Good thoughts that contradict the right-wing hysteria during the election that Obama was running away. The right-wing's over the top drama is becoming leass and less of an influence in American culture. That certainly is a good thing.
Amid all the turmoil of America's first two centuries, no one ever legitimately claimed the occasional violence and upheaval -- and even a civil war -- meant that the Revolutionary War was either a mistake or a failure.
Likewise, Iraq will see its share of bloody struggles in the months and years to come. But that will in no way taint the country's rebirth as a free nation.
That rebirth was celebrated Tuesday as National Sovereignty Day -- the day U.S. forces pulled out of cities and, in the biggest way yet, handed Iraq back to Iraqis.
"While we celebrate this day," said Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, "we express our thanks and gratitude to our friends in the coalition forces who faced risks and responsibilities and sustained casualties and damage while helping Iraq to get rid from the ugliest dictatorship and during the joint effort to impose security and stability."
Jubilant Iraqis set off fireworks and cheered and danced to patriotic songs. That's what the day meant to them.
Of course, what they do with their newfound freedom is totally up to them. But they have indeed been pulled out from under the tyrant's thumb.
Caught up in the latest isolated terrorist bombing and the political hysteria that America had actually "lost" the war, the major media missed much of what has happened the past few years. Consequently, they may never tell the real story of Iraq's independence.
The real story is one of inestimable courage and sacrifice by extraordinary Americans who make up history's greatest and most professional fighting force.
They secured neighborhoods and highways and established checkpoints to protect Iraqi citizens. They fought terrorists house to house. They built streets and schools and bridges and more. They trained Iraqis to protect themselves and their country. They set the framework for dialogue and a new political and constitutional beginning. They protected Iraqis who sometimes risked their lives to vote.
They did it all while enduring withering heat and sandstorms and myriad other discomforts. They did it while missing their loved ones desperately -- and they did it over the course of years and multiple deployments.
They did it while some rubber-spined, myopic politicians back home declared their mission hopeless, the war lost. They did it while some elected leaders voted to stop supplying them, after sending them into harm's way.
With nary a complaint, they did it on behalf of a new Iraq whose citizens were more grateful than most of us realize, but who understandably want foreign troops out, and who, in many cases, may never fully appreciate what was done for them.
But ultimately, they did it on our behalf.
American patriots fought for our independence some 233 years ago. Today -- as in two world wars, Korea and elsewhere -- their successors fight for other people's freedom.
Let it be known that at the end of the day, the people of at least two nations are deeply grateful.
Comments
Good thoughts that contradict the right-wing hysteria during the election that Obama was running away. The right-wing's over the top drama is becoming leass and less of an influence in American culture. That certainly is a good thing.
The success of this part of the war on Muslim terrorism is an important part of ending the centuries long effort by radical Muslim. While fighting the Iraq part of the war, Americans also had to fight a withering attack by left wingers here in the States. Military secrets were printed in the NYT and posted on line to aid the enemy. Left wing politician put up endless roadblocks to impede national defense at every turn. A withering blanket of lies was repeated daily on the left wing news shows, for the sake of political gain. Well, Iraq has moved ahead anyway, thanks in most part to the Bush effort with the military. We at home, however, have taken a huge hit with the insertion of a Marxist prezbho. No good deed goes unpunished.
i wouldn't call the whole Iraq affair a waste of money.. but its money better spent at home. America does not need to meddle in the affairs of other countries when our own is falling apart. Republicans and democratic presidents alike have been dropping that ball since the 60s.
Iraq is a wonderful place. Daily bombings. Armed militias in control of different urban neighborhoods and some rural provinces. The northern part of the country practically independent from the rest of the country. More than a million internal refugees. More than two million refugees in Syria and Jordan. Hundreds of thousands of violent deaths since 2002. I'm sure countries all over the world are lining up for similar outstanding results. And what did we gain? 4000 dead soldiers, 20,000 serious casualties, untold psychiatric conditions, soldiers with depleted uranium intake, broken families, 2 trillion dollars and more wasted. Why does the Augusta Chronicle continue to pretend that the invasion and ongoing occupation of Iraq were not unmitigated disasters?
This editorial makes it sound as if we invaded Iraq expressly for the purpose of bringing the suffering citizenry democracy. What B.S. We went because Cheney is a greedy war profiteer and Bush wanted to finish Daddy's war. The democracy part was merely a side effect. I admire and cherish our military and it's tragic that we have lost so many to serve the needs of so few. Now, we'll see if the Iraqi citizens really want the democracy we've foisted on them. I truly hope so.
Thank God for the American Soldier.
Leftwingers are still hoping the effort that INDEED Got rid of one of the world's truly evil people will fail. Not only did we accomplish that, we also gave the the people of Iraq their FREEDOM. The Obama led sheep will completely turn the other way because that is what they are told to do. We all know none of them can or wish to think for themselves. Similar to their way thinking on every other issue. Please Mr. Gov't, tell me what I should do! The left is trotting out the same lame and factless "reasons" why Bush wanted to go to war. Hey Dims, your hero, is staggering over there in the corner. His approval ratings are going down and "turns out" he flat out lied several times during the campaign. No lobbyists! Line by Line! I won't be raising your taxes if you make under $250,000 a year! LIE! LIE! LIE! WELCOME HOME to the TROOPS! JOB WELL DONE! MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
Iraqis are celebrating American soldiers leaving their cities. They declared a national holiday. THAT ought to tell you something. Iraqis did not declare March 20, 2003, the day the US invaded their country, as their national day of independence. Iraq's US-backed puppet gov't, which is entirely dependent on the US military for its survival, must cater to the vast majority of Iraq's who resent the US occupation & want US. forces not only out of their cities but out of their country. United States has every intention of keeping a permanent military presence in Iraq for years to come, the Status of Forces Agreement that requires the exit of all US forces by 2012 notwithstanding. Retired Lt. Col. John Nagl has made that clear as has retired Col. Peter Mansoor. SecDef Gates, Commander in Chief Obama & retired Col. Mansoor all indicate that violence in Iraq will continue at elevated levels. Not only is Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki's gov't entirely dependent for its survival (even though it is a Shiite, Iranian-aligned gov't that wants to thoroughly dominate & control Iraq over the will of the Sunni minority) so too is the Iraq gov't army 100% dependent on US military logistics.
Anything having to do with Evil Muslim Dictators, count JRHC in. And by "in" I mean defending them. A better name for you may be John Walker Lindh.
Much kudos goes to the American servicemen and women. Despite false pretenses given by Bush/Cheney and terrible mismanagement by Rumsfield, the real leaders in the armed forces figure out a way to turn that mess around. Now history will judge the cost/benefit to the US. In the long run, I'm sure the Iraqis will enjoy life without a dictator, but could we have gotten the same personal benefit for a lot less money by enforcing no-fly zones and UN inspections? My suspicions are yes.
southernguy, do you also remember that when we did invade there were no WMDs? I guess it worked.
Saddam Hussein's regime was toppled on April 9. 2003. Saddam Hussein was captured on Dec 15, 2003. Saddam Hussein was executed on Dec 30, 2006. The dictator was toppled and brought to justice. Regime change has been effected in Iraq. Why does United States continue efforts to occupy and militarily dominate Iraq?
Geez, I'm sure glad our military guys who have been over to Iraq 4 and 5 times since the beginning of the war don't feel like you whining Bush haters. Every one of them, to a man, I have talked with are proud of their accomplishments and they tell me that the Iraqis are glad to be out from under the terror regime of Hussein. And every one them also thinks what we did was worth it. And it still amazes me that you historically challenged idiots act like Bush just jumped up and attacked Iraq. The U.N. declared that war and the vast majority of the U.S. Congress, including the vast majority of the Democrats, voted to support it. And the progress made, as of yesterday, proves that McCain was right and Obama was wrong. Obama was wrong then and Obama is wrong about healthcare and Cap and Trade. In fact, over his short career as a politician there have not been many things he was right about if you could ever pin him down and actually get him to vote. He mostly abstained.
Great news southern, my thanks.
Yes, Hussein was a bad man. You are missing my point about the cost/benefit to us Americans... and I am not even going to factor in the actual soldiers that were killed or maimed because that is priceless. Hussein was kicking inspectors out and we (the UN; not just the USA) were forcing our way back in. It was a frustrating game he played. If he pushed too far, he knew it was a true multinational force he had to deal with. If he forced an invasion by permanently kicking the UN inspectors out, then the invasion would have been cost-shared by many countries. Whatever, I am arguing what-ifs here... but we have spent trillions on this war and lost 1000s of lives. I just hope we have a stable Iraqi government in place that is an ally 10 years from now.
I love reading PT's posts just to see what will be left out. You talk about lies by left wingers but you don't mention any of the lies that led us into the war in the first place. No WMD have ever been found and that was the whole basis for attacking Iraq in the first place. Others of us believe that Bush was just trying to get revenge against Saddam for trying to assasinate his dad. There also was a CIA operative, Valerie Plame, who was outed because her husband gave conflicting information concerning the WMD. Bush and Cheney held out Scooter Libbey as the sacrificial lamb but we all know the leak went way higher than Libbey. PT, place that withering blanket of lies over Bush and Cheney first before you get into partisan mode. SOUTHERNGUY - Obama can't undo what Bush has done overnight. More troops have to go to AF to protect the ones already there. We don't want more troops to go but not sending them would be a greater travesty. I didn't want to go to Iraq but I wore the uniform and saluted and moved out when given an order. Moving out of the cities in Iraq is purely symbolic. When the Iraqis get into a fight, they'll call and Americans will come running.
LolaJean - I'm sorry but you don't know what you're talking about. You throw around the "we" word but did you go to Iraq or Afghanistan or did you just sit at home on your butt and parrot the usual Repub trash? I didn't agree with Bush's reasons for going to war but I did deploy and never wished "we" would fail because that meant more Soldiers dying and being injured; more than what's happening now. If you'd unhook your mind from listening to Rush, Newt and that boy across the river, you'd be able to think for yourself. You seem to forget that Bush declared "mission accomplished" a few years ago and had to come back and apologize for being a little short sighted. Don't you make the same mistake. Mission isn't accomplished until all our troops have reached their home bases but you wouldn't know that since you probably haven't served, just like Bush!!
Mad Max - No Soldier is going to tell you that they don't want to fight. That's what we all trained to do so you always want to put your training to use. Even so, you and I must not be speaking to the same group of Soldiers. I know Soldiers who are tired of deploying, tired of Iraqis smiling at them one minute and throwing grenades or triggering IEDs the next. You said the U.N. declared that war and the vast majority of the U.S. Congress, including the vast majority of the Democrats, voted to support it. They all voted to support based on the lies that were put forth by the Bush/Cheney machine. All the overwhelming evidence was fabricated and that's what caused Colin Powell to bolt the Bush cabinet at the first chance. SOUTHERNGUY, you're actually wrong when it comes to Hussein. The reports that I've read show that Hussein didn't actually believe the US would invade on the scale that we did. He thought we'd do like we did during the Gulf War and the whole thing would be over in a month or two. His advisors were too scared to bring him bad news because they would be killed. They only told him what he wanted to hear. SG, We have left the cities but not the country.
regarding your post pt. i see you are a hard core right winger. i understand why that would be your opinion. different strokes
Good try, DMAC and thank you for your service. However, you aren't going to convince me that the liberal media has been accurately reporting what was going on in Iraq for last 6 years. No, I wasnt there and neither was our president until a few months ago. However, I do know several people including my uncle who have served and had a much different take / experience on the situation over there then you obviously do. Obviously there were mistakes made and many fatalities as there have been in many many wars. I do feel as though it was the right decision based on the knowledge WE had at the time. I have always stood with the military that protects me from evil and will use the word WE whenever I choose. Unlike many I DO pay my taxes that support OUR military. Sorry, I supported Bush and the SENATE who said that we needed to REMOVE SADAM. I'll always say WE as long as I am a taxpaying citizen of this country. Funny how liberals think that every repub gets their info from Rush. WRONG again DMAc. I dont listen to RUSH. I read and listen too unbiased information. Can you give all of us evidence of the LIES you speak of. Remember, DMAC, facts not Olberman's tlkg pts
Another thing DMAC, you say I dont know what I am talking about. MMMM....I truly hope you were not referring to my claims of Obama telling lies on the campaign trail. THAT, there is actually evidence of. I know it hurts but there is no denying he has lied to all of the gullible sheep.
hot foot, still stupid as ever!!!!!! Boy, Chaney isn't around anymore, it's your man obamoron now!
Excuse me, perymason, but Cheney is omnipresent (look it up). He's more visible than he ever was as VP, huddled in a bunker somewhere counting his blood money and dispatching troops as if he weren't the King of Deferments. He won't be satisfied until there's a terrorist attack to vindicate him (in his mind). Nope--I won't take that back, so don't ask.
Horrid comparison of the America Revolution to our unprovoked invasion of another country.
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