SUBJECT: To Stay or to Leave (Time Now), THAT Is the Question

As a military professional, I have to say this is the most common question I hear when talking with civilian friends and acquaintances. And sadly – some folks just don’t get it.

Believe me when I tell you that NO ONE wants to get our boys and girls out of Iraq more than the military and its leadership. For the most part it’s a thankless job, other than when you deal with the Iraqi citizens on a one-to-one basis. With only a few exceptions (the insurgent assholes), Iraqis are happy that the U.S. and its allies took away the tyrant who’d terrorized their nation for three decades. And when those people shake your hand, tears in their eyes, and thank you…well, that does impart a bit of job satisfaction and make you feel you’ve earned a few extra karmic points in this life. That’s a good thing.

But we continue to have U.S. citizens chanting for us to pull all of our forces out now. Peace at any cost, I guess they believe. It’s the ostrich-head-in-the-sand game, folks. These left-wingers – and I really don’t care for politics at either of the extreme ends of the spectrum – either haven’t bothered or don’t care to look at what would happen to not only Iraq, but that entire region of the world, if we withdrew our forces in total before the newly elected Iraqi government is able to take control, get their troops in shape, etc. Fanatic strongholds (like Iran) and out-of-control nation-states (Syria under its nutty new leader) continue to allow terrorists and fanatics free passage across their borders in hopes of influencing and destabilizing Iraq. If that happens – which it would if we withdrew U.S. troops too soon – Iraq would implode. And suddenly the work and sacrifice our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines have accomplished and paid for in blood would be for nothing. Let’s hope that President Bush and our military leadership continue to resist calls from the American far left and, just as bad, the European Union (spit) and do the right thing.

Enough of the soapbox talk. Oh…and to the few of you who take offense to the above: sorry, I gotta be me. And don’t forget, I stand ready to defend your opinion with my life, no matter how uninformed and idiotic it is.

Scouts out!

Mike

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