Letters To The Editor (I love a free press!)

[odannyboy]

I love the freedom we enjoy in America. Even if only something like 35% of Americans support this President and this country's most inept government in our long and illustrious history. I like to hear from the people, not the government.

I still believe what people say. I dont believe a word from the government.

Here are the voices of soldiers, people who are out there on the front lines of our governments bad decsion making. I like the story from the guy about Iraq, he about sums up the way I feel too. (I dont think he is in the military because as a servicemen you could get in trouble I think for saying this to the Stars & Stripes)

Sick men in power

As predicted, Iraq devolved into civil war, and drug warlords rule Afghanistan. Democracy isn’t taking hold, and Iraq’s middle and professional classes have fled their country.

The approximately 2,600 dead and 19,000 wounded U.S. soldiers, the [thousands of] dead innocent Iraqis, and the $300 billion taxpayers have spent are not enough to create a stable Iraq. The Bush-Cheney administration’s messianic visions alienated our allies, increased Arab sympathy for Hezbollah, and weakened the U.S.

Their incompetence and lying have stupidly ceded Iraq to Iran, increased Israel’s vulnerability and strengthened Hamas. Profits soar amid this chaos for Halliburton, KBR, oil companies and the world’s slimiest arms dealers. Defense contract fraud is rampant. Central banks rebalance portfolios away from dollars, knowing U.S. war debt is unsustainable.

Had Cheney not withheld intelligence that proved weapons of mass destruction in Iraq didn’t exist and an occupation would waste lives and treasure, Congress wouldn’t have approved an invasion. Retired Gen. Colin Powell’s and President Bush’s lies misled the nation.

Manipulated, gullible, right-wing Christians repeat the idiotic scriptural interpretation, “This is all predicted in the Bible” to avoid responsibility for electing Bush and to feign powerlessness. While I try to follow Jesus’ teachings, his dumbed-down fan club scares me.

To these “rapturous end-timers” who unthinkingly support Bush policies, war, killing innocents and creating enormous public debt are fine because, like a suicide-bomber, it’s the afterlife that counts.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s obsequious running behind Bush at the St. Petersburg summit, nagging him about U.S. inaction in the Middle East, was typical behavior of the enabling wife of a belligerent dry-drunk. Bush was in no mood to be brought out of his stupor and irritated when reminded of his responsibilities. This embarrassment illustrates what sick, corrupt men are in charge of the only world superpower and our soldiers.

Dan Wooldridge
Berlin
To drivers: Pick up soldiers

I have been in Iraq for almost eight months, six months of that stationed away from my main unit on Camp Speicher. But since I have returned to Speicher, I have noticed that there is an abundance of nontactical vehicles or Suburbans, Tahoes and Yukons.

While I’m either walking to the post exchange or riding the bus — which is overly crowded lately — I have noticed that there is rarely a full NTV driving around post. Meanwhile, there are soldiers all over post walking down the streets in the heat of the day. The occupant or occupants in the NTV vehicles are driving by and looking at the soldier who is walking.
I think that is ridiculous. We are all in the Army for the same reason. If a driver sees a soldier walking, or a small group walking, and he has an enormous SUV/NTV that is empty, don’t be scared to pick up a soldier or two and help them out. I’m sure the soldier won’t mind the help to get them out of the sun.

I just think it’s sad that we have soldiers who have to walk everywhere they go and soldiers who are driving an NTV with zero passengers and going to the PX or going to enjoy a burger or a taco. I would like to see more people getting picked up by these drivers. It not only saves some soldiers time, but also reduces heat injuries and helps morale of all soldiers.

Spc. Brandon Gregory
Camp Speicher, Iraq
Pacific edition

Effects of comments on GIs

In trying to choose the right words for some of the soldiers of 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, all I can say is keep up the great work (“Some 1st AD GIs question task in Baghdad,” article, July 29)!

As a soldier in the best Army in the world, that is all soldiers can expect when they sweat, bleed, kill and die for their country. I’m not sure what they “expected” when they complained about how tough they have it in Iraq, but I can assure them that more than just a few people are reading what they said. Some of those people are their soldiers.

When I see staff sergeants, sergeants and specialists complaining about their mission, or how low morale is, I can’t help but wonder what their leaders and, more importantly, their subordinates will be thinking the next time they roll out of the base.

I’m sure their morale won’t be affected, knowing their leaders feel their job is boring, or that we have no reason to be in Iraq.

This isn’t about them or the strategic views they want to share with the world. This is about their soldiers. I can empathize with them when they talk about operating in oppressive heat, constantly faced with the real possibility that they may be wounded or killed by an enemy that is difficult to distinguish from civilians. But [they should] wait until they come home to voice their opinions, not while the lives of their soldiers and friends are on the line.

The next time the staff sergeant is asked how morale is, he won’t have to wait an hour to answer. Just pull that article out, and he’ll be able to answer right away.

Capt. Eddie Mills
Vilseck, Germany
It’s not Israel’s fault

I was dismayed by “Shattered lives” (front page, Aug. 1), of the war in Lebanon. I’m not upset by the coverage of the war, but by inaccuracies in the story and the slanted reporting.

Kathy Gannon of The Associated Press accurately states that the airstrike that brought down a building took place at 1 a.m. What was not reported was that it was 8 a.m. when the building collapsed. The report also failed to mention that there are videos showing Hezbollah terrorists launching rockets into Israel from near the building.

I’m saddened by the deaths of the 56 individuals in the building, especially the children. I do not, however, blame Israel. The culprit is Hezbollah, which hides behind women and children to lash out against Israel and then hide among civilians again.

The Lebanese people are also to blame for their support of this terrorist group, though many are literally and figuratively held captive by it. The Lebanese government is also to blame for allowing Hezbollah a safe haven.
Finally, the United Nations is at fault. [After] it passed a resolution demanding that Hezbollah be disarmed, it then did nothing to ensure that Hezbollah was disarmed. Israel made concessions; Israel was attacked without cause. Two of its soldiers were kidnapped and rockets were fired from southern Lebanon at Israeli civilians.

No mention is made of reports by the Canadian U.N. observer, Maj. Paeta Hess-von Kruedener, killed in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon, that Hezbollah was using the U.N. base to hide while attacking Israel.

All I want to see is a more balanced presentation of facts, and fact one is this war would not now be raging if Hezbollah hadn’t [recently] kidnapped soldiers from Israel and launched rocket attacks at Israeli civilians.

Sgt. 1st Class Michael A. Cavalier
Grafenwöhr, Germany
Arabs sacrifice children

I find the news reporting of the Qana bombing and the death of many children somewhat lopsided.

We all heard of the bombing, which killed many children. Subsequently, the Arab men voiced their sorrow by demonstrations and destruction.
Since when did the Arabs care about their children? This was just another excuse to hate, not only the Jewish people but anyone associated with them. Apparently, many people forgot about Sept. 11 and the children killed in the child-care center. Many have forgotten suicide bombers who are children. We know that throughout all the mosques in the world, the Arab children are taught to hate Jewish people — to strap themselves with dynamite, stroll into a Jewish neighborhood and detonate.

I find the sorrow of the Arab people disingenuous and ludicrous. I love my children too much to teach them when to strap on explosives and where to detonate them.

I believe many Muslim families were paid enormous amounts of money to sacrifice their children in the name of their prophet. So much for the Arabs’ love of children.

Sgt. 1st Class Johnny Elesky (retired)
Kaiserslautern, Germany

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?...&article=39122