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Anti-war Protests Anger U.S. Troops Inside Kuwait
The Detroit News | Tuesday, February 18, 2003 | M.E. Sprengelmeyer

Posted on 02/18/2003 7:26:58 AM PST by BOBTHENAILER

Some see America’s patriotic mood waning.

Campujairi, Kuwait – The peace protesters might as well be marching right under the tank barrels.

U.S. troops amassed in the Kuwaiti desert couldn’t avoid news of anti-war protests that swept the globe over the weekend, and it is making some angry, defensive, fired-up and anxious.

They see scattered news reports of opposition to a possible war against Iraq, but the hardest-hitting bulletins come in phone calls home to worried wives and loved ones, said Sgt. 1st Class Victor Oravec, 41, of Fort Knox, Ky., of the U.S. Army’s 3-7 Cavalry.

“They’re saying, ‘Why are we over here when everyone’s over here saying we shouldn’t be?’” Oravec said.

“They hear it. They bring it up to me, and I squash it by keeping them busy, reminding them why they’re here,” Oravec said, just before leading his tank maintenance unit in an all-night training exercise across the Kuwaiti desert.

Many of the soldiers who might be called to fight against Iraq were too young to remember the emotional protests that marked the end of the Vietnam War. Many had not even been born.

Still, some say they take the anti-war protests personally – questioning the jobs they do and their boss, President Bush.

“They get down,” said Oravec, a veteran of the 1991 war against Iraq. “That’s when I come around, try to get them work to do. That’s the only thing I can think of to keep their minds off home and what their wives are telling them.”

Capt. John Turner, 26, of Colonial Heights, Va., whose father was a med-evac pilot for the Army in Vietnam, said soldiers are not decision-makers and can’t afford to get distracted from their training.

“I’m not in this line of work for political reasons. I didn’t come here to be a politician,” Turner said.

Still, he’s especially angry about opposition at the United Nations from France, a NATO ally.

“How would they feel if it was the Eiffel Tower that got hit into (on Sept. 11)?” he asked.

The troops see a possible war against Iraq as part of the ongoing war on terrorism, as the Bush administration targets alleged weapons of mass destruction that could fall into the hands of terrorists.

Protesters call that an unfounded or unproven claim being used to justify a war to control more of the Middle East’s vast oil reserves.

The “No blood for oil” slogan was used in opposition to the 1991 war, too. But back then, in the war to liberate Kuwait from Iraqi invaders, the protests did not seem as widespread and the troops did not take them so personally, Gulf War veterans said.

“That’s their right to protest as long as they know that’s their opinion, not ours,” said 1st Sgt. Stephen Edgerton, 36, a Gulf War veteran from Blackshear, Ga.

“When you’re younger, you’re a little more eager to go out and pick a fight with somebody,” Edgerton said. “With age, you’re not as quick to jump into things without thinking them out first.”

But for soldiers, he said, the bottom line is simple: “I support my Commander in Chief. That’s my job.”

Pvt. Wesley Carr, 23, of Virginia Beach, Va., said soldiers are the last ones who want to rush into unnecessary wars.

“I can understand why they want to protest, because they don’t want any harm to come to us. But a lot of them don’t understand,” Carr said. “I hope, like everyone else, that it does end peacefully. But if it doesn’t and we have to go to war, we have to think of the safety of the United States and all these people here.”

Privately, some soldiers wonder if the patriotic mood and pro-military spirit in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks has evaporated.

With all its soldiers and high-tech war fighting machines, the U.S. military would not have had all its recent success if the soldiers didn’t get so much support from the public, Edgerton said.

“They don’t have to support what’s happening,” he said, “but at least support the soldiers”

Iraq Update
1st U-2 Mission: Iraq reported the first flight by an American U-2 surveillance plane Monday in support of the U.N. inspection mission, marking another concession by the Baghdad government in hopes of staving off a U.S. –led attack. The flight lasted four hours.

Turkey Delays:
Turkey’s prime minister on Monday ruled out a parliamentary vote to allow tens of thousands of U.S. combat troops on its territory until Turkish and U.S. officials agree on the conditions of the deployment.


TOPICS: Breaking News
KEYWORDS: antiamericanpos; appeasementweanies; appeaseniks; democrats; ingrates; janefondalovers; jerks; marxists; saddamsbuddies; supportourtroops; traitors
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To: DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet
I've heard of one incident there. I've also heard of other stuff both in Seattle and Vancouver.

PLEASE tell me different. I'd LOVE it if it was all just "urban legends".

221 posted on 02/18/2003 12:36:39 PM PST by Long Cut
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To: mystery-ak
....to quote my hubby waiting to be deployed at Fort Campbell after I told him what happened Sat. night....*F--- em'....*

Tell your hubby God Bless and Godspeed. I couldn't agree more with his response.

222 posted on 02/18/2003 12:39:30 PM PST by BOBTHENAILER (Just like Black September. One by one, we're gonna get 'em.)
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To: maica
"Visceral repugnance" is a good way to sum it up succintly. I'm going to use that in the future, if you don't mind.
223 posted on 02/18/2003 1:03:04 PM PST by NYC GOP Chick (The LMDC can go to hell)
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To: Grampa Dave
Interesting. I never thought of it that way. I think that it would have affected me viscerally no matter what, but having been a few very short blocks right outside the WTC when it happened made it a bit more personal for me. That, and losing friends and neighbors that morning.
224 posted on 02/18/2003 1:12:30 PM PST by NYC GOP Chick (The LMDC can go to hell)
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To: Long Cut
There’s nothing more American than dissent.

That said, this isn’t anti war dissent, it’s anti-Americanism, expressed at America’s most visible symbol, those protecting their right to protest with their lives.

I believe Dante housed traitors in the ninth circle of hell. May they one day enjoy their deserved stay.

For what it’s worth, though there aren’t that many in the military around me, they’re visible in uniform on a daily basis at the grocery, post office, and Target, though I’ve been told security around housing has been stepped up.

225 posted on 02/18/2003 1:26:55 PM PST by SJackson
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To: BOBTHENAILER
GOD love and keep safe ALL our troops!Remember the human shields,they were the first to leave and should be THE FIRST TO GO!!
226 posted on 02/18/2003 1:42:18 PM PST by INSENSITIVE GUY
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To: Long Cut
I wish I could, 'Cut, but in the home of "Baghdad" Jim McDermott, it's not that unbelievable. I was just wondering where I might go to spit on them.
227 posted on 02/18/2003 1:53:42 PM PST by DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet (Eleven. Exactly. One Louder.)
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To: BOBTHENAILER
Oh Bob, you're breaking my heart! I just don't want to believe these people are that hateful and that deceptive and that lusting for power that they would sell their nation - but ... when I really think about it ... I do have to agree it does look exactly like that ...

If the public ever gets wind of this, it will totally destroy the democrat party (and you notice I didn't call it the "democratic" party).
228 posted on 02/18/2003 1:58:41 PM PST by CyberAnt ( Yo! Syracuse)
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To: BOBTHENAILER; Grampa Dave; JohnHuang2; Alamo-Girl
Posted this on another thread:

From :ejectejecteject.com

____________________________________________




We live in interesting times. We face an adversary so mentally shackled, so consumed with hatred and revenge, that their only weapon is Terror. That is their sword. Our shield, is courage.

They want, they need us to be afraid. And some of us are. News reporters, in particular, seem to have bones made of margarine and I suspect their blood looks as pink and watery as watermelon juice. They daily tell us how afraid we are. What they’re really telling us is how afraid they are.

We have -- we here today – have lived our lives more free of fear than any humans in history. No other generation comes even close. We have conquered the diseases that have taken our children from us, slain hunger to the point where the number one health risk to poor Americans is obesity. We have a stable government, a functioning society, and teams of highly trained and magnificently skilled rescuers only three button-pushes away. Fear is not something modern Americans have had to face very often.

And when we are afraid, we seem to fear the most unlikely things: plane crashes and terrorist attacks. Nothing baffles me more than listening to a 340 pound smoker, a person who will drive drunk, without seatbelts, talking about how they are going to die in a commercial jetliner.

Terrorists worry me, but they don’t frighten me. The worst thing they can do is kill me, and despite my best efforts to the contrary, that’s going to happen regardless of what they may scheme and fantasize about.

Terrorism can never, never destroy this nation. They may kill thousands of us, perhaps even take one of our cities – cities they could never build, filled with people they can never be. Perhaps it will be my city. Perhaps it will be me. But if they do, life will go on. Some things are bigger and more important than our own lives. America can survive the loss of a city. America can survive the loss of all her cities. Because our image and idea of America lives in our hearts, and as long as there are Americans alive in the world, America will survive.

But there are people that do scare me – people that scare me very badly indeed, because these people have the power to kill this idea we call America.

We have turned our children’s minds over to certain people who are so bitter and angry, so hateful of the country that gave them birth and safety, that their poison now fills our college campuses and has overrun entire communities. These are not loyal dissenters who rightfully question the policies of our nation, but small and diseased people who cannot understand why their fantasy ideologies are never in vogue, who can see nothing noble or magnificent on their foggy and dim and very close inner horizons. People whose anger and envy have driven them to turn all virtue into an ironic smirk, people who react to strength and morality with the revulsion born of a lifetime of failure and dark plans for revenge on the happy, the confident and the self-reliant.

I fear these people. I hate them. I hate them because they can kill our confidence, corrode our will, poison our history and make us believe we are the base, savage and dismal society they see through their cataracts of failure. These people can kill America. And they are determined to do it if we let them. And the one thing they mock and spit on, the one trait they despise above all others, is the physical and moral courage that they have never known, and that is the leaden nugget of their self-hatred.

There are people – Americans – who would turn this into the Land of the Guilty and the Home of the Terrified. We cannot let them do this. We simply can not.

229 posted on 02/18/2003 2:04:28 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach (Nuke Saddam ( Bush is thinking about it ) and then what about Germany and France?)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
Thanks for the heads up!
230 posted on 02/18/2003 2:10:51 PM PST by Alamo-Girl
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To: SENTINEL
OutStanding, Marine!!

USMC 1977-1981
231 posted on 02/18/2003 2:14:39 PM PST by RaceBannon
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To: buffyt
I equate 9/11 attacks to Pearl Harbor attacks.

So do I.

We didn't start the war, we were attacked.

Correct, but we were attacked by religious fundamentalist followers of Islam. These followers hate Saddam as much as they hate us. We should be going after these fundamentalists wherever they are instead of wasting all of this time, lives, and money with Saddam.

Saudi Arabia would be a far better place to start but they're our ally.This nonsense response I hear so often of "We'll get to them in due time" is pure bull. We're never going after the ones who killed thousands of Americans as long as we're getting oil from the House of Saud.

232 posted on 02/18/2003 2:27:06 PM PST by sakic
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To: NYC GOP Chick
You are welcome, it's not too strong is it? </sarcasm>

I get angry every time I hear people belittle what happened to our country, especially to New York City!

If our "media" wanted to counterbalance these braindead protesters they would show a few clips of the horror of 9/11 on a regular basis. Since they don't show them, it is obvious that they are sympathetic to America-bashers.
233 posted on 02/18/2003 2:32:27 PM PST by maica
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To: mhking
"Walk On The VILE Side!!"
(To be sung to Lou Reed's "Walk On the Wild Side!!")

Willie came from Little Rock, A-R-K...
Politicked his way across the U-S-A.
RAPED some women on the way...
Killed his "friends" 'cuz he was the Prez - Slick said:
"Hey Knaves, take a walk on the Vile Side!!"
Said "Hey Country, take a walk on the Vile Side!!"

John Huang came from Beijing in Red China.
In Slick's White House, Illegal Funds he laundered!!
But Huang never lost the Prez...
'Cuz Slick's TREASON required bread - Huang said...
"Hey Bill, sell yer NUKES to the Chi-Coms!!"
Said, "Hey Willie, Sell the Rope to hang yer side!!"
And Left's MedyuhShills go, doo dodoo (7x on F C)

Tobackky Al never once gave it away,
Chi-Com monks hadta pay and pay!!
Corruption here fer some TREASON there...
Clinton's White House is the place where they said:
"Hey kids, take a walk on the VileSide!!"
Said "Waco kids, we'll send tanks to make YOU FRY!!"

BourbonBirch Teddy picked up Mary Jo...
Looking for some lovin' from his two-bit HO!!
Drove into the Chappaquiddick, drowned his date then split the scene - Ted said:
"Hey Bobby, Kennedy's can't commit crimes..."
Said, "Hey Jack, DemonRATS...Ain't We ALL Vile?!!"

HildaBeast's just fading away,
Thought she was VeePee in her day.
Lib'ral Wretch, she covets cash,
Prison's where RAT BI+C#'ll breathe her last - she said:

"Hey Hubbell, thanks fer sirin' my only child!!"
MUD Said, "NooYawkers, Ain't Y'all Got NO Pride?!"
And the DemonRATS go, doo dodoo (7x on F C)

Mudboy Slim...first FReeped 20 July 1997 (re-FReeped 18 February 2003)

234 posted on 02/18/2003 2:38:26 PM PST by Mudboy Slim (Git the US Outta the UN...and Git Ashcroft Outta the DOJ!!!)
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To: sakic

Bear something in mind when you watch the massive protests and read an article or two from The Guardian or The Independent.

Our forces will invade Iraq. When they do, they will liberate a people who are living, as we speak, in fear. The Allied soldiers will smite the wicked, liberate the oppressed, and find, at long last, Saddam Hussein's stash of WMD stuff.

Rebuilding will be difficult, but bear in mind one thing. This war, like others, will pass into history. When it does, the historians will ask who fought to destroy Saddam, and who fought to keep him in power.

They will conclude that American and British troops, under the command of two honest and courageous leaders, George W. Bush and Tony Blair, brought freedom where there was fear.

And the protesters? The Not in Our Name crowd? The New Labourites who can't see past their distaste for the Dumb Cowboy in the White House?

They will have had nothing to do with it. That one observation will be a damning indictment for the ages.

Be Seeing You,

Chris

235 posted on 02/18/2003 2:43:20 PM PST by section9 (The girl in the picture is Major Motoko Kusanagi from "Ghost In the Shell". Any questions?)
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To: section9
I hope you're right but I have my doubts like others. This doesn't make us less of Americans or less patriotic by any definition. The bashing of those that disagree with a president as being unpatriotic is truly un-American.
236 posted on 02/18/2003 2:49:45 PM PST by sakic
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Comment #237 Removed by Moderator

To: section9
Do you agree that Al Qaeda hates Saddam with a vengeance and is only supporting his position here because it is an anti-American stance?

Do you agree that whether we should take out Saddam or not is a separate issue from the attack of 9/11?

What is your position on Saudi Arabia in all of this?

238 posted on 02/18/2003 2:52:46 PM PST by sakic
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To: maica
I think that at least once a month -- maybe even more often -- the networks should show footage of the towers being hit, the towers collapsing, the Pentagon on fire, the crater in Shanksville, etc., in the middle of "Friends" or "Survivor" or whatever other horseclinton in on prime time network TV.
239 posted on 02/18/2003 3:04:55 PM PST by NYC GOP Chick (The LMDC can go to hell)
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To: Long Cut
You know it. Getting arrested was not on my "to do list" Saturday.
240 posted on 02/18/2003 3:21:37 PM PST by Travis McGee (www.enemiesforeignanddomestic.com)
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