Category Archives: Iraq War

As long as the war in Iraq continues, we shall present voices of American soldiers and discuss issues of concern to those compelled to risk their lives.

Democracy In Iraq

Posted on April 15, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Ten years ago the Gold Dust triplets-Bush/Cheney/ Rumsfeld created a war that had nothing to do with American foreign interests by invading the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein. There were Weapons of Mass Destruction pointed at Washington D.C and New York City so what else could the men of wisdom do but invade a country that was already suffering from economic disaster? America got a war.Of course, since the end of WWII the US rarely has been without a war. We invaded, we “won” and we settled down to ten years of brutal conflict with an enemy that eventually included people we had come to liberate from tyranny.

American troops left Iraq last year since “victory” had been achieved. Yesterday, attacks throughout Iraq left 27 people dead and over a hundred wounded in the peaceful land of Iraq. Most experts believe al-Qaida is growing stronger and has now linked up with its allies in Syria.Oh, there will be an election this coming weekend and instead of having Saddam as the leader, the people of Iraq can have another incompetent known as Prime Minister Maliki. Ah, the benefits of having a democracy.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Barack Obama, Christianity, Conservatives, Democrats, Dick Cheney, Don Rumsfeld, Education, Gender Issues, George Bush, Human Rights, Iraq War, Islam, john kerry, Liberals, Middle East, Military, Mitt Romney, Multicultural, Muslims, Peace, Religion, Republicans, Social Justice, United States, US Foreign Policy, War, World News

Fire Next Time

Posted on April 11, 2013 by | Leave a comment

It is now ten years since the great American military genius, George Bush, sent US forces into Iraq in order to get rid of the bad man, Saddam Hussein. In the process, al-Qaeda rapidly expanded into an important rebel group in Iraq since Saddam had never allowed them into his country. It is now apparent that al-Qaeda in Iraq and its followers in Syria are joining forces. They have formed the Islamic States in Iraq and the Levant. To make matters worse, Jabhat al-Nusra, a militant  group will soon  join along with al-Qaeda and attempt to take over Syria once they have gotten rid of President Bashar al-Assad. This is simply further evidence of the stupidity of Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld policies in the Middle East.

Reality is that America must proceed slowly and carefully to ensure that a democratic group emerges in Syria. Oh, for the good old days when George made clear to all that he knew what he was doing!

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Africa, Barack Obama, Conservatives, Democrats, Dick Cheney, Don Rumsfeld, Education, Gender Issues, George Bush, Human Rights, Iraq War, Islam, john kerry, Liberals, Middle East, Military, Multicultural, Muslims, Peace, Politics, Religion, Republicans, Social Justice, US Foreign Policy, World News

Iraq Redeux

Posted on April 9, 2013 by | Leave a comment

We are coming to the tenth anniversary of American troops entering  Baghdad in 2003 and overthrowing the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein. John Howard was Prime Minister of Australia in 2003 and warmly supported the war in Iraq. Today, ten years later, he claims disbanding the Iraq army in 2003 “was a mistake” and getting rid of anyone who belonged to the Baath party “went too far.”Howard went on “the post invasion conflict, especially between Sunnis and Shiites..did more damage.. to the credibility o f the coaliton operation in Iraq than the failure to find stockpiles of WMD.”

Like his buddy George Bush, the prime minister continues to insist invading Iraq was the right thing to do. He went on to argue that Arab Spring was an outcome of the Iraq war. Dream on, John, dream on.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Australia, Barack Obama, Christianity, Conservatives, Democrats, Dick Cheney, Don Rumsfeld, Education, Gender Issues, George Bush, Hilary Clinton, Human Rights, Iraq War, Islam, Joe Biden, john kerry, Liberals, Middle East, Military, Mitt Romney, Multicultural, Muslims, Peace, Politics, Republicans, Ron Paul, Social Justice, United States, US Foreign Policy, War, World News

Did “Surge” Actually Succeed?

Posted on April 9, 2013 by | Leave a comment

During the recent confirmation hearing for Chuck Hagel his former friend and now foes, Senator John McCain demanded an answer to the question as to whether Hagel would now admit his opposition to the famous “surge”led by General David Petraeus was wrong. Hagel refused to give a yes or no answer. Senator McCain now has an answer to his question. Eight years AFTER the surge, car bombs rocked the city of Baghdad. Nine bombers, including suicide insurgents, blasted away leaving anywhere from 31 to 50 dead and overt 150 wounded. Terrorism never halted despite the “surge” which allegedly halted violence in the capital.

John McCain was wrong about the  surge just as he has been wrong regarding violence in the Middle East. In reality, the surge did produce an immediate benefit of REDUCING violence due to efforts of Sunni Awakening Councils which  dealt with al-Qaeda. After Prime Minister Maliki took power he refused to work with Sunni leaders and this led to renewed violence. Sorry, Senator McCain, it was NOT Petraeus who led to reduced violence, it was the Awakening Councils!

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Barack Obama, Conservatives, Dick Cheney, Don Rumsfeld, Education, George Bush, Hilary Clinton, Human Rights, Iraq War, Islam, john kerry, Liberals, Middle East, Military, Mitt Romney, Multicultural, Muslims, Peace, Politics, Republicans, Social Justice, United States, US Foreign Policy, War, World News

Death Takes No Holiday In Afghanistan

Posted on April 7, 2013 by | Leave a comment

To the average American soldier serving overseas it must appear as though wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have gone on and on. Actually, the only war to surpass these conflicts in length was in Vietnam. Another day in Afghanistan, more deaths in that far away  land, and the end of violence is no where in sight. A suicide   bomber drove his car into a convoy of Americans and killed himself along with three soldiers and a few Afghans. Elsewhere in Afghanistan another suicide bomber killed self and a soldier.

I frequently wonder how I would  feel after four or six or God knows how many deployments in Afghanistan violence continues, my buddies still die or get wounded and  all too many of my friends return home with Post Traumatic  Stress Disorder. Yes, they suffer but those who sent them to these places of horror make thousands giving lectures and writing articles justifying the deaths of the innocent. Say, is that guy, George, still chopping wood in Texas??

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Asia, Barack Obama, Conservatives, Democrats, Dick Cheney, Don Rumsfeld, Education, Gender Issues, George Bush, Hilary Clinton, Human Rights, Iraq War, john kerry, Liberals, Middle East, Military, Mitt Romney, Multicultural, Peace, Politics, Religion, Republicans, Social Justice, United States, US Foreign Policy, War, World News

Surprise-War In Iraq!

Posted on April 4, 2013 by | Leave a comment

For those under the age of 20 in the United States of America or in Iraq this marks the half way point in their  lives that war has been the norm in Iraq. Another explosion, another group of people dead, another example  of Prime Minister Maliki’s incompetent leadership and fostering of hate and discord with fellow Iraqis. An attack in Tikrit led to a dozen deaths and a dozen wounded people. Sunni leaders are attacking Shiite folk just as Shiite folk are attacking Sunni people. In theory, when American troops left this land, they left behind a government that allegedly was engaged in sharing power among Shiites, Sunni and Kurdish leaders.

“Sharing power” is simply not in the vocabulary of Prime Minister Maliki. He antagonized Sunni citizens by seeking to arrest his Sunni vice president-now fled to another place. He antagonized Kurdish leaders because he does not want to share power with anyone-particularly if the  word, “oil” is part of the discussion. He goes on his merry way of death and destruction and the people of Iraq suffer under still another dictator.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Barack Obama, Christianity, Conservatives, Democrats, Gender Issues, Human Rights, Iraq War, Islam, john kerry, Liberals, Middle East, Multicultural, Muslims, Peace, Politics, Republicans, Social Justice, US Foreign Policy, War, World News

America’s Dark Secrets

Posted on April 4, 2013 by | Leave a comment

It is scarcely a decade ago that George, Don and Dick promised Americans  the war in Iraq was the beginning of a new world in the Middle East in which democracy would replace the dark dungeons of Saddam Hussein in which innocent people were tortured to death. British soldiers who worked in one of those wonderful democratic secret American prisons have now revealed what really happened under the direction of American guardians of democracy.

Iraqi prisoners were held in cells the size of a large dog kennel.

Men entered an interrogation room and left ready to physically collapse.

As one British soldier noted: ” I saw one man having his prosthetic leg pulled off him and and beaten over the head with it.”

Apparently British officers knew about the brutality but remained silent.

Ah, the good old days when George and Dick and Don were at the top of the world.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Barack Obama, Conservatives, Democrats, Dick Cheney, Don Rumsfeld, Gender Issues, George Bush, Hilary Clinton, Human Rights, Iraq War, Islam, john kerry, Liberals, Middle East, Military, Mitt Romney, Multicultural, Muslims, Peace, Politics, Religion, Republicans, Social Justice, UK, United States, US Foreign Policy, War, World News

In The Bush Army

Posted on April 4, 2013 by | Leave a comment

The years have passed, the anger over the war in Iraq has become subdued and fears, anxieties and concern have disappeared into the inner world of our minds. Retired Army Spc. Shoshana Johnson has memories that will never fade since she was the first female to be captured during the conflict when her convoy was ambushed in the initial stage of the war. Her rifle, as did many, misfired due to an incorrect manner of maintenance of weapons. After all, this was the Rumsfeld Doctrine in action whose goal was speed, not effectiveness. “Many things went wrong that day. It was not one thing.”

A gentle reminder of how Don Rumsfeld placed thousands of men and women at risk due to lack of planning and incompetence run wild. Ms. Johnson was rescued, unfortunately those who died in a war that never should have been fought were not as fortunate.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Barack Obama, Conservatives, Democrats, Dick Cheney, Don Rumsfeld, Education, Gender Issues, George Bush, Human Rights, Iraq War, Islam, john kerry, Liberals, Middle East, Military, Mitt Romney, Multicultural, Muslims, Peace, Politics, Religion, Republicans, Social Justice, United States, US Foreign Policy, War, World News

What Ever Happened To Disaster?

Posted on April 1, 2013 by | Leave a comment

During the past presidential election Republicans insisted that election of Barack Obama to another four years in office ensured the end of America as we know it. Mitt insisted that without his austerity program unemployment would rise, the national debt would continue on its voyage to the moon and people would be rioting in the streets demanding fiscal intelligence. Each month this year, for  some strange reason, new jobs have exceeded 220,000 and the unemployment rate is dropping. Actually, the yearly national debt is rising at the lowest rate in years. And, this is all happening without the genius of Mitt and his buddy, Paul Ryan.

Chuck Hagel was termed by Republicans as a weak person who would allow Iran to do what it desired and would not stand up to North Korea. Even Republicans are now agreeing that Hagel has been strong on North Korea. They now also agree that Obama and Hagel have worked effectively for peace in the Middle East.

I await the inevitable disaster of another Obama administration.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Barack Obama, Christianity, Conservatives, Democrats, Education, Gender Issues, Hilary Clinton, Human Rights, Iran, Iraq War, Islam, Israel, Joe Biden, john kerry, Judaism, Liberals, Middle East, Military, Mitt Romney, Multicultural, Muslims, Peace, Politics, Religion, Republicans, Ron Paul, Social Justice, United States, US Foreign Policy, War, World News

Goodbye War, Hello Pain

Posted on March 27, 2013 by | Leave a comment

There have been two wars in the Middle East over the past decade but for the majority of Americans they do not have the faintest idea as to the location  of those conflicts anymore than they understand the nature of fighting. Unlike WWII, newspapers do not report the wars, the media does not provide maps or stories about those fighting the wars which leaves the average American in a pleasant state of ignorance. Oh, the wars have something to do with “terrorists” but few even know the name, Taliban, or what these strange creatures do to American soldiers. The average American lives in a pleasant state of ignorant bliss.

A new report authored by George Rutherford for the Defense Department reveals that about half of the 2.2 million who served in these conflicts arrives  home in pain and confusion. This results in high unemployment rates and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It is difficult having a positive state of mind when no one gives a damn, let alone gives you a good job, for the two or  three or four deployments made to the Middle East. Many of your friends died, and you are dying inside, but the pain lingers and the public goes on with their lives.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Barack Obama, Conservatives, Democrats, Education, George Bush, Hilary Clinton, Human Rights, Iraq War, john kerry, Liberals, Middle East, Military, Mitt Romney, Multicultural, Peace, Politics, Religion, Republicans, Social Justice, United States, US Foreign Policy, War, World News