‘What will be the next story they tell us to keep us over here?’

December 30, 2006

From the AP report on Saddam’s execution:

U.S. troops cheered as news of Saddam’s execution appeared on television at the mess hall at Forward Operating Base Loyalty in eastern Baghdad. But some soldiers expressed doubt that Saddam’s death would be a significant turning point for Iraq.

“First it was weapons of mass destruction. Then when there were none, it was that we had to find Saddam. We did that, but then it was that we had to put him on trial,” said Spc. Thomas Sheck, 25, who is on his second tour in Iraq. “So now, what will be the next story they tell us to keep us over here?”

First, I shudder to think what Spc. Sheck’s superiors are going to do to him for saying this, on the record, to a reporter.

And second, as Atrios noted, “Don’t trouble your beautiful mind, Spc. Sheck. No one knows why we invaded Iraq, and no one really knows why we’re staying. Just stay safe.”

Spc.Sheck is merely saying what many in the military now believe.

The Military Times newspapers conduct an annual poll of the military, and here are the results for the military’s view of Iraq in 2006:

The American military — once a staunch supporter of President Bush and the Iraq war — has grown increasingly pessimistic about chances for victory, according to the 2006 Military Times Poll.

For the first time, more troops disapprove of the president’s handling of the war than approve of it. Barely one-third of service members approve of the way the president is handling the war.

When the military was feeling most optimistic about the war — in 2004 — 83 percent of poll respondents thought success in Iraq was likely. This year, that number has shrunk to 50 percent.

Only 35 percent of the military members polled this year said they approve of the way President Bush is handling the war, while 42 percent said they disapproved. The president’s approval rating among the military is only slightly higher than for the population as a whole. In 2004, when his popularity peaked, 63 percent of the military approved of Bush’s handling of the war. While approval of the president’s war leadership has slumped, his overall approval remains high among the military.

Just as telling, in this year’s poll only 41 percent of the military said the U.S. should have gone to war in Iraq in the first place, down from 65 percent in 2003.

The mail survey, conducted Nov. 13 through Dec. 22, is the fourth annual gauge of active-duty military subscribers to the Military Times newspapers. The results should not be read as representative of the military as a whole; the survey’s respondents are on average older, more experienced, more likely to be officers and more career-oriented than the overall military population.

In other words, this is the view of leadership people of the military. A friend, who I believe is in a position to be knowledgeable, commented on this poll that this is the attitude of the Colonels, Lt. Colonels and Majors – the battlefield leadership.

Specialist Sheck probably heard similar comments from his leaders in the unit and knows he’s safe.

  • As the world reflects on the death of Saddam the dicator, it also worth recalling the words of President Bush on dictatorship:

    “A dictatorship would be a heck of a lot easier, there’s no question about it.”
    – President George W. Bush, July 26, 2001.

    “If this were a dictatorship, it’d be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I’m the dictator.”
    – President-elect George W. Bush, December 18, 2000.

    “You don’t get everything you want. A dictatorship would be a lot easier.”
    – Texas Governor George W. Bush, July 1998.

  • I believe the gang in Crawford is thinking up just such a line to spout to Spc. Sheck and his brothers in arms as I write this. Whatever it is, the lie will be even less believable than all the others.

  • Don’t forget the really significant symbolism of the date of his hanging, and think about what it means. During the festival of Eid, nobody is supposed to be punished. For the Shiites, Eid starts on Sunday this year- so Saddam’s hanging date wasn’t a problem… The Sunni Eid, however, started a day earlier, on Saturday.

    So the Shiites deliberately killed Saddam on a Sunni holy day. Petty, provocative, and pathetic. And we are busy defending these people why, exactly? They are deliberately trying to stir up the pot, yet again, with the Sunnis, and we are playing blind enablers to that.

  • Am I sorry that SH is now dead? Not so much. Do I think it is a major turning point or will somehow make things better? No. Anyone who thinks it is or will needs to put down the drugs and get to rehab.

  • The US Constitution states clearly “Congress alone has the right to declare war.” After 911, the spineless 109th do-nothing assholes gave the power to declare war to GW…..as grave an error anyone could ever make.
    This stupid, stubborn, petulant and egomanical idiot wants to add more troops telling all of us he is incapable of thinking or hearing anything but his own madness in the face of sure defeat.

    The 110 Congress needs to rescind the enormous powers given this idiot and take control again. They may have to impeach the Bush/Cheney team to do it, but do it they must! George Bush has been given the powers of a king, but possesses the mind of a 12 year old spoiled brat. This loser has never won anything in his life, he even went broke in the oil business. If it were not the fact he is a member of the Bush Crime family, he would be on welfare or in jail. Jail is where he belongs.

    SH is no longer an issue, he has not been one for a long time. Trust the corporate media to play it up, but it means nothing but more death and destruction. Killing him on a holy day is just more fuel to the fire, and the place is burning down and killing Americans and Iraq people daily. For what? Give Haliburton more money? Keep the price of gasoline up???
    Cement WW III and cause more global destruction? That makes the gunmakers and war contractors richer. What a hell these people have created.

  • My response to Republicans who try to justify the war in Iraq: the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.

    Those who had good intentions allowed those without to create this Hell.

    Thanks, Castor Troy, for the info about the holidays. I wondered why they were suddenly rushing to execute him.

  • Sorry to disagree, but I think Hussein is an issue, and will continue to be an issue for some years to come.

    Yes—Saddam is gone, but only in the human form. CT alludes to the belief that the Shia executed a Sunni on a Sunni “holy day.” This merely inflates the concept of martyrdom to an even more volatile degree. Al-Maliki and his Shia friends have once again failed to recognize that although Saddam is no longer in command of his military force, that force still exists in subtlety. Example—if one former member of the Republican Guard walks into a crowded Shia marketplace, blows himself to Allah, and takes 60 or 70 infidels with him (Sunni belief has it that the Shia are not “true Muslims”), how long will it take to whittle the odds down to a more manageable size?

  • I’m sure we’re going to see this TV ad soon:

    Big beaming W on TV:

    “Sure, I had to wreck the country, put it in debt, wreck the military, kill a whole buncha people, and then there’s what I had to do to Iraq…

    But I think my weewee has grown a whole 1/4 inch!

    Would I do it again? You betcha!”

    Flash to overlay:

    Get your own bigger weewee with 120 monthly payments of 10 billion dollars. Some lethal side effects will occur.

  • Best enlarger ad I’ve seen, Glen#10.

    And second, as Atrios noted, “Don’t trouble your beautiful mind, Spc. Sheck. No one knows why we invaded Iraq, and no one really knows why we’re staying. Just stay safe.”

    Yep, don’t even bother to aim, just stick your weapon over the wall and shoot. If an officer gets too gung ho, well, that why grenades roll.

  • Dear Spc. Sheck

    Thank You for your BRAVERY…
    Your willingness NOT ONLY to SERVE OUR COUNTRY
    But to BRAVELY SPEAK OUT like a TRUE PATRIOT
    when you can plainly SEE WHAT’S WRONG…

    We were ALWAYS in IRAQ for OIL INTERESTS…
    Dick Cheney was SUMMONED to SAUDI ARABIA
    last November and sternly ordered to keep YOU
    and other members of the Military there for SAUDI INTERESTS.

    You NO LONGER HAVE A COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, Sir.
    Rather, You have a KING for a commander, now…
    PLAIN AND SIMPLE:
    SO MANY of you have died for this reason!!!
    The White House is IGNORING all advice to pull you out…
    EVEN to PROPERLY EQUIP YOU AND YOUR FELLOW SOLDIERS…
    They will IGNORE the IRAQI STUDY GROUP…
    THEY HAVE IGNORED THE ELECTIONS…
    THEY CASUALLY TAKE THEIR TIME making ANY kind of DECISIONS
    While they play STAY THE COURSE IN CAMOUFLAGE…
    They soon will be ordering more of your BUDDIES to the battlefield…
    WE THE PEOPLE WANT YOU HOME SPC. SHECK
    YOUR OWN MOTHERS AND FAMILY HAVE TO SEND YOU SILLY STRING…
    NOT YOUR OWN COMMANDERS…
    Can you say that about the SOLDIERS FOR HIRE????
    Your Commander’s EGO will not allow the OIL FIELDS to fall into SUNI CONTROL…
    Take heart that Little by Little…
    The Truth is EMERGING…

    WE WANT YOU HOME SPC. SHECK…
    IT’S DICK CHENEY AND KING ABDULLAH WHO THINK OTHERWISE…

  • we have a mission here in iraq it would be a lot easier on us if you left wing libs would show some respect for our commander in chief you dont have to like him just respect him if you cant then leave the country its already over flowing with illeagle immergrents that you libs help over the border then turn around and blame bush for and another thing mr bush doesnt hate black people and didnt cause katreina i blame the mayor who happens to be a democrate thats just how i feel dont like it deal with it

  • Sgt. Reiser…
    First of all…
    My comments to SPC. Sheck were offered in TOTAL RESPECT.
    As he as well as ALL OTHER MEMBERS JUSTLY DESERVE…
    I refer to him as SIR…
    As I Will To YOU…

    First, I speak NOT as a Conservative OR Liberal…
    But as a Concerned American…
    A Basic Citizen of the World.
    I remind you Sgt. Reiser, that even before the Iraqi invasion began…
    MILLIONS OF PEOPLE around the WORLD
    marched to VOICE THEIR OPINION
    IN EVERY MAJOR CITY AROUND THE GLOBE…
    EVEN THEN, SIR…
    People ALL OVER THE WORLD were not CONVINCED of the
    REASONS for this Invasion.
    People ALL OVER, SIR.. Not just LIBERALS OR CONSERVATIVES…
    Living, Breathing, Thinking, PEOPLE, SIR…
    We hold THE SAME RESPECT AND APPRECIATION FOR EVERY MAN AND WOMAN SERVING as anyone else…
    We are EQUALLY CONCERNED about the Families YOU LEAVE BEHIND.
    However… We also continue to voice our CONCERNS.
    And as far as my COUNTRY OF ORIGIN…
    Several members of my Family,
    PAST AND PRESENT..
    HAVE PROUDLY SERVED OUR COUNTRY SINCE WWII
    AS AMERICAN CITIZENS BORN AND RAISED, HERE, SIR…
    Including MY OWN BROTHER, SGT. REISER.
    My own Brother was nearly KILLED in a Roadside Attack there in IRAQ.
    I PRAY FOR HIS TWO BUDDIES who were KILLED in that ATTACK, Sir..
    And ALWAYS Give THANKS that MY BROTHER’S Returned Home Safe…
    Now…
    Comes the News of Possible ESCALATION…
    The Fact that MY BROTHER may be CALLED BACK is THE CONCERN here.
    THIS IS THE REAL ISSUE SGT. REISER
    MY FAMILY has LOST MEMBERS to the VIETNAM WAR…
    MY FAMILY, Sir…
    OUR FLESH AND BLOOD…
    We have more DOGS IN THIS HUNT than you automatically assume…
    The Fact you know I am LATINO
    is only because I PROUDLY USE my SURNAME
    to Demonstrate that NOT ALL LATINOS
    are of the ILLEAGLE IMMERGRENTS (sic.) as you write…
    BUT THAT SHOULDN’T MATTER, SIR…
    .
    And as to “How I Feel…” Sgt. Reiser…

    I will add YOUR NAME to MY PRAYERS FOR THE TROOPS, SIR…
    as well as That of SPC. SHECK and EVERYONE ELSE SERVING
    IN THE BATTLEFIELD…
    .
    I WILL PRAY FOR YOUR SAFE RETURN…SIR.
    .
    That’s HOW I FEEL…
    .

  • I would like to thank all who are serving for our country, wether it is in Iraq or back here in the states!!!!!! I come from a long line of service-men. I my-self cant serve for I have two ruptured disks,Im only 37..I think we should have impeached bush a long time ago!! Him & cheny have stock in the oil companys, that is the reason for this war!! Haliborton has robbed the goverment in broad daylight & the goverment & military let them!!!!! Worst of all they robbed the people & the people let them!!!! All because cheny gave them a free pass!! I dont know when the people lost control of the goverment but we need to take it back!!!!It dosnt serve people any more only big corp,s & the rich!!!!
    Once again THANK ALL OF YOU IN THE SERVICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    p.s. be safe and watch your back-side so you can come home safe!!!!!!!!!! Sincerly,Jeff

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