A little about Iraq ...
I stand firm in my belief that anyone that travels to Iraq for a week and comes back with a "new and improved" method of winning over there is full of utter garbage. And I hold true that the best and most effective way to win over there is to listen to the boots on the ground and to give them what they need to succeed.
And we should listen to what our troops are telling us they need. Which is TIME.
Michelle Malkin went to Iraq last week and is back with pictures and interviews and sadly, ideas. Her ideas mean nothing to me, because 1 - she's a civilian and 2 - she was only there a week. But the stories she has and the quotes she has from the men and women over there are so inspiring. And I do think seeing the troops and how they do their job helped her in understanding what kind of military we have. Which is (in my opinion) a military of winners. And if you give them a task (make Iraq stable) and give them the tools with which to do it, they will get it done. Hoorah!
From her post:
It's like Lewis said. Of course he said it in regards to his own job, but he's Johnny Appleseed. He went into customers last year and dropped some seeds, and now, a year later, they are starting to grow. The same (Lord willing) could be true of our troops in Iraq. They could be dropping the seeds of stability and some form of Government, and watered well and tended to, they could grow. All it could take is time and the efforts of our men and women on the ground.
I don't pretend to know if Iraq was the right thing to do or not. I know what I feel in my heart, but that's not always right. I don't pretend to know if our being over there is hurting more than it's helping, but I know that I believe our military can help, as they have always done. I do know that leaving the civilians in Iraq, those that do not want war or strife but just to raise their families and live their lives, is not the right thing to do. Those people deserve a chance to watch their children grow as much as the next person.
The men and women in our military make me so proud. My heart goes out to their families and I pray for them; please Lord, keep them safe.
And for why we need to stay, in a "learn from our mistakes" kind of way ... read this. If you're going to compare Iraq to Vietnam ... you should read what Chris Hitchens of Slate has to say. His points make sense ... and the politicans in control should remember what happened after Vietnam when they vote on the Presidents proposal. Here is his article at Slate.
And we should listen to what our troops are telling us they need. Which is TIME.
Michelle Malkin went to Iraq last week and is back with pictures and interviews and sadly, ideas. Her ideas mean nothing to me, because 1 - she's a civilian and 2 - she was only there a week. But the stories she has and the quotes she has from the men and women over there are so inspiring. And I do think seeing the troops and how they do their job helped her in understanding what kind of military we have. Which is (in my opinion) a military of winners. And if you give them a task (make Iraq stable) and give them the tools with which to do it, they will get it done. Hoorah!
From her post:
The everyday bravery and consummate professionalism of the troops I embedded with has strengthened my faith in the U.S. military. These soldiers are well aware of the history, culture, and sectarian strife that has wracked the Muslim world for more than a millennium. “They love death,” one gunner muttered as we heard explosions in the distance while parked in al Adil. Nevertheless, these troops are willing to put their lives on the line to bring security to Iraq, one neighborhood at a time.
They have teamed with Sunni and Shia, Iraqi civilian and soldier, alike to establish local government structures and security framework districts. “We are not here to build the Iraqi Security Forces,” Lieutenant Colonel Steven Miska, deputy commander for the Dagger Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, said. “We’re here to grow them. You can’t just plant and walk away.” Capt. Aaron Kaufman of Task Force Justice added: “It’s not a six-month or year-long process, especially when you’re talking about training the Iraqi forces.”
It's like Lewis said. Of course he said it in regards to his own job, but he's Johnny Appleseed. He went into customers last year and dropped some seeds, and now, a year later, they are starting to grow. The same (Lord willing) could be true of our troops in Iraq. They could be dropping the seeds of stability and some form of Government, and watered well and tended to, they could grow. All it could take is time and the efforts of our men and women on the ground.
I don't pretend to know if Iraq was the right thing to do or not. I know what I feel in my heart, but that's not always right. I don't pretend to know if our being over there is hurting more than it's helping, but I know that I believe our military can help, as they have always done. I do know that leaving the civilians in Iraq, those that do not want war or strife but just to raise their families and live their lives, is not the right thing to do. Those people deserve a chance to watch their children grow as much as the next person.
The men and women in our military make me so proud. My heart goes out to their families and I pray for them; please Lord, keep them safe.
And for why we need to stay, in a "learn from our mistakes" kind of way ... read this. If you're going to compare Iraq to Vietnam ... you should read what Chris Hitchens of Slate has to say. His points make sense ... and the politicans in control should remember what happened after Vietnam when they vote on the Presidents proposal. Here is his article at Slate.
Comments