posted on May 23, 2006 07:45:08 AM new
Yup, 88 percent of (14 of 18 provences) Iraq is free from terrorism, yet sheepa continues to harp on the negative.
"“More Iraqis think things are going well in Iraq than Americans do. I guess they don’t get the New York Times over there.”—Jay Leno".
posted on May 23, 2006 09:38:20 AM new Are the Provence's racked with civil war and terrorism VERY populated?
What civil war? The perceived civil war is a figment of the imagination of the liberal press being bought hook line & sinker by the its gullible liberal drones.
The bombings occuring now are targeting Iraqi civilians, police & military forces is sponsored by terrorists against those that are supporting Iraqi freedom the improving Iraqi. . Those terrorists are the same ones that were supporters of Saddam.
"“More Iraqis think things are going well in Iraq than Americans do. I guess they don’t get the New York Times over there.”—Jay Leno".
posted on May 23, 2006 09:54:15 AM new
Civil war in Iraq. Now that's a good one.
What a moron. I bet the dopa get's off on this bullshi- propaganda.
.
.
.
Many misleading tricks in 2006. The new Demomoron slogan.
[ edited by stonecold613 on May 23, 2006 09:55 AM ]
posted on May 23, 2006 11:58:54 AM new
I agree, Bear....but some just refuse to see that.
They still want us to withdraw, admit defeat to AQ. How sad that any American feels that way. We've made so many accomplishments over there....but I guess some want AQ to KNOW we're afraid of them by backing out now. tsk tsk tsk
------------------------------------
President's Remarks on the Formation of a New Government in Iraq
"The formation of a unity government in Iraq is a new day for the millions of Iraqis who want to live in freedom. And the formation of the unity government in Iraq begins a new chapter in our relationship with Iraq. ... I assured them that the United States will continue to assist the Iraqis in the formation of a free country, because I fully understand that a free Iraq will be an important ally in the war on terror, will serve as a devastating defeat for the terrorists and al Qaeda, and will serve as an example for others in the region who desire to be free."
-- President George W. Bush
May 21, 2006
----------------
Strategy for Victory: Freedom in Iraq
On March 29, 2006, President Bush Delivered Remarks At Freedom House And Discussed Critical Aspects Of Our Mission In Iraq. The President discussed the stakes in Iraq our efforts to help the Iraqi people overcome past divisions and form a lasting democracy - and why it is vital to the security of the American people that we help them succeed. Free societies are peaceful societies, and the only path to lasting peace is the expansion of freedom and democracy.
The Advance Of Freedom Is The Story Of Our Time. Just 25 years ago, there were only 45 democracies. Today, Freedom House reports there are 122 democracies, and more people live in liberty than ever before.
Since the beginning of 2005, remarkable democratic change has occurred across the globe in places like Afghanistan, Lebanon, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, and Iraq. Freedom House has declared 2005 "one of the most successful years for freedom since Freedom House began measuring world freedom" more than 30 years ago.
----------------------
Iraqis Are Working To Overcome Past Divisions
Today, Iraqis Are Working To Resolve Tensions And Divisions That Saddam Hussein Aggravated Through Ethnic Cleansing And Sectarian Violence. The argument that Iraq was "stable" under Saddam - and stability is now in danger because we removed him - is wrong. While liberation has brought its own challenges, Saddam's removal from power was the necessary first step in restoring stability and freedom to Iraqis.
To Prevent Iraq's Different Groups From Coming Together To Challenge His Regime, Saddam Undertook A Deliberate Strategy Of Maintaining Power By Dividing The Iraqi People. He brutally repressed different Iraqi communities and pitted them against one another. By displacing communities and dividing Iraqis, Saddam sought to establish himself as the only force that could hold the country together.
No Iraqi Community Was Spared From Saddam's Campaign Of Repression And Division. In the late 1980s, Saddam unleashed a brutal ethnic cleansing operation against Kurds in northern Iraq known as the Anfal campaign. Kurdish towns and villages were destroyed, and tens of thousands of Kurds disappeared or were killed. Chemical weapons were dropped on scores of Kurdish villages. In Halabja, thousands of innocent men, women, and children were killed using mustard gas and a nerve agent. Saddam also forcibly removed hundreds of thousands of Kurds from their homes - moving Arabs into the homes and properties of those forced to leave. As a result, Saddam magnified tensions that still persist.
Saddam Waged A Brutal Campaign Of Suppression And Genocide Against Shia In Southern Iraq. He targeted prominent Shia clerics for assassination, destroyed Shia mosques and holy sites, and killed thousands of innocent men, women, and children - piling their bodies into mass graves.
Saddam Oppressed His Fellow Sunnis. One of the great misperceptions is that every Sunni enjoyed a privileged status under Saddam's regime. In truth, Saddam trusted few outside his family and tribe - installing his sons, brothers, and cousins in key positions. Almost everyone was considered suspect - and often those suspicions led to brutal violence. In the mid-1990s, Saddam rounded up scores of prominent Sunnis, and many were never heard from again.
We Know Iraqis Can Live Together Peacefully. Iraq is a nation with many ethnic, religious, sectarian, regional, and tribal divisions - and before Saddam, Iraqis from different communities managed to live together. Even today, many Iraqi tribes have both Sunni and Shia branches, and in many small towns with mixed populations, there is often only one mosque, where Sunnis and Shia worship together. Intermarriage is common, with mixed families that include Arabs, Kurds, Sunnis, Shia, Turkmen, Assyrians, and Caldeans.
------------
The Obstacles To Democracy Are Being Overcome
To Foment Sectarian Division, The Enemy Is Employing Saddam's Tactics - Killing And Terrorizing The Iraqi People.
The Terrorists And Saddamists Are Failing To Stop Iraq's Democratic Progress. The enemy tried to stop the transfer of sovereignty. They tried to stop millions from voting in the January 2005 elections. They tried to stop Sunnis from participating in the October constitutional referendum. And they tried to stop millions from voting in the December elections to form a government under that constitution. In each case, they failed. Every successive election has seen larger and broader participation. The Iraqi people have made clear they want to live in liberty and unity - and they are determined to chart their own destiny.
The Enemy Is Trying To Stop The Formation Of A Unity Government. The enemy has learned they cannot succeed by facing Coalition and Iraqi forces on the battlefield. So they have taken their violence to a new level by attacking one of Shia Islam's holiest sites. They blew up the Golden Mosque in Samarra hoping to provoke the Shia masses into widespread reprisals, which would provoke Sunnis to retaliate and drag the nation into civil war. Despite massive provocations, Iraq has not descended into civil war, most Iraqis have not turned to violence, and the Iraqi Security Forces have not broken up into sectarian groups waging war against each other. In recent weeks, these forces passed another important test, successfully protecting millions of Shia pilgrims who marched to the cities of Karbala and Najaf for an annual religious holiday. In the midst of today's sectarian tension, the ability of Iraqis to hold a peaceful gathering of millions of people is a hopeful sign for the future.
There Is No Place In A Free And Democratic Iraq For Armed Groups Operating Outside Of The Law. It is vital to Iraq's security that the police are free of militia influence. The Coalition is working with Iraqi leaders to find and remove any National Police leaders showing evidence of militia loyalties. American battalions are partnering with the Iraqi national police to teach them about the role of a professional police force in a democratic system.
Recent Violence Is Showing Iraqi Leaders The Danger Of Sectarian Division And Underscoring The Urgency Of Forming A National Unity Government. Today, Iraqi leaders from every major ethnic and religious community are working to construct a path forward. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad is helping Iraq's leaders reach across political, religious, and sectarian lines to form a government that will earn the trust and the confidence of all Iraqis.
There Are Signs Of Progress. Earlier this month, Iraqi leaders announced an agreement on the need to address critical issues such as de-Ba'athification, the operation of security ministries, and the distribution of oil revenues in a spirit of national unity. They agreed to form a new national security council to improve government coordination on these and other difficult issues. This council will include representatives from all major political groups and leaders from Iraq's executive, judicial, and legislative branches. This council's advice will help make the Iraqi government that emerges more effective and unified.
The Free Citizens Of A Free Iraq Are Calling Saddam Hussein To Account. The former dictator is answering to a judge instead of meting out arbitrary justice - and Iraqis are replacing the rule of a tyrant with the rule of law.
---------------
Victory In Iraq Is Critical To American Security
Our Work In Iraq Is Difficult But Vital To Our Security. The terrorists know that when freedom sets root in Iraq, it will be a mortal blow to their aspirations to dominate the region and advance their hateful vision. They are determined to stop the advance of freedom in Iraq, and we must be equally determined to stop them.
If We Leave Iraq Before The Iraqi People Are Capable Of Defending Their Own Democracy, The Terrorists Will Win. The Iraqi government is still in transition, and Iraqi Security Forces are still gathering capacity. If we leave Iraq before they are capable of defending their own democracy, the terrorists will achieve their stated goal: they will turn Iraq into a safe haven, seek to arm themselves with weapons of mass murder, and use Iraq as a base to overthrow moderate governments in the Middle East and launch more attacks against America and other free nations.
America Will Not Retreat From Iraq. We will complete the mission, because the security of the American people is linked to the success of a free Iraq. And when victory is achieved, our troops will come home. There will be more tough fighting ahead, with difficult days that test the patience and resolve of our country. Yet we can have faith in the final outcome because we have seen freedom overcome the darkness of tyranny and terror and secure the peace before. In this century, freedom will prevail once again.
---------------------
posted on May 23, 2006 01:39:31 PM new
Bear,
If Bear says the word "MUSHROOM" he must be thinking about the "MUSHROOM CLOUD" LIE about Iraq DUMBO BUSH gave America.
LETS GET TOGETHER AND PUT THE LIAR CONSERVATIVES OUT CHASING BEDOUINS AFTER THE NOVEMBER 7th 2006 ELECTIONS.
LIAR_K copied and pasted more words from George DUMBO Bush. In the years of the Iraq war both he and shooter Cheney have had a lot of time to tell lies like below.
WE ALL REMEMBER WHEN DUMBO AND SHOOTER WERE SAYING THE WAR WOULD LAST JUST A FEW WEEKS AND THE IRAQI PEOPLE WOULD THROW CANDY AT THE TROOPS NOT BOMBS.
posted on May 23, 2006 01:55:41 PM new
Iraq War Update 5/23/2006
Total 2456 Dead American Troops
Total 18,088 Wounded American Troops
05/23/06 MailGuardian: 2500 killed, 85000 displaced in two months
Acts of violence have killed nearly 2,500 people and forced more than 85,000 to flee their homes in Iraq, the United Nations assistance mission in Iraq said on Tuesday in a March-April report on the human rights situation.
05/23/06 KUNA; Jobless Iraqis vulnerable to extremists
The wife of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said here Tuesday that high unemployment in her country was making disaffected youths vulnerable to extremists.
posted on May 23, 2006 01:56:48 PM newWE ALL REMEMBER WHEN DUMBO AND SHOOTER WERE SAYING THE WAR WOULD LAST JUST A FEW WEEKS
You dumbazzed moron. I don't know what kind of moronic visions you have been seeing, but he was very clear in the beginning that it may take a couple of years. Yes, he did say that things are going slower than planned, but that isn't anything unusual in situations like that either.
How about serving up something constructive, otherwise expect to get pounded on every post you do.
.
.
.
Many misleading tricks in 2006. The new Demomoron slogan.
posted on May 23, 2006 03:25:21 PM new
THIS ARTICLE WAS IN USA TODAY OVER 3 YEARS AGO. YOU CAN ALL SEE FOR YOURSELVES HOW BEAR,LIAR_K AND STONECOLD ARE TRYING TO COVER FOR THE BUSH GANGS LIES AND INCOMPETENCE!!!
April 1, 2003
Prewar predictions coming back to bite
Officials who forecast a brief conflict.
By Susan Page, USA TODAY
Vice President Cheney, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Air Force Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke optimistically in interviews and at briefings about the prospects that the war would be short, Iraqi resistance limited and Iraqi citizens welcoming.
* Feb. 7, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, to U.S. troops in Aviano, Italy: "It is unknowable how long that conflict will last. It could last six days, six weeks. I doubt six months."
* March 4, Air Force Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at a breakfast with reporters: "What you'd like to do is have it be a short, short conflict. . . . Iraq is much weaker than they were back in the '90s," when its forces were routed from Kuwait.
* March 11, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, in a speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars: "The Iraqi people understand what this crisis is about. Like the people of France in the 1940s, they view us as their hoped-for liberator."
* March 16, Vice President Cheney, on NBC's Meet the Press: "I think things have gotten so bad inside Iraq, from the standpoint of the Iraqi people, my belief is we will, in fact, be greeted as liberators. . . . I think it will go relatively quickly, . . . (in) weeks rather than months."
CHENEY predicted that regular Iraqi soldiers would not "put up such a struggle" and that even "significant elements of the Republican Guard . . . are likely to step aside."
AFTER THOSE STATEMENTS WERE TOLD TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE BY BUSH'S GANG OF LIARS THE IRAQ WAR BEGAN.
posted on May 23, 2006 04:16:40 PM new If Bear says the word "MUSHROOM" I know he's thinking of what I call my brain...
Antiwar myths about Iraq, debunked.
BY PETER WEHNER
Tuesday, May 23, 2006 12:01 a.m. EDT
Iraqis can participate in three historic elections, pass the most liberal constitution in the Arab world, and form a unity government despite terrorist attacks and provocations. Yet for some critics of the president, these are minor matters. Like swallows to Capistrano, they keep returning to the same allegations--the president misled the country in order to justify the Iraq war; his administration pressured intelligence agencies to bias their judgments; Saddam Hussein turned out to be no threat since he didn't possess weapons of mass destruction; and helping democracy take root in the Middle East was a postwar rationalization. The problem with these charges is that they are false and can be shown to be so--and yet people continue to believe, and spread, them. Let me examine each in turn:
The president misled Americans to convince them to go to war. "There is no question [the Bush administration] misled the nation and led us into a quagmire in Iraq," according to Ted Kennedy. Jimmy Carter charged that on Iraq, "President Bush has not been honest with the American people." And Al Gore has said that an "abuse of the truth" characterized the administration's "march to war." These charges are themselves misleading, which explains why no independent body has found them credible. Most of the world was operating from essentially the same set of assumptions regarding Iraq's WMD capabilities. Important assumptions turned out wrong; but mistakenly relying on faulty intelligence is a world apart from lying about it.
Let's review what we know. The National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) is the intelligence community's authoritative written judgment on specific national-security issues. The 2002 NIE provided a key judgment: "Iraq has continued its [WMD] programs in defiance of U.N. resolutions and restrictions. Baghdad has chemical and biological weapons as well as missiles with ranges in excess of U.N. restrictions; if left unchecked, it probably will have a nuclear weapon during this decade."
Thanks to the bipartisan Silberman-Robb Commission, which investigated the causes of intelligence failures in the run-up to the war, we now know that the President's Daily Brief (PDB) and the Senior Executive Intelligence Brief "were, if anything, more alarmist and less nuanced than the NIE" (my emphasis). We also know that the intelligence in the PDB was not "markedly different" from that given to Congress. This helps explains why John Kerry, in voting to give the president the authority to use force, said, "I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a threat, and a grave threat, to our security." It's why Sen. Kennedy said, "We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction." And it's why Hillary Clinton said in 2002, "In the four years since the inspectors, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability and his nuclear program."
Beyond that, intelligence agencies from around the globe believed Saddam had WMD. Even foreign governments that opposed his removal from power believed Iraq had WMD: Just a few weeks before Operation Iraqi Freedom, Wolfgang Ischinger, German ambassador to the U.S., said, "I think all of our governments believe that Iraq has produced weapons of mass destruction and that we have to assume that they continue to have weapons of mass destruction."
In addition, no serious person would justify a war based on information he knows to be false and which would be shown to be false within months after the war concluded. It is not as if the WMD stockpile question was one that wasn't going to be answered for a century to come.
The Bush administration pressured intelligence agencies to bias their judgments. Earlier this year, Mr. Gore charged that "CIA analysts who strongly disagreed with the White House . . . found themselves under pressure at work and became fearful of losing promotions and salary increases." Sen. Kennedy charged that the administration "put pressure on intelligence officers to produce the desired intelligence and analysis."
This myth is shattered by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence's bipartisan Report on the U.S. Intelligence Community's Prewar Intelligence Assessments on Iraq. Among the findings: "The committee did not find any evidence that intelligence analysts changed their judgments as a result of political pressure, altered or produced intelligence products to conform with administration policy, or that anyone even attempted to coerce, influence or pressure analysts to do so." Silberman-Robb concluded the same, finding "no evidence of political pressure to influence the Intelligence Community's prewar assessments of Iraq's weapons programs. . . . Analysts universally asserted that in no instance did political pressure cause them to skew or alter any of their analytical judgments." What the report did find is that intelligence assessments on Iraq were "riddled with errors"; "most of the fundamental errors were made and communicated to policy makers well before the now-infamous NIE of October 2002, and were not corrected in the months between the NIE and the start of the war."
Because weapons of mass destruction stockpiles weren't found, Saddam posed no threat. Howard Dean declared Iraq "was not a danger to the United States." John Murtha asserted, "There was no threat to our national security." Max Cleland put it this way: "Iraq was no threat. We now know that. There are no weapons of mass destruction, no nuclear weapons programs." Yet while we did not find stockpiles of WMD in Iraq, what we did find was enough to alarm any sober-minded individual.
Upon his return from Iraq, weapons inspector David Kay, head of the Iraq Survey Group (ISG), told the Senate: "I actually think this may be one of those cases where [Iraq under Saddam Hussein] was even more dangerous than we thought." His statement when issuing the ISG progress report said: "We have discovered dozens of WMD-related program activities" that were part of "deliberate concealment efforts" that should have been declared to the U.N. And, he concluded, "Saddam, at least as judged by those scientists and other insiders who worked in his military-industrial programs, had not given up his aspirations and intentions to continue to acquire weapons of mass destruction."
Among the key findings of the September 2004 report by Charles Duelfer, who succeeded Mr. Kay as ISG head, are that Saddam was pursuing an aggressive strategy to subvert the Oil for Food Program and to bring down U.N. sanctions through illicit finance and procurement schemes; and that Saddam intended to resume WMD efforts once U.N. sanctions were eliminated. According to Mr. Duelfer, "the guiding theme for WMD was to sustain the intellectual capacity achieved over so many years at such a great cost and to be in a position to produce again with as short a lead time as possible. . . . Virtually no senior Iraqi believed that Saddam had forsaken WMD forever. Evidence suggests that, as resources became available and the constraints of sanctions decayed, there was a direct expansion of activity that would have the effect of supporting future WMD reconstitution."
Beyond this, Saddam's regime was one of the most sadistic and aggressive in modern history. It started a war against Iran and used mustard gas and nerve gas. A decade later Iraq invaded Kuwait. Iraq was a massively destabilizing force in the Middle East; so long as Saddam was in power, rivers of blood were sure to follow.
Promoting democracy in the Middle East is a postwar rationalization. "The president now says that the war is really about the spread of democracy in the Middle East. This effort at after-the-fact justification was only made necessary because the primary rationale was so sadly lacking in fact," according to Nancy Pelosi.
In fact, President Bush argued for democracy taking root in Iraq before the war began. To take just one example, he said in a speech on Feb. 26, 2003: "A liberated Iraq can show the power of freedom to transform that vital region, by bringing hope and progress into the lives of millions. America's interests in security, and America's belief in liberty, both lead in the same direction: to a free and peaceful Iraq. . . . The world has a clear interest in the spread of democratic values, because stable and free nations do not breed the ideologies of murder. They encourage the peaceful pursuit of a better life. And there are hopeful signs of a desire for freedom in the Middle East. . . . A new regime in Iraq would serve as a dramatic and inspiring example of freedom for other nations in the region."
The following day the New York Times editorialized: "President Bush sketched an expansive vision last night of what he expects to accomplish by a war in Iraq. . . . The idea of turning Iraq into a model democracy in the Arab world is one some members of the administration have been discussing for a long time."
These, then, are the urban legends we must counter, else falsehoods become conventional wisdom. And what a strange world it is: For many antiwar critics, the president is faulted for the war, and he, not the former dictator of Iraq, inspires rage. The liberator rather than the oppressor provokes hatred. It is as if we have stepped through the political looking glass, into a world turned upside down and inside out.
"“More Iraqis think things are going well in Iraq than Americans do. I guess they don’t get the New York Times over there.”—Jay Leno".
[ edited by Bear1949 on May 23, 2006 04:22 PM ]
posted on May 24, 2006 07:07:34 AM new
Iraq War Update 5/24/2006
Total 2457 Dead American Troops
Total 18,088 Wounded American Troops
THE ARTICLE BELOW SHOWS THE CONSERVATIVES WILL DO ANYTHING OR SAY ANYTHING TO COVER UP THEIR FAILURES.
I AM SURE THESE LIES AND PROPAGANDA FINDS ITS WAY TO THIS BOARD THROUGH PEOPLE LIKE LIAR_K AND BEAR
U.S. is urged to stop paying Iraqi reporters
By David S. Cloud The New York Times
WEDNESDAY, MAY 24, 2006
WASHINGTON A Defense Department investigation of Pentagon-financed propaganda efforts in Iraq warns that paying Iraqi journalists to produce positive stories could damage American credibility and calls for an end to military payments to a group of Iraqi journalists in Baghdad, according to a summary of the investigation.
The review, by Rear Admiral Scott Van Buskirk, was ordered after the disclosure last November that the military had paid the Lincoln Group, a Washington-based Pentagon contractor, to plant articles written by American soldiers in Iraqi publications without disclosing the source of the articles.
The contractor's work also included paying Iraqi journalists for favorable treatment.
Though the document does not mention the Lincoln Group, Van Buskirk concluded that the military should scrutinize contractors involved in the propaganda effort more closely "to ensure proper oversight is in place."
He also faulted the military for failing to examine whether paying for placement for articles would "undermine the concept of a free press" in Iraq, according to the summary.
It was not clear on Tuesday whether the report would have any immediate effect on the military's actions in Iraq. In interviews this week, several Pentagon officials said the Lincoln Group and other contractors were still involved in placing propaganda messages in Iraqi publications and on television.
Lieutenant Colonel Barry Johnson, a senior military spokesman in Iraq, said Tuesday that he could not comment on the report. William Dixon, a spokesman for the Lincoln Group, also declined to comment on Tuesday.
posted on May 24, 2006 01:43:32 PM new
So what about it bigdopa, Why are the troops still in Hawaii? Clearly this solder was safer in Iraq that Hawaii.
posted on May 25, 2006 03:57:52 AM new
Iraq War Update 5/25/2006
TOTAL 2,460 DEAD AMERICAN TROOPS
TOTAL 18,088 WOUNDED AMERICAN TROOPS
05/25/06 enquirer: Film captures Iraq front lines
The documentary "Combat Diary: The Marines of Lima Company" airs tonight on A&E. Of the 12 Marines pictured, 11 were killed, including five from the Cincinnati area, when their armored vehicle struck a roadside bomb Aug. 3, 2005, in Iraq.
05/25/06 AP: Iraq general shot in latest attack
Gunmen shot and seriously wounded a senior Defence Ministry official in Baghdad, police said, in what appeared to be part of a campaign against the top echelons of Iraq's US-backed administration
05/24/06 AP: Violence once targeted coalition, politicians now focusing on civilians
Now, however, the victims of violence range so broadly throughout Iraqi society that almost everyone seems to be at risk. What began as a fight by Saddam loyalists, religious fanatics and Sunni Arab nationalists against foreign military occupation...
posted on May 26, 2006 05:14:53 AM new
Iraq War Update 5/26/2006
Total 2,463 Dead American Troops
Total 18,184 Wounded American Troops
05/26/06 sundaytimes: Iraqi tennis team killed for sport
Gunmen in Baghdad killed the coach of the Iraqi national tennis team and two players, reportedly for wearing Western-style tennis shorts...The coach, Hussein Ahmed Rashid, was murdered along with two of his players... on Thursday
05/26/06 AP: 14 bodies, including two children, brought to Tikrit Morque
Capt. Khudier Ajil, a security official in Tikrit General Hospital, said U.S. soldiers brought 14 bullet-riddled bodies, including those of two children, to the morgue in Saddam Hussein’s former hometown late Thursday. It was unclear who had killed them.
05/26/06 Reuters: Two policemen killed in Diyala
Employees abducted from the local Diyala Television station in Baquba, 65 km (40 miles) north of Baghdad, watched gunmen execute two policemen held with them before being released, one of the hostages said.
posted on May 26, 2006 12:13:58 PM new
No one ever said "Freedom is Free", sheepa...
"However horrible the incidents of war may be, the soldier who is called upon to offer and to give his life for his country is the noblest development of mankind."
posted on May 27, 2006 09:45:11 AM new
And I certainly agree wholeheartedly with MacArthur on THAT one, Bear.
-----------
From another point of view....one that was there on the ground.
Celebrating those who gave chase to evil
By Wade Zirkle
May 26, 2006
Since the Global War on Terror was launched four and half years ago, Americans are now only casually reminded of the sacrifices that our new generation of warriors are making in Afghanistan, Iraq and other desperate corners of the world. Usually these reports come in the form of terse, sterile news briefs: a fleeting portrait of a service member flashing across a TV screen or a radio sound-bite at the top of the hour that notes that soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb. When there is an occasional in-depth story, it often focuses on the nature and controversy of the casualty and follows with overtones of grief, sorrow and pity.
Yet, seldom is there a celebration of the life of our fallen warrior.
On this Memorial Day, I hope that our nation can put aside partisanship and political animosities to more fully celebrate the lives of a new, great generation of American warriors; the ordinary citizens who achieved extraordinary achievements and made the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf.
In September of 2004, nearing the end of a long deployment to Fallujah, the truck in which I was riding with my Marine platoon was hit by a massive suicide bomb. Seven brave American fighting men died instantly in addition to three patriotic Iraqi soldiers. Along with five others, I survived and was evacuated. After a lengthy rehabilitation, I visited with all seven families of my fallen men. My trip took me from Lafayette , Louisiana , to Concord , California , to Washington D.C. , and places in between.
Each visit was difficult, as I was apprehensive of the attitudes of these bereaved families. The families that I got to know during these visits are indicative of the warriors that they raised: spirited, courageous, and noble. I found that while their grief was unfathomable, it was transcended by their pride in knowing that their sons died in the name of freedom and in the pursuit of helping others. They died so others could live.
To this day I keep in touch with these families. What they want most for their fallen sons, is not for their deaths to be pitied as a tragedy or tallied as a statistic, but that their lives to be celebrated for who they were, what they achieved and the character they carried in the face of adversity.
While anniversaries, birthdays and endless milestones big and small in the lives of their children, spouses, parents and friends will remind us of their absence, Memorial Day in particular should serve as a unique day to remind us of their contributions and their continued presence in our individual and national life. We as a nation are stronger because of them not just in terms of our own security, but more importantly, because their sacrifices are evidence that we remain a nation of honorable men and women willing to place duty above convenience and death before tyranny.
Their memory often reminds me of a cold desert night in March of 2003 as my Marines and I huddled on the Iraqi border preparing ourselves for war. As we waited for the word to 'mount up' our Commanding General, James Mattis, told us this:
"On your young shoulders rest the hopes of mankind. When I give you the word, together we will cross the Line of Departure, close with those forces that choose to fight, and destroy them. Our fight is not with the Iraqi people, nor is it with members of the Iraqi army who choose to surrender. While we will move swiftly and aggressively against those who resist, we will treat all others with decency, demonstrating chivalry and soldierly compassion for people who have endured a lifetime under Saddam's oppression."
"Chemical attack, treachery, and use of the innocent as human shields can be expected, as can other unethical tactics. Take it all in stride. Be the hunter, not the hunted: never allow your unit to be caught with its guard down. Use good judgment and act in the best interests of our nation. You are part of the world's most feared and trusted force. Engage your brain before you engage your weapon. Share your courage with each other as we enter the uncertain terrain north of the Line of Departure. Keep faith in your comrades on your left and right and Marine Air overhead. Fight with a happy heart and strong spirit."
Three years after General Mattis spoke those words, I take enormous pride in how my fellow servicemen fought, how they lived, and now take time to truly remember their sacrifice. Our brave men and women in uniform "both past and present" are the storm that gives chase to evil and safe harbor to liberty. Their loss can and should be mourned, but their character and commitment should be celebrated. That is how our great warriors should be remembered on this day, Memorial Day.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wade Zirkle is the founder and Executive Director of Vets for Freedom, a nonpartisan, pro-mission advocacy group representing Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans.
Townhall.com
Find this story at: http://www.townhall.com/opinion/columns/WadeZirkle/2006/05/26/198960.html
[ edited by Linda_K on May 27, 2006 10:52 AM ]
posted on May 27, 2006 11:23:31 AM new
The war in Iraq has nothing to do with fighting for the liberty of Americans.
While it's wonderful that service men and women are recognized and honored at this time for the sacrifices they made, perhaps this forum would move a step forward if those of us who choose to think of them and honor them daily aren't ridiculed and loathed so much for doing so.
posted on May 27, 2006 07:46:56 PM new
I don't know about anyone else....but it's MY choice to 'LOATHE' and 'ridicule' any one I wishto, including you, kiara, who USE the deaths of OUR soldiers in Iraq....not Canadian soldiers...NO, AMERICAN soldiers whose deaths you USE for your own anti-war agenda.
Free speech and all.
----------------
Here Indonesia lost close to 3000 of their citizens today....will kiara and peepa mention those deaths, by acts of God, that took those lives and probably more?
NO, because those deaths don't support THEIR anti-war/anti-Bush agenda.
But still...in ONE DAY all those lives were lost....and for NO REASON. Whereas OUR soldiers deaths HAVE BEEN for a very good reason....the FREEDOM and liberty that AMERICA so supports for ALL people.
Their deaths have NOT been in vain, and most of their families acknowledge just that.
And MOST American's realize that has ALWAYS been what America stands for...fighting for those in OTHER countries....not just defending our OWN.
While the democratic party complains about everything THIS President does to protect our Nation:
What would a Democrat president have done at that point? Apparently, the answer is: Sit back and wait for the next terrorist attack.
Ann Coulter
posted on May 27, 2006 08:45:11 PM newI don't know about anyone else....but it's MY choice to 'LOATHE' and 'ridicule' any one I wishto, including you, kiara, who USE the deaths of OUR soldiers in Iraq....not Canadian soldiers...NO, AMERICAN soldiers whose deaths you USE for your own anti-war agenda.
Loathe me all you wish to, lindak as I'm in good company with the other 95% of the world you loathe and ridicule also.
I do not use the deaths that way at all and if you think otherwise please provide a link to prove your words. I know you are unable to do that because you're just speaking your neocon agenda that you spiel to all who speak out against the atrocities of the Iraqi fiasco that 'your guy' started so rave on or piss off.
BTW, Canadian soldiers are not fighting in Iraq as they went to the right war in Afghanistan........ remember Bin Ladin?? Or did you conveniently forget him and also that war like 'your guy' did?
AND the deaths in Indonesia had nothing to do with the war in Iraq...... DUH!
posted on May 29, 2006 01:59:34 PM new
Iraq War Update 5/29/2006 MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND.
Total 2465 Dead American Troops
Total 18,184 Wounded American Troops
05/29/06 Reuters: US soldier killed in car bomb attack
An unnamed U.S. soldier and an Iraqi civilian working with the military were killed.
05/29/06 Reuters: Two CBS journalists among four dead in Baghdad bomb
Two British journalists working for...CBS were among four people killed when a car bomb hit a U.S. military patrol in Baghdad on Monday. American CBS correspondent Kimberly Dozier was seriously wounded and 6 US soldiers were injured
Wave of Bombing Kill Dozens in Iraq
Two CBS Newsmen Slain Along With Soldier; Correspondent Wounded
By PATRICK QUINN, AP
BAGHDAD, Iraq (May 29) - A wave of car bombings and shootings plagued Shiite and Sunni areas of Iraq on Monday, killing more than three dozen people including two CBS crew members and a U.S. soldier. The network's correspondent was seriously wounded.
As parliament discussed the nation's disintegrating security, lawmakers pressed for the appointment of defense and interior ministers - seen as a necessary step toward Iraqi forces assuming more control so U.S.-led troops can begin withdrawing.
At least eight bombings rocked the capital in the worst wave of violence in days. A car bomb exploded as a U.S. convoy patrolled in central Baghdad, killing veteran CBS cameraman Paul Douglas, 48; soundman James Brolan, 42; and an American soldier, U.S. officials said.
Network correspondent Kimberly Dozier, 39, was critically wounded. CBS said Dozier underwent surgery at a U.S. military hospital in Baghdad. She was in critical condition, but doctors were cautiously optimistic, the network said.
The CBS crew was on patrol with the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, when the bomb exploded. The U.S. military said an Iraqi interpreter also was killed and six American soldiers were injured.
TRULY HONOR OUR TROOPS AND STOP THIS UNNECESSARY WAR STARTED ON LIES AND IGNORING THE TRUTH BY MAD MEN BUSH/CHENEY.
posted on May 29, 2006 02:54:42 PM new
This forum would move along way forward if those who get their jollies from American war deaths just left. (kiara, peepa and the rest of that ilk)
Claiming they support American troops is laughable at best but mostly pathetic as they are.
posted on May 29, 2006 04:08:53 PM new
Washingtonebayer, anyone can go to any neocon site and read the same crap you post here about some of us......... trolling is all you have left because our convictions remain strong and it upsets you to the core.
I will honor and respect the troops in the way I wish to and I will regret their deaths and I will have empathy for their families as I hope for better days in Iraq. You support them your own way, a victim at the feet of your president as you long for more bloodshed and death no matter the cost of young lives.
IOW, believe as you wish and quit your whining that I don't do likewise.
posted on May 29, 2006 04:33:09 PM new
Since this is Memorial day, we should remember those who have lost their lives and we should remember their families and friends who are left to live with that loss while knowing that the loss was unnecessary. I just don't know how they cope but my heart goes out to them.
War leads to the immorality of the entire country with innocent soldiers killing innocent people for a few powerful and corrupt politicians.
WashingtoneBayer, your nasty comments are representative of the filth that war and it's attendant immorality produces.
posted on May 29, 2006 04:50:33 PM new
helen your false support is as disgusting as you are, so what is your point?
Memorial day is a solemn day of rememberance for those who gave all, not for some socialist commies to besmearch that loss by getting their jollies over war deaths of people who gave them that freedom.
posted on May 29, 2006 05:21:41 PM new
Such ignorance glows in the dark...no counter response is necessary because all who read it will know the shallow level from which you come.
This topic is 10 pages long: 1new2new3new4new5new6new7new8new9new10new
