The Soldiers Side of It
Buried on page A13 of the Washington Post print edition and in the "other headlines" section of the online edition is a great story.
"Soldiers in Iraq Say Pullout Would Have Devastating Results" is a an excellent article by Josh White.
Sometimes it's said that the best person to ask in the military isn't General SoandSo Admiral What'shisface. Instead, talk to the guys and gals actually doing the dirty work. White seems to have done that and gotten a ton of comments like this one, from a self described "more liberal than conservative" soldier
"Pulling out now would be as bad or worse than going forward with no changes," (Capt. Jim) Modlin said. "Sectarian violence would be rampant, democracy would cease to exist, and the rule of law would be decimated. It's not 'stay the course,' and it's not 'cut and run' or other political catchphrases. There are people's lives here. There are so many different dynamics that go on here that a simple solution just isn't possible."
Wisdom from the masses that the groups in congress probably can't comprehend; especially at election time when everything has to be compressed to a 30 second tv or radio ad.
White gives time to the soldiers who are frustrated, but they aren't frustrated by the mission, but the enemy and his tactics. When one is forced to fight a 'gentlemens war' against a group who doesn't follow the same rules frustration is sure to follow. Again, that's something our leaders should understand after Viet Nam.
If you don't read anything else before you make your decision tomorrow, maybe you should read the words of the soldiers fighting the war, and let them help you decide what the right course of action is.
(Editors Note: White has a lot of good articles in the Post about Iraq, mostly buried on A12-20, but they are there, click this link for the "recent articles list")
Technorati Tags: Soldiers, Iraq, Withdrawl, Elections, Democracy, Insurgents, Civil War, Josh White
"Soldiers in Iraq Say Pullout Would Have Devastating Results" is a an excellent article by Josh White.
Sometimes it's said that the best person to ask in the military isn't General SoandSo Admiral What'shisface. Instead, talk to the guys and gals actually doing the dirty work. White seems to have done that and gotten a ton of comments like this one, from a self described "more liberal than conservative" soldier
"Pulling out now would be as bad or worse than going forward with no changes," (Capt. Jim) Modlin said. "Sectarian violence would be rampant, democracy would cease to exist, and the rule of law would be decimated. It's not 'stay the course,' and it's not 'cut and run' or other political catchphrases. There are people's lives here. There are so many different dynamics that go on here that a simple solution just isn't possible."
Wisdom from the masses that the groups in congress probably can't comprehend; especially at election time when everything has to be compressed to a 30 second tv or radio ad.
White gives time to the soldiers who are frustrated, but they aren't frustrated by the mission, but the enemy and his tactics. When one is forced to fight a 'gentlemens war' against a group who doesn't follow the same rules frustration is sure to follow. Again, that's something our leaders should understand after Viet Nam.
If you don't read anything else before you make your decision tomorrow, maybe you should read the words of the soldiers fighting the war, and let them help you decide what the right course of action is.
(Editors Note: White has a lot of good articles in the Post about Iraq, mostly buried on A12-20, but they are there, click this link for the "recent articles list")
Technorati Tags: Soldiers, Iraq, Withdrawl, Elections, Democracy, Insurgents, Civil War, Josh White
posted by Crazy Politico at 5:40 AM
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