Posted by
Don on Wednesday, January 16, 2008 6:09:15 AM
This is one of my old pieces i wrote a long time ago and i just wanted to put up for everyone!
http://www.packpatriot.com/PDF/vol3iss4.pdf
To Surge or Not to Surge!
Donnell Dike-Anukam
Since the midterm elections have
concluded there has been talk from
the beltway and across America regarding
President Bush’s proposal
from his major speech in early January
on how to stabilize the situation
in Iraq. I’m no expert on politics or
military tactics, but when three and
four star generals such as Generals
Casey, Meyers, and Abizaid talk, I
listen! On the flip side, when you
have a group of politicians who
shoot down every idea and offer
nothing in return, even if you want to
ignore them, you can’t, because you
still need their support.
What should Mr. Bush do now that
he’s got Chuck Hagel (R-NE) and
Gordon Smith (R-OR) publicly abandoning
him on Hardball? The situation
in Iraq is deteriorating (but winnable),
and Iraqi leaders seem to care
more about their own self-interest
than the people they were elected to
represent. Sunni and Shia militias in
Iraq are undermining the security of
the country. And try don’t forget the
five-hundred pound gorilla in the
room—Iran.
With these factors in mind it’s easier
to understand why Mr. Bush doing
he’s doing; you send what troops
you can and hope that we can get by
without reintroducing the draft.
The president, in a gesture of candor
to the world and to the American
people, admitted to a lack of effectiveness
in some key areas in this
engagement. There are those who
would rather rehash 2004 repeatedly
than deal with the problems in Iraq
and move forward. We know that
“staying the course” is no longer an
option. As much as everyone hates
the situation on the ground in Iraq, if
we leave it would make the Middle
East a much more dangerous place.
We need Speaker Nancy Pelosi
and Majority Leader Harry Reid to
stop playing monday-morning quarterback
while pretending like they
care about the troops. The electorate
apparently thought you could do
something to help the situation, so
pick up a shovel and help do some
work.
I can’t say this enough: SUPPORT
THE TROOPS! That means do more
than just bitching about the situation.
Donate some time, money, or anything
to help our troops dealing the
mess out there. Contact your Senators
and Congressmen by writing to
them or calling them, and demand
that they ask for more funding for
armor, food, and supplies. When
you hear someone whine about pulling
our troops out of Iraq, set that
person straight and remind him that
the young men and women are doing
what they signed up to do, their duty
as members of the United States
Military who go in our defense and
risk their lives dealing with thugs,
dangerous terrain, and other hazards
associated with war.
In closing I want to leave you with
a quote that a good friend mine said
to me about being in mess and trying
to fix it “You must take action today,
now and tomorrow.”