US Soldier: `How many more must die?'

[Say_What]

<clips>

MOSUL, Iraq -- For more than six months I have participated in what I believe to be the great modern lie: Operation Iraqi Freedom.

After Sept. 11 and throughout the battle in Afghanistan, the groundwork was being laid for the invasion of Iraq. ''Shock and awe'' was the term used to describe the display of power upon the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom. It was to be a dramatic show of strength and advanced technology from within the arsenals of the American and British militaries.

`Shock and awe'

As I was preparing to take part in the invasion of Iraq, the words ''shock and awe'' rang deep within my psyche. Even as we soldiers departed, it seemed that these two great superpowers were about to break the very rules they demanded that others obey. Without the consent of the United Nations, and ignoring the pleas of their own citizens, the United States and Britain invaded Iraq. ''Shock and awe'' correctly described the emotional impact I felt as we embarked on an act not of justice but of hypocrisy.

As soldiers serving in Iraq, we have been told that our purpose here is to help the people of Iraq by providing them the necessary assistance militarily as well as in humanitarian efforts. Then tell me where the humanity was in the recent Stars and Stripes account of two children taken to a U.S. military camp by their mother, in search of medical care. The children had been unknowingly playing with explosive ordnance they had found and as a result were severely burned. The account tells how they, after an hourlong wait, were denied care by two U.S. military doctors. A soldier described the incident as one of many ''atrocities'' he had witnessed on the part of the U.S. military.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/opinion/6967466.htm

[tom_paine]

1. How many more, Tim? Thousands. Perhaps tens of thousands.

If you include all the other non-American victims of the Busheviks, the number already ins in the tens of thousands and will keep rising into the millions undoubtedly.

And of course one more significant victim salin by the Busheviks. The American Experiment. Dead. Gone. Over. We bend the knee and lick the boots of men like those the Foundign Fathers revolted against.

Over.

[pvokac]

2. America and the World are learning from this, together.

We have learned that the enemy in this war is different from most modern wars fought since the 18th century. This enemy is not a nation-state, nor is it a cruel despot, nor is it an economic cabal, although there are a few adherents to each of those theories.

The enemy is an idea, the worst kind of an idea, an idea rooted not in politics as was Fascism and Communism, but in religion. The Western World has been down that road several times in the last millenium, and millions of innocents died horribly in the conflicts. But the Western religion, Christianity, adapted to a Renaissance, and healed itself. The affected religion this time is Islam which lost its way after reaching a zenith of enlightenment and fell into a pit of repression 500 years ago from which it has yet to recover.

Islam is feeling the pressure both from within and without to adapt or to fight in order to survive. Moderate Muslims favor adaptation. Zealot fanatic Muslims favor a fight. Western civilization is directly threatened by those who would fight, and it must defend itself, which it will do by the overwhelming means at its disposal.

It seems the war has chosen us. We have not chosen the war.

[newyawker99]

3. Hi pvokac!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Say_What]

4. The war chose us via George BoyKing Bush wanting to please Poppy

[Skittles]

5. WE HAVE NOT CHOSEN THE WAR?

WFT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT??