Area Guard Tour Extended In Iraq
by KJ Dekker
Those six words sparked a fire
under my ass that, well, isn't so rarely seen from me, but which
seriously angered me in a way that I couldn't explain right away. For
those who don't know, my cousin (who I interviewed last June) is
serving over in Iraq right now. His tour was scheduled to end in late
March to early April, and I was looking forward to having him safe at
home again. He's quite possibly one of my best friends, and more than
that, he's family. So when I saw that particular headline in the
newspaper, it had me quite angry. It meant he was going to be over
there several months longer. This threw a monkey wrench into my plans
When I first read this article, I was literally speechless. How
could they do this? How could they think this was a good idea? I
know my opinion might rub some people the wrong way, because it might
sound like I don't support the troops. I call bullshit on that right
away, because I already told you about my cousin. But things aren't
working out over there, and the "change in strategy" we need does not
involve committing *more* troops unless they are *all* involved in
training up the Iraqi army so they can shuffle right back out again.
I'm not calling for an immediate complete withdrawal, cause I know
that's a bad idea as well. But our focus needs to be getting the
Iraqis up to speed and ready to begin defending themselves so we can
start to take a hands off approach to the entire thing.
I know the US policy is not to negotiate with terrorists, but that's
in a situation where the terrorists are considered to be rational and
sane individuals who would be likely to come down from whatever high
horse they have taken to. The radical muslims operating in the region
are not rational or sane or even working under the real guidelines of
the muslim faith. They are perverting the muslim faith in order to
justify their actions. That's not faith, that's fanaticism. And
they're the type of people who won't respond to our attempts at normal
diplomacy. So while I don't think *we* should deal with them
directly, someone has to. Someone has to find out what will make them
back off, and then we can see how to do that without plunging the area
into further chaos. Because the "cut-and-run" rhetoric the
republicans were spewing at election time is just out and out idiocy.
But the "stay the course" plan that they are *continuing* to use, and
don't mistake this as anything but, is just as stupid. They aren't
suggesting major changes to policy other than putting more troops in
place, and that is NOT a policy shift, that's a policy reenforcement.
But I've gotten off the point. They said they're adding troops, but
there was not talk of extending tours of duty, that I heard anyway.
And it probably pisses me off more because it effects me personally.
I want my cousin home, and I don't want him over there any longer than
he has to be. Now the government is telling me that he has to be
there longer. I'm already short on patience, but it's going to go
over the edge if, in a few months time, they announce the tours will
be extended again. I might just book a flight over there and take my
cousin AWOL... course, then I'll have to find a new place to live, but
at least I'll know where he is and that he's safe.
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