Thursday is my grueling work day. 9-5 without a real break.

And I come home to the news of our so-called elected representatives' cut-'n-run plan.

ARRRGGGHHHH!

Posted by Always On Watch at April 26, 2007 07:50 PM

Yep, that's exactly what the Dems are doing, forcing a 'cut and run' after over 4 years of trying to get a bunch of people to STAND and fight for themselves, people that never will...

Cut and run...

More like 'Cut our losses' because under the stewardship of GWB, what ya see is what ya get and what we can expect, nothing more than a quandary that's gone on for longer than WWII, yep, cut and run...

In MY opinion, it's past time to leave, if we're not going to fight to win, bring the troops home, if the Iraqis aren't going to stand on their own, and there is little indication that they will, bring the troops home, the entire nation of Iraq is not worth the death of so much as one more U.S. troop...

I realize this isn't the popular position but it's MY position and I don't give a damn about being popular, I care about the lives of our troops and them not being lost in vain...

Posted by TexasFred at April 26, 2007 08:55 PM

Texas Fred: There is a dramatic difference between conventional (mostly what you saw during Operation Iraqi Freedom I) and counterinsurgency.

Note: Nearly ALL our politicians, entertainers, media and educators know very little about the tactical matters of counterinsurgency. This is somewhat of a cross between full blown conventional war and cop on the beat in the city. There is MUCH more to it and I've not space here. Read how the Brit did it in Malaya. Lots of info out there on this.

We can, and should, win in Iraq. It is in the best interests of the American people, the people of Iraq AND people all 'round the world. It can be done, but requires patience AND understanding.

Short phrases on Bumper Stickers won't do. Political cartoons from...well, cartoonists, not informed military personnel...will not do. Half-baked and half-informed OPINIONS from educators, actors, talking heads, and people attempting to win popularity contests (politicians) will not do either. Correct actions by informed and knowledgeable people will do the trick.

I fear that our Republic doesn't have the discipline to learn; the patience to continue on rough roads and the courage to do what really is the right and smart thing to do. We lose in Iraq...it will come back to bite us in a bigger and bigger way. Think the Rhineland; think Austria and the Anschlus; think Czechoslovkia (the Sudetenland) and on and on. The French, Brits could have stopped it...they averted their heads. They thought appeasement would work. It never does.

Regards from another Texan

Posted by tad at April 27, 2007 11:19 AM

Tad, how many years did YOU spend in uniform, in a fairly high ranking position, actually fighting this stuff?? Or in the employ of one our Intelligence services with your ass on the line every day?? If I may be so bold as to ask...

Because if you haven't BEEN THERE, you're talking out of your ass.. If you have BEEN THERE, I'll cut you a bit of slack, but only a bit...

And what in the world would possess you to believe that there would be ANY "Correct actions by informed and knowledgeable people" in relation to this debacle??

Past performance perhaps??

Yeah, that's gotta be it, the way they've fought the war in Iraq up to this point, that's gotta be it...

Posted by TexasFred at April 27, 2007 02:26 PM

Texas Fred: In response to your queries, I spent thirty-two years in the Marines. My MOS' were 0311, 0369 and 0302, if you're familiar with those.

Without false modesty, I was involved with the Combined Action Program in Vietnam. More the result of many others than myself, the mixed unit of Marines and PFs completely ruled our extended village of seven hamlets. It was a drop dead success for "our side" and the NVA/VC took a drubbing. The people of the hamlets provided nearly all the intell. They routinuely risked their lives to help us. It worked.

I have, over many years since my RVN experience, served in Plans and in Ops. I also participated in military schooling, formal and informal (US and abroad), involved with the study of counterinsurgency. It is a cheap man's war, but very expensive for us. You will know why, I'm sure, if you've leaned in on these subjects.

In addition to Malaya, one ought look at the Partisan efforts in Russia during WW II, the Balkans at various periods, Northern Ireland, the Basque civil war, the Philippines under Magsaysay, Orde Wingate following WW I, and during WW II, of course, T.E. Lawrence and the list goes on and on. Small bands of relatively lightly armed men (good and bad) can inflict great violence and damage to formal military forces and civilian targets.

Were mistakes made in our efforts in Iraq? Yes. Should we have studied what worked in the past? Yes. Can we right our errors? Yes, IF we have the will, the courage and the stick-to-itiveness.

A friend and four time deployee to Iraq told me that Americans (meaning the civilians) will agree to fight, but only if it can be done in four quarters.

Patience, does not seem to be one of our virtues.

Posted by tad at April 27, 2007 06:12 PM

And history can offer NO comparison to this goat roping we call Iraq, and it's not because there are no similarities in the scenarios, it's because Iraq is a place we didn't need to be, not from a real Intel stand point, and that fact has been borne out by the Congress and Senate...

We will not WIN under the direction of George W. Bush, there is no way, and God help us if a Dem gets in office in '08, my contention is this, we went at Iraq like it was a push over, and the Army in Iraq was, but no one planned for any insurgency, we went in there on the whim of an impertinent child that wanted to please his Daddy..

That's my opinion and my friend, we chewed quite a bit of the same dust, slightly different MOS's was all...

Posted by TexasFred at April 27, 2007 08:00 PM

Texas Fred,

I guess, then, we can agree that we disagree.

Semper Fidelis

Posted by tad at April 27, 2007 09:25 PM