boots on the ground but the clock is ticking and something has to be done, SOON.

The psychological effect on the whole terrorist world* is devastating. In addition, it conveys a very strong message to Russia, China, NK, and whoever is thinking of grand terrorist or aggressive schemes: who is the boss? It is the only superpower that will make you pay dearly for targeting its people, civilians and military.

I close by citing what you said and my full agreement on it. I add to that: It's about damn time!!

Any air campaign would have to be full shock and awe, no pussyfooting.

*Never used this combination before but unfortunately, it applies.

[ohioWfan]

I apologize for my insult (calling you an idiot).

I do not apologize for my position that you were insulting (to txradioguy who is IN Iraq), nor that that you are arrogant, elitist and dead wrong about the Iraqi people, and that your condemnation of everyone born in a Muslim country to a life of servitude and oppression is as UNChristian as any I have seen.

And your theology IS bad.

I believe that your liberal environs have inculcated you with a philosophy of which you are not even aware. Your liberal politics have influenced your understanding of the world and Scripture, as well.

I am sorry for going over the line by calling you an 'idiot.' (btw, those are not all my quotes. Did you do that deliberately to mislead?)

You have proven that you are ignorant about what's going on in Iraq, and there has been nothing but arrogance in your posts, and for those observations, I make no apology.