ALCON,

My web guru Bill Parker wants me to pontificate on something interesting. I tried to tell him I’m just an over the hill tanker and no one really wants to hear my take on current events or trends, but…

SUBJECT: Occupation of Iraq

It seems everyone and his brother has an opinion on whether or not we should still be in Iraq; if we should be there, then for how long; whether or not it’s worth losing another American life; whether it’s all about the oil; whether or not the United Nations should take over the occupation. At least we can all agree that the French, despite their past investments in Iraq, can kiss our collective red-white-and-blue arses (cheap shot, I took it, sue me).

I redeployed from a three-week mission to Baghdad only a month ago. I saw the people, I watched our men and women in uniform carrying out their daily missions, felt the vibration of mortar rounds impacting in our compound.

As an active duty military officer I would never question the directives of my chain-of-command or my commander-in-chief publicly. Fortunately, on this topic I don’t have to…we’re right, they’re wrong. The television news “experts” can argue over the minutia, but there it is. The President felt that we had an obligation to take out the threat Saddam Hussein posed to the world, and in particular to U.S. interests – and to free an oppressed people while doing so. As President Bush’s “big stick” the United States military forces did so and did it well with a minimum of casualties (and yeah, even one dead soldier is too many, but we all signed on the dotted line and raised our right hands).

The question then becomes how long to occupy and with what composition of forces. Leaving the country to the Iraqi people is not an option. Between Saddam loyalists still in hiding and fanatic Iranian influences pouring into the country, it would be one big shit storm if the American forces withdrew -- and it would be the Iraqi people who’d suffer the stinky splatter. More, as the country that freed their nation, the U.S. has an obligation to ensure it wasn’t for naught. Insofar as whether the United Nations should take over…I’ll leave that one to the politicians.

No one likes to see our young sailors, soldiers, airmen, and Marines in harms way. And while it hurts me as a military man, as a father, and as a starry-eyed patriotic American to see the almost daily reports of troops dying, pulling out now would be the equivalent of saying the deaths of the brave Americans to date have been for nothing. They weren’t for nothing…these troops made a sacrifice to safeguard their nation and to free a people from a brutal dictator. And they are appreciated.

Finally, if the rest of the world doesn’t like our actions – tough tit. We’re the only superpower left and thus we’ll do what we feel we need to safeguard our country and our people.

And keep in mind these are just one man’s opinions; I could be full of shite.

Scouts out!

Mike

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