OT: Iraq from the enlisted POV

[Guest guest]

My brother in NC, typically votes Republican, can't bring himself to vote for Wbecause he feels we are in Iraq for all the wrong reasons, sent me this. Thought I'd share. To see the site of origin, go to www.optruth.org which is a site that records the musings of the soldiers who are actually serving in the war/conflict in Iraq and Afganistan.

The U.S. must face the monster it created

SPC was stationed in Iraq for 15 months, including several months as an MP (Military Police) at Abu Ghraib Prison.

I feel uneasy returning this month to American soil after my 15-month tour in Iraq. This dreadful feeling is inescapable. Every day I must look in the mirror and face the fact that I served in a war based on flawed premises. I was told that Iraq was an imminent threat, that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction. There were no WMD. I was told that Saddam had collaborated with Al Qaeda. He had not. Later I was told that we invaded Iraq to bring its people freedom and democracy. In my time in Iraq I witnessed the security situation deteriorate daily, and elections have yet to be held. (Incidentally, before the war I believed in the humanitarian cause of liberating the Iraqi people from the evil of Saddam, and I still believe in that cause.) My personal experiences on the ground epitomize broader, and sometimes troubling, issues in the war.

When my company landed in theatre in May, I was one of the few soldiers equipped with body armor effective at stopping powerful AK-47 ammunition. My mother, an elementary school art teacher, shipped the bullet-proof ceramic plates to me from the States. Other soldiers weren’t so lucky, having to raid buildings and patrol dangerous streets while wearing inferior Vietnam-era flak jackets. Later I learned that 40,000 troops had been sent into Iraq without effective body armor. We rode in ‘soft shell’ Humvees, equipped with flimsy fiber-glass doors. A Volvo has more protection. I saw the blood of American soldiers spilled because of the lack of ‘up-armored’ Humvees.

After training 2,000 police, and bringing law and order to the city of Al Hilla, my unit was tasked to run Abu Ghraib prison, a mission for which we had no prior training. We were combat support military police, ideal for conducting convoy security, not administering prisoner-of-war camps. My unit was desperately under-manned, so I was assigned to run an entire tier at the ‘hard site’. Even as a junior-enlisted soldier, I was personally responsible for 320 prisoners and a staff of four or five ill-disciplined Iraqi police. At Abu Ghraib, we were not afforded basic necessities such as cleaning supplies, instead prisoners cleaned their cells with water alone. Worst of all, nobody ever knew for sure who was actually in charge of the prison: military police, military intelligence or civilian contractors. All the while, insurgents’ mortars rained down on a near-daily basis, killing and wounding scores of soldiers and prisoners alike.

My one-year ‘boots on the ground’ came to an end in May. In Kuwait and just days from flying home, Secretary Rumsfeld reneged on his one-year promise and extended my unit’s tour by three months. We headed back to Iraq. Our new mission was to guard Halliburton truck drivers, civilian contractors who made three and four times my $20,000 salary. I wondered what on earth civilian truck drivers were doing in a combat zone. Riding with Halliburton on long convoys, we faced roadside bombs, rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire to protect these high-paid contractors. Finally, we were sent home in August.

I enlisted in the Army Reserve following September 11, 2001, one of the hardest and best decisions I have made in my life. I love the United States, the Army and my unit. Out of this deep love, I ask that we as Americans take a long look in the mirror. We must ask ourselves who we are and what we stand for. We as a nation must face the monster we have created in Iraq, sooner rather than later. We must find a way out of the mess in Iraq with minimal loss of American and Iraqi life. We owe it to the soldiers on the ground and the embattled Iraqi people.

PLEASE NOTE NEW ADDRESS!

W. Snell, D.C. 3343 SE Hawthorne Blvd. Portland, OR 97214 Ph. 503-235-5484 Fax 503-235-3956

[Guest guest]

Thanks, . Interesting perspective.

D Freeman Mailing address: 205 Liberty Street NE, Suite B Salem, OR 97301 503 586-0127 fax 503 586-0192 cell 503 871-0715 drmfreeman@...

-----Original Message-----From: Snell [mailto:drpsnell@...]Sent: Friday, September 10, 2004 12:42 PM Subject: OT: Iraq from the enlisted POV

My brother in NC, typically votes Republican, can't bring himself to vote for Wbecause he feels we are in Iraq for all the wrong reasons, sent me this. Thought I'd share. To see the site of origin, go to www.optruth.org which is a site that records the musings of the soldiers who are actually serving in the war/conflict in Iraq and Afganistan.

The U.S. must face the monster it created

SPC was stationed in Iraq for 15 months, including several months as an MP (Military Police) at Abu Ghraib Prison.

I feel uneasy returning this month to American soil after my 15-month tour in Iraq. This dreadful feeling is inescapable. Every day I must look in the mirror and face the fact that I served in a war based on flawed premises. I was told that Iraq was an imminent threat, that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction. There were no WMD. I was told that Saddam had collaborated with Al Qaeda. He had not. Later I was told that we invaded Iraq to bring its people freedom and democracy. In my time in Iraq I witnessed the security situation deteriorate daily, and elections have yet to be held. (Incidentally, before the war I believed in the humanitarian cause of liberating the Iraqi people from the evil of Saddam, and I still believe in that cause.) My personal experiences on the ground epitomize broader, and sometimes troubling, issues in the war.

When my company landed in theatre in May, I was one of the few soldiers equipped with body armor effective at stopping powerful AK-47 ammunition. My mother, an elementary school art teacher, shipped the bullet-proof ceramic plates to me from the States. Other soldiers weren't so lucky, having to raid buildings and patrol dangerous streets while wearing inferior Vietnam-era flak jackets. Later I learned that 40,000 troops had been sent into Iraq without effective body armor. We rode in 'soft shell' Humvees, equipped with flimsy fiber-glass doors. A Volvo has more protection. I saw the blood of American soldiers spilled because of the lack of 'up-armored' Humvees.

After training 2,000 police, and bringing law and order to the city of Al Hilla, my unit was tasked to run Abu Ghraib prison, a mission for which we had no prior training. We were combat support military police, ideal for conducting convoy security, not administering prisoner-of-war camps. My unit was desperately under-manned, so I was assigned to run an entire tier at the 'hard site'. Even as a junior-enlisted soldier, I was personally responsible for 320 prisoners and a staff of four or five ill-disciplined Iraqi police. At Abu Ghraib, we were not afforded basic necessities such as cleaning supplies, instead prisoners cleaned their cells with water alone. Worst of all, nobody ever knew for sure who was actually in charge of the prison: military police, military intelligence or civilian contractors. All the while, insurgents' mortars rained down on a near-daily basis, killing and wounding scores of soldiers and prisoners alike.

My one-year 'boots on the ground' came to an end in May. In Kuwait and just days from flying home, Secretary Rumsfeld reneged on his one-year promise and extended my unit's tour by three months. We headed back to Iraq. Our new mission was to guard Halliburton truck drivers, civilian contractors who made three and four times my $20,000 salary. I wondered what on earth civilian truck drivers were doing in a combat zone. Riding with Halliburton on long convoys, we faced roadside bombs, rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire to protect these high-paid contractors. Finally, we were sent home in August.

I enlisted in the Army Reserve following September 11, 2001, one of the hardest and best decisions I have made in my life. I love the United States, the Army and my unit. Out of this deep love, I ask that we as Americans take a long look in the mirror. We must ask ourselves who we are and what we stand for. We as a nation must face the monster we have created in Iraq, sooner rather than later. We must find a way out of the mess in Iraq with minimal loss of American and Iraqi life. We owe it to the soldiers on the ground and the embattled Iraqi people.

PLEASE NOTE NEW ADDRESS!

W. Snell, D.C. 3343 SE Hawthorne Blvd. Portland, OR 97214 Ph. 503-235-5484 Fax 503-235-3956OregonDCs rules:1. Keep correspondence professional; the purpose of the listserve is to foster communication and collegiality. No personal attacks on listserve members will be tolerated.2. Always sign your e-mails with your first and last name.3. The listserve is not secure; your e-mail could end up anywhere. However, it is against the rules of the listserve to copy, print, forward, or otherwise distribute correspondence written by another member without his or her consent, unless all personal identifiers have been removed.

[Guest guest]

Ok...I'll bite :

This one individual believes the current war in Iraq is "based on flawed premises," (and I am taking the leap of faith that this e-mail is not from a "political source" you know whats his name the flip flopper's campaign the fellow I wouldn't trust to buy an apple from!)

He goes on to state: "...that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction....there were no WMD" Well first of all he was suspected of having or very close to acquiring weapons of mass destruction including his attempts to acquire limit nuclear capacity. This combined with this disgusting individual's prior history of using chemical weapons on his own people (Kurds) killing men, women and children, attempting to gain internal nuclear capacity (remember least we forget so easily circa 1981 Saddam attempted to build a nuclear plant which would produce weapons grade material and when he would not stop construction the Israelis sent a couple US made F-16s over and bombed it into rubble...thank God). Then there was the shell game with the UN inspectors which he kicked out again two years before restarting the war in Iraq....I say restarted because the 1990 war really had not ended and we reserved the right to go back in if Saddam did not live up to the deal that was cut (12 years we waited)..and he didn't....so our President is taking care of business with absolute resolve.

For this reason and more everyone on the face of the planet believed it was highly probable that Saddam had built, bought or gained weapons of mass destruction at the very least chemical and biological or at the very worst limited nuclear weapons. I recall very clearly at the start of "Desert Storm II" (my name) as our brave arm forces raced North up the desert the TV war experts voicing their concerns that as our troops closed nearer and nearer to Baghdad Saddam might unleash chemical, biological, or even limited short range nuclear weapons on our forces...am I the only one that recalls this? BTW watch for some new developments regarding WMD actually being found....remember Iraq is the size of California...ya think "things" could be buried in any number of places that size???

More innocent men and woman civilians, Americans, our people, folks like those that live next to you died in those twin towers on Sept. 11 more than died at Pearl Harbor...Al Qaida took credit and private restates the current campaign mantra that "I was told that Saddam had collaborated with Al Qaeda..He had Not" oh really? Well then why is it that the non-partisan (6 democratic folk, 6 republican folk) "National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States" report just out notes several contacts between Al Qaida and Iraq...e.g..,on page 61 the Commission found clear evidence that Osama Bin Laden met with Senior Iraqi intelligence officers in late 1994 or early 1995. Or how's about page 134 where the commission quotes the supposed now book writing "counterterrorism chief" e the same e that maintained that Osama Bin Laden had no connection with Saddam's regime. Seems e opposed a U-2 flight to track down Osama in Afghanistan because the Pakistanis would have to be apprised of the flight and e was concerned that the Pakistanis would tip off Osama bin Laden and he would...get this the commission report quotes e as then saying "old wily Osama will likely boogie to Baghdad!" Ok..ok..ok I realize that non of us are rocket scientists (actually I take that back, I think my good friends Drs. Les Feinberg and Freeman actually are!) but just how damned weak could the connection be between Baghdad and Osama if e's immediate reaction to a scheme to hit "old Wily" from the air was that the Al-Qaida's leader would probably "boogie to Baghdad???"

SPC (who BTW I have the highest respect for him for serving this great country) goes on to mention a very salient point "Later I was told that we invaded Iraq to bring its people freedom and democracy," bingo! This is what our "Commander and Chief" President Bush was referring to during his acceptance speech at the Republican National Party Convention...just a few blocks from ground zero, that be where the World Trade Buildings once stood dear colleagues and where many good Americans lost their lives! Part of the President's "Homeland Security" in addition to significantly improving our internal intelligence capabilities to prevent further attacks on this country and beyond the obvious pre-emptive attack on the biggest sadistic pro-terrorist genocidal tyrant on the block was the goal of bringing democracy to this country in the very heart of the Middle East. With democracy comes those things we take for granted freedom of speech, of the press, freedom to practice the religion of our choosing and with these products of democracy comes hope to the oppressed.

Our President, his administration...this country by bringing democracy to the heart of the Middle East is turning a dangerous tyranny into a civilized government bringing freedom and with that freedom we take for granted hope to the rest of the Middle East. Our President has made clear that this is not a short-term plan and will take quite some time to succeed. Nonetheless this goal stands a much better chance of success than maintaining the status quo which for the last 50 to 75 years (maybe more) has bred bitterness and terrorism that has infected the world. Advancing the cause of freedom is a large part of what this war is about....as I write this (way, way way to long of post, way way to early in the darn morning) millions of people are now registered to vote for the first time in Afghanistan this despite terrorist attempts to derail the up coming free elections.

Now in Iraq millions of good people are free of governmental oppression and outright terror (remember the "raping rooms," "acid baths," "tossing citizens off buildings," and how about sending those live individuals through that large plastic shredder!"). Yes the resistance from insurgence who travel from the surrounding countries is substantial but comes from individuals who by their actions (murdering helpless and innocent hostages, bombing civilians, & sabotaging facilities that could help Iraq economically) reveal that they are indeed the forces of evil, of suffering, and death.

Our President stated it very clearly the other night in New York that the action in Iraq is part of the worldwide war against terror. If the free world can succeed in turning Iraq around (yes it will take quite sometime) when the Iraqi people begin to see that they can grow old, earn a living, decide their own futures, in short enjoy a decent life the motivation for Islamist terror will diminish. Remember Western Europe and the terror attacks of the "Red Brigades" in the 70's though highly publicized the citizens saw no point in that rebellion, rebellion against what...good housing, a job, and security? For the majority it made no sense and the Brigades faded away.

Does anyone really believe that the Iraqi people are not seeing who is trying to help them and who is fighting the helpers?

I better stop...I could go on but this is way to long as is....

Me-Two-Cents-Worth,

Vern Saboe, DC

Albany

OT: Iraq from the enlisted POV

My brother in NC, typically votes Republican, can't bring himself to vote for Wbecause he feels we are in Iraq for all the wrong reasons, sent me this. Thought I'd share. To see the site of origin, go to www.optruth.org which is a site that records the musings of the soldiers who are actually serving in the war/conflict in Iraq and Afganistan.

The U.S. must face the monster it created

SPC was stationed in Iraq for 15 months, including several months as an MP (Military Police) at Abu Ghraib Prison.

I feel uneasy returning this month to American soil after my 15-month tour in Iraq. This dreadful feeling is inescapable. Every day I must look in the mirror and face the fact that I served in a war based on flawed premises. I was told that Iraq was an imminent threat, that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction. There were no WMD. I was told that Saddam had collaborated with Al Qaeda. He had not. Later I was told that we invaded Iraq to bring its people freedom and democracy. In my time in Iraq I witnessed the security situation deteriorate daily, and elections have yet to be held. (Incidentally, before the war I believed in the humanitarian cause of liberating the Iraqi people from the evil of Saddam, and I still believe in that cause.) My personal experiences on the ground epitomize broader, and sometimes troubling, issues in the war.

When my company landed in theatre in May, I was one of the few soldiers equipped with body armor effective at stopping powerful AK-47 ammunition. My mother, an elementary school art teacher, shipped the bullet-proof ceramic plates to me from the States. Other soldiers weren’t so lucky, having to raid buildings and patrol dangerous streets while wearing inferior Vietnam-era flak jackets. Later I learned that 40,000 troops had been sent into Iraq without effective body armor. We rode in ‘soft shell’ Humvees, equipped with flimsy fiber-glass doors. A Volvo has more protection. I saw the blood of American soldiers spilled because of the lack of ‘up-armored’ Humvees.

After training 2,000 police, and bringing law and order to the city of Al Hilla, my unit was tasked to run Abu Ghraib prison, a mission for which we had no prior training. We were combat support military police, ideal for conducting convoy security, not administering prisoner-of-war camps. My unit was desperately under-manned, so I was assigned to run an entire tier at the ‘hard site’. Even as a junior-enlisted soldier, I was personally responsible for 320 prisoners and a staff of four or five ill-disciplined Iraqi police. At Abu Ghraib, we were not afforded basic necessities such as cleaning supplies, instead prisoners cleaned their cells with water alone. Worst of all, nobody ever knew for sure who was actually in charge of the prison: military police, military intelligence or civilian contractors. All the while, insurgents’ mortars rained down on a near-daily basis, killing and wounding scores of soldiers and prisoners alike.

My one-year ‘boots on the ground’ came to an end in May. In Kuwait and just days from flying home, Secretary Rumsfeld reneged on his one-year promise and extended my unit’s tour by three months. We headed back to Iraq. Our new mission was to guard Halliburton truck drivers, civilian contractors who made three and four times my $20,000 salary. I wondered what on earth civilian truck drivers were doing in a combat zone. Riding with Halliburton on long convoys, we faced roadside bombs, rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire to protect these high-paid contractors. Finally, we were sent home in August.

I enlisted in the Army Reserve following September 11, 2001, one of the hardest and best decisions I have made in my life. I love the United States, the Army and my unit. Out of this deep love, I ask that we as Americans take a long look in the mirror. We must ask ourselves who we are and what we stand for. We as a nation must face the monster we have created in Iraq, sooner rather than later. We must find a way out of the mess in Iraq with minimal loss of American and Iraqi life. We owe it to the soldiers on the ground and the embattled Iraqi people.

PLEASE NOTE NEW ADDRESS!

W. Snell, D.C. 3343 SE Hawthorne Blvd. Portland, OR 97214 Ph. 503-235-5484 Fax 503-235-3956OregonDCs rules:1. Keep correspondence professional; the purpose of the listserve is to foster communication and collegiality. No personal attacks on listserve members will be tolerated.2. Always sign your e-mails with your first and last name.3. The listserve is not secure; your e-mail could end up anywhere. However, it is against the rules of the listserve to copy, print, forward, or otherwise distribute correspondence written by another member without his or her consent, unless all personal identifiers have been removed.

[Guest guest]

While it certainly sensationalizes a story of one person's view of the situation in Iraq it does not mean that his observations reflect the majority of our military personnel. There are certainly many who believe and see the positive aspects of what the Iraqi war has done for the Iraqi people and how much more will be done in a free society instead of a despotic government

On a larger scale we are fighting fundamentalists of a particular religion. Read and educate yourself about what these people are really like. It is the same old Naziism, Klu Klux Clan mentality. You may only play if you are of certain color and/or religious intent. The current violence uptrend in Iraq is similar to the situation in post war Germany. A democratic type government is not going to be wanted from the very people who have those fundamentalist attitudes.

Where are all the feminists? The Islamic fundamentalists give no regard to women. Exactly oppposite of the Quran. If you do not believe that these Islamic fundamentalists are a threat to you, I would urge you to read and educate yourself in regard to the teachings and observations of leaders such as Osama Bin Laden.

I would remind you all that the French thought the Germans could be appeased under Hitler. Being wildly unpopular for his stance on Hitler and Germany, Winston Churchill was also controversial with regard to his "hawkish" view.

While I respect everyone's opinion with regard to war at any level. Saddam continuously broke agreements that he willingly signed with the United Nations following the Gulf war. Someone finally held him accountable. Gee.... what a concept.

By the way the I would appreciate some verifyable information regarding the Vietnam flak vests..... seems unlikely at best.

Dr Beebe

OT: Iraq from the enlisted POV

My brother in NC, typically votes Republican, can't bring himself to vote for Wbecause he feels we are in Iraq for all the wrong reasons, sent me this. Thought I'd share. To see the site of origin, go to www.optruth.org which is a site that records the musings of the soldiers who are actually serving in the war/conflict in Iraq and Afganistan.

The U.S. must face the monster it created

SPC was stationed in Iraq for 15 months, including several months as an MP (Military Police) at Abu Ghraib Prison.

I feel uneasy returning this month to American soil after my 15-month tour in Iraq. This dreadful feeling is inescapable. Every day I must look in the mirror and face the fact that I served in a war based on flawed premises. I was told that Iraq was an imminent threat, that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction. There were no WMD. I was told that Saddam had collaborated with Al Qaeda. He had not. Later I was told that we invaded Iraq to bring its people freedom and democracy. In my time in Iraq I witnessed the security situation deteriorate daily, and elections have yet to be held. (Incidentally, before the war I believed in the humanitarian cause of liberating the Iraqi people from the evil of Saddam, and I still believe in that cause.) My personal experiences on the ground epitomize broader, and sometimes troubling, issues in the war.

When my company landed in theatre in May, I was one of the few soldiers equipped with body armor effective at stopping powerful AK-47 ammunition. My mother, an elementary school art teacher, shipped the bullet-proof ceramic plates to me from the States. Other soldiers weren’t so lucky, having to raid buildings and patrol dangerous streets while wearing inferior Vietnam-era flak jackets. Later I learned that 40,000 troops had been sent into Iraq without effective body armor. We rode in ‘soft shell’ Humvees, equipped with flimsy fiber-glass doors. A Volvo has more protection. I saw the blood of American soldiers spilled because of the lack of ‘up-armored’ Humvees.

After training 2,000 police, and bringing law and order to the city of Al Hilla, my unit was tasked to run Abu Ghraib prison, a mission for which we had no prior training. We were combat support military police, ideal for conducting convoy security, not administering prisoner-of-war camps. My unit was desperately under-manned, so I was assigned to run an entire tier at the ‘hard site’. Even as a junior-enlisted soldier, I was personally responsible for 320 prisoners and a staff of four or five ill-disciplined Iraqi police. At Abu Ghraib, we were not afforded basic necessities such as cleaning supplies, instead prisoners cleaned their cells with water alone. Worst of all, nobody ever knew for sure who was actually in charge of the prison: military police, military intelligence or civilian contractors. All the while, insurgents’ mortars rained down on a near-daily basis, killing and wounding scores of soldiers and prisoners alike.

My one-year ‘boots on the ground’ came to an end in May. In Kuwait and just days from flying home, Secretary Rumsfeld reneged on his one-year promise and extended my unit’s tour by three months. We headed back to Iraq. Our new mission was to guard Halliburton truck drivers, civilian contractors who made three and four times my $20,000 salary. I wondered what on earth civilian truck drivers were doing in a combat zone. Riding with Halliburton on long convoys, we faced roadside bombs, rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire to protect these high-paid contractors. Finally, we were sent home in August.

I enlisted in the Army Reserve following September 11, 2001, one of the hardest and best decisions I have made in my life. I love the United States, the Army and my unit. Out of this deep love, I ask that we as Americans take a long look in the mirror. We must ask ourselves who we are and what we stand for. We as a nation must face the monster we have created in Iraq, sooner rather than later. We must find a way out of the mess in Iraq with minimal loss of American and Iraqi life. We owe it to the soldiers on the ground and the embattled Iraqi people.

PLEASE NOTE NEW ADDRESS!

W. Snell, D.C. 3343 SE Hawthorne Blvd. Portland, OR 97214 Ph. 503-235-5484 Fax 503-235-3956OregonDCs rules:1. Keep correspondence professional; the purpose of the listserve is to foster communication and collegiality. No personal attacks on listserve members will be tolerated.2. Always sign your e-mails with your first and last name.3. The listserve is not secure; your e-mail could end up anywhere. However, it is against the rules of the listserve to copy, print, forward, or otherwise distribute correspondence written by another member without his or her consent, unless all personal identifiers have been removed.