I am sure the Brit’s felt the same way in the Revolutionary War. It wasn’t up to them however to build the America’s. it was up to us. No country is ok with having another dictate how they will be rebuilt.
No countryman would be ok with letting the same people rebuild them that destroyed them to get rid one one louse that that same country supported 20 years earlier. I think if you were an Iraqi you would be fighting back too.

I am sure you have heard this before but; imagine if a foreign country invaded the US, set up bases and checkpoints. Suppose it started out with “Shock and Awe” in our largest town. Suppose your electricity stopped and your grandma died from the heat. Suppose you got shot at when some soldier waved hello to you and then shot you, because you didn’t know the hello wave means stop in their country. Would you proud soldiers not fight back?

I was activated for 9/11. I didn’t get even a two week notice from my unit , just had to be ready when the shit hit the fan that day. I did my duty. I know the difference between that day and the clean-up and between what is happening in Iraq. You can’t compare asking soldiers to think twice about Iraq to asking people not to clean-up Manhattan. What you can compare is those workers being told the air is safe and not being given proper masks and how we went to war with the Army we had, no armor plating, flak jackets, old vehicles, and not the Army we want. Seeing that there was such a rush to get those weapons of mass destruction and those folks that attacked us on 9/11.

I live in NYC now. I don’t want another attack. That is one reason why I whole heartedly support ending this war. The occupation of Iraq is adding fuel to the fire of hatred. It has Americans saying we should just nuke the place. If i remember correctly we are there to liberate the Iraqi’s right? So why do our countrymen want to nuke them and turn Iraq into a parking lot?
It has people all over the world looking at the US like bullies. Everyone is ok with swings being taken at bullies. That is not a place I am comfortable with this country being in.

As soldiers we do have a duty to do what is right. After WW2 we saw what happens when soldiers and a country blindly follow their leader. I joined the military to make sure that kind of stuff never happens.
You are right, I raised my hand to protect the Constitution from all enemies, foreign and DOMESTIC.
Did you? if IVAW is wrong, I honestly want to know at what point does it become a soldiers duty to question policy?

IVAW is NOT a pacafist organization or a anti ALL war organization. Overall I think everyone agrees however that we believe in fighting just wars. There are many members that are still in the military and will stay in. There are many who will never lift a weapon again. Army Sergeants comparison of Darfur is correct. There are many, many, many countries with ruthless dictators. Instead of sending in troops we too often support the dictators. Thats how we got Saddam in the first place. As a person who raised my hand against all enemies foreign and DOMESTIC I absolutely call for an end to our country supporting human rights abusers, dictators who steal their countries resources, rulers who exploit their citizenry and monarchs who rule with an iron fist. Maybe if our government actually stood for what is right and stopped its own corruption we could be a military that fights for freedom instead of profit.

I for one am tired of seeing our military being sent in to clean up the messes of our politicians.

You’re right! It’s doesn’t. But the problem is that the organization which you support WANTS Soldiers to disobey orders. IVAW openly emails active duty troops telling them to refuse deployment orders. It openly tells them to refuse combat training. YOU may be a great “Army Sergeant” but you still support a subversive organization. If you want to join an organization that is not subversive but advocates withdrawal, join IAVA. At least they don’t encourage troops to go AWOL or desert. You can say all you want here, Army Sergeant, but I am on the IVAW mailing list and get all their “bulletins”. Either you’re ignorant, blind, or support their efforts.

If you’ve been getting their email, then you HAVE been asked to refuse orders. I’ve quoted them here. Anyone can sign up for them. My gosh, wake up bro!!

Secondly, your circular argument about the Sudan holds no water. If you’re against the war in Iraq, then you’d be against the war in Sudan. So, why even bring it up. You don’t care about them just like you don’t care about the Iraqi people. It just makes no sense and does nothing for your argument. Are you advocating we go into the Sudan instead of Iraq?

I’ll note that “withdraw support” for the war can mean many things, and doesn’t have to include disobeying orders. Again, as I said, I’ve never been asked to do that.

Here’s one thing I will say. Yes, we’re getting more security with the surge. Anytime you put more boots on the ground, you’re going to have more security. But does anyone think this is longterm security? Does anyone think that real change has happened? The political goals are still not met, and are never going to be met, as long as they remain unrealistic.

We went to war in Iraq for the wrong reasons. It wasn’t about dictatorship, or freedom. There are a lot of people in the Sudan who could use some freedom right now. They’re not very popular, though. There are people in a lot of hotspots all over the world that are dying for freedom, quite literally. People who were dying in far greater numbers than in Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. We didn’t go there, because our leadership had no interest in human rights. We went to Iraq for political reasons. It’s a politician’s war, and not a soldier’s war.

Please define for me what an “occupation” is because you IVAW morons just don’t get it. You go around with your “Winter Soldier” crap trying to convince the world that our military is forcing freedom upon “repressed” people “with the flash suppressor of a rifle or the tip of a bayonet.” Exactly when was the last time an American Soldier actually donned their bayonet in Iraq anyway? Perhaps you can elaborate. Our “occupation” of Iraq is not about forcing anything. As a matter of fact, we wouldn’t fire ONE round if the insurgents would just let us do our jobs and PEACEFULLY rebuild the country we destroyed getting rid of crackpot dictators bent on genocide.

Anxiously await your “educated” answers to these quite simple questions as well as proof of your “flash suppressor” and “bayonet” comments.

Choose your words carefully. We’re looking for YOUR thoughts, not the IVAW talking point memo!