For years we have been told we are fighting the Bad Guys. Al Qaeda. Terrorists. Fighting them over there so we wouldn't fight them over here. So we fought and died, trained our Iraqi allies, and depleted our resources to provide the Iraqis with democracy and freedom. Just a few days ago, 2 of our finest were tortured and brutally murdered by evil men drawn to Iraq for the sole purpose of killing Americans. Never before has the face of our global enemy revealed itself in these acts of depravity. Against this foe, we were the Freedom Fighters, the liberators in the "noble cause". It was our duty to rid Iraq and the world of their savagery and lawlessness. It was a Global War on Terror, after all, and they were the enemies of civilization.
Why does the U.S. inprison them here while our "ally" seeks to pardon them over there?
On one hand, the U.S. government is fighting tooth and nail to indefinitely hold enemy combatants of the same sort who mercilessly tortured and killed PFC's Menchaca and Tucker. The Geneva Convention has been cast aside to keep these terrorist away from the "central front of the war on terror". Meanwhile the Iraqis, with our acquiescence, are considering the pardon of these same killers right on our front lines. In the words of the Iraqi leadership, those that kill Americans are guilty only of "legitimate acts of resistance and defending their homeland." That same high-ranking official went on to say, "These people will be pardoned definitely, I believe". There is a contradiction here, and it doesn't make sense.
What has changed?
What has changed is the element of time for we have over-stayed our welcome and purpose. Now, after years of "stay the course" and 2,500 of our best killed, our allies on this Global War on Terror now have "turned the corner" on us claiming that those who shed American blood are now the Freedom Fighters. Killing Americans is now their "noble cause". Liberate and leave has changed to liberate and languish and those that killed PFC Menchaca and PFC Tucker can expect a full pardon providing they had not shed Iraqi blood if the Iraqi government has its way.
How did we go from liberators to "the enemy"?
Liberators liberate and leave. That's what we do and we are good at it. But because we have not begun to drawdown and redeploy as we should, Jack Murtha's toughly worded but honest assessment that we have "become the enemy" has become tragically real to the families of PFC's Menchaca and Tucker. When the majority of the Iraqi people believe it is justified to kill Americans, this pardon/amnesty would make the torture and killing of servicemen like those young men legal. The proposed Iraqi pardon of those who have shed American blood is concrete proof of his honest assertion and will cost us lives and credibility. We know we are not the enemy. We know we were there to give the Iraqis a better life, but a line has to be drawn somewhere when the very same Iraqis believe we are "the enemy" and their government takes steps to legitimize that belief.
...Who Needs Enemies?
We should pull out to the periphery, test the Iraqi national will and allow a government emboldened to pardon whomever they please to finally stand for themselves. If they falter we will be close enough to strike in the same way we struck Zarquawi but far enough away to cease being targets. But to keep our troops where they are, in the service of a foreign government where American lives are just collateral damage is irresponsible and indefensible. We must not allow the enemy that has destroyed the lives of our servicemen and their families a chance to torture and kill again and we must not allow the Iraqi government to legitimize evil in order to keep a fractured country together. With friends like that, who needs enemies?
"we must not allow the Iraqi government to legitimize evil in order to keep a fractured country together"
Thats basically what would happen, legitimize the killings of those boys. And then they'll kill some more, and we'll kill more , and the Northrup Grumman's, KBR's, and the rest get richer and richer.
Posted by: eagle75 at June 23, 2006 03:26 PMJust what exactly is going on? If it's a war, then let's win it. Just the mere fact that iraq is considering this is a slap in the face!
Posted by: rob at June 23, 2006 03:56 PMOK. NOW I found your page!! Thanks for the update. I will post a REAL comment momentarily. Viva Espana!! Ole! :-)
I will post a WC QF post later this afternoon.
-ST
Posted by: Steve T. at June 27, 2006 04:16 PMWelcome to the section! It's great to watch the WC and see the world community at it's best. We are such an important part of it and I hope to see a return to our place of leadership. We are the greatest country in the world and we should always act like it. And we need to go further in the WC next time. I am hopeful that the world's circumstances will be better the next time around.
Posted by: JoeDuran at June 28, 2006 12:28 PMThe WC is definitely exciting and has its points of electricity and disappointments. That is why we watch it! I am sure one of these times we will go further in the WC but we just do not have the talent and it has never been our sport. But then again, anything can change in 4 years.
In any event, thanks for forwarding my blog to someone. I appreciate it. I did the same for you. Someone had recommended that I submit my writings for publications and/or pursue sports journalism. Hmmm...
-ST
Posted by: Steve T. at June 28, 2006 02:46 PMSports and politics mix suprisingly easily. The late Hunter Thompson ventured there as well as a few others. Even old Carville is getting into it.
Just an update: In the last few days Malaki has informed the world formally that the amnesty will not include those who have killed Americans or Iraqis..so that begs the question, who then is eligible for amnesty? Looks like a change of course occurred. Good.
Posted by: JoeDuran at June 29, 2006 10:42 AMHere's an idea for resolving the dilemma of the U.S. initiated war in Iraq:
TIN WORPP:
Transform the Iraqi Nation into a WORld Peace Project
1) We make a sincere apology to the world community that so profoundly supported us after 9/11, for our disregard of them in our rush to war in Iraq, which has caused such instability in the center of the Middle East and the World.
2) We ask the nations of the world to join us in transforming the Iraqi Nation into a model world peace project by establishing embassies that we and the Iraqis work to fortify. These embassies will function as training facilities in which all nations fly their flags next to the Iraqi one, stake their reputation and personnel in the training and assistance of Iraqi security to make the speedy withdrawal of most U.S. troops more practical and possible.
3) Within a year, the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, the cradle of civilization as Sumer, can become a model of international cooperation and stability, resolving the hostilities emanating from a continued dominant U.S. presence.
(The MAP-SEAM: The Messiah Amendment Party-Solutions for Earth and AMerica.
Amendment II: The SPACE Amendment, The Security Plan Across the Continents of Earth, Section Three, Part Two, Copyright 2006).
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Posted by: funny ringtones at July 25, 2006 09:14 PMUPDATE on the amnessty/catch and release program:
I
raq's Revolving Door Prison System
There was good news and bad news today. The good news is that the Marine Corps Times is proving itself as a solid resource for people who want to see both sides of an issue.
One of their headlines stated what many of us in uniform already new and have been playing email pundit about for weeks. Iraq's plans of amnesty for insurgency stinks of pandering of the worst sort.
Now, the Iraq reps have stated that they will not release the "worst of the worst" and other statements to hold off the Sunday morning news anchors, and even a few Senators during hearings last week.
But the bad news is that the truth is different - and dangerous.
After some study on the ground by actual insurgents released, the idea that they would be more inclined to help out coalition forces has been turned on its head. The ugly truth is that after "rubbing elbows" with hardcore insurgents, they were inclined to learn their tactics, and fight again. Sadly, like the American prison system, those that have been caught and released, tended to rejoin the fighters with the "badge of honor" of being captured and then released by the coalition forces.
But it will be the serviceman who pays, as the crimes these people have committed are not of the petty theft and larceny type. That is definitely bad news and if we want to prevent a future headline of "Released Insurgents Attack Again", we will need to do more than play e-mail pundit. Time to let our reps know we haven't forgotten about the men and women who are laying it on the line even if it seems the Iraqi government has.
http://www.marinecorpstimes.com