A Liberated Military?
November 10th, 2006 | by Todd W |Conventional thinking from the MSM is the loss of Rumsfeld is a blessing to those wearing the uniform. While I’m sure plenty of soldiers have a problem with the man, this story suggests the discontent isn’t as widespread as the Media thought (or should I say hoped?).
Half of America and the upper echelons of the US military may be cheering Donald Rumsfeld’s resignation from the post of Defence Secretary, but there was no rejoicing yesterday among those most directly affected by his decisions: the frontline soldiers in Iraq.
Troops expressed little pleasure at the departure of the man responsible for their protracted deployment to a hostile country where 2,839 of their comrades have died.
Indeed, some members of the 101st Airborne Division and other troops approached by The Times as they prepared to fly home from Baghdad airport yesterday expressed concern that Robert Gates, Mr Rumsfeld’s successor, and the Democrat-controlled Congress, might seek to wind down their mission before it was finished.
Mr Rumsfeld “made decisions, he stuck with them and he did what he thought was right, whether people agreed with it, liked it, or not”, Staff Sergeant Frank Notaro said. He insisted that Iraq was better off now than before the war.
…
But these men are also some of the last believers — people who are still convinced that Iraq can survive its present violence to become a stable democracy. “We’re losing a lot of people over here, but they’re not dying in vain,” Sergeant Gomez insisted.
Do these men sound like they’re trapped in a quagmire?
UPDATE - Deeper analysis from a military man over at Counter Column.
One Response to “A Liberated Military?”
By Stephe on Nov 14, 2006 | Reply
Nope, they don’t sound that way at all. But getting true feelings from the horse’s mouth means the Media can’t write the story they so desperately prefer. So. Ignore the horse. Relay with utmost sincerity what the poor horse must be thinking.
Cumbaya. Blah. Blah. Blah.