Victory in Iraq! Conversation with a soldier ... Part 3

"If our country does not lead the cause for freedom, it will not be led."
President George W. Bush, 2001

Part 1 & Part 2

He's an American soldier just back from Iraq ... and he has many memories to share, many experiences to relate, and many thoughts about the way the war is going. This American soldier knows why he's fighting and why he's in the military.

The mission in Iraq can be won and should be won, he says. Iraq has the will ... but they need assistance. He uses the anology of the kid who is picked on by bullies and needs his big brother to step in and help out.

He says again that the military needs their hands untied to go after the insurgent terrorists and exterminate them. To win a war, he says, you must cripple and subdue the opponent until they are pleading with you to come up with terms for peace. The U.S. is not allowing our military to do that. So, for now, they're maintaining the peace.

All the negative news reports about Baghdad made me wonder if he thought he would have his head blown off everytime he looked out a door. He laughed and said he was shot at more in South Korea than in Iraq. There's violence ... but when it's played up on TV it appears that is all there is to Baghdad. And that simply is not true.

Unfortunately, stabilizing a country doesn't happen overnight, he says. John Q. Public is impatient and the mainstream media helps with that impatience. It takes years to work through situations like this ... and he mentions we still have troops in Germany 60 years after the end of World War II. John Q. Public doesn't know his history because, if he did, he would have past history to go by. American history is taught less and less in school.

Iraq will be able to take care of itself

Can Iraq take care of itself? He says absolutely yes.

What is happening now in the U.S. Congress is a surrender plan. We don't need to go with a surrender plan. Iraq needs economic stability ... and they're working on it.

The civilian economy is recovering nicely.

Iraq needs to get their oil refineries up and going to pull in revenue to run the country. Insurgent terrorists continue to blow them up ... exterminate the insurgent terrorists.

They need to stabilize the streets by ending car bombings and homicide bombers ... exterminate the insurgent terrorists.

The Iraqi people need to feel safe from random acts of violence and bombings ... exterminate the insurgent terrorists.

Most of the insurgent terrorists are not Iraqi ... they are Syrian, Saudis, Iranian. It is almost impossible to completely keep them out of the country ... if they want in, they will get in. However, beefing up security forces along the corridor between the Iran/Iraq border and Baghdad would help deter many of the terrorists who now plant IEDs on the roadways and make their way to cities to cause havoc and mayhem. That is part of President Bush's plan with 20,000 reenforcements for the military.

Of those who are Iraqi terrorists ... they are led by a radical Muslim cleric in Sader City who wants to destroy the American spirit (it's working, isn't it?) and drive the military out of there. Because he has 100,000 militia, he is a big problem for the new government.

Jihadists hijacked Muslim religion

The Jihadists, he says, are not true Muslims. He became friends with locals who told him their religion had been hijacked by the radical, fundamental faction of the Islam faith who want a world-dominated society.

While working at protecting high-ranking political officials, he met the Prime Minister, the President, and the Vice Presidents (they have two). They are from differing sects within the country but they are working to stabilize Iraq. He has been in their offices, their palaces ... he has had their safety and protection in his hands.

One is Suni, one is a Kurd, one is Shite ... these new leaders are grateful to the American soldiers for their help.

As an MP our American soldier's unit contacted chiefs of police around Iraq and worked with them, visiting their areas to train and teach them to monitor corruption and reports of sectarian violence and human rights violations. The process is working ... if Congress and the American people don't demand that we cut-and-run and leave behind all the work already in place.

Reenlistment in Unit at 65%

Many American soldiers who are deployed to Iraq are faced with a reenlistment decision while they're in the desert of a country we are trying to stabilize. More than 65% of those men reenlisted. Why?

They reenlisted because our mission is essential. These men do not want to tuck tail and run. They do not want to turn their backs on a bad situation and hope things work out for the best. Their fear is if America drops Iraq we'll be back to Square One.

Stabilizing a country does not happen overnight. Fighting an enemy who doesn't wear a uniform but, instead, looks like every other citizen on the street is a difficult situation.

Don't ask Congress if this war can be won. Ask our military men and women on the ground in Iraq if this war can be won. They are there. They know the Iraqi people they're working with ... they know the Iraqi people will feel abandoned if we leave without completing our job.

His suggestion to Americans? Read your history. War doesn't happen overnight; peace doesn't return overnight.

He continues the sacrifice

He's back home in the States but his sacrifice won't end.

He's fresh from the field ... he has volunteered to train soldiers deploying to Iraq. He has the knowledge and he feels it's a contribution he can make to help those who haven't been to Iraq so they will know the culture and background. He will be working with enlisted of all ages, male and female ... some older ones who have been in for 20 years but never been to war. They are now stepping to the plate when their government calls them to service, making sacrifices the average American does not understand.

Sadly, the average American doesn't want to understand because, if they did, they would not take the word of the evening TV news or CNN or liberal newspapers for what is occurring halfway around the world.

They would talk to a soldier, ask questions of a Marine, read the military websites, get another perspective of the mission.

They would do their homework.

But it's easiser to let the mainstream media do their homework so they won't have to pull their heads out of their X-Boxes or sporting events.

He quotes Benjamin Franklin's statement from 1775 when engaged in debate about breaking away from Great Britain:

"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."

He has a passion to protect America

Not many people in society ... not many even in the military ... have the passion and bearing that my friend does. But spend an hour with him and you may begin to see things in a light you had not before. You may begin to understand the background in a way you didn't before. His passion is contagious; his patriotism is more so. He's the real deal ... an American GI who is fighting because he loves his country.

He fights to give the anti-war protesters the freedom to stand on the street corner and protest the war.

He fights to give citizens the right to be "subjects" and not citizens.

He fights to keep the streets of America safe.

He sacrifices, his family sacrifices, his friends sacrifice ... it's his life.

An American soldier. We owe him our gratitude ... we owe him our respect ... we owe him admiratation. He is the reason we have our freedom, our safety, our lives free from terrorism here at home.

He's an American soldier....

"We've defeated freedom's enemies before, and we will defeat them again."
President George W. Bush, 2001