At home, soldiers, veterans say the military has done all it can; it’s the war policy that has failed the U.S.
08:17 AM CDT on Friday, September 14, 2007
By DAVID McLEMORE / The Dallas Morning News
dmclemore@dallasnews.comSAN ANTONIO — There is little room for subtlety at the Drop Zone Café: American flags, soldiers’ photos, Army gear and a life-size cut-out of John Wayne round out the décor at this veterans’ hangout near Fort Sam Houston.
This particular Wednesday, the Iraq war is the topic of conversation — as it has been almost daily for four years.
Over breakfast tacos and coffee, the veterans — mostly from the Vietnam and Korean wars — absorbed two days of televised hearings this week as Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker outlined the progress of the U.S. troop surge.
And the discussion turns from “Why are we in Iraq?†to “Should we be?†The answer depends on whom you ask.
Here’s what amazes me, many Vets are not holding back on their opinions concerning the debacle in Iraq, the guys that have carried a rifle into combat, and not ONCE do you hear them denigrate the troops in ANY way, that’s because these Vets support the troops and oppose that war itself, shocking isn’t it?? The far right Bush Bots say that can’t be done, you can’t support one and not the other, but they are dead wrong…
These guys have had their lives on the line in past wars and I will tell you this, I know many troops personally, guys that have been IN Iraq, on combat patrols, for a year minimum, and by a large percentage they have serious questions as well, and if you could do an anonymous poll of active duty troops in service right now, regulars, reserves and Guard troops, and if they knew they could answer honestly without fear of persecution and having their careers wrecked, you’d hear a lot different story than that we’re hearing from the Bush Bot & Iraqi Freedom sites and their authors that have never seen a combat zone, except on the 6 o’clock news…
On one point, they reach unanimity: The American military has done its job well; it’s the politicians who that have screwed up Iraq.
Fred Balderrama, a Vietnam vet active in veterans’ affairs, says it’s time to put the brakes on American involvement.
“We cleared the way for Iraqis to have an election. What else are we supposed to do?†he asked. “And I still don’t understand why we didn’t continue to put the focus on Osama bin Laden.â€
And anyone that’s read my blog for ANY length of time knows that this is exactly the way I feel too, we took Saddam and Sons OUT, we gave the Iraqis a clean slate and secured their election, it’s time to back off and let Iraq be Iraq and we’ll have to live with whatever happens TO Iraq, it is after all, their nation and their destiny…
And regarding the Bin Laden thing, and him not being captured or killed, thank George W. Bush and his A.D.D. for that little faux pax in strategic failure, if you take your attention off of an opponent that you assume is all but beaten, and allow that opponent the opportunity to regroup and make a comeback, that is exactly what they WILL do, look at Afghanistan today and tell me that’s not 100% truth…
I encourage you to read the original story from DAVID McLEMORE & The Dallas Morning News, David has done an awesome job on this story and I am sending a fellow Texan a big Hat Tip…
Full Story Here:
Texas soldiers, vets say the military has done all it can in Iraq
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Not surprising in the least bit, of course the Bush Bots would argue that they are only a small piece of the puzzle and cannot grip the bigger picture and are not generals. That’s the kind of BS they blog. LMAO.