How Do You Think Our Soldiers Feel....

...when they hear people like Murtha say things like...

"Our military is suffering, the future of our country is at risk. We cannot continue on the present course. It is evident that continued military action in Iraq is not in the best interests of the United States of America, the Iraqi people or the Persian Gulf region."

Especially when our brave men and women are helping the Iraqi people rebuild cities and re-open schools... especially when they are seeing the joy in the eyes of the children who now have a real chance at a life of freedom.

What goes through the minds of our soldiers who choose to serve when they hear this...

"The war in Iraq is not going as advertised. It is a flawed policy wrapped in illusion."

What does it do to the morale of our best and brightest serving in Iraq?

Now, Colonel Hunt, before you start yelling at me...I understand that Murtha is a war hero....I understand that he served his country.  Which makes me wonder even more why he would make these statements.  Statements that can make our soldiers question their mission. 

It's obvious that Murtha has forgotten what it was like being in a war that didn't get any support from this country.  He is now a politician and is playing that role to the tee.  What a better way for the democrats to continue to throw their negative spin on the war and promote their "cut and run" strategy than to have a war hero criticize our military's efforts.

Our men and women need not only support from the American people but the support of our politicians as well....not the crap that's being flung right now.

Lisa

More by Lori Byrd guest blogging for Michelle, A Blog for All, California Conservative

Comments

[Chris]

I'm not sure I understand exactly what you are saying...first, the soldiers fighting this war aren't idiots. They have minds of their own. They can make up their own minds given the information at hand.

Are you saying we shouldn't tell the truth? I suspect Murtha is doing just that--telling the truth as he see it.

I also don't think that Murtha has forgotten for one minute what it is like to fight a war.

Here is the thing--first Iraq was about urgent threats and WMD. When that didn't pan out, it was about the terrorists making their stand in Iraq. Well, guess what? The latest numbers show that only 8-10% of the attacks in Iraq are by foreign fighters--the terrorists who are making their stand there--the rest are by Iraqis. Murtha said last year that we either need to mobilize and fight this war right or get out--a whole year has gone by and we aren't any closer to being able to say we've done what we set out to do--mostly that is because what we set out to do wasn't there and you can't achieve abstract concepts like democracy through only military means--

This war is not the one the administration advertised--they lied and misled to get us into it and I think Murtha has more right than most to call on the administration to do it right liek he did a year ago and I think when he says they've had enought time to change things and they haven't that he speaks form experience and tha we shouold listen.

[Rita]

People should listen to both of those Senators, Hague and Murtha. Why can't we have them give us a plan, or at least find out what their objective will be, and how they can accomplish a pullout without harming our efforts? But, we cannot just "pull" out completely, yes gradually but not completely. I think it is time to talk to the Military on the ground, Officers, NCO's, and Enlisted to find out what we need to do, how they feel about the situation today, and how we can fix it. Those are the people who we should be listening to as well.

[Lisa]

I'm not saying Murtha isn't qualified to make his statements. I'm sure he is. However, if his concern was truly for the war effort and for our military, he would present his objections directly to the Administration and not in public statements where our men and women see another politician speaking against the mission...the mission that they so believe in and are working so hard to accomplish.

[Chris]

What would make you think that the administration would listen?

[Lisa]

My concern isn't for the Administration listening..my concern is for our troops and their morale and them knowing that we the citizens and the politicians support their efforts.

[Capitalist Infidel]

What are the soldiers thinking?

That being a democrat can even turn a war hero into a spineless coward.

[USMC Steve]

There is no "truth as you see it". That would be an OPINION. There is the truth, the lies, and the opinions. What Murtha said is his OPINION. He has no basis in experience to state that since he has never served over there, nor does he know it to be the truth, since he has not been there at all, let alone recently.

If Murtha is using his experience from 40 years ago, then he should not be, since that war is not the war going on now. He did not fight Arabs, but Asians. Frankly, I would expect more from a Marine officer. At Quantico, we teach them to engage their brains before they run their mouths. It would appear that the years in congress have overridden his common sense. This guy is a political whore going for the sound bite because it is the popular thing to do right now.

Murtha has no additional rights to have an opinion any more than anyone else here. By that stretch, my opinion should count more than his and yours since I fought in the first Gulf War. Everyone has the right to their opinion, and they all count the same. No one rates extra credit. BTW, I don't know where these "latest numbers" you mentioned have been coming from, but what I have been seeing indicated that over 75 percent of the terrorists captured or killed were foreign in origin, not Iraqi.

If congress really wanted to get this done, they should make the recommendation to the president, the president should get with the on scene commanders in Iraq, and have THEM draft a workable plan. The politicians need to shut the hell up and let the military experts do what they are there for.

[Capitalist Infidel]

I'll be waiting with baited breath for the left wing media to print letters like this.

Congressman Murtha,

PO Box 780
Johnstown, PA 15907-0780

As a U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam Era and the father of two sons, one a 6 year Army Veteran and the other a 13 year active duty soldier preparing for his 3rd tour in Iraq, I want you to know that I, and they, feel you have abandoned them today. We have great respect for your honorable service but your past service makes it even worse a betrayal of those who fight today!

My oldest son said it best after 9/11 when I told him “well the American people are behind you now”. His response was “yeah Dad….for how long” it didn’t take the Democratic Party very long to abandon them. It took you a little longer but the betrayal is complete. We are winning this war everywhere except at home. You have forgotten what it felt like to be a soldier spit on by your fellow citizens. You join the ranks of those who want to drive military recruiters out of the schools. You sir, should be ashamed.

http://hughhewitt.com/archives/2005/11/13-week/index.php#a000557

[Shari]

Chris: The latest numbers show that only 8-10% of the attacks in Iraq are by foreign fighters

ME: Have a link for that?

Chris: they lied and misled to get us into

Me: I haven't see a bit of proof for that statement. The only thing I've seen is Demos screaching about it. Where's the proof? Do you have some?

[Capitalist Infidel]

USMCSteve

Check out this letter from a soldier to his mother.

My fellow countrymen and women, we are not overseas for our country alone but also another. We are here to spread democracy and freedom to those who KNOW the true taste of it because they fight for it everyday. You can see the desire in their eyes and I am honored to fight alongside them as an Infantryman in the 101st Airborne.

Freedom is not free, but yet it is everyone’s right to have. Ironic isn’t it? That is why we are here. Though you will always have the skeptics, I know that most of our military will agree with this message. Please, at the request of this soldier spread this message to all you know. We are in Operation Iraqi Freedom and that is our goal. It is a cause that I and thousands of others stand ready to pay the ultimate sacrifice for because, Cindy Sheehan, freedom is worth dying for, no matter what country it is! And after the world is free only then can we hope to have peace.

SGT XXX and 1st Platoon
101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)

Read the whole thing.

http://sgthook.com/2005/11/17/taste-of-freedom/

[Capitalist Infidel]

Shari

There have been 3 independent commissions that have proved Chris a liar. You see, lying democrats like Chris want as many investigations as it takes for someone, anyone to tell them that President Bush "misled" them. The same way they count votes in elections. Keep counting until you "find" enough votes to win.

Here are the three commissions that have conclusively proven Chris a liar.

http://www.wmd.gov/report

http://www.gpoaccess.gov/serialset/creports/iraq.html

http://www.butlerreview.org.uk/

[USMC Steve]

Cappy, thanks for that letter info and the link. If one must insist on whose opinions matter most, then those who serve over in Iraq and Afghanistan rate more than all the rest of us. They know best what the deal is because their asses are on the line over there, and THEY believe what they are doing is right.

[Chris]

Shari--hey and good morning--

Here is your link on the numbers I have a better and more detailed source but I need to get permission to use it.

And the proof on the lying/deception is in the when is a lie a lie post.

See ya!

And Cappy is wrong--each of those commissions have publicly stated that they did not look at nor was its mission to look at how the inteligence was used by the administration--just at the gathering process--while Cappy continues to lie it doesn't change the fact that the mandate for phase two of the Commission's investigation--the one Reid shut down the Senate for--is tasked with investigating how the intel was used...

[Bombtruck]

I think probably the worst of this statement, which was not mentioned in the AP article, was when Murtha stated 'We've become the enemy now'.

Enemy? To whom? If he means Iraqi civilians, does he not think there would be outright revolt right now? Is he more concerned about what the insurgency thinks, because that statement alone makes for great propoganda. You'd better believe that when Zarqawi reads that statement today, he will smile, because he will know this statement will be played to the hilt in the Western media and it will be one more chink in the US will to fight him. He's now that much closer to winning in Iraq.

I can't imagine hearing that statement will sit well with the military people that the story says he's so closely aligned with, never mind the betrayal many Marines past and present are most certaintly going to feel, regardless of Murtha's past service. Really, it seems Rep. Murtha's working relationship with San Fran Nan has blinded and brainwashed him into thinking that this really is Vietnam re-deux when the fact is it's nowhere NEAR Vietnam, either geographically or in reality.

I would think Rep Murtha would be the FIRST one to not want this to end up like Vietnam, but if we follow his lead and just cut and run, that is EXACTLY what will happen. With all due respect to his previous service, he should know better than to stoop to this.

[Capitalist Infidel]

Why Chris must continue to lie is a mystery. All three conclusively state that the intelligence was not manipulated. But then again when have facts ever gotten in the way of a far left wing kooks agenda?

I urge any open minded person to to read each report for yourselves.

[Chris]

"[W]e were not authorized to investigate how policymakers used the intelligence assessments they received from the Intelligence Community."

Finally, the Butler report focused on whether intelligence was "distort[ed]" in assessments by the British Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC), not in statements by the Bush administration. The Butler report did conclude that President Bush's 2003 State of the Union address claim that Iraq had "sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa" was "well-founded," an assessment that was contradicted in July 2003 by then-CIA director George J. Tenet . But the Butler report produced no new evidence in support of this conclusion and instead relied upon anonymous "intelligence assessments at the time."

[Shari]

Cap,
Thanks for the links! I haven't taken the time to read them all the way thru, just bits & pieces. I agree with you, BTW.

Chris,
Like I said in a previous post on the other thread, I want to see all those statements by the administration in FULL context and the question asked, not just some half-assed statement more than likely taken out of context. I can make it look like you said something you didn't by only quoting half of what you said.

[Capitalist Infidel]

I hope everyone with an open and mind and is a clear thinking individual (that excludes you Chris) reads all of the 3 reports. Instead of taking one quote of of hundreds of pages like the lunatic left fringe does you'll get the true sense of the report.

[Chris]

OK Cappy no nude pictures for you--you big meany

[Matt Hurley]

CHris: "I think Murtha has more right than most to call on the administration to do it right"

ME: And where does it say that Vietnam veterans get special privileges to have their words mean something more than anybody else? I don't think that's what any American soldier, airman, sailor, or Marine has fought for...but your mileage may vary.

[Matt Hurley]

I see that USMC Steve beat me to the punch on that score...

[Matt Hurley]

Chris: "each of those commissions have publicly stated that they did not look at nor was its mission to look at how the inteligence was used by the administration--just at the gathering process"

ME: Of course, the point that Cappy and people like him (and me) are trying to make is that if the majority opinion in the intelligence community is that Saddam had the weapons, then that's the conclusion that is the conventional wisdom. That's how Bill, Hillary, Harry Reid, John Kerry, and all the others get to have their cake and eat it too.

Misinformed and lying are, of course, two different things...unless, of course, you happen to be a politically impotent Democrat who is used to being allowed to have it both ways from a partisan press that wouldn't know the truth if it bit the editor of the New York Times on the nose.

Chris, the point is that an investigation of how the administration used the intelligence is meaningless after you realize that the majority opinion in the intelligence community at the time was that Saddam had the weapons. That's how George Tenant could say it was a "slam dunk." Because that's what the majority of the intelligence community in this country and many, many others were saying.

So, what did te administration do that was so awful? It acted on the information provided by the intelligence community.

[Chris]

It didnt adequately represent the level of certainty or the level of disagreement within the intelligence community. They told me and you and Joe next door that they were virtually certain. They, at the very least, exaggerated their level of certainty. You guys throw crap around and say it's the Democrats and that you have to be a moonbat to see this--but as so many of you so kindly pointed out all over the bloggosphere around election time we don't make up 57% of the population.

[Matt Hurley]

Holy crapola Chris, I know this has been asked of you before, but I'm gonna ask it again...you do know that intel is a crapshoot at best, right? There are no certainties in the intelligence business. None.

You've seen a few too many Tom Clancy/James Bond movies, I think...

[Chris]

Yes--absolutely a crap shoot--I get it. But they KNEW--Saddm HAD--there was no doubt in the way the administration made their argument to the American people--ALL the doubters within the intel community were apparently right--NONE of what the administration said was true--NO ONE listened to legitimate arguments against the stated position--the sources they relied on were KNOWN to be unreliable and had zero credibility--

None of this was communicared to the American people--according to President Bush the next stop if we didn't invade Iraq was a mushroom cloud--

You guys are disingenous when you talk about it--you know that they were wrong=--you know that the case they made was an exxageration--but you are worried about what happens now--well what happens now is nothing good