Cheney watch: He just finished reenlisting 4 soldiers in Vicenza, Italy

[lebkuchen]

and giving out purple hearts to two who were wounded during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

When he walked into the auditorium, the theme song from "Rocky" was being played. His wife and daughter were with him. His wife was introduced as a historian and writer of children's books.

Cheney gave a speech, saying that we will honor those who have lost their lives during Operation Iraqi Freedom, and we won't forget their names.

I wonder why, then, he won't allow the media to film the caskets being taken off the planes. That seems rather impersonal.

During his speech, he said that after 9-11, everything had changed, and we had to go to the center of the terrorist's organization before we were forced to deal with them in our own streets.

So, he is still fixated on a tie between 9-11 and Saddam Hussein, at least that is what he wants the troops to believe.

He said the Taliban were gone forever, that Afghanistan was being rebuilt, and that the people there had peace and freedom as a result of the armed forces' success in striking at this terror center.

He said that Italy has been a great ally (implying that France and Germany had not been).

Of the four soldiers he reenlisted, one was from Romania, an indication of the depth to which the DoD has to dig into other countries' human resources to fill US mercenary ranks.

One was working in Account and Financing, one was working at Armed Forces Network and the other was an MP.

Recall that army reenlistments were highest in Europe, as opposed to Asia (we don't know about the Middle East yet because many are help up by stop-loss). The above positions are highly desireable, with the unlikelihood of having to deploy, w/the exception of perhaps the MP. Account and Financing, and maybe AFN, will eventually be privatized.

My take: this event was broadcast throughout Armed Forces Radio. He's photo-oping for reenlistments, which the DoD sorely needs, he's promoting Bush, whose photo-oping w/troops has worn thin considering the complaints printed in "Stars and Stripes," he's away from the States and not exposed to the media asking him questions about Halliburton taking blood money from terrorists, and he's diverting attention away from an important democratic primary. Also, he's trying to pump up the 173rd Brigade, which is deploying to Iraq in April. On the eve of three more soldiers dead, the 173rd and families could use some "pumping up."

URL provided when it gets printed in Stars and Stripes.

[Moderator]

1. Not LBN

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