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."
Bad Czech Report? (From "Outline of the 9/11 Plot," Staff Statement no. 16 )
We have examined the allegation that Atta (Mohamed Atta, one of the 9/11 pilots) met with an Iraqi intelligence officer in Prague on April 9. Based on the evidence available including investigation by Czech and U.S. authorities plus detainee reporting we do not believe that such a meeting occurred.
The FBI’s investigation places him in Virginia as of April 4, as evidenced by this bank surveillance camera shot of Atta withdrawing $8,000 from his account. Atta was back in Florida by April 11, if not before. Indeed, investigation has established that, on April 6, 9, 10, and 11, Atta’s cellular telephone was used numerous times to call Florida phone numbers from cell sites within Florida. We have seen no evidence that Atta ventured overseas again or re-entered the United States before July, when he traveled to Spain and back under his true name.
It is sad that there are conservatives who are this blinded by partisanship.
Premise #1: Muslims are not capable of democracy
Premise #2: Muslims in mixed Suuni-Shiite countries are doubly incapable of democracy
We are not there killing people to solve a military threat. We are holding hands while Muslims "nation-build." This is foolish. If Iraqis are a threat to us, then send in the B52's to drop dumb bombs at 30,000 feet until our enemies rue the day they ever dared fight us. Since that is not the case, let's leave. Now.
Mr. Murtha...is that you?
If not you sure are using the same myopic DU generated BS as the rest of the cut and run cowards that would rather see innocent Iraqi's slaughtered and my fellow soldiers abandoned on the field of battle before the job is done.
Ignorance of the facts does not chage the facts.
After reading some of the posts in this thread I fear he has a lot of company...
Cut and Run Son of New England Liberals
Still haven't got the leftist mindset out of your system, I see.....
Pray tell what happens when we 'leave. Now.'?
Is Iraq a military threat? If yes, then lets send in the B-52's and turn the place to rubble from the safety of 30,000 feet. If no, then lets leave immediately.
This is just remarkable to me. Where did these people come from? And how have they remained so ignorant after 8 years on an informative forum like this?
Neocon?
Listen DUmbass I was over there with the 1st Armored Division for a year.
What exactly are the "facts" you would like to know?
Pray tell what happens when we 'leave. Now.'?
Easy, Shiite's and Sunni's start killing each other. Not my problem, not a threat to the United States. Although I will pray that they accept Jesus as their savior and join the body of Christ rather than their perverted warrior cult.
Have you been in a spider hole for the past 3 years??
Don't worry, as soon as the terrorists murder another 4,000 civilians in NYC, most of us will be on the same page again.
For at least a few weeks.
Ok, you are not a neocon. That means you reject the nation-building side of Iraq. Then lets treat them as a military threat and turn the nation to rubble from 30,000 feet. That is a heck of a lot easier than fighting in the streets.
I have to say I'm stunned, I really meant that...
meant = mean
How old are you, boy? I've been a conservative for nearly half a century.
And in case you didn't have good teachers, the prefix 'neo' means NEW. You can't be 'neo' after fifty years....
(Oh, yeah.... 'neocon' is an insult.........something you claim you don't do)
Isn't that the sad truth....
So it sounds like your position is that there is the "terrorist level" of threat in between military threat and non-threat. You do realize that every single Islamic country meets that criteria? Why aren't we in other Islamic states? The answer traces back to neoconservatism: make a democracy out of Iraq, and freedom will spread like wildfire. The only flaw in the plan: Muslims do not like freedom.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.