Stars and Stripes: What's the mission?

[babylonsister]

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=45213


What’s the mission?

Now that Army active-duty units are going to be in Iraq for 15 months, I think it is time to find out what our mission statement is.

My men, while not happy to have to be here longer, do not care about the time line. What we want is to know that we are doing what we were sent here to do.

Are we in Iraq to fight al-Qaida in Iraq — which did not exist until we toppled the only government who could control the Sunni/Shiite infighting?

Are we here to support the government of Iraq?

Are we here to kill al-Qaida in Iraq and make two tribes who have been fighting since A.D. 689 hold hands and sing folk songs?

I ask because right now we drive around and hand out money and fix infrastructure only to have the Iraqi people blow it up themselves. While we are out driving around we hit roadside bombs and can do nothing but collect our dead. This is because we have Rules of Engagement that allow us to fight only if we physically see the individual in the act of conducting the attack.

My soldiers understood that if the U.S. military pulls out now, this will blow up into a wider, regional conflict that will pull the entire world in. This cannot be allowed to happen. Just let us in the military know what we need to do.

Master Sgt. Matthew Cloyd
Baghdad

[Monkeyman]

1. Your Mission Troops is to say SIR NO SIR and come home

[lazer47]

3. Tell them again Monkeyman, most weren't paying attention

maybe if it is said enough then they will begin to understand

[Monkeyman]

6. You Know If I could give them an Order COME HOME NOW

[uppityperson]

2. k&r and "duck" is your mission.Try to stay healthy in all ways.

[tabasco]

4. The good Master Sergeant is obviously frustrated.

There was never any clear military objective to the occupation and that is a recipe for certain failure. The Bush administration cannot tell MSG Cloyd the real mission,

CONTROL THE IRAQI OIL.

That mission is being accomplished by the mere presence of our army in Iraq.

Until we exit Iraq and allow the Iraqis to determine their own fate, there will be no end to the bloodbath.

[Venus Dog]

5. What about Afghanistan?

It's just as messed up. We've lost to the Taleban and the story of what happened Tillman just keeps getting worse. It breaks my heart.

[MadMaddie]

7. I would say to the Sgt. that he and his soldiars successfully

completed the mission they were sent for. And even though he feels responsible for the aftermath of a withdrawel...it is not on his shoulders...

The aftermath is on the shoulders of the * cabal...they ignited the secretarian violence, the removed the scab (Sadam) and the festering secretarian violence boiled out....this administration was warned over and over again...and it is they who are responsible.

[John Q. Citizen]

8. Unfortunately, the US Congress (including the Democratically controlled

Senate)gave bush the war powers and the funds to invade. The Democratically controlled congress just authorized the funds to continue the occupation.

It's our mess as a country now, and simply running back home because it hasn't gone well and blaming it on bush isn't going to cut it. It's fine for domestic politics but we can't just say, oops, sorry, it's bush's fault.

Kucinich has the only plan with any credibility that I've seen. HR 1234 addresses the US responsibly to Iraq and brings home all our troops, closes all our bases, and allows an opportunity for real change to occur.


http://kucinich.us/iraqplan

[Nikki Stone1]

9. Sounding more and more like Vietnam

Why the hell are we here?

[LibertyorDeath]

10. What's the mission? Wow they still don't know

The rest of the world knows....

[Rex]

11. Took 5 years to finally ask that?

What is the mission? Should have been asked from day one. What is the mission George Bush? Huh? Liberate Iraq, er, find weapons of mass, no, to capture and kill Sad, no, wait, to bring Democracy to no that's not it either, to build a wall, hmm, no, well shit...can't remember what the original 'mission' was, gosh, mission accomplished! All major combat is over in Iraq! I think!