 |
|
 |
| [-] |
| [−] |
| [−] |
| [−] |
| [−] |
Prev | List | Random | Next |
"The 'ayes' have it" ...and with that, an untold number of American troops and Iraqi citizens were sentenced to death.
But those who are about to kill you, salute you.
We owe our troops a debt of gratitude, for their patriotism, courage, and service. As a sign of respect for them, particularly those who have lost their lives in the war, and for their families, I request that we observe a moment of silence.Ironically, such a moment, extended long enough, could actually end the war - in victory for us, of course, so don't hold your breath. But this particular moment ended all too swiftly. It was a purely symbolic silence, of course. Non-binding, unsustainable for more than a few blinks of an eye. While a statement of support and demonstration of fortitude at least near the levels of "the troops" would have been most welcome, real silence would certainly have been preferable to today's history-making* moment.
As just one of the 21,500 I might be less offended by it if congress would also pass a measure indicating they had some inkling of an idea what the surge really is - thus far I've seen no evidence of that from either side of the aisle. If congress could "stop the surge" we'd still go to Iraq, just a few weeks later and in time to wave farewell to the troops we would have reinforced, facing an enemy emboldened and allies dismayed.
But now we have a measure that will indeed be heard, as Joe Lieberman said in the Senate:
What we say here is being heard in Baghdad by Iraqi moderates, trying to decide whether the Americans will stand with them. We are being heard by our men and women in uniform, who will be interested to know whether we support the plan they have begun to carry out. We are being heard by the leaders of the thuggish regimes in Iran and Syria, and by Al Qaeda terrorists, eager for evidence that America’s will is breaking. And we are being heard across America by our constituents, who are wondering if their Congress is capable of serious action, not just hollow posturing.The damage is incalculable, and now officially done.
One person who should be pleased indeed is Al-Qaeda's deputy leader Ayman al Zawahiri, who called on American Democrats to hurry up and pass this measure mere days ago:
"The people chose you [Democrats] due to your opposition to Bush's policy in Iraq, but it appears that you are marching with him to the same abyss, and it appears that you will take part with him in the defeat."He had a word for our allies in Iraq and Afghanistan, too:
He also said that “the people cooperating with the United States in Afghanistan and in Iraq would be abandoned by the Americans once they fail, the same way they did in Vietnam.”
...it's going to be interesting, because members of Congress have taken their own gamble here. They're gambling on failure...If only that were true, for that's a bet they'd lose. But now that congress has done their bit for al Qaeda and other killers in Iraq, it's time for them to return the favor. Expect their next best attempt at a Tet-like offensive soon, followed immediately by members of the media eager to demonstrate they're on "the winning team".
And then perhaps another resolution demonstrating our lack of resolution, and so on, and so on...
Our task is harder, but still not impossible. But the bet is safe, the deck is stacked.
And contrary to current conventional wisdom, there hasn't been one single "moment of silence" on Iraq since 2002. Our enemy has never been short of encouragement from these shores. Had it been otherwise, "the sanctions" might have worked.
Notes:
* Again, Joe Lieberman, on the Senate's motion:
Cynics may say this kind of thing happens all of the time in Congress. In this case, however, they are wrong. If it passed, this resolution would be unique in American legislative history. I contacted the Library of Congress on this question last week and was told that, never before, when American soldiers have been in harm’s way, fighting and dying in a conflict that Congress had voted to authorize, has Congress turned around and passed a resolution like this, disapproving of a particular battlefield strategy.
