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View Full Version : A letter from my uncle in Iraq...


Qdrop
02-03-2005, 05:16 PM
As i have mentioned before...my uncle is stationed in Iraq right now....just outside of Falluja...
he is a lieutenant colonel, his job is too train Iraq troops and personel.

We are in regular contact with him through email and phone...particularly he and my mother...

just this past Wed, he wrote a letter to our local newspaper...

i thought you guys might want to read it to get another view of the war and the elections:

LETTER TO THE EDITOR:

(February 2, 2005) — Local soldier saw real success in Iraq

Whatever the final outcome of the Iraqi elections, on Sunday there was tangible evidence of success. As I stood on Camp Taji, just north of Baghdad, on a road leading to and from the polling station, I witnessed truckloads of Iraqi soldiers being transported off post to vote. The looks on their faces on the way out of the gate were of nervousness, even fear. But as they came back onto post and past my guard post, what I saw touched my heart. Truckloads of Iraqi soldiers smiling, waving, giving us the thumbs up — and proudly showing the ink on their index finger, which was their crude but effective way to ensure nobody voted twice.

More than 3,000 Iraqis voted at our polling station, without a single injury.
It was an historic moment for the Iraqi people and the country of Iraq. And I am proud to have contributed a small part, and happy that I was able to witness what could become a turning point in their history.

Whatever your opinion of the war, on Sunday American soldiers and our Iraqi counterparts did the right thing, the brave thing, and set the stage for this historic vote.

JOSEPH FRIEDMAN
WALWORTH
Friedman is a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army, stationed in Iraq.

__________________

It's also interesting when you ask him HIS view on the Iraqi people attitude toward american involvment.
he says the overwhelming majority of people are extremely thankful for thier presence....


kinda makes me wonder who's spinning what?......
who do you believe?......
i am very close to my Uncle...he is not a liar...not a brainwashed conservative (though a republican)....he has no problem speaking his mind, and has criticized this country, it gov't, and the military many times before.....

K-nowledge
02-03-2005, 05:20 PM
Awesome!

God bless your uncle.

ms.peachy
02-03-2005, 05:56 PM
well, regardless of how I feel about the initial (bogus) reasons for the war, I do realise that we cannot all get in the way-back machine and turn back the clock. The only option is to go forward from now. So, I am pleased that the elections have enjoyed the measure of success they have and that more people were not killed/injured trying to vote - it would hardly be moral of me to wish there had been more violence in order to be proved 'right', eh? So. Forward from now.

DroppinScience
02-03-2005, 06:02 PM
I am glad that there are elections in Iraq. But we're just gonna have to see if good shit can actually emerge from this election.

But thanks for sharing what your uncle wrote.

To answer your question of "Who's spinning what?"

I'm gonna have to say that both sides do their share of spinning. The problem is there is only one side shown. Either you get a bunch of voices saying "we love that America is helping out" or "dammit we want to run our own country, get out!"

Really is hard to say which side has the higher majority...

Qdrop
02-03-2005, 06:08 PM
well, regardless of how I feel about the initial (bogus) reasons for the war, I do realise that we cannot all get in the way-back machine and turn back the clock. The only option is to go forward from now. So, I am pleased that the elections have enjoyed the measure of success they have and that more people were not killed/injured trying to vote - it would hardly be moral of me to wish there had been more violence in order to be proved 'right', eh? So. Forward from now.

my sentiments exactly.

FunkyHiFi
02-03-2005, 06:10 PM
well, regardless of how I feel about the initial (bogus) reasons for the war, I do realise that we cannot all get in the way-back machine and turn back the clock. The only option is to go forward from now. So, I am pleased that the elections have enjoyed the measure of success they have and that more people were not killed/injured trying to vote - it would hardly be moral of me to wish there had been more violence in order to be proved 'right', eh? So. Forward from now.

(y)

Qdrop: your uncle sounds like a real Republican & not some self-centered pseudo-patriotic weenie looking out only for himself & his stock portfolio.

Qdrop
02-03-2005, 06:11 PM
To answer your question of "Who's spinning what?"

I'm gonna have to say that both sides do their share of spinning. The problem is there is only one side shown. Either you get a bunch of voices saying "we love that America is helping out" or "dammit we want to run our own country, get out!"

Really is hard to say which side has the higher majority...

i don't know if there is a "majority" so to speak.
i think that Iraqi's are human...thus they themselves have differant views and sentiments from day to day.
i cannot even imagine what daily life is like for them.

Qdrop
02-03-2005, 06:12 PM
(y)

Qdrop: your uncle sounds like a real Republican & not some self-centered pseudo-patriotic weenie looking out only for himself & his stock portfolio.


he is one of the few Republicans in my life that i respect.

Whois
02-03-2005, 06:23 PM
Now all we have to do is wait to see if the Kurds and Turkey get it on...

Ace42
02-03-2005, 06:24 PM
i am very close to my Uncle...he is not a liar.

However, he is but one man, and the account given refers mainly to the US trained Iraqi police force. Clearly these people would not be *against* the US, or else they would not be so kean to risk life and limb to train alongside them. I'd say that makes it a clearly biased sample to base an opinion on.

Schmeltz
02-04-2005, 12:10 AM
Whatever your opinion of the war, on Sunday American soldiers and our Iraqi counterparts did the right thing, the brave thing, and set the stage for this historic vote.


Thanks for sharing, Q. Your uncle is exactly right. If some good for the Iraqi people can come out of this horrible, destructive mess, it really will be worth all the sanctimonious masturbatory rhetoric visited on us by our Republican friends. Whatever remains to be said about the war, the point now is to undo the damage. This election was a massive step in the right direction, but it's your uncle's work that will have the greatest effect on the country's future: Iraqis must become responsible for their own security and by extension their own fate. Your troops must remain until this is achieved - it's the least they can do to repay the destruction they've produced.

Qdrop
02-04-2005, 07:43 AM
However, he is but one man, and the account given refers mainly to the US trained Iraqi police force. Clearly these people would not be *against* the US, or else they would not be so kean to risk life and limb to train alongside them. I'd say that makes it a clearly biased sample to base an opinion on.

yes, good point. and i have considered this point myself.
he is, of course, also speaking of the civilians he has encountered as well...

but yes, he is only one man.....and one man cannot survey and poll every Iraqi and get a general consensus....
true that.....

Qdrop
02-04-2005, 07:44 AM
FREEDOM HAS PREVAILED!!! can your uncle come home now?

probabley not for a couple of years....(according to him).

did i mention he has a wife and 4 kids waiting at home....the 4th being a newborn infant.

this won't be the first time he's missed the early years of his child in order to serve uncle Sam....

*sigh...

Whois
02-04-2005, 10:54 AM
FREEDOM HAS PREVAILED!!! can your uncle come home now?

:D :D :D (y)

Yeah, my buddies are all ready to get the fuck out of dodge...they're tired of playing cop. Even they know it's bad to use combat forces to police with.

ASsman
02-04-2005, 10:56 AM

Echewta
02-04-2005, 11:37 AM
Thanks for sharing Q.