US soldiers begin to ask, `When will it end?'

[dArKeR]

AP , WASHINGTON
Monday, Oct 27, 2003,Page 6

Given the chance to talk to the US defense secretary, one soldier asked what was on the minds of many: When will the worldwide fight against terrorism be over?

"I mean, should I get my 3-year-old ready for air assault school?" the soldier asked Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld during an Iraq tour last month.

"I wish I could give you a date, but I can't," Rumsfeld said. That would be like estimating when a town will no longer need firefighters or police, he told the soldier.

Privately, administration officials have said for months that they see the anti-terrorism fight as a decades-long struggle similar to the Cold War that dominated the second half of the 20th century. A private memo from Rumsfeld to his top aides brought the issue once again to the public's eye last week.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2003/10/27/2003073577

[ugarte]

1. It ends when you don't re-enlist

Take away their toys, they can't play war.

[0007]

18. ....and it ends when the troops will stand up to generals

and generals that will stand up to an inorganic administration.

The military is for protecting Americans and the United States of America not policing another country and being used as target practice.

If junior supported the troops he'd bring 'em home and admit to his failure.

[BiggJawn]

2. He should plan on his grandson going to Air Assault School

The smart thing would be to plan for his son's leaving the country before his 18th birthday...

Listen up, US fightin' Man, you're not coming home as long as a ReTHUGlican is in the White House. People weren't shooting at you after Bill Clinton lied, were they?

Think about that when your Sarge passes out the absentee ballots to fill out.....

[DrBB]

3. A war without a logical endpoint

"That's the post-9/11 world," they say, nodding their heads sagely. "It's a different kind of war," they soberly intone.

Or, we could say, it's not a "war" and never was, and the only reason to keep using that term is to establish a permanent condition of diminished expectations for our own freedom and security.

You can't declare "war" against a technique. I mean, you can, but it's logically incoherent. It's only meaningful, if at all, on the level of a War on Drugs or a War on Cancer--a metaphor. And that logical incoherence is essential to its political utility: it's a "real" war when we want to justify taking away your liberties or making you elect jingoistic chickenhawks over genuine veteran patriots. But it's only a metaphor when we want you to vote another giant tax cut for the wealthiest %1 with incentives on $100,000 SUVs. It's a real war when we say we have the power to create an offshore concentration camp for our enemies, but only a metaphorical one when people start asking why they aren't entitled to POW status. Etc., etc., ad nauseam.

[Jazzgirl]

5. Thanks DrBB!

I've been telling people for months to ask themselves how anyone can declare war against a tactic??!!?? It's not logical and its definitely not a country or government. It makes absolutely no sense.

Jazzgirl

[bluestateguy]

4. Let's show the Goopers how committed we are to soldiers voting

Oh! We're happy to make it as easy as possible for soldiers overseas to vote now! Just keep the Penatagon bureacrats away from the ballot boxes and we'll be happy.

[Snellius]

6. They never discuss it but time is not on our side.

One thing the Bush administration always avoids confronting is the problem of how we can ever get out. Even assuming that Iraq is fully restored, with air-conditioning and cable tv in every condo, all we will be doing is fixing up the infrastructure for someone else to take over as soon as we try to leave. Al Qaeda will still be there. Nationalists will still be there. Chalabi will still be there. The Baathists will still be there. Saddam will be there. Waiting. And they can wait a long time. It's their neck of the woods.

They like to call the issue one of "security". But it is much more than that. When anyone sees the pictures of these ragtag police forces and civilian armies the Americans are urgently equiping to take their place, it is obvious that they wouldn't be able to withstand their enemies more than a few minutes without more massive support from the U.S.

[Eloriel]

19. They never confront how we can ever get out because

it was never their intention to GET out. Iraq was intended as a footprint in the region from which we could overtake Iran, Syria, and so on. Seven countries, wasn't it?

No need for an exit strategy when there's no exit even desired.

Eloriel

[teryang]

7. James Madision v. the neo-cons

James Madison: "No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare."

Neocons (paraphrasing): "We'll preserve our nation's freedom by continual warfare."

[underpants]

14. Madison? Oh that is OLD 'Murka

Great quote and the paraphrasing is dead on.

[dusty64]

8. I will end only

when our regime is kicked out into the streets, until then .................

[underpants]

9. "Our ticket home is in Baghdad" remember that one?

When the military action began many GI's were qoted saying about that exact same thing. Technically it is true, that those who leave have and will leave from Baghdad but they fell for the same kind of wordsmithing that many here fell for.

Where?-Baghdad
WHEN?-??????????????

[Vis Numar]

10. When we

get a Democratic President, and not a day before (although, if it's Clark, it will probably continue for just as long, with Lieberman, even longer).

[Mari333]

11. As my husband said so eloquently

You cannot fight an "abstract"....the war on terra, as Bush says so INeloquently, is just that....this twisting and spin that *Bush put on the so called "war" (on TV this morning) is utter bullshite..
The longer we occupy that country, the longer we continue to let Israel Neocons bomb Palestinians, the longer we support Sharon and have our troops in ME countries, the longer we occupy Iraq, each day 10,000 new "terrorists" are born..
Indeed, these soldiers are the fodder for this insanity, Indeed Bush and Bremer and Rummy sit in their cozy gilded armchairs and laugh and make STUPID comments like they did this morning "They hate freedom".."These are a handful who hate freedom"..
You fucking idiots we can see right through those lies, every lie, every lie, all the lies...they sit there and reap profits from the blood of these kids dying in that place...
God, please wake the US public up.

[Corgigal]

12. HMMM interesting timing

and just yesterday I got an e-mail from Selective Service telling me my application is being forwarded to the board. Of course, NO draft..of course not.

[underpants]

13. "Application"? I thought you just registered

It's been 18 years since I did it so I don't remember what was actually involved. Of course there wasn't a great deal to worry about in respect to a draft then.

[Corgigal]

15. NO

I applied to be serving on the board. I already served my time and if a draft begins then I would be one of the people who reviews who goes and who doesn't.

[underpants]

17. Oh good move

:thumbsup:

[Beaker]

16. 9/11 was NOT an act of war.

It was a crime, and should have been treated as such.
But this misadministration has had war on the brain since way before thay even stole the white house away from the people.
Unfortunately for us and our offspring it probably won't end until the species is extinct.

[BeFree]

20. ...until the species is extinct.

In the darkest moments, yes, this is the feeling which sweeps over us.

But one must not let the dark moments overcome the light. Our friends and neighbors must be able to see and feel our light of peace, hope, and love.

[TolstoyAndy]

22. Beaker said " 9/11 was NOT an act of war"

re: 9/11 was NOT an act of war

But many of our Congresscritters were out there on 9/12 to make sure they got right behind Chimpy to say it was.

Here's the Congressional record from that day:
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?position=all&page=H5491&dbname=2001_record

You have to go through a few "next page" clicks to get your fix of "kill 'em all" language.

Revenge Rules, and convinced us that Iraq Attacks!

[Zhade]

23. THANK YOU.

It was a criminal act. So was the invasion of both Afghanistan and Iraq.

Here's one thing to remind people: the first WTC bombing was treated as a crime, with criminal trials and criminal penalties. 9/11 was treated differently - why?

We know the answer. It's urgent that the rest of the country realizes the answer, too.

[underpants]

24. Oh BTW howmany people have been convicted re:9/11?

Zero.

[fizzana]

21. The war will go on as long as we keep creating new enemies.

n/t

[drewb]

25. I wish I could give credit for this quote...

Maybe someone can help me...

"Once youth refuses to slaughter and be slaughtered,
Hostile powers must surrender to reason and abandon this mad destruction."

[proud patriot]

26. Towns will always need Fire fighters and police

"I wish I could give you a date, but I can't," Rumsfeld said. That would be like estimating when a town will no longer need firefighters or police, he told the soldier.

:grr: