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."
Well, your post does not seem to be a "leftist idea". No liberalism there (unless some in FR are trying to redefine "leftism")I dont understand how anyone can compare allowing our troops to kill the enemy unconditionally can be DU like or leftist
Makes me wonder just who is the DU Troll.
Is it just a new technique by some who may put party above even the lives of our troops to call those who support the troops more than the R insulting names such as "DU Troll"?
Maybe Im missing something. Where are these leftist-like cut and run republicans in FR?
Their posts really should be exposed. If we are going to call them on it...atleast post examples.
I just want to see who they are so I know where they are coming from.
2. My understanding of Abizaid's commments to the Senate Armed Services committee back on Nov.15th was that he agreed with Shiseki's statements 10 days ago about increasing troop strengths in Iraq. Here's Abizaids actual quote to Sen. Lindsey Graham:
Gen. Shinseki was right that a greater international force contribution, U.S. force contribution and Iraqi force contribution should have been available immediately after major combat operations, Abizaid said. I think you can look back and say that more American troops would have been advisable in the early stages of May, June, July.
I think every American Troop lover deserves to see those posts so that we will be able to know who they are and where they are coming from in future discussions.
Can you ppst the examples of the lies and the liars?
The senator is certifiable.
Attacking from the left would be too obvious. Attacking from the extreme right would be more clever.
Anybody that does not agree with an extreme right wing agenda is labeled a RINO and driven from the group as not "pure" enough. The group is then marginalized by being reduced in numbers and ideology.
Call it the "Tower of Babel" technique, you keep cutting the group in half until there is only one person left.
Actually, that's the main problem: why in the hell did we invade Iraq without knowing that there were WMDs??? What a colossal blunder. We'll be paying for this error for years to come (both Republicans and America).
You cannot see me, but I am giving you a standing ovation!
May God bless and protect your son..I support the troops and their mission.
Ohhhhhh...ok. I get it. So you're a participant in the so-called republican civil war. Right vs Left instead of Right vs Wrong... Good vs Evil...
I see where you're coming from now. I've been called a DU Troll by you open border country clubbers. I still voted all R though. You didnt succeed at trying to get me to stay home.
By the way... Im not a Savage fan :)
because we didn't invade based on whether or not he had WMD's. As many leftists have been saying for years, the best way to avoid being invaded, like NK, is to have WMDs.
Perhaps you should have listened to the explanations given of the rationale before and during the war, only one portion of which was the WMD.
It amazes me to see how many freepers have fallen for the MSM line and are completely ignorant of what the mission really was.
I haven't read the whole thread, but I haven't seen one poster who believes we should "c&r". Yet. I sure don't see how giving our troops more POWER can be attributed to DU but there seems to be a perpensity to eat our own just for the sake of argument.
I truly don't see what people are arguing about here. Maybe I haven't had enough coffee....
BTW: If you listened to General Abazaid, he admitted that we could use more troops, but said we don't have them to send without disrupting the rotation. Also, 4200 more Marines were just deployed. It looks like evidence that we're dipping into our strategic reserves.
Was waiting for someone to say it...
Saddam had chemical and biological WMD. The pre-war inspections found them. That is not even debatable.
Saddam was supposed to get rid of these weapons and Saddam was supposed to prove that he did.
Saddam didn't do that.
The error was Saddam's.
Lesson for you, Maine. One shouldn't mock when one is ignorant...... it only makes you look foolish.
I know the Democrat victory has emboldened you, but be careful of how bold you get. This still is a conservative forum, you know...... at least for now.
There are many in the past weeks who have advocated cutting and running. Pay attention.
I did not like that Nagolman guy
That lesson of Vietnam was what? Let the military run the war, and get the politicians out of it....
The lesson has been forgotten
Also for those who can remember
George W Bush is Commander in Chief
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