War of Wits

And so with the imminent execution of Saddam Hussein al-Tikriti, the end of 35 years of thuggery and a 24 year stranglehold on Iraq is near. With his appeals now exhausted, Saddam is set to hang for some of his crimes. This will probably result in some measure of justice for many of his victims, but for many others, the pain of not knowing what happened to their loved ones will remain.

Word is that Saddam could swing to and fro’ in a matter of hours. As the old saying goes, “if you lie down with dogs, eventually you’re gonna get fleas.” Saddam may have been a sitting head of state, but his reign of terror is about to end with a whimper; swaying lightly in the breeze from the end of a noose.

His attorneys have been stressing for months that if Saddam is executed, there will be reprisal killings by loyal Ba’ath Party members.

Millions of Iraqis –along with millions of Americans– are no doubt rejoicing at the prospect of Saddam’s execution. Despite the many justifications for handing Saddam over to the hangman, this is the perfect opportunity for the US to show the world it can be just and merciful while defusing the situation in Iraq at the same time.

Given the current situation in Iraq, Saddam is currently worth much more to us alive than dead. I can hear fellow conservatives howling across the country, but let me explain. We allow Saddam to live out his remaining days in a cell. Somewhere inaccessible and secure. He is allowed to continue breathing under stringent conditions. First, he participates fully in bringing Sunnis to the bargaining table and convinces them to forsake violence and invest in the political process. He does his damnedest to help Iraqis heal their divisions or he swings.

Second, he cooperates fully and tells us what became of his weapons programs that we know existed. He publicly identifies all Iraqi weapons program scientists and any others connected with the programs. He also must attempt to account for all of his victims. As many prisoners and executions as he can, including Iranians from the Iran/Iraq war. He spills it all, or he swings.

And finally, he gives the family of Michael Scott Speichert some peace by telling them personally, once and for all, what happened to their son after he was shot down in the opening night of the first gulf war. He gives them comfort, or he swings.

Sparing Saddam’s life would have many more benefits than drawbacks. First and foremost, it would blunt any international criticism, whether it be European, UN or Arab. Arabs couldn’t use Saddam’s execution as an excuse to recruit terrorists, kill any nuns or rape any infidels and the French couldn’t use US brutality to distract from their declining world influence and massive social upheaval. Secondly, it would promote reunification and healing. The US would lead by example, which is what the world expects of us. There’s a possibility that Sunnis could lay down their arms at Saddam’s request.

The biggest foreseeable drawback is that by allowing Saddam to live, the majority Shia may feel a sense of injustice at having Saddam escape his date with the gallows and they may feel betrayed by the US flip-flop, but if the killing is to ever end, someone must consciously choose to spare the life of another and it must become contagious. The Shia could do that by sparing Saddam. It is probably too late –and a really bad idea– to interfere in the Iraqi justice system or to refuse to hand over Saddam, but it would be in our best interests to try and convince Iraqis to spare his life. Given the threat of Sunni violence upon his death, why should we make US troops targets? Spare his life and we stay. Execute him and we leave, it’s that simple.

With all of the mistakes the Bush Administration has made with foreign policy in general and Iraq in particular, there haven’t been many opportunities to seize the initiative or win the hearts and minds of Sunni or Saudi skeptics. When such an opportunity presents itself, as it does now, it must be exploited. Let’s not throw out the baby with the Ba’athwater.

Group·think - grüp-thi[ng]k [n.]- A pattern of thought characterized by self-deception, forced maufacture of consent and conformity to group values and ethics © 2007 Merriam Webster’s Online Dictionary

One look at the forces that are uniting to dissolve our borders and it is crystal clear that our biggest threat comes -not from international terrorism- but from the tactics used by so-called “civil rights” organizations such as the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). This organization is -quite literally- the Enemy Within masquerading as a nonprofit organization.

In an Adobe® PDF® document I found on their website which reads like a how-to manual for a takeover of the US and was comically entitled “A Civil Rights Guide for a Prosperous America”, the authors use a combination of peer pressure, overt manipulation and detailed instruction in order to teach the reader how to bring about the demise of America by choking our court system to death with frivolous “civil rights” litigation.

LULAC’s stated policy objective is to end discrimination, particularly against Hispanics, in the areas of education, employment, law enforcement, lending and so on. This is a noble goal; a no-brainer, right? WRONG!

Perception; a mental image

Discrimination in education:

While admitting that factors such as high Hispanic dropout rates, lack of Hispanic student participation in extracurricular activities, shortage of “multiethnic”textbooks and lack of participation by Hispanic parents are all perceptions in the Hispanic community; rather than address the perceptions with those who hold them (incorrectly I must add), LULAC proposes to address those concerns first by starting with the teacher and if that doesn’t work, threatening your way all the way to federal court –if necessary– in order to right a perceived wrong.

In other words, Jose’s parents won’t come to his PTA meetings because they don’t understand English… But that’s your problem, they’ll see you in court. There is no constitutional right for anyone to have bilingual textbooks or PTA interpreters, yet in LULAC’s judgment, because they don’t have these things, there is a disparity that must be addressed in the courts.

Discrimination in employment:

Their position on employment is very simple: Full support of affirmative action. In addition, it is their mission to educate ignorant Americans that “numerical goals” concerning affirmative action aren’t “quotas”. They also believe that situations of their own making (such as when wages stagnate due to saturation of the labor market with unskilled immigrant labor) constitute a glass ceiling, which also must be rectified by hook or by crook. And finally, it seems to LULAC that the simple fact that a Hispanic failed a typing test or a job interview is enough grounds for a disparate impact lawsuit.

Let’s play devil’s advocate.

If, as is evident in LULAC’s case, one is aware that the feelings they have are a perception, as opposed to reality, fact, evidence, etc., then wouldn’t it stand to reason that LULAC should be attempting to validate those perceptions or come up with some sort of evidence before filing a lawsuit? If I wanted to hire a lawyer to sue someone based on no more than a perception, I would be laughed out of that law firm and yet LULAC has no reservations at all about bringing frivolous lawsuits.

As if that wasn’t bad enough; in a battery of what LULAC refers to as “Perceptions Inventories”, they actually use groupthink to pressure Hispanics into believing that they have been discriminated against, much like telling a hypochondriac they’ve been inflicted with an illness.

The reader is instructed: “Based on…dialogue with community groups… Your response is expected to reflect your judgment about the Hispanic community’s perception of disparity of treatment…”

They’re telling people how they’re expected to answer, and using pressure to do so. This is brainwashing; enemy proanganda, plain and simple. They can’t really prove that they’re being discriminated against, so they aim for the next best thing; a disparate treatment/disparate impact argument, even if the disparate treatment/impact is perceived, not real.

But by far, the most offensive thing that I found was when they discussed how to rectify these “problems”. They actually had the cajones to instruct the reader when complaining to use the term “perception”, “…so that you are not put in a position to prove anything”[1].

Taking this argument to it’s logical conclusion, one can only assume that LULAC’s aim is to litigate us into oblivion. Why else would the publish a how-to manual? It’s not your problem if they don’t assimilate, refuse to learn English or don’t have bilingual textbooks and yet, if you don’t succumb to their demands, they’ll sue. Instructing anyone how to file a lawsuit without proof is unconscionable for a so-called “non-profit” organization”. This organization should have it’s non-profit status revoked for their wholesale extortion of the American legal system.

This country needs to wake up. We will never be defeated militarily at home. Our biggest internal threat comes not from militant Islam, but from a broken immigration system; from the enemy within.

l - A Civil Rights Guide For A Prosperous America - Chapter 1 - Education - p.21 #5.

For too long, America has been subjected to an endless stream of propaganda. I’m not talking about militant Islam. Rather, I’m referring to the lies spread by illegal immigrants and their advocates, including President Bush himself. Recent events are beginning to erode the facade, revealing the underlying truth; the scope and impact of illegal immigration on the US.

In raids last week, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested over 1,200 people at six Swift meat packing plants in six different states. There were numerous warrants and dozens of arrests for identity theft among other crimes. Thus, the myth that illegal immigrants only want a job is trampled to death, much like the rule of law and the ranches that they cross in wave after human wave to get here.

According to Rosa Rosales, President of LULAC, an organization that seeks to overthrow the United States by burying it in litigation (which we will examine in more detail in my next article), 65 arrests of ID thieves and other scofflaws doesn’t justify the raids. In her opinion, unless there is a national security or public safety concern, illegal immigrants who steal American identities should just be given a free pass.[1]

All illegal immigrants are criminals, otherwise they wouldn’t be called “illegal”. In truth, we tend to look more favorably on illegals whose only crime was crossing the border or remaining here illegally. We must still recognize, however, that there are smugglers, pedophiles, murderers, gang members and ID thieves that enter the US every year.

The second myth shattered in recent days is that illegal immigrants are only doing jobs that Americans don’t want or won’t do. In the days since the raid, there has been a dramatic upswing in the number of applicants applying for jobs at the Greeley, CO Swift plant - proof that there are more than enough law-abiding people that want or perhaps even need these jobs.

While last week’s raids were a start; while they give people hope that something may finally be done to solve this complex problem, we need to keep them in perspective. They were only one tiny step. The hypocrisy of your President, many members of Congress and a majority of US Senators remains a major stumbling block to ever fixing our immigration system. Actions always speak louder than words. While our leadership continues to make token gestures to try and show Americans that they’re serious about securing the border, they’re taking giant leaps to ensure that the effort is a miserable failure.

Two border patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean have been tried, convicted and sentenced to eleven and twelve years in federal prison respectively for a Feb. 2006 incident in which they pursued a drug smuggler near the border. During the pursuit, the smuggler attempted to ditch his vehicle and flee back to Mexico. In the process, a struggle ensuedand the smuggler was shot in the buttocks after cutting Officer Compean, but he escaped.

In a glaring example of the Bush Administration’s commitment to supporting the Border Patrol, he allowed this drug smuggler to sue the agents and then stood silent while they were both convicted and sentenced to prison for violating his civil rights. Considering the recent treatment of US Marines Frank Wuterich and his squad, John Jodka and his fellow Marines, or Ilario Pantano, despite what the President says, his actions call his commitment to supporting those who safeguard our nation into question.

1. “Hispanic groups slam Swift raids” - Jerry Seper - Washington Times Nation/Politics 12/20/2006

Nothing runs more contrary to common sense than the notion of a “botched” execution.

Capital punishment exists as the ultimate penalty; the final sanction; reserved for those who must be eliminated to protect society. Child rapists, cop killers, serial killers or those who are so greedy they would kill another for monetary gain. It is the only way to protect us from some people.

On Wednesday December 13th, Angel Nieves Diaz was executed by lethal injection for the 1979 murder of a Miami, Florida bar manager during a robbery.

In a December 15th, 2006 AP article entitled “Official says Fla. Execution was botched” that was totally slanted against capital punishment, author Ron Word wrote that Medical Examiner Dr. William Hamilton characterized the Diaz execution as taking longer at 34 minutes than the average execution at about 15 minutes. Dr. Hamilton was never quoted as having mentioned the word “botched”. Nor was any other government official. The “official” cited in the headline who did mention the word “botched” was Dave Elliot, spokesman for the National Coalition to abolish the Death Penalty.

This is hardly an objective piece of journalism. The title is misleading.

I get so sick and tired of the same old arguments. The Bottom Line: Don’t go to places like California, Florida or Texas and commit murder or you may very well end up executed after your twenty years of appeals have been exhausted. Period. Harsh, yes. Necessary, you bet.

Unless the death penalty is applied regularly when warranted, it loses the deterrent effect. That is precisely what opponents of capital punishment are banking on. When they can successfully argue there’s no more deterrent, it opens the door to their next argument; that capital punishment should be ended altogether. That is what liberals do best. Chip away at your laws, border, culture, traditions, your religion, morals, ethics and intelligence, one little morsel at a time. One day, you’re going to wake up and it’ll all be gone.

Inmates aren’t even arguing their convictions or the evidence anymore. For the last few years, most of the death penalty challenges have been –not to the evidence or the prosecution’s case– but to the constitutionality of the death penalty in general or to the legality of the method of execution.

This whole debate has gotten so far out of hand. I realize that Old Sparky making flames shoot out of people’s heads may not be the cleanest way to go, but give me a break. Much like the country in general, lethal injection isn’t perfect. Neither am I for that matter; nor you. Same goes for our laws and our system of governing. So we do the best with what we have and try to improve the process. Just because the condemned felt pain doesn’t mean we should throw the baby out with the bath water. It hurts to die in any manner.

Diaz was convicted of first degree murder, four counts of kidnapping, two counts of armed robbery and one count of possessing a firearm during commission of a felony. It is still unclear whether Diaz or one of his accomplices killed the bar manager, but all three discharged their weapons. Under Florida, as well as California law, they’re still guilty of murder. There were also five aggravating circumstances, including a prior conviction for a violent felony.

Why so much time spent agonizing over whether this felon felt any pain? I’m sure his life ended more comfortably than his victim; bleeding out on the floor whilst trying to earn a living. I have written often about words being used as weapons. The AP article is yet another example of this trend. The execution of Angel Diaz wasn’t “botched”. In fact, you might say it was flawless. The condemned died, didn’t he? About the only thing that was botched was the robbery that Mr. Diaz was involved in and he had no one to blame for that but himself and his two accomplices.

Ignoramus L. - Ig ~ n& ~rA’ ~m&s - Literally - we are ingorant of; An utterly ignorant person

Ignorant ig~n(&~)r&nt - Not in possession of knowledge or education.

Despite all of the rhetoric and hand-wringing over what to do in Iraq; when you look at the whole equation using mathematics and logic, it always comes down to the lowest common denominator. This is not difficult in theory. It is difficult in practice, only because we make it so. In a previous assessment of the insurgency that didn’t get much as much publicity as the December report, the Iraq Study Group concluded that unless America exhibited the political will to defeat the enemy, the effort would fail.

Despite the shortcomings of the Group’s latest report on the way forward, many of their conclusions ring true. Our biggest obstacle is that we lack the collective political will to defeat this enemy. There are many that would bristle at this characterization, but prove me wrong. If we had the political will; when we sent soldiers into battle, we would allow them to do their job unrestrained. The last man out of the sandbox would pull up the flag and we’d be done with it.

We wouldn’t be discussing premature withdrawal.

We wouldn’t be discussing withdrawal in phases so that our strength gets progressively weaker and our posture becomes defensive.

We wouldn’t give Korans to Guantanamo inmates.

We wouldn’t entertain giving them Constitutional rights.

We wouldn’t sentence traitors like Ariel Weinman, who tried to sell Tomahawk Cruise Missile technology to an “unnamed” country to only twelve years in prison with parole possible in four.

We wouldn’t prosecute Marines for murder and we would have killed Muqtada al Sadr with a hellfire missile when we should have over 2 years ago.

There are only two real choices we have; keep our troops there or pull them out. If we pull them out, the only question remaining is will it be a precipitous, speedy withdrawal or one that –as Democrats coined– is “phased”? Phased withdrawal, phased redeployment, whatever you call it, is an absurd proposition; our forces should either stay because they’re committed to a fight or you get them out. All of them.

This fundamental lack of understanding of the proper application of military force, not only by the President, but by the majority of Democrats in both the House and Senate, as well as many Republicans is frightening. We have put ourselves in a position to be seen by the majority of Iraqis as occupiers. We invaded a sovereign nation, toppled it’s leader and helped bring about the free election of a new government. Our President and his Administration failed to take into account for the religious, ethnic and tribal rivalries that have gone on for centuries and we’ve turned Iraqis into squabbling children (notwithstanding the fact they’re killing each other) incapable of solving their differences, at least in the near term.

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani feels that the Study Group’s recommendations are bad for Iraq because a beefed up American program of training Iraqi troops to fight terrorists so we can leave will somehow impede their sovereignty. 300 or more dead per month is pretty bad for Iraq too, don’t you think? If something isn’t done soon, there won’t be any subjects to exercise any sovereignty over. His entire statement should be dismissed as political posturing and is good for neither country. Looking at the whole picture, we are left with two only two options. Stay and take full control, defeat the terrorists or go home. Hundreds are already killed weekly at this point. House to house fighting would probably kill fewer than the “sectarian violence” that is consuming the country. It can’t get any worse.

We have nothing to lose at this point. There was more factional violence teetering on civil war in Palestinian territories today, as well as mass demonstrations in Lebanon by supporters of Hezbollah and admonitions from Saudi Arabia that the whole region is a powderkeg with many trying to light the fuse.

We are not at war with Islam. Islam is at war with itself.

It’s extremist vs. moderate and the extremists are kickin’ butt and takin’ names. They are better able to project the anger of the masses at the Jews and the Crusader Americans because of the smut peddled by Brintey Spears, Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie. Or they take comfort in the opinions of Gwyneth Paltrow, Mel Gibson or Natalie Maines, who feel compelled to use the camera to shove their foreign policy opinions down your throat.

There will always be political options for Iraq. Militarily, there are two options and no room for negotiation at this point.

Stay and let our men finish the job, despite the political ramifications; or pack them up and send them home, deal with far worse political ramifications and the possibility of more military action or Iraqi-based terrorist attacks in the future. These are the only options.

In a previous incarnation, I was a Systems Analyst for over ten years. Nothing more than a glorified title for one who uses computer code to solve problems. My world was black and white. Assumptions were forbidden and always resulted in having to do the job over again. The results of my work were either valid or invalid. My computer code, which was modeled on logic, either executed or failed.

It’s amusing how one’s thought processes are guided when forced to employ logic. It’s even more amusing watching faulty logic employed. All sorts of unintended consequences can result.

Currently, the Bush administration’s strategy is stuck in an infinite loop, the “blue screen of death” for lack of a better analogy. The only way out is to reboot the damn machine, and hope that when you log back in, you can recover where you left off, and if that fails, to recover from some known point in the past and move on.

Fuzzy logic involves translating the inputs to a problem into a predefined set of values. Various weights (ranks) are then assigned to the inputs, and the resulting outputs are then translated back into real world values. This works great for Internet search engines or computerized pattern matching, which both return thousands of results; not so good for producing the single, most desirable result for trying to end the most barbaric conflict in my generation, but I digress…

While we’re on the subject of fuzzy logic, the long anticipated report from the Iraq Study Group has been released.

Nothing Earth-shattering or new. It reads more like a PR campaign; chock full of action verbs calling on the US to support, stop, secure, prevent, promote, energize, validate, assist and help, but there is no mention of how to do any of those things without more military force - considering the violence is so widespread it now claims thousands of innocent lives monthly.

President Bush finally got an independent rebuke of his overall plan. It was also a candid assessment of the extent to which Iraq has deteriorated, and a list of 79 recommendations, the majority of which deal with what the Iraqis must do to bring order to chaos in their own country. The Group’s best shot –and their overriding message– is a strong diplomatic push, with heavy emphasis on consensus building. There are also lots of mixed signals. Regional diplomacy –as a solution to Iraq– is a pipe dream. Other Arab nations are either actively aiding the ongoing murder of US soldiers or are at the very least too afraid of their own populations to truly help. Saudi Arabia and Kuwait refuse to take even the most modest of steps; writing off pre-war Iraqi debt owed by the Hussein regime. After saving their bacon in 1990, they owe us.

The report states “some countries are undercutting stability”, but doesn’t name names - concurrently recommending actively courting those same countries on the diplomatic front and engaging them to help in some constructive fashion. Both countries were criticized in the report, but in the virtual context of passively refusing to help, as opposed to the absolute context of their active interference and support of foreign jihadists.

In the past, our over-emphasis on consensus building is what led to the appeasement and re-arming of Nazi Germany prior to the Holocaust, the Rwandan genocide and is now leading to the execution of whole villages in Darfur while the world watches.

There are far too many assumptions made in the recommendations by the Study Group where the military is concerned. The military’s job is, as they say, “to blow things up and kill people”. The report suggests actually embedding US forces with Iraqi units[1]. Iraqi units whom the report also suggests have no loyalty, discipline or readiness. This, I believe, is asking too much of our soldiers. The report suggests that to satisfy the Shia, we need to fight the insurgency. The Sunnis won’t trust us unless we deal with the Shiite death squads. Neither side will give in, which hints that a political solution is premature and there’s still fighting to be done.

A comprehensive solution to the Arab/Israeli conflict can only occur if all of the players can at least recognize that Israel has the right to exist. Considering Hamas leader Ismael Haniyeh’s refusal on Arab television the same day the Baker report is released, it isn’t likely. This recognition must be the starting point of any Israeli peace effort. Any offer that falls short shouldn’t be taken seriously.

In terms of its assessment, the Study Group’s report is the same message the American people have been screaming loud and clear to a tone-deaf administration for 2 years. It just seems -all of a sudden– to carry more weight, when coming from a Blue-Ribbon government commission. The report’s major recommendations are diplomacy and a foreign policy makeover, accelerated training and deployment of Iraqis and reunification of disaffected Sunnis.

The Sunni population needs to be reminded they chose to boycott the political process and in a democracy, that has consequences. They need to be given one final opportunity to renounce violence and in return given a true stake in the direction and prosperity of their country or left to their own devices. The militias and death squads must be disarmed, eliminated and outlawed.

In a strange non sequitur, the report calls for moving all forces not necessary for “force protection” out of Iraq, in favor of embedded trainers and rapid reaction forces who would provide force protection if needed. It defies logic to move them further away from where they’re needed, if called to assist other US soldiers who are embedded with Iraqi units and are being overrun.

As if that weren’t enough, how about this paradox? The conservative approach (considering the indecision on whether to continue to apply military pressure) would actually be to completely withdraw. But the only way to accomplish the report’s recommendations are to increase troop levels. Just as in the case with Bush’s war plan, the failure of Baker’s commission to account for Iraqi failure to take control of their destiny or reunify is a critical input that is missing from the algorhithm. These are assumptions –as previously stated– and will lead to nowhere.

Two things are sure: I don’t envy the President and there are no easy solutions to this problem. A political solution is necessary, but in my opinion it’s premature. Withdrawal now, would send a clear signal to terrorists that if they hit hard enough, we’ll run away. And the region would descend into further violence, if that’s even possible. We would end up having to return because we started this mess. But next time, instead of rebooting, we may simply have to pull the plug, repartition the hard drive and reformat the media just to keep the system bug-free. Even then, the system may still crash.

1. Iraq Sudy Group Report PDF version p. 16- PARAGRAPH 3

The term “white noise” describes what would occur if one combined all audible frequencies and played them at the same time. An effect of white noise is that it tends to drown out the other noises around it. A songbird’s tune, a symphony or a thoughtful conversation; a veiled threat or an urgent warning.

Human beings are sensitive creatures. We have emotions that are affected by various stimuli. But we are also susceptible to sensory overload. Once overloaded, our senses aren’t reliable. And when our ears can no longer distinguish intelligent, logical discourse above the white noise, it affects everything; from the way we perceive our surroundings, to the way we react to them, to who we elect to represent us.

One thing is abundantly clear. I have no idea what the Administration’s current strategy is for completing the mission in Iraq. Neither do they. Do you?

It’s great that we live in a debatable society and all, but ultimately the buck stops with the Commander-In-Chief. It is he who makes the call. He’s free to seek the opinions of others as he sees fit, but the solution to Iraq should not have been a public spectacle, it projects weakness and indecision. Bringing in Vernon Jordan and Sandra Day O’Connor, who know bupkus about what it takes to win a war doesn’t raise the confidence level either.

A coherent message from the President is completely absent, due to these distractions. He has abdicated his responsibility to others. He had a solemn obligation to formulate an exit strategy along with his battle plan almost four years ago, whether that was when to stand down or when to double-time out of there. Without that piece of the overall plan, your order of battle is not complete.

By seeking the input of the Iraq Study Group, the suggestion of diplomatic overtures to Iran and Syria, the mere mention that al Anbar province is a lost cause [1], the discussions to potentially abandon unification efforts with the Sunnis [2] and the mixed messages [3] being sent from some senior military officials, it all adds up to so much white noise, it’s like falling into R.E.M. sleep on the couch at two A.M. after a bad science fiction movie with the TV test pattern hissing in the background. You can hear it, but can’t decide whether you even want to emerge from your stupor and get in bed or just spend the night on the couch.

Such is the Iraq war. Not so much a quagmire as a soupy fog. We’re not stuck in it. We can get out. Our leader just can’t find his way through the muck due to his tunnel vision.

In a Navy Times article, Gen. Peter Pace spoke of the need to throw more 10-pound brains at the problem, and that it matters not if they’ve ever worn the uniform. I heartily disagree. The last thing this war needs is more intellectuals.

If General Pace is so open to suggestion, how about some advice from someone who has served my country, and knows something about bleeding for it? Release the men you’re holding from the Camp Pendleton Brig, drop the charges against Staff Sergeant Frank Wuterich, and the rest of his men and allow your Marines to finish what you ordered them to start so they can get back home to their families.

Ten-pound brains are the result of either an inflated ego or a malignant tumor, rather than intellectual horsepower. The US military must be allowed to finish this war for it to go down in history as anything but a failure. A voice of reason must rise above the din, cut through the white noise and offer up a solution that can be accepted by the US and Iraq. It doesn’t concern Saudi Arabia, Iran, Lebanon, Syria or anyone else and it is because we didn’t stop their meddling that we are in this untenable position today.

###

Keep the members of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit in your thoughts and prayers, as they deploy to Ramadi and elsewhere in al Anbar province. I had the pleasure of tipping a few with some these men in Japan as part of the same Battle Group back in 1990. True to form, [4] they represent the recklessness of youth, the steel resolve of Marines and the best this country has to offer.

The War On Terror continues… Remember the fallen

11/30/2006 US Army SSgt. Jeremy W. Mulhair, 35 - Omaha, NB (IED)

11/30/2006 US Army Spc.Chris Kleinwachter, 29 - Wahpeton, ND *

11/29/2006 US Army PFC Theodore M. West, 23 - Richmond, KY (IED)

11/28/2006 US Army Cpl. Jonerik Loney, 21 - Hartselle, AL (IED)

11/28/2006 US Army SSgt. Michael A. Shank, 31 - Binham, TX (IED)*

11/28/2006 US Army Spc. Jeffrey G. Roberson, 22 - Phelan, CA (IED)

11/28/2006 US Army Spc. Christopher E. Mason, 32 - Mobile, AL (KIA)

11/27/2006 USAF Maj. Troy L Gilbert, 34 - Litchfield Park, AZ (KIA)***

11/27/2006 USMC Lcpl. Michael A. Schwarz, 20 - Carlstadt, NJ(KIA)

11/26/2006 US Army Sgt. Jeanette T. Dunn, 44 - Bronx, NY (NCR)**

11/26/2006 US Army 1st. Lt. Benjamin D. Keating, 27 Shapleigh, MN (NCR) *

11/26/2006 US Army Cpt. Jason R. Hamill, 31 New Haven, CN (IED)

11/26/2006 US Army 1st Lt. David M. Fraser, 25 - TX (IED)

11/26/2006 US Army Pvt. Joshua C. Burrows, 20 Bossier, City, LA (IED)

11/25/2006 US Army 2nd Lt. Scott B. Lundell, 35 Hurricane, UT (KIA) *

11/25/2006 US Army SSgt. Daniel M. Morris, 28 - Clinton, TN (IED)

11/25/2006 USMC Cpl. Michael C. Ledsome, 24 - Austin, TX (KIA)

11/25/2006 USMC LCpl.Jeromy D. West, 20 - Aguanga, CA (KIA)

11/24/2006 USMC CPl. Nicholas P. Rapavi, 22 - Springfield, VA (KIA)

11/23/2006 US Army SFC James D. Priestap, 39 - Harwood, MI (KIA)

11/23/2006 US Army Cpl. Nathan J. Goodiron, 25 - Mandaree, ND (KIA)*

11/24/2006 US Army Pvt. Reece D. Moreno, 19 - Prescott, AZ (NCR)**

11/22/2006 USMC Lcpl. Joshua C.Alonzo, 21 - Dumas, TX (KIA)

11/22/2006 USMC Lcpl. James R. Davenport, 20 - Danville, IN (KIA)

11/22/2006 USMC Pvt. Heath D. Warner, 19 - Canton, OH (KIA)

11/21/2006 Command Sgt. Maj. Donovan E. Watts, 46 - Atlanta, GA (IED)

11/21/2006 US Army Sgt. James P. Musack, 23 - Riverside, IA (NCR)**

11/21/2006 US Arm.y Spc. Eric Vizcaino, 21 - New Mexico, (NCR)*

* Occurred in Afghanistan in Support of Operation Enduring Freedom

** NCR=Non-Combat Related

*** Classified as a crash of his F-16C Northwest of Baghdad, Iraq

1. This likely originated in the press, was probably an assumption on their part, and is not attributed to the military in any way. Gen. Pace denies anyone in the military ever having made those remarks, and I have no reason to doubt that.