FederalRepublic.net

Interesting video, take a look. Be advised, strong language used.

William Kristol has a great article on the troop surge and its potential political impact over at The Weekly Standard. I agree with everything he says in the article, including the last paragraph:

Over the last few months, the United States (finally) surged in Iraq. Al Qaeda in Iraq has now surged against the surge. Iran is surging against the surge. We’re pushing them back. Now the Democrats in Congress, the mainstream media, and the foreign policy establishment have mounted their own surges against the surge. So far, Bush is beating them back. If Bush can hang tough, and General Petraeus can keep on surging, the Defeatists will fail. And the United States will have a good chance to succeed in Iraq.

If everything continues to go well with the surge and benchmarks continue to be met, the United States could see a great situation in Iraq leading to an eventual pullout of U.S. troops. However, I don’t think many people are thinking about what happens after the surge. Will we surge in Iraq again to protect the results of the former surge? Will there need to be another troop surge if violence that once was suppressed, re-emerges after U.S. troops leave? These are interesting thoughts that need to be discussed, but not in this post. What I’m concerned about is something that not many people are talking about - the need for stable democratic institutions.

I’m constantly online reading what other conservatives think about this war and most all agree that the United States can pull off a victory in Iraq with enough steadfast determination to succeed. But many aren’t talking about why political reconciliation is so hard for the Iraqi government. Ethnic tensions and the dynamics of tribal factions are now just being understood, but I think that people have lost focus of one of the most important ingredients of any representative, democratically elected government - the need for institutions and traditions supporting democratic governance.

There is a legitimate need for proper and stable democratic and executive institutions that will help to bring stability to a new government derived of the people. It’s easy to talk about representative goverment in countries with rich traditions of local control and self rule like the United States and most western European countries (even stemming back to colonial legislatures). But when you inject representative government into a society with little to no history of long term self-rule, conditioning and development of democratic institutions takes much more time, especially when pressured to influence societial governance as quickly as Iraq is being pressured right now.

In my opinion, the focus on development of democratic institutions is missing in the surge mindset of the president and many U.S. commanders in the region. This must be corrected if we are to be successful in helping Iraq develop a strong federal government that is truly capable of autonomous self rule.

Tonight, President Bush laid out a plan for a new way forward in his strategy to secure Iraq. Here are a few of the details of his plan as taken directly from his speech:

So I have committed more than 20,000 additional American troops to Iraq. The vast majority of them — five brigades — will be deployed to Baghdad. These troops will work alongside Iraqi units and be embedded in their formations. Our troops will have a well-defined mission: to help Iraqis clear and secure neighborhoods, to help them protect the local population, and to help ensure that the Iraqi forces left behind are capable of providing the security that Baghdad needs.

To establish its authority, the Iraqi government plans to take responsibility for security in all of Iraq’s provinces by November. To give every Iraqi citizen a stake in the country’s economy, Iraq will pass legislation to share oil revenues among all Iraqis. To show that it is committed to delivering a better life, the Iraqi government will spend 10 billion dollars of its own money on reconstruction and infrastructure projects that will create new jobs. To empower local leaders, Iraqis plan to hold provincial elections later this year. And to allow more Iraqis to re-enter their nation’s political life, the government will reform de-Baathification laws — and establish a fair process for considering amendments to Iraq’s constitution.

In keeping with the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group, we will increase the embedding of American advisers in Iraqi Army units — and partner a Coalition brigade with every Iraqi Army division. We will help the Iraqis build a larger and better-equipped Army — and we will accelerate the training of Iraqi forces, which remains the essential U.S. security mission in Iraq. We will give our commanders and civilians greater flexibility to spend funds for economic assistance. We will double the number of Provincial Reconstruction Teams.

And Secretary Rice will soon appoint a reconstruction coordinator in Baghdad to ensure better results for economic assistance being spent in Iraq.

So I have given orders to increase American forces in Anbar Province by 4,000 troops. These troops will work with Iraqi and tribal forces to step up the pressure on the terrorists. America’s men and women in uniform took away Al Qaeda’s safe haven in Afghanistan — and we will not allow them to re-establish it in Iraq.

We will disrupt the attacks on our forces. We will interrupt the flow of support from Iran and Syria. And we will seek out and destroy the networks providing advanced weaponry and training to our enemies in Iraq.

We will use America’s full diplomatic resources to rally support for Iraq from nations throughout the Middle East. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and the Gulf States need to understand that an American defeat in Iraq would create a new sanctuary for extremists — and a strategic threat to their survival.

Read the full text

A great speech from President Bush tonight. He is still our commander-in-chief and as much as the Democrats complained in their official “response” (which was defeatism disguised as a critique), I fully support the president in his new strategy.

Today the Butcher of Baghdad himself, Saddam Hussein, was brought to justice, courtesy of a hangman’s noose.

Iraq executed former President Saddam Hussein on Saturday, about two months after he was sentenced in Baghdad to hang for his role in the killings of 148 Shiite Muslims in Dujail in 1982, according to Iraqi state-run television Iraqiya.

Source 

Read more:

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Christmas has come to Iraq today. Though I am not able to be home for the usual festivities this year, I am thankful to be defending my country on this fine, special day. Though the temperature has taken a plunge recently, the Lord God has shown his mighty hand this morning by allowing me to gaze at His beautifully pink Christmas sunrise. The peace I felt this morning on my way to breakfast while singing carols to myself is something I can’t describe. Somehow I felt connected to all those who have served on Christmas Day in some foreign country, fighting for the freedoms that Americans cherish today. I felt as if I belonged alongside those who have served and will continue to serve their country in a faraway land during the holidays.

Words cannot describe how I feel to be serving my country at Christmas. I know my family wishes that I could be home around the dinner table with them or unwrapping Christmas presents so lovingly placed under the tree. But I say to my friends and family - I am honored to be in Iraq, doing my part for the glorious cause of liberty. Though I cannot be with you today, know that I too am celebrating Christmas in my own special way. So please don’t worry about me feeling left out of Christmas; nothing could ruin the gratitude that I may be able to serve you this day.

So often with you think of Christmas, you think of brightly colored trees, presents, friends and family, and Christmas dinner. Serving overseas has allowed me to realize that some Christmas Days haven’t been all about traditional festivities or the grand shopping season. Even in 1776, American troops realized Christmas was not just a day to celebrate the birth of Christ, but was a day to fight for liberty:

During the night of December 25, Washington led his troops across the ice-swollen Delaware about 9 miles north of Trenton. The weather was horrendous and the river treacherous. Raging winds combined with snow, sleet and rain to produce almost impossible conditions. To add to the difficulties, a significant number of Washington’s force marched through the snow without shoes.

The next morning they attacked to the south, taking the Hessian garrison by surprise and over-running the town. After fierce fighting, and the loss of their commander, the Hessians surrendered.

The news of the American victory spread rapidly through the colonies reinvigorating the failing spirit of the Revolution. The battle’s outcome also gave Washington and his officers the confidence to mount another campaign. On December 30 they again crossed the Delaware, attacked and won another victory at Trenton on January 2, and then pushed on to Princeton defeating the British there on January 3.

Although not apparent at the time, these battles were a decisive turning point in the Revolution. The victories pulled the languishing Revolution out of the depths of despair, galvanized colonial support, shocked the British and convinced potential allies such as France, Holland and Spain, that the Continental Army was a force to be reckoned with.

Source 

Christmas has always been in the hearts and minds of American troops, even during wartime. An article from Time Magazine printed December 25, 1944, provides a proper and familiar prospective on how American troops stationed overseas during WWII celebrated Christmas. Like today’s Operation Iraqi Freedom, American troops had been fighting tyranny and oppression for four Christmases.

Excerpt:

This would be the fourth U.S. wartime Christmas. The first already seemed as if it had been in another decade. On Christmas Eve, 1941, antiaircraft guns were set up in the backyards of West Coast cities. San Antonio’s telephone system was jammed by a rumor—the Jap Fleet was cruising into the Gulf of Mexico. Electric toasters, alarm clocks, nylon stockings were still for sale. There were debutante balls at which orchestras played Blues in the Night. Everywhere, East, West and South, the people waited for air raids. Christmas, they thought, would be just the time the enemy would choose.

But now the air-raid sirens were silent, and the new factories, not yet built in 1941, were begrimed. The early battles at Wake and Manila seemed almost as distant as the Argonne.

Mud, Cold and Death. Christmas, 1944, would find millions of Americans overseas. To front-line troops, Christmas would be another day of mud, cold, death and wounds. There seemed no prospect of the spontaneous Christmas Day truces of World War I. But everywhere, on U.S. war fronts, there would be time for religious services—on the field, in tiny tents and in foreign churches. Sometimes the churches would also be crowded with white-swathed wounded.

Source

In this spirit of the season and on behalf of those who have served and those who continue to serve, thank you all so much for your support. May God bless you and Merry Christmas!

Well, it’s almost December here in Iraq and already I feel as if I’ve been here forever. Since my last blog entry, I’ve been in good health and in good spirits. For anyone reading this blog, I haven’t written anything for awhile due to my site being blocked by network security filters. However, today when I tried to log into my site, everything actually worked, so I’m greatful for that.

The elections came and went in the United States and I did cast my absentee ballot. Unfortunately, because there is no true conservative third party in US politics today, I chose to vote a straight Republican ticket. Though socialist Democrats captured Congress and will slowly attempt to legislate their liberal agenda for America, the state of Indiana (my state) is fortunate to have re-elected Richard Luger and Mike Pence to the Senate and House of Representatives respectfully. As always, I’d rather have a Republican majority in both the House and Senate. Conservatives like me must admit however, the Republicans did this to themselves. With leaders like Senator Bill Frist, Republicans were not only weak in implementing a conservative agenda over the last few years, but simply yearned for more power, thus moving to the political left. By lacking in leadership on a number of issues including tax reform, social security reform, immigration, and corruption, it was no surprise Republicans were voted out of office.

Democrats seem to think the recent election was a referendum on the President’s Iraq War, but in my mind, the American people became fed up with egos, corruption, and wide-eyed spending of the Republican Party. In truth, Republicans need to take these next two years to reflect on why they lost. Republicans must reexamine what it means to be conservative and what terms like “limited government,” “reformed government,” and “traditional values,” really mean to Americans. It is yet to be seen what Nancy Pelosi’s Democrats will attempt to do in the House, though it seems that passing “centrist” legislation that most Americans could agree with is definately in the works - raising the federal minimum wage, Department of Homeland Security reforms, and raising taxes on oil companies. Indeed, look for gas prices to rise to record highs this summer and to be paying more for groceries and clothing. No doubt top Democrats will continue to blame President Bush.

Anyway, enough of the political banter. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and gained a few pounds scarfing down on turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, pie, and cranberry sauce. I did not have a huge Thanksgiving dinner here; I am on a calorie-restricted diet (in an effort to look ripped when I come home). And as always Happy Holidays and God bless America!

One month has come and gone here in southern Iraq and my deployment is 25% over. I’ve gotten used to being here and gotten use to my routine, so I finally feel comfortable in my temporary surroundings. I’ve kept clean, been in good health, and have been eating better than I would have, had I stayed home. Deployment has also helped me to focus in on my goals after the military and better myself in the short term in terms of exercising both body and mind. I’ve been keeping busy by playing computer games, watching movies, and reading about the idealogical origins of the American constitution. I’ve also begun to collect information concerning the development of my resume and will hopefully have a working resume by the time I leave here.

It’s interesting to note that while I’ve been here, I’ve fielded several questions from high school students concerning what my experience has been since I’d gotten here. I feel honored to have been asked various questions and I feel priviledged that I am able to answer them. One student from Kansas asked me what this war means to me:

I was wondering if you could maybe give me some insight on what this war means to you. What is “Freedom’s Challenge” in your life?

This was my reply:

The beginning of our country basically started with the Declaration of Independence in 1776. I think one of the things that people forget is that the men who signed that document - if they were caught, they would’ve been hung as traitors to the crown. I believe the quote before they signed the Declaration was:

“And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protection of the divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”

Those men would’ve been hung, still defending what they thought to be right. They took a huge risk in declaring the American colonies free. And so, I think freedom’s challenge to me is living up to that legacy - to be willing to sacrifice my life and honor to be a part of history, to be a part of something that has freed 25 million people and made an impact all around the world. And of course, proving that we as common people, have the balls to govern ourselves and don’t need the tyrants of history screwing up our principles of self-determination and liberty.

As I conclude one month in the new, free Iraq, I feel honored to be part of the historic events taking place in the Middle East. Though being deployed to Iraq came as a surprise to me at first, I am glad I am here upholding my oath to defend our constitution and the glorious American republic.

We make war that we may live in peace. - Aristotle 

They say when it rains it Iraq, it rains mud. I can see where people come to that assumption. The sky over southern Iraq defers from the partly cloudy, white cloud covered sky in the states. When I look at the Iraqi horizon, whether in mid-afternoon or near dusk, a thin layer of dust and dirt cloud my view. It’s as if there is a thin blanket of brown smog where the lower part of the sky should be. And the average house wife would be quite amused to find that instead of a thin layer of grey, clumpy dust settling over furniture and possessions in a matter of days, the dust here is a fine brown.

Settling into a routine here in Iraq is the first battle to conquer when one arrives here. However, one struggles with realizing that this base is not little America, though it seems that way at times with all the soldiers and airmen walking around. Sometimes I have to force myself to remember I’m in Iraq; that I’m in an Arab, Middle East country. For example, the other day I was walking to our base entertainment center when I saw a medium size truck drive to some nearby tents. It looked like a miniature dump truck. Then I saw a group of Arab men get out of the back of the truck and start to pile sandbags unto the sides of a tent. There was no doubt in my mind that these men were hired Iraqi nationals and were clearly supervised by U.S. troops. However, I couldn’t help but stare at the 6 or 7 men who got out of the truck wearing turbans on their heads. I forced myself to look away toward my destination and did not look elsewhere until I got to the entertainment center. In that moment I asked myself “Why should I stare? I’m in their country, not mine.”

Sometimes it’s difficult for one to adapt to change, especially when you find yourself thousands of miles from home in a foreign, Middle Eastern country. Unfortunately, I’m one of those people.

I arrived here in Iraq about 10 days ago after a long, two day long journey from Colorado Springs, to Norfolk, Virginia, through the nation of Qatar, then to Iraq, flying above the city lights of Baghdad on the way. Living in a tent and walking to a worksite 5 minutes away from my living area, I am working at a communciations squadron supporting communication systems for the U.S. Army and coalition partners. I’ve finally settled into a routine here at the base, enjoying free meals 4 times a day, all the gym time I could ask for, and a massage from the Iraqi barbers everytime I get a haircut (which I must say, is quite different). I currently work from 7 p.m to 7 a.m. and sleep during the 110 degree days. Fortunately, my tent is air conditioned, though power outages do occur for a few hours every other day. Despite the living conditions (which in no way resemble home), I am happy to be here doing my part for the cause of freedom.