TIMELINE:
WW2 started for our country in December of '41.
WW2 ended with Italy and Germany 41 months later.
WW2 ended with Japan three months after that, or after 44 months.
We started our latest Iraq war in March of '03.
Our President declared "mission accomplished in May of '03.
General Patraeus testified before a Congressional Committee 52 months following the declaration of Mission accomplished.
Something is very wrong here.
General Patraeus said that it will take until the summer of '08 until we can reduce our forces in Iraq to the "pre-surge" level.
That will mean that we will still have 130,000 of our sons and daughters in harms way in Iraq after 62 months following the Presidents overly cute and staged "mission accomplished" mistake, fiasco, horror, and/or lie.
I can only dream that one of our elected congress people would stand up and say to the General: "Sir, with the greatest respect, this is all bull shit. I do not blame you "the soldier" who is called upon to FOLLOW ORDERS, and not make policy decisions. You are not the person who took our Nation to war, and you will not be the person who can or will end this war. You are not the decider."
Not that the General is a bad guy, not that the General is lying to us or misleading us, but after all, he is a soldier, and we are asking a soldier if he wants to do what soldiers do, which is to keep fighting, and fighting with as many other soldiers as possible.
Don't believe that? Have a séance and discuss this with Generals MacArthur, Patton, and Westmoreland among others.
If I were able to ask the General a couple of questions, I would ask him the following:
What executive and military mistakes have been made in our Iraqi strategy and our execution of that strategy since the start of the war?
Who was responsible for making and/or approving this strategy?
How long, under the best of circumstances, will it be until every Iraqi will be able to leave their home without fear in the morning, go anywhere, and return home safely?
Simple questions, however they require complex and embarrassing answers.
The wrong man testified yesterday.
Norman Horowitz
A/1C USAF 1952-1955