Posted on 01/15/2005 7:10:37 PM PST by churchillbuff
YORK In his latest column for Knight Ridder newspapers, famed war correspondent Joseph L. Galloway, a Bronze Star winner, calls for the United States, following Iraqi elections on Jan. 30, to "declare victory and begin leaving."
He joins the rather small band of commentators or editorialists advocating withdrawal.
Last month, in a USA Today column, founder Al Neuharth called for the United States to leave Iraq "sooner rather than later."
Galloway, co-author of "We Were Soldiers Once... and Young," won a Bronze Star in Vietnam after saving the lives of several soldiers and has covered nearly every major conflict since, including the current one.
In his current column he writes that if we stay the course in Iraq "we're likely doomed to an even bloodier and more costly defeat in a country divided along ethnic and religious fault lines and headed toward civil war. ...
"The problem is that there is no way we can win -- defeat the insurgents and install a stable, democratic, friendly government -- and bad things are going to happen anyway. There is no way Americans are willing to pay the price even of stalemate, never mind an unattainable victory. ...
"Why can't we win? Because we charged in with false premises and bogus assumptions. Because for every insurgent we kill, two or three more join the cause. Because even our advertised victories -- like Fallujah, where we apparently had to destroy the city in order to save it, or Samarra or Ramadi -- only turned the entire Sunni population against the United States and its Iraqi allies. ...
"If we learned nothing else from the bitter history of Vietnam it should be that there are places and people who won't accept change and won't quit fighting until even the most powerful nation and army in the world wearies of the killing and dying. ...
"As we approach the second anniversary of our invasion of Iraq we need to be discussing and debating what we are gaining, if anything, from this war and what we are losing."
Joe Galloway.
Was he on the ballot in November?
Another arm-chair quarterback weighs in.
Yes, just pull out and remove the likely major force keeping the country from exploding in violence... He must be a smart one.
"famed war correspondent"
Who asked him??
The RATS think this is 1975 not 2005. They are in for the surprise of their political lives.
This guy's just jumping on the bandwagon--I haven't heard much from him since the movie came out--but it's funny, I have a sense that we WILL begin pulling out many forces (certainly not all) earlier than some think, and this guy and others will be claiming THEY had something to do with it.
Ping to the usual.
Downright annoying, isn't it?
The best way out of Iraq may be through Syria...Hate to say it. Hate to see it...
I imagine he will predict the Allied forces prevail in WW2 any day now.
That what happens when a wide receiver from the fantasy football league, tries to throw off the double-reverse option. (He's intercepted by FReeper defense and it's run back for a touchdown.)
Is he one of those whining for a "pause" in the war in Afghanistan to give the enemy time to restock and reload?
The right answer to this mug is "We will give your suggestion all the consideration it deserves." And try not to laugh out loud til you get back to the oval office.
Bet Hal Moore would like to b!tch slap this little liberal putz! Past heroic do not pardon future stupidity!
Sometimes called the Stone-age Prolificators!
Pray for W and Our Troops
How many people have you talked to who work close to the Iraq mission (with NO political agenda)? Unfortuantely, many who work close to that mission share the views written and for very valid reaons. President Bush is doing what he thinks is the right thing to do -- however, it appears he was misled as far as the weapons of mass destruction. There are good reasons pro and con to be involved in Iraq. Whether the pros outweight the cons should be open for debate. Name-calling sheds no light on this important subject one way or the other.
Maybe we should just pull out and tell the Iraqi's we're doing it because of morons like Neuharth and Galloway. If the place goes to hell, we send the Iraqi hit squads Galloway's and Neuharth's addresses.
Galloway asks "what are we losing?" For one thing, we have lost all semblence of journalistic integrity. The media who once could be counted upon to take the side of the defenders of freedom and democracy now would much rather see it destroyed, than see Bush gain a political victory.
Imagine people had Galloway's commitment after WWII. It took ages democratize and stabalize countris like Germany and Japan. But was it worth it? Of course. Look at Kosovo - the left's favourite war. People are still dying from bomb attacks over there.
All we ask, Mr Joe Galloway, is for you to stop being such a hypocrite.
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