posted April 26, 2007
The last time I checked, George W. Bush still occupied 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and was serving as our nation’s chief executive, commander-in-chief, and principal proponent of our nation’s foreign policy.
Imagine my surprise (or lack thereof) when I read a recent headline quoting Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid who when talking about Iraq, said that “this war is lost and the surge is not accomplishing anything, as indicated by the extreme violence in Iraq yesterday.” In essence Sen. Reid thinks we should “Run Away” from Iraq. Give up. Surrender. He later tried to revise his remarks stating that what he meant was that if we pursue our current policies we will lose. Yeah. Right.
Now you would suppose that Sen. Reid’s defeatist assessment was based on his military experience or foreign policy service, wouldn’t you? No, … he never served in uniform or in a foreign policy or international relations position. Well then, certainly it was based on an assessment by experts on his staff, right? No again, ... all those military and foreign policy experts work in the Executive Branch.
Great job, Sen. Reid! By your statements, you have helped further embolden terrorists in the Middle-East to continue their campaign by demonstrating that it has sapped your will to continue to fight them.
Similarly, Nancy “Pack it Up” Pelosi recently packed her bags for a trip to Damascus to meet with Syrian dictator Bashar Assad. Assad who some say, harbors more radical Islamic jihadists per capita than anyone else, hosted a meeting with Pelosi so the two of them could have a “dialogue” about Syria making “peace” with Israel. Her apparent rationale was that she represented another viewpoint of the American people - so she went despite requests from the White House that she leave foreign policy to the Executive Branch and despite the President having recently frozen all relations with Syria.
What was the effect of her meetings and the "peace dialogue” she had with Assad? Almost immediately after she departed, Assad announced that Syria is ready for a war with Israel.
Nice job, Speaker Pelosi! Cavort with those who would seek to annihilate the only country in the Middle East that provides safe haven for those who have differing religious views. Is that what you call "scuttle" diplomacy?
Obviously, Sen. Reid's and Speaker Pelosi's actions were calculated steps to woo an audience that is tired of the nightly coverage of Iraq. It was political posturing at its worst. And worse yet, their actions have placed those serving in uniform at greater risk. Why? Because those terrorists will become even bolder if they think they can further sap our will to succeed in Iraq. And in their master plan Iraq is just the beginning of a campaign for world dominance by the radical elements of Islam.
Wake up, Sen. Reid and stay home, Speaker Pelosi. Islamic-jihadist extremists have come to our shores. And they will likely be back soon. They have declared war on our way of life. They have taken the lives of innocent men and women here in the U.S. and they were trained in or supported by countries with whom you would “dialogue” and to whom you would surrender.
Sen. Reid, Speaker Pelosi, there is a reason for the balance of powers in our Constitution. Stick to serving in the legislative branch of government. Ask questions, don't posture with the lives of our uniformed servicemen and women.
Wes Kliner
Ooltewah
wrklinerjr@mindspring.com
* * *
Mr. Kliner,
I would like to remind you that one of the purposes of these different branches of government is checks and balances, to hold each other accountable for the great task of leading a free nation, the most powerful in the world.
President Bush has refused time and time again to compromise on any aspect of the Iraq War. He hardly even likes to admit mistakes in Iraq except when necessary. The Democrats have no choice but to force his hand. I agree with you about Pelosi's trip to Syria, but I have to admit I admire Reid for taking a stand, though I am traditionally conservative.
Also consider this from a political viewpoint - the Democrats have to force the President's hand on the Iraq War because that is what they were elected to do. In 2006, they took control and were handed the leadership of Congress because the American people want us out of Iraq. If they don't come through with what they promised, they offer no stronger leadership than the Republicans have.
Reid has not said that the U.S. military failed. No one is saying that. They went into Iraq, took down the government, captured Sadaam who is now dead, and ensured that his reign of terror is truly over by killing his sons. Iraq has a government which they elected and their own police/security force.
What Reid and others like him are saying is that our military has done what they went there to do, so let's bring them home and stop the deaths. Top military officials have said that this war can not be finished militarily but rather politically, economically, and diplomatically.
The President says all this talk of deadlines and withdrawal will hurt the troop’s morale. The other night while watching The Situation Room on CNN, a soldier sent an email to the show from Iraq and said, "No one needs to worry that the talk of the war being lost will hurt our morale. This is not news to us on the ground, it is just confirmation of what we already know."
Not one more dollar, not one more death...bring them home.
D. Jenkins
Chattanooga
* * *
It appears that D. Jenkins needs to go back for a class in basic civics. It obviously isn't taught in the schools these days.
Foreign policy and negotiations with foreign nations are the exclusive authority of the executive branch of government, not the judicial or even the legislative. Last I looked, both the Senate, the House, and all of its members belong to the legislative branch of government...not the executive. Neither are private citizens authorized to represent the government in foreign policy decisions.
Congressman Pelosi's trip to Syria, even when asked by the administration not to do so, was totally out of line. To further misrepresent herself as carrying a message from Israel, which was publicly denounced by the Israeli Prime Minister, is an outrage from an elected official of our government.
For Sen. Harry Reid, Senate Majority leader or not, to spout off that "I believe ... that this war is lost, and this surge is not accomplishing anything, as is shown by the extreme violence in Iraq this week" is offensive, insulting to our military, and nothing more than defeatism at its very worst. Coming from a so-called leader of our nation is detestable and it doesn't make any difference what he attempts to say afterward to change what he meant. A cat always covers his mess in the litter box too.
This is the United States of America, the greatest and most powerful nation the world has ever known. There is no way that America can lose a war, any war, except by intent...Korea, Viet Nam, etc.
The writer contends that "Reid has not said that the U.S. military failed. No one is saying that." and "Top military officials have said that this war can not be finished militarily."
Oh? Then why did Senator Reid state that we have? His exact words are quoted above. Does that cat need help in the litter box he's made for himself?
And who are these un-named "military officials?" Have they had boots in the sand, sand in their teeth? It's doubtful. To be sure, there will always be those one percenters who volunteer for duty and then decide, like the lines from that '60s song, "what am I doin' here...I don't wanna go." However, for every one of those there are hundreds, perhaps even thousands, who express opposite sentiments. It's also easy for a "news" organization to claim that an e-mail message came from a soldier in Iraq. How do they prove that? From a "news" organization with an agenda that's been exhibited time and time again? I'll admit to having been born at night, but I guarantee it wasn't last night.
The wafer thin democrat majority in both the House and Senate, analogous to what Speaker Naifeh's gang holds in the House here at home in Tennessee, has sent a funding bill to President Bush filled with pork and a deadline to evacuate Iraq...a date after which the enemies of our nation will have free reign there. If our congress truly had the belief that we should bring all of our troops home, and the courage to stand up for that conviction, they would cut off funding all together. What do they do? They play silly political games with the lives of those who protect their worthless, in my opinion, hides. At best, these legislators are nothing but paper tigers...without the courage to walk their talk.
The writer forgets, or perhaps never knew, that it took ten years or more to form governments in Japan and Germany after WWII. We still have troops in both of these countries and were their primary protectors until recent times...probably still are if the truth be known. And we're supposed to make the same progress in Iraq in four years? This isn't an episode of...ummm...what ever television program is in vogue today with the problems of the world to be solved in 28 minutes.
We keep hearing that sixty percent of Americans want us out of Iraq...claimed by polls of dubious credibility and always cited from the same old sources.
This past Sunday a group of Marine Moms held one of their somewhat regular luncheons for the wounded and their families at Bethesda Naval Hospital. Somewhat regular in that they have limited resources to work from. It's truly an act of love on their part. When they can do this they generally go out and request letters from those who would like to send wishes for a speedy recovery to our guys. A lady in New York who lives across from Engine 54, the firehouse that lost the most firefighters on 9/11/01, sent as part of her well wishes; "We have come to learn first hand here that Freedom is not Free, so we all would like to thank you so very much for your bravery and sacrifice in the service of our beloved country." I suspect the attitude exhibited by this lady is much more exemplary of those who've taken the time and trouble to find out from reliable sources who have been there and done that, who've had Iraqi sand in their teeth and their drawers, than those who continue to cite the sixty percent figure.
D. Jenkins is, and will continue to be, the victim of collateral protection. Collateral, and a victim, because that protection appears to be neither desired nor requested.
Royce E. Burrage, Jr.
RBurrage@bellsouth.net
* * *
Mr. Burrage and Mr. Kliner seem quick to condemn Speaker Pelosi's trip to Syria. Yet I see no mention of the Republican members of Congress who "traveled to Damascus and met with Assad, two days before Pelosi's
scheduled trip."
I will even put forth that the official position of the White House is against any trip to Syria, regardless of political affiliation. I just wish that those that are so happy to berate Pelosi wouldn't ignore the Republican trip.
Kevin L. Ensley
k.l.ensley@ieee.org
* * *
Either Mr. Burrage lives in a cave or he is practicing selective hearing with regards to Bush’s endless war in Iraq because he wants to know who the unknown “military officials” are that have said that the war can not be won militarily. A short list would include:
General David Patraeus
Admiral Fallon
General Anthony Zinni
Major General Paul Eaton
Major General John Riggs
Major General Charles Swannack
Major General John Batiste
General George Casey
General John Abazaid
General Eric Shinseki
There are many others Generals that have objected to the conduct of this war and if you include Colonels, Lt. Colonels and Majors the list would run for pages. And let’s not forget such notables as Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and the Iraq Study Group.
As an individual that has served in Iraq and had the sand in my teeth and my shorts, I say enough is enough. We need to end the war in Iraq and learn to fight the terrorists in a way that does not create more than we can kill. But people like Mr. Burrage seem to be ignorant of the fact that by continuing the endless war, we are in fact continuing a policy that gives al-Qaeda endless recruiting opportunities. Every intelligence agency in the world right now is stating that al-Qaeda is stronger today than it was on 9/11.
And what of Iraq? Well if you had served in Iraq, you would know that the vast majority of Iraqis hate al-Qaeda. Imagine the slaughter of Virginia Tech occurring every day. Imagine holding the leg of a child killed by an al-Qaeda bomb. Every al-Qaeda operative in Iraq will either be dead or on the run six months after we leave Iraq. The myth of the al-Qaeda safe haven in Iraq has been sold by this Administration, while it turns a blind eye to the Pakistan safe haven that Osma bin-Laden has been hiding in for years.
The President is indeed the Commander-in-Chief, but he is not the king. It is incumbent upon the President to listen to the good counsel of the military, the Congress and the American people that elected him. It is clear that he, just like Mr. Burrage, has turned a deaf ear to all of us.
Blake Baxter
Ooltewah
* * *
Unlike either Mr. Burrage or Mr. Baxter, I've never served in the military in any capacity.
Like Mr. Burrage I've never had Iraqi sand in my teeth or, in my case, pantyhose. I was only the lowly wife of a Marine when my husband went off to Vietnam. I was also one of those fortunate enough to be able to spend several weeks with my husband in Japan when he was stationed there, and was incensed when told "If the Marine Corps wanted your husband to have a wife he would have been issued one" when my two months was coming to an end and I really didn't want to come back home.
I'm also the mother of a Marine who's spent a little bit of time in Iraq.
It's easy to take a single statement out of context and make it mean anything someone with an agenda wants to make it mean. In order to glean the meaning of the statements we have to be aware of the entire statement with what ever else was said in order to be able to put that comment in context. From what I've read on the Chattanoogan.com opinion page I also don't imagine Mr. Burrage living in a cave.
Going back to what Mr. Kliner and Mr. Burrage were actually addressing, I have read the entire statement of Sen. Reid and have observed what Madam Speaker Pelosi has done and said during her trip to Syria, and since. I think it's outrageous that those who claim the right of "leadership" in our congress would do as they are. It appears not to matter to them what affect their statements or actions have on our troops. The only thing that matters to them, from all appearances, is what they can do to undermine our President and his prosecution of this war.
It's also outrageous for the congress to be playing games with the lives of our Marines, Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen the way they are with this spending bill. It's even more outrageous, and disappointing, that some of them are willing to sell their votes for a bit of pork to send back home rather than doing the right thing for our troops.
There certainly were two republicans who went over to Syria before Madam Speaker Pelosi. There was one who went with her too. Three, out of how many? There are also those members of congress on both sides who claim to support our troops in one breath and denigrate them in the next, depending on what their purpose is at the moment. There will always be those members of congress who will try to grab a headline, maybe some notoriety, no matter what it means to others. There are children who will do anything for attention, who will take negative attention rather than no attention. There are also fifty year old men and women who will do the same.
We didn't ask to be at war. Our nation has been under attack for several decades and it was brought home to our shores on 09/11/01, with minor attempts before that. Unfortunately, the enemy our military is fighting now will follow us home the day they leave without a definitive defeat. A defeat will mean the people of that region will trust us enough to know that we aren't going to leave them holding an empty bag to fend for themselves against those who want to subjugate them, maybe to be even worse than Saddam Hussein ever thought of being.
I've asked my son what dffect comments by those such as Mr. Baxter make. He used to say they made him angry. I once had to remind him I'm still his mother and no matter how big he is we can still have a session with that bar of soap in the bathroom. Now he just says he wishes they wouldn't, but that's why he does what he does; so they can. My husband and I pray every night that he returns home safely.
Barbara Fields
Stallings, NC
Barb1217@bellsouth.net
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