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Home Front: WoT
A message to Obama from a vet of the surge
2008-09-06
A veteran who served in Iraq tapes a message to Obama re: the surge

Watch as he turns away from the camera for the impact.
Posted by:lotp

#19  It is inappropriate to identify one political Party with the military. At least, this side of China.

The military doesn't forbid its members from making political statements or engaged in politcal activity. It does forbid campaigning while in uniform or while on duty, or making disparaging remarks of senior civilians whose office placed them in charge of the military.

Second, the individual is not in uniform, nor, by his appearance is currently on active duty. Which makes your statement even more ludicrous

The Surge? Didn't that start 8 months after the "Anbar Experiment" in which Sunni terrorists were encouraged to work with American interventionists in exchange for $300 each per month?

Apparently you have no experience in, or historical knowledge of, counter-insurgency tactics.

Who is afraid to answer any of the above? I am proud of my martial spirit!

Sure you do! I bet you could belt out every song of the Russian Army.
Posted by: Pappy   2008-09-06 22:10  

#18  would've been after "matured"..... since that really never happened
Posted by: Frank G   2008-09-06 21:47  

#17  Knowing the UCMJ and DOD Directive, this young man is well within his rights. Also knowing the videos of this sort, the right does not resort to FAKE veterans like the left (Jesse MacBeth, etc). Additionally, the success is undeniably, and attributable to the sacrifices made by the troops to close with, engage and destroy the enemy, and to continue to stay in the field, and to do so in sufficient number -- all directly attributable to the surge (more troops, more combat, and change in tactics).

So you are wrong, wrong, wrong.

Finally, you are a piece of shit troll and therefore no need of further information to you.

Posted by: OldSpook   2008-09-06 21:44  

#16  Where did you mean to end the strike, Frank?

We're friends here - you can have a do-over (of sorts). ;-p
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2008-09-06 21:43  

#15  well that was an excellent non-closed /del

shit
Posted by: Frank G   2008-09-06 21:34  

#14  The speaker in the tape paid for the right to support McCain. The dues were the loss of his left leg.

Semper Fi to this brave young man.
Posted by: GolfBravoUSMC   2008-09-06 21:33  

#13  SW - Fred gave me the talk a while ago. Are you saying weapons free?

Actually, either I've matured gotten more cynical and tired or the trolls just don't get me rolling any more. The same hackneyed crap. Aris with his Yul Brynner Westworld imitation, or Regional Peace with his weakass efforts or...
nevermind. I'm still pissed SDSU gave away that victory over Notre Dame today...grrrr
Posted by: Frank G   2008-09-06 21:33  

#12  Before running with the tape,

- are we sure we know the person on the tape is actually a veteran (if so, God bless him for this)

- is this person violating protocol by making a political statement

- no matter where this person served, he can only offer facts on what he has actually seen, his opinions on the larger question of whether the war was a mistake or what percent of the 2006-2008 success was due to the surge are just opinions
Posted by: mhw   2008-09-06 21:18  

#11  Frank, engaging clueless trolls is fun. Besides, he won't be back.


It is inappropriate to identify one political Party with the military. 



It would be great if the Democrats could identify with the military. Unfortunately, there are way too many who won't.



Didn't that start 8 months after the "Anbar Experiment" in which Sunni terrorists were encouraged to work with American interventionists in exchange for $300 each per month?



Everyone gets paid for providing a service. What's wrong with paying men to protect their families and neighbors? And so that you know, our Americans there are known (at least to us Americans, regardless of party) as 'soldiers', not interventionists.



And why did the Sunnis co-operate? 



Because 1) al-Qaeda brutalized them and their families and 2) we got smart and demonstrated to them the advantages of working with us.



Isn't the President currently dealing with the Iraq Army's (Shiites that is) move against the Kurds, while their Shiite leader won't let Sunnis into the army? 



Maliki needs to trust the Sunnis more. It won't happen overnight. Doesn't mean it won't happen.



Didn't al-Maliki bring Ahmadinejad to Baghdad in June, and promise him that Iran would not be attacked from Iraq soil? 



He's a politician. He can promise anything. We pro'ly won't attack Iran, from Iraqi soil or otherwise, unless Iran does something really stoopid like a) attack us or b) get ready to explode a nuclear weapon.



And what should we make of bringing in the Iranians, while al-Maliki is trying to dictate a humiliating withdrawl agreement (SOFA) to President Bush? 



Humiliating? According to whom? We're working out a SOFA that lets us do pretty much what we want and allows Maliki to look tough. You obviously don't understand Arab culture.



I am proud of my martial spirit!



Oh, you're a Ruritanian. Didn't know. How's the weather there?
Posted by: Steve White   2008-09-06 20:55  

#10  and most like him, seemingly forget, the Marines had been out there for years, working to make just that to happen.

Those who forget their history...... ya'know
Posted by: Sherry   2008-09-06 20:47  

#9  WOW...I am stunned and humbled.

God bless this man...and God bless the USA.

This needs to be pushed by a 527...before YouTube makes it "disappear"
Posted by: Justrand   2008-09-06 20:43  

#8  Dimwit the Sunnis cooperated because we finally got enoguh troops there to guarantee their protection, and we change our patrols tactics to maintain a constant presence instead of "gopher holing" back to base, and we bought enough time with our blood to adequately train the Iraqi troops to be Iraqis first, and to act like PROFESSIONAL soldiers - by way of example.

So RP, go back to Kos and reload, Your lies just got stomped.
Posted by: OldSpook   2008-09-06 20:30  

#7  Well, John, to be fair, Reid's telling the truth in his own way. The DemocRats HAVE lost in on Iraq.

Do they realize yet that they're not running against George Bush this election?
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2008-09-06 19:37  

#6  Fine young man who has sacrificed for his country.

I recall Harry Reid and his statement about we have lost in Iraq. The Democrats, the Party of Surrender and Defeat.
Posted by: JohnQC   2008-09-06 19:13  

#5  RP, I'm a very moderate loyal RB reader. Have been since the start. Daily.

What's wrong with having to pay Sunnis 300 bucks a month to work with the US during the surge?

As far as your other points, because of the successes during the surge there's lots of jaw-jaw going on. Why are you complaining?

Posted by: Penguin   2008-09-06 19:12  

#4  don't engage the troll
Posted by: Frank G   2008-09-06 19:03  

#3  It is inappropriate to identify one political Party with the military. At least, this side of China.

The Surge? Didn't that start 8 months after the "Anbar Experiment" in which Sunni terrorists were encouraged to work with American interventionists in exchange for $300 each per month? And why did the Sunnis co-operate? Because the Shiites booted them out of most of Baghdad and they chose to preserve what they had left in the Sunni Triangle? Didn't US Field patrols actually decline during the Surge? Isn't the President currently dealing with the Iraq Army's (Shiites that is) move against the Kurds, while their Shiite leader won't let Sunnis into the army? Didn't al-Maliki bring Ahmadinejad to Baghdad in June, and promise him that Iran would not be attacked from Iraq soil? And what should we make of bringing in the Iranians, while al-Maliki is trying to dictate a humiliating withdrawl agreement (SOFA) to President Bush?

Who is afraid to answer any of the above? I am proud of my martial spirit!
Posted by: Regional Peace   2008-09-06 18:51  

#2  Yowza! Great tape. Good for him - and for whoever put this together.

Eat your heart out, Bird- Barack-Brain.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2008-09-06 18:15  

#1  Wow.

McCain doesn use soldiers in his ads personally.

One of the 527's ought to run this nation wide.
Posted by: OldSpook   2008-09-06 18:14  

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