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The Iraq War - Chapter 5

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  • #61
    Reservists treated like second class citizens

    This another one of those things that really fries me...Reservists realize, when they sign up, that they might be called up to active duty at any time. Most Reservists have full time jobs, families to support, bills to pay. When they go on active duty, their jobs (or at least comparable positions) are supposed to be protected until they return.

    This is not what is happening to many returning Reservists and Guardsmen:

    The number of reservists and National Guard members who say they have been reassigned, lost benefits or been fired from civilian jobs after returning from duty has increased by more than 70 percent over the past six years.

    The sharp spike in complaints brought to the U.S. Labor Department reflects the extensive use of part-time soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, the largest call-up of reserves since the 1950-53 Korean War.

    About 500,000 of the 850,000 reservists and National Guard members eligible for duty have been mobilized since late 2001, said Maj. Rob Palmer, spokesman for a Pentagon office that tries to resolve job disputes.

    ...Those numbers don't reflect all the servicemen and women with problems. Many of the cases are settled before they get to the Labor Department.

    The Pentagon received more than 8,000 complaints this year, nearly double the previous year, but most were resolved without further government action, Palmer said. Complaints range from being fired, losing chances for promotion or being reassigned to jobs with less pay or responsibility.
    These veterans deserve better treatment than they are receiving today. They deserve full benefits and job security. They need to be assured that after they have served their duty to the US, that their rights as individual citizens have been protected. They should not have to serve 2 or 3 deployments, which totally disrupts their lives and their livelihood.

    Miulang
    "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

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    • #62
      Damned if we do, damned if we don't

      While a vast majority of American citizens disapprove of our continued involvement in Iraq, as does a good portion of the Iraqi population, another monkeywrench has been thrown into the equation. There are now reports coming out of Saudi Arabia that that country's sheikhs read the riot act to VP Cheney when he visited that country a couple of weeks ago. In essence, Saudi King Abdullah has been reported as telling the VP that if the US pulls out of Iraq, Saudi Arabia (a Sunni country) will start sending money to the Sunni insurgents in Iraq to help even the score against the current Iraqi government, which is predominantly Shia.

      Thank you, Mr. President and Vice President, for putting us between a rock and a hard place with your foreign policies. We're now stuck in the middle of a civil war with no possible way to be victorious. Could this veiled threat by the Sheik be the main reason why the President is postponing the announcement of his new strategies for Iraq until after the new year?

      Miulang
      "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

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      • #63
        Re: Damned if we do, damned if we don't

        .
        Miulang== " Thank you, Mr. President and Vice President, for putting us between a rock and a hard place with your foreign policies. We're now stuck in the middle of a civil war with no possible way to be victorious. Could this veiled threat by the Sheik be the main reason why the President is postponing the announcement of his new strategies for Iraq until after the new year? "

        Perhaps Junior is anticipating another bountiful season of prayers for his success in military adventures (aka crimes) for Israel and Corporate America. From his perspective: 'Why not take advantage of all those prayers between now and next year? Another 100 American soldiers dead, 1000 maimed/wounded and, 1000 dead Iraqi civilians, 4000 wounded...can't be helped, would be happening anyway....God Bless America and me, their President.'
        Last edited by waioli kai; December 13, 2006, 07:30 PM.

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        • #64
          Terrorism documents from the US War College

          I was rooting around the Internet and stumbled across the website of the US War College (where they train military leaders both for the US and other countries). One of the documents I discovered was one on terrorism and all of its facets. This is fascinating reading if you really want to learn how the US military is training its troops to indentify and handle terrorists.

          Miulang
          "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

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          • #65
            Reservist families need to keep track of this

            In testimony yesterday, the Chief of Staff of the Army stated that due to our commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan, the size of the Army has to be increased significantly:

            In particularly blunt testimony, Schoomaker said the Army began the Iraq war "flat-footed" with a $56 billion equipment shortage and 500,000 fewer soldiers than during the 1991 Persian Gulf War. Echoing the warnings from the post-Vietnam War era, when Gen. Edward C. Meyer, then the Army chief of staff, decried the "hollow Army," Schoomaker said it is critical to make changes now to shore up the force for what he called a long and dangerous war.

            "The Army is incapable of generating and sustaining the required forces to wage the global war on terror . . . without its components -- active, Guard and reserve -- surging together," Schoomaker said in testimony before the congressionally created Commission on the National Guard and Reserves.

            ...The Army, which had 482,000 soldiers in 2001, plans to grow temporarily to 512,000. But the Army now seeks to make that increase permanent and to continue increasing its ranks by 7,000 or more a year, Schoomaker said. He said the total increase is under discussion.

            ...The Army estimates that every 10,000 additional soldiers will cost about $1.2 billion a year, up from $700 million in 2001 in part because of increased enlistment bonuses and other incentives. The Army will have to "gain additional resources to support that strategy," Schoomaker acknowledged.

            ...Army Reserve units now must take an average of 62 percent of their soldiers for deployments from other units, compared with 6 percent in 2002 and 39 percent in 2003, according to the Army data. In one transportation company, only seven of 170 soldiers were eligible to deploy. The other 163 came from 65 other units in 49 locations, said the commission chairman, retired Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Arnold L. Punaro, who quoted a Marine Reserve officer as calling the policy "evil."

            ...Since 2001, the Army Guard has deployed 186,000 soldiers and the Army Reserve 164,000 soldiers for duty in Iraq and Afghanistan and in homeland-defense missions.
            Without reinstitution of the draft and with a prolonged commitment in Iraq and Afghanistan, this means that Reservists might have to serve more than one tour and serve for longer periods of time on active duty.

            Miulang
            "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

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            • #66
              A simple way to win the war in Iraq

              This powerpoint presentation was created to show how to win the war by Capt. Travis Patriquin who was stationed in Al Anbar Province, which is the deadliest part of Iraq for US forces. (use your --> key to advance the slides)

              In a military known for its sleep-inducing, graphically dizzying PowerPoint presentations, the young captain's presentation, which has been unofficially circulating through the ranks, stands out. Using stick figures and simple language, it articulates the same goal as the president's in Iraq.
              Sadly, the promising young Capt. died in combat in Al Anbar Province last Wednesday.

              Miulang
              "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

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              • #67
                This is sooooo wrong!

                I blame the White House and the Pentagon for allowing our troops to be ill prepared, both in training and equipment, for fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Everytime one of our troops is killed by an IED, an RPG or a sniper, their blood is on the hands of Dick Cheney, George Bush and the military leaders in the Pentagon who allowed mismanagement and botched strategic planning to cause our Army to become so gutted and unable to do their jobs.

                And most of all, I blame Donald Rumsfeld who, as a private citizen now, should be put on trial for crimes against humanity (the people of Iraq and our own soldiers). You don't go to war without being prepared. We've spent billions of taxpayer dollars already on Iraq and Afghanistan, only to find out now that what we've sent there is woefully inadequate (or has been frittered away by giving most of it to contractors like Halliburton and Dynacorp). I really really hope the Democratic Congress does do some serious investigating of where all our taxpayer dollars went and that someone is made to pay for its mismanagement.

                Many of the troops don't even know the basic ethnic makeup of the largely Sunni city. "We haven't spent as much time as I would like on learning the local culture, language, and politics - all the stuff that takes a while to really get good at," says Lt. Col. Clifford Wheeler, who commands one of the brigade's 800-soldier units.

                Instead, the troops are learning to use equipment that commanders say they should ideally have been training with since the spring. Many soldiers only recently received their new M-4 rifles and rifle sights, which are in short supply because of an Army-wide cash crunch. Some still lack their machine guns or long-range surveillance systems, which are used to spot insurgents laying down roadside bombs. They've been told they'll pick up most of that when they get to Iraq.

                ...

                It may seem hard to believe that a country which allocated $168 billion to the Army this year - more than twice the 2000 budget - can't cover the costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But the two pillars of the Army, personnel and equipment - both built to wage high-tech, firepower-intensive wars - are under enormous stress:

                The cost of basic equipment that soldiers carry into battle - helmets, rifles, body armor - has more than tripled to $25,000 from $7,000 in 1999.

                The cost of a Humvee, with all the added armor, guns, electronic jammers and satellite-navigational systems, has grown seven-fold to about $225,000 a vehicle from $32,000 in 2001.

                The cost of paying and training troops has grown 60 percent to about $120,000 per soldier, up from $75,000 in 2001. On the reserve side, such costs have doubled since 2001, to about $34,000 per soldier.

                At Fort Knox, Ky., the cash crunch got so bad this summer that the Army ran out of money to pay janitors who clean the classrooms where captains are taught to be commanders. So the officers, who will soon be leading 100-soldier units, clean the office toilets themselves.

                "The cost of the Army is being driven up by (Iraq and Afghanistan). That's the fundamental story here," says Brig. Gen. Andrew Twomey, a senior official on the Army staff in the Pentagon. The increased costs are "not from some wild weapons system that is off in the future. These are costs associated with current demands."
                Miulang
                "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

                Comment


                • #68
                  Delusional cooperation

                  The things in Iraq took yet another wrong turn when Bush forced Maliki to meet him in Jordan. The meeting did not help Republicans in the elections, but broke the Iraqi coalition. The faction of Shiite cleric al-Sadr walked out of the government coalition, as promised, because of the meeting.

                  No one in Iraq has a slightest doubt that Maliki is an American quisling. That’s ok with the people. In Muslims countries, rulers are not expected to represent population; the US and the Qaeda each tries to change that. Muslims are very extroversive and value fac,ade and rituals. Maliki could be a puppet, but he should behave like a tiger – Iraqi tiger. At least, Maliki managed to skip social meeting with Bush and Jordanian King Abdullah (Olmert ignored Arab mentality and met Abdullah several times, a PR disaster).

                  If that attention to rituals looks silly to rational Americans, it probably is. But that’s how it works in the region. To reach an agreement with Iraqis – rather than simply punish the Baathist state – the US negotiators would have to sit hours and days with various Iraqis, both bureaucrats and radicals, drinking super-sweet Iranian tea, chain-smoking on par with their opponents and talking, talking, and talking. That might or might not bring the desired results, but no other approach could deliver a stable, moderate, US-friendly Iraq.

                  To please his American masters, Maliki brought together fictitious coalition. Its Shiite faction does not include al-Sadr’s group, the main Shiite organization. It includes only a minor Sunni party, also non-representative. The coalition is advertised as moderate, but listen to the names: Sunni Iraqi Islamic Party (sectarians), the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution (sic) in Iraq, and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (separatist organization, as the name makes clear).

                  The coalition is meant to squeeze Sadr out of politics. He would indeed go – into the urban battlefields. Sadr could show himself a good Muslim, promise to step down the fighting – and use the truce to train his forces. He needs time to grow the Mahdi gang into an army.

                  Sistani’s approval won’t cement the coalition. He is merely a religious authority. Religious power in Islam is very dispersed because every cleric and theoretically every Muslim could pronounce fatwas. People go along with famous clerics insofar as they opportunistically serve the mob’s wishes. Sistani cannot afford to condemn fighting the Sunnis, thus his blessing of the coalition could only be half-hearted. Moreover, Shiite militia includes few fundamentalists who would blindly obey Sistani. They are common guerrillas who only superficially subscribe to religion or ideology. They fight for the sake of killing. Their loyalty is with Sadr. Iran – al-Sadr’s sponsor – does not care about Iraqi Shiite bosses such as Sistani. Civil war in Iraq suits Iranian national interest: strong and hostile neighbor turns into protectorate.

                  Iran, not Sadr is the problem, but Sadr handsomely contributes to the situation. Oddly, the US loses its soldiers, kills Iraqis and allows still larger numbers to die in the conflict while al-Sadr, who orchestrates much of the violence, lives in safety. Why not assassinate him?

                  The White House PR people offended the common sense when they staged Robert Gates’ meeting with a dozen of handpicked soldiers who assured him that the army is on the right track.

                  Comment


                  • #69
                    Re: Delusional cooperation

                    Originally posted by OSfllwr View Post
                    The White House PR people offended the common sense when they staged Robert Gates’ meeting with a dozen of handpicked soldiers who assured him that the army is on the right track.
                    Yes, it's ironic that the media really played up that visit while downplaying the fact that many of the Generals in charge of the Iraq occupation (and seasoned veterans of war like Gen. Colin Powell) have publicly expressed doubt that sending in a large force of troops temporarily would do anything but exacerbate the problem of Sunni vs Shia infighting.

                    What's fishy about the whole thing now is, prior to Gates' officially taking over as Sec of Deeefence last week, the top leaders in charge of the war, namely Gens Abazaid and Pace, both publicly declared their doubt. This morning, however, they seem to have changed their minds. So what happened? Did they cave in to the President because he is, after all, their boss? With their minds being changed, it paves the way for the Prez to announce that he will order more troops to Iraq early next year. In the meantime, the Selective Service Agency conveniently decided that now was the time to fire up the old Selective Service computers to test out its capability to call up 100,000 young men. They claim that the test would probably not happen until 2009 and does not mean that a draft is imminent. Pray tell where, then, are they going to find 100,000 volunteers without bankrupting this country? One of the reasons why the occupation is costing so much is because the cost of recruitment is skyrocketing...some recruits are being paid $40k up front just to sign on the dotted line. Imagine if each of 100,000 volunteers had to be paid $40k to wear an Army or Marine uniform...that's $400,000,000 .

                    Meanwhile, the American death toll in Iraq approaches 3,000...which is more than the number of people killed at the World Trade Center. And the attack on the WTC had nothing whatsoever to do with fighting the war on terrorism (even the White House admits this now).

                    Miulang

                    P.S. al Maliki is buds with al Sadr. Al Sadr is buds with the Iranian government. The US refuses to engage in direct dialogue with Ahmadinejahd. The Iranian gov. is helping fund the Shia insurgency. Ahmadinejahd appears not to be so popular with the Iranian electorate as some members of his political party lost their elections last week. Saudi Arabia, a Sunni majority country (as are most other Middle Eastern countries) and our "friend" is threatening to help fund the Sunni insurgency if we pull out of Iraq. The US has no business being in the middle of a civil war.
                    Last edited by Miulang; December 23, 2006, 09:05 AM.
                    "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

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                    • #70
                      Re: The Iraq War - Chapter 5

                      One proposal to increase the number of recruits for the Army and the Marines that is quietly getting some consideration is allowing more foreign nationals to enlist and using the promise of expedited citizenship as a way to get more of them to sign on the dotted line. Another form of outsourcing our war?

                      Foreign citizens serving in the US military is a highly charged issue, which could expose the Pentagon to criticism that it is essentially using mercenaries to defend the country. Other analysts voice concern that a large contingent of noncitizens under arms could jeopardize national security or reflect badly on Americans' willingness to serve in uniform.

                      The idea of signing up foreigners who are seeking US citizenship is gaining traction as a way to address a critical need for the Pentagon, while fully absorbing some of the roughly one million immigrants that enter the United States legally each year.
                      Miulang
                      "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

                      Comment


                      • #71
                        Re: The Iraq War - Chapter 5

                        -- Saddam Hussein's execution will take place before 6:00 a.m. Saturday local time (10:00 p.m. Friday ET), Munir Haddad, a judge on the appeals court that upheld the former dictator's death sentence, told CNN.

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                        • #72
                          Re: The Iraq War - Chapter 5

                          Originally posted by Leo Lakio View Post
                          -- Saddam Hussein's execution will take place before 6:00 a.m. Saturday local time (10:00 p.m. Friday ET), Munir Haddad, a judge on the appeals court that upheld the former dictator's death sentence, told CNN.
                          I dunno about that. All day there have been conflicting reports coming out of Iraq about whether or not Saddam had been turned over to the Iraqi government. If he isn't executed by late tonight our time, the next time he could be executed would after Eid was over, which is sometime next week.

                          What I am pretty sure is that his demise will cause even more problems for our troops in Iraq.

                          Miulang
                          "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

                          Comment


                          • #73
                            Re: The Iraq War - Chapter 5

                            Originally posted by Miulang View Post
                            I dunno about that. All day there have been conflicting reports coming out of Iraq about whether or not Saddam had been turned over to the Iraqi government. If he isn't executed by late tonight our time, the next time he could be executed would after Eid was over, which is sometime next week.
                            Yeah - I've been checking news sites all day, following the back-and-forth reports. This is the latest I'd gotten - interesting that, if it happens, it would be just in time for the end of the day newscasts in the US; of course, there's even debate amongst Sunnis/Shiites as to when Eid even begins, though one high-ranking official said that is would be irrelevant to Saddam himself, stating that "he (Hussein) is neither Sunni nor Shiite; he is not Muslim."
                            Originally posted by Miulang View Post
                            What I am pretty sure is that his demise will cause even more problems for our troops in Iraq.
                            But of course; there's little left that can be done in Iraq that WON'T cause more problems, at this point (thank you Mr. President.) More Americans have now died in this conflict than those killed on 9/11 - and Hussein wasn't responsible for those horrific attacks. Remind me again...why are we still there? Better yet, why did we go in to Iraq in the first place? Oh, right - Saddam Hussein tried to kill Dumbya's daddy; good reason to send 3000 more Americans to their early graves.

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                            • #74
                              Re: The Iraq War - Chapter 5

                              SADDAM IS DEAD!!!

                              I'll toast to that!

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                              • #75
                                Re: The Iraq War - Chapter 5

                                It's gonna be a great new year.

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