Submitted by Dirty (not verified) on Mon, 2007-09-10 19:27.
Josh-
Thou I agree with most of you points, I would like to tender a little real world perspective to you contention about the scripting of the “hawk tour.” Allowing members of the legislative branch out of the “green zone” with out some careful coordination, would be like letting the members of the Miss American pageant wander around the Yard at Pelican Bay. Maybe nothing would happen, I mean hey they both have guards, right?
Let’s face it the green zone still gets mortared. The big incentive for the tours’ is not “fact finding”, but good press and “Combat Tax exclusion.” The congressmen involved are no more concerned about learning the “Truth about Iraq” than they are about learning how to make cous cous and lamb. They’re politics regarding the war will be decided in Washington (were the money is.)
As to the Op-ed, while I understand where my fellow NCOs’ are coming from; they are addressing an issue that doesn’t really concern this administration. It is true that Iraq’s security is an issue; but it has quickly become the WMD.
All I really want is a reasonable explanation of what “success in Iraq” is. If I knew that I would be able to tell you my opinion on the success or failure of the Surge. Until that day, given the option of staying in and losing more of my friends, and pulling out and losing less of them; I choose the latter. Another thing is true, with any reasonable goal you need to have a time frame, and periodic evaluation of the goal to see if it can be met. What is our time frame?
War tours
Josh-
Thou I agree with most of you points, I would like to tender a little real world perspective to you contention about the scripting of the “hawk tour.” Allowing members of the legislative branch out of the “green zone” with out some careful coordination, would be like letting the members of the Miss American pageant wander around the Yard at Pelican Bay. Maybe nothing would happen, I mean hey they both have guards, right?
Let’s face it the green zone still gets mortared. The big incentive for the tours’ is not “fact finding”, but good press and “Combat Tax exclusion.” The congressmen involved are no more concerned about learning the “Truth about Iraq” than they are about learning how to make cous cous and lamb. They’re politics regarding the war will be decided in Washington (were the money is.)
As to the Op-ed, while I understand where my fellow NCOs’ are coming from; they are addressing an issue that doesn’t really concern this administration. It is true that Iraq’s security is an issue; but it has quickly become the WMD.
All I really want is a reasonable explanation of what “success in Iraq” is. If I knew that I would be able to tell you my opinion on the success or failure of the Surge. Until that day, given the option of staying in and losing more of my friends, and pulling out and losing less of them; I choose the latter. Another thing is true, with any reasonable goal you need to have a time frame, and periodic evaluation of the goal to see if it can be met. What is our time frame?