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Please let me thank you for all your hard work putting this rally together. I realize it’s no fun to work your tail off only to have someone pop up criticize what went on (guess that falls under the category “no good deed will go unpunished”). I guess my initial post was a tad harsh, and if it offended, I apologize. You all did a great job and I’m certain the fact that the event was held was a great comfort to any of our troops who heard about it. And that’s what's important, after all.

Thank you again for your efforts and God bless.

LOL -- even as you're less offended I hope you can tell with each post that as this fact sinks in I become more shocked. Of all the words to be missing. This was *not* good.

As a feeble effort for some recompense, let me share with you this poignant story. The organizers and I (I'm not actually a big fish in this -- I'm one of the worker bees) had the honor of having dinner last night with Mr. Aziz Al-Taee, the president of the Iraqi-American Council.

Mr. Al-Taee was delighted that Al-Jeezera came and filmed him talking about democracy in Iraqi and different types of Muslims -- Suni, Shiite, Kurds -- working together against Saddam. This is an important message that rarely gets out on Al-Jeezera. Egyptian television also covered his speech. He is working to establish a moderate Muslim voice as predominate and to stop the "cult," as he calls it, of Wahabism.

I know he has a son in Baghdad, so I asked him: "But if your speech is carried on Al-Jazeera, aren't you worried that the Republican Guard will hurt your son?" And he said to me, "I am not important. My son is not important. The liberation of Iraq and the end of Saddam is what maters. Part of this war is being fought in the media, and today we had a great battle victory."

Wow.

He's right. This war is being fought on the homefront through the media too. That's why he lingers in the States -- to conduct that part of the war for the liberation of his people. Many Iraqi dissidents are already in Baghdad working with our special forces. This is where Mr. Al-Taee can be most useful.

It made me realize that you and I and the others today were also, in a concededly small way, doing more than just lending support to our troops. We were, again in a very small way, joining the battle. I wish I could do more. That's all I wish. (On this website, you'll find link to ways you send emails to active duty military, and I guess I'll be off now to do that.)

God Bless our troops.

P.S. There was lots of military news guys there and some film people from Quantico, I understand. So the military's going to make sure the word gets to our troops too. But our troops get satellite feeds from CNN, and CNN did live cut-aways. So I know at least some troops heard we were there. Remember this website is part of a national coalition and there were nationwide support-our-troops rallies today. (In fact, about 10,000 in Richmond -- that may be why our numbers were smaller -- I think a lot of patriotic Americans in Virginia chose to drove West and I don't blame them. :)