READ THIS: From a Friend Serving in Iraq

[Ralph]

My friend sent me the e-mail below right before Memorial Day. He's a combat vet of Vietnam, decorated, a retired police lieutenant and he was retired from the National Guard as a major before he literally begged to be recalled to active duty for a one year tour training Iraqi police. He wanted to serve one last time.

The only thing I changed is his name.

*****

Ralph,

Thanks for the Memorial Day email. It's been tough here. One of the guys I was with in Ft Jackson, a 36 yr old Cpt (and lawyer) in Civil Affairs got hit with an IED which killed him and 2 others in his HUMVEE and a guy in the following veh. He was a great guy who was always helping the kids, all of whom seem to have legal issues. Just like Vietnam, losing the first friend is the toughest.

As I said, feel free to edit my messages. I wrote them in between 3 mortar attacks in our area. Didn't get us but killed a civilian. The insurgents seem to be trying to show that we can't protect the people and they are right. We need to cut the Iraqis loose and let the bloodbath begin, it's coming one way or the other. Time for us to go!

If you happen to find out that the article in the Wall Street Journal comes out, please let me know. Thanks.

I spend a lot of time in a place called Tarmiyah, near Mushada (spelling depends on who you ask) Try searching for it in Google. Should be interesting.

Looking froward to July! [He gets a ten-day leave and then back to Iraq until the early winter.]

Artie

[Lilith]

Thank you for posting this.

Every time I hear Bush say that we are going to WIN the war in Iraq I want to scream at him WHAT DOES W-I-N MEAN? There is no scenerio for a 'win' in Iraq, thats the sad truth.

[Barry]

Needless to say, I respect and admire the work Ralph's friend is doing, but his opinion is only one. It carries no more or less weight than those of the couple different military men in Iraq whose letters that were very supportive of the mission I posted over the past year or so.

[Barry]

Every time I hear Bush say that we are going to WIN the war in Iraq I want to scream at him WHAT DOES W-I-N MEAN? ...

http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/iraq/ ... v2005.html

[Lilith]

Using Bush's own definition of a long term 'victory' ...
"Longer term, Iraq is peaceful, united, stable, and secure, well integrated into the international community, and a full partner in the global war on terrorism."

In other words, a victory can only be achieved by attaining political objectives. I don't disagree. Funny, Bush always talks about 'winning' when he's in front of an audience from West Point, or the VFW, or on some military holiday. There isn't 2% of the people in the audience thinking 'political' when Bush's talks about victory. They think he's talking about achieving a military victory. Remember the guy on the battleship who said the major fighting was all over. How foolish was that guy?

Don't kid yourself - its been 3 years and we are further away than ever from a 'political victory'

[Ralph]

Barry is of course right that the e-mail I posted is one person's opinion but I only know one person serving in Iraq.

My friend was a cop for over twenty years and in command at many incidents. He volunteered for Airborne and Vietnam and fought there for a full tour. He was in the 101st Airborne, an outfit that was in the thick of many battles.

Frankly I had trouble understanding his drive to be recalled to active duty at age 60. His marriage is solid - his wife is lovely. He has a good and interesting job as a lead investigator for a Federal Defenders office. This was an instance of pure patriotism AND belief in our mission. Obviously being on the ground has changed his view. And he's not in the Green Zone as his e-mail shows. He's out in harm's way.