2005 ‘PIVOTAL’ IN NEW IRAQ: GENERAL JOSEPH WEBER
J. Grant Swank, Jr.
There was the Operation Iraqi Freedom set loose on March 19, 2003. After that three-week-win war overseen by US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld there followed freedom potential blossoming midst blood.
Then eventuated the historic January 30 Victory Vote when ballot casters defied murderers global. Then there followed the first session of the New Iraq National Assembly in the capital, Baghdad.
All the while, former dictator Saddam Hussein was housed in a prison cell. No more Hussein. No more human shredding machines. No more kidnapping women for Hussein’s sons to rape and slay. No more Iraqis disappearing forever in the middle of the night. No more hell in the alleys from Hussein the Horrible.
It appears that the January 30 vote cast from the citizenry has been the most recent cause for applause, especially in encouraging Iraqis themselves to stay the course, particularly in signing up for military training. The elections were superb. They were an adrenaline rush.
"The coalition needed that, to see that all our efforts, all our suffering, all our sacrifices made by the coalition forces, the U.S. forces, and all those people contributing over here was worth something," Marine Maj. Gen. Joseph F. Weber told the American Forces Press Service, according to Donna MilesAmerican Forces Press Service.
The General was referring specifically to the elections. He looks back on Iraqis exciting over freedom’s choice. It was now their opportunity really to vote. In the past there had been one ballot with one name on it — Saddam Hussein. Now there was a host of names. Those names represented persons who were committed to forming a democracy, so unlike the former so-called head of state — dictator maximum — who thrived on pressing mortals into Iraq’s dust.
In Hussein’s place are the Iraqi armed services. They are mentored. They are uniformed. They are proud to be on the front lines defending their newfound liberties.
Would to God that Americans could sense that just pride. It would be most helpful if the mainstream press gave it more attention. And it would be particularly patriotic if the Democratic Party would come to the Congressional steps singing of the accomplishments in New Iraq, especially with Iraqis themselves taking charge of their futures.
But alas we will leave it to the Iraqis to come into their own democracy applause — properly come upon.
"You just drive up and down Route Irish between here and the embassy and you can see them in uniform. They are squared away, they have their gear, they are very professional in what they are doing. And as that capacity builds and spreads, the people are going to gain confidence in their own security forces," the General said.
"We have a lot of time and money and sweat and blood and tears invested over here. And … as we work with the Iraqis and the government and the security forces, we need to be cautious about taking our hand off the bicycle seat way too soon.
"We as Americans want to come in here and do things very quickly and fix things and apply money and resources to it. We want to fix it and leave, and it’s very difficult to do that."
Yet even with that caution addressed, the General returned to his main thesis. It was one of basic accomplishment deserving praise. And in such acclaim was hope for the days to come in New Iraq.
"With all that accomplished here, I’m confidently optimistic about Iraq’s future," he said.
For more: http://conservativeposts.us/ <http://conservativeposts.us/>
There was the Operation Iraqi Freedom set loose on March 19, 2003. After that three-week-win war overseen by US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld there followed freedom potential blossoming midst blood.
Then eventuated the historic January 30 Victory Vote when ballot casters defied murderers global. Then there followed the first session of the New Iraq National Assembly in the capital, Baghdad.
All the while, former dictator Saddam Hussein was housed in a prison cell. No more Hussein. No more human shredding machines. No more kidnapping women for Hussein’s sons to rape and slay. No more Iraqis disappearing forever in the middle of the night. No more hell in the alleys from Hussein the Horrible.
It appears that the January 30 vote cast from the citizenry has been the most recent cause for applause, especially in encouraging Iraqis themselves to stay the course, particularly in signing up for military training. The elections were superb. They were an adrenaline rush.
"The coalition needed that, to see that all our efforts, all our suffering, all our sacrifices made by the coalition forces, the U.S. forces, and all those people contributing over here was worth something," Marine Maj. Gen. Joseph F. Weber told the American Forces Press Service, according to Donna MilesAmerican Forces Press Service.
The General was referring specifically to the elections. He looks back on Iraqis exciting over freedom’s choice. It was now their opportunity really to vote. In the past there had been one ballot with one name on it — Saddam Hussein. Now there was a host of names. Those names represented persons who were committed to forming a democracy, so unlike the former so-called head of state — dictator maximum — who thrived on pressing mortals into Iraq’s dust.
In Hussein’s place are the Iraqi armed services. They are mentored. They are uniformed. They are proud to be on the front lines defending their newfound liberties.
Would to God that Americans could sense that just pride. It would be most helpful if the mainstream press gave it more attention. And it would be particularly patriotic if the Democratic Party would come to the Congressional steps singing of the accomplishments in New Iraq, especially with Iraqis themselves taking charge of their futures.
But alas we will leave it to the Iraqis to come into their own democracy applause — properly come upon.
"You just drive up and down Route Irish between here and the embassy and you can see them in uniform. They are squared away, they have their gear, they are very professional in what they are doing. And as that capacity builds and spreads, the people are going to gain confidence in their own security forces," the General said.
"We have a lot of time and money and sweat and blood and tears invested over here. And … as we work with the Iraqis and the government and the security forces, we need to be cautious about taking our hand off the bicycle seat way too soon.
"We as Americans want to come in here and do things very quickly and fix things and apply money and resources to it. We want to fix it and leave, and it’s very difficult to do that."
Yet even with that caution addressed, the General returned to his main thesis. It was one of basic accomplishment deserving praise. And in such acclaim was hope for the days to come in New Iraq.
"With all that accomplished here, I’m confidently optimistic about Iraq’s future," he said.
For more: http://conservativeposts.us/ <http://conservativeposts.us/>
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