"We Were Soldiers" author Joseph Galloway: Leave Iraq now; don't wait until 2008 election day

[scarletwoman]

Leave Iraq now; don't wait until 2008 election day

By JOSEPH L. GALLOWAY
McClatchy Newspapers

After nearly four years of living in what can be charitably described as a state of denial, everyone in Washington, from President Bush to the Baker Commission to incoming defense secretary Robert Gates, to outgoing Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld to the study group assembled by Marine Gen. Peter Pace, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has finally admitted that pretty much nothing is going right in Iraq.

Duh.

<snip>

While those who have nothing more at risk than their personal pride and the arrogance of power published reports and made statements devoid of any real answers, young American soldiers and Marines were being wounded and killed at an appalling rate on the dangerous streets and roads of Iraq.

This week, the American military death toll in Iraq crossed the 2,900 mark, with well over 20,000 wounded.

All the politicians paid the customary lip service in praising the troops and commending them for the terrible sacrifices they must continue to endure while the wrangling and dithering over a futile war goes on with no end in sight.

How can they look at themselves in the mirror every morning?

It's a very powerful piece, I highly recommend reading the whole thing.

sw

[scarletwoman]

1. More from the article:

There's no victory waiting for President Bush in Iraq, and nothing that his father's friends say or do can save him from an ignominious end to his presidency in two years and two months, or from the judgment of history.

There will be no convenient and successful negotiation of a "decent interval" with our enemies Iran and Syria to cover our withdrawal from a war that we should never have started.

There can be no successful Vietnamization in Iraq - standing up more and better Iraqi army and police units and handing control over to them - when all we're doing is arming and training more recruits for the civil war that clogs the streets of Baghdad with the corpses of the victims of a Sunni-Shia bloodbath.

<snip>

There may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but there's only one way to leave Iraq: Load our people up on their trucks and tank transporters and Bradleys and Humvees and head for the border. Now.

sw

[Mythsaje]

2. They made a movie out of that book, didn't they?

"We were soldiers" literally shocked me. Those kids landed in a meat grinder and it was BAD. Really BAD. The 7th Air Cavalry, nearly suffering the same fate as Custer's 7th Cavalry, just because of the arrogance of the people in charge.

I usually don't like war movies, but that one had serious impact on me. Worth watching, in my opinion. Weren't ANY moments where you felt like cheering. Crying was more like it.

But it gives me shivers just thinking about it. For all of Mel Gibson's flaws, he did justice to that one. IMO.

On edit: Kicked and Recommended.

[scarletwoman]

3. Thanks for the k & r!

I didn't see the movie -- I don't care for war movies, either. (except for "Apocalypse Now")

sw

[Mythsaje]

4. I usually hate them...

That movie wasn't really a "war" movie as much as it was an anti-war movie. It jumps from the soldiers being mowed down like so much wheat to back home and the wives dealing with the carnage in more or less real-time. Because they were dying so fast, the military itself couldn't notify the families quickly enough, so the Colonel's wife and the other women started doing it instead.

It was really heart-wrenching to watch.

[alcibiades_mystery]

6. The movie doesn't show you the half of it

The Book, We Were Soldiers Once...And Young, deals not only with the relatively successful battle at LZ X-Ray, but also the successful PAVN ambush one the way to LZ Albany, a part of the Ia Drang fight completely ignored by the film, though it was by far the more costly.

[Mythsaje]

8. What they showed was bad enough in my book...

I think I sat in stunned silence through most of it.

[susanna]

7. Oh yes, that killed me in the movie...

...the wives banding together to notify other wives of casualties. Wasn't it a situation where the Western Union was hired to do it? Early outsourcing or some such. Anyway, the wives sorta said, "No way. We'll take care of our own." I found that commendable.

[Scout]

17. I said that about We Were Soldiers in another thread....

that it could be interpreted as an anti-war movie, and some poster jumped in and said it was "news to Randall Wallace."

:shrug:

I took it that way, as anti-war.

[tabasco]

10. The movie was a joke. It only told about the first day at Ia Drang.

The part of the operation that went reasonably well.

It conveniently left out the second day when Americans really got wiped out moving to another LZ.

The scene at the end with Mel Gibson jumping over bodies and dodging explosions made me laugh my ass off.

The book fully described the entire battle and listed the names of all the dead. I noticed that the movie only lists those killed on the FIRST DAY.Disgusting war cheerleading and rewriting of history. Only show the "glorious" parts.

[alcibiades_mystery]

18. See my post #6

n/t

[ninkasi]

5. I highly recommend, also

Thanks, Scarletwoman, for this post. It only needs one more recommend, and I hope someone gives it. I agree with the author.

[ninkasi]

9. Giving another kick

:kick: just because scarletwoman has posted an important article. I hope you all read it.

[scarletwoman]

11. Thank you very much!

I guess late Saturday night isn't the best time to post something if you're hoping for lots of people to notice it. And it's kinda funny how most of this has thread turned into a movie discussion instead of any comments on the actual content of the article.

My fault, I guess. I included the "author" bit in my subject line because I hoped that it would make more people inclined to read what a known and respected military commentator had to say about an immediate troop withdrawal. And also to clearly distinguish THIS Galloway from the controversial anti-war Scottish PM, George Galloway.

Anyway, I think he presents a fairly compelling argument for pulling out of Iraq NOW, and my hope was/is that what he has to say can be used to bolster the arguments of others of like mind.

If this still sinks off the page with few responses, I'll maybe try re-posting it another day.

Thanks again for YOUR response!

sw

[ninkasi]

14. I'm stubborn

So I'm kicking this again...:kick: :kick: :kick:

[scarletwoman]

15. Well, thank you again -- even though it's probably futile.

I'm going to post this on another site where the discussion is focussed solely on the Middle East and the wars therein. Perhaps it will do more good there.

I truly do appreciate your support,
sw

[ninkasi]

16. I consider this a worthwhile post, scarletwoman

No problem in kicking, and recommending, too.

[scarletwoman]

19. Editor and Publisher agrees with us -- they picked up Joe's article today! (Dec. 11)

Joe Galloway: 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover, But Only One Way to Exit Iraq

Published: December 11, 2006 1:25 PM ET

NEW YORK Last week's Iraq Study Group recommendations are being hit from all sides, by those who claim they go too far -- or don't go nearly far enough. Among those now weighing in with the latter view is legendary war reporter Joe Galloway.

In his most recent syndicated column, Galloway concludes, "There may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but there's only one way to leave Iraq: Load our people up on their trucks and tank transporters and Bradleys and Humvees and head for the border. Now."

He tells E&P today: "That was the 187th consecutive weekly column, and the one I knew was inevitably coming from the very beginning. God help us and protect our troops."

Galloway, who has been a persistent critic of the war for three years and early on called for the firing of Donald Rusmfeld, retired earlier this year from Knight Ridder but continues his weekly column for McClatchy and others. He has covered more than half a dozen wars, from Vietnam to Iraq, with distinction, and co-authored the book, "We Were Soldiers Once...and Young" (he is now penning a sequel).

A excerpt from Galloway's column follows...

See, some people are reading it! ;-)

sw

[ComerPerro]

12. sounds to me like hes trying to play the "politicans" game,

its something Republican sycophants use to express frustration with the workings of Gov't and Congress without actually having to blame Repigs.

[scarletwoman]

13. Is Joseph Galloway a Republican?

from the bottom of the page:

Joseph L. Galloway is former senior military correspondent for Knight Ridder Newspapers and co-author of the national best-seller "We Were Soldiers Once ... and Young."

I've read other commentaries by him, I've never noticed him being particularily partisan, and he's consistantly criticized the Iraq occupation for years. He IS pro-soldier, and he hates to see their lives wasted over bad policy.

I don't see this article as being political at all, and certainly not pro-Republican. I guess I don't understand your reaction... :shrug:

sw

[scarletwoman]

20. I still wish people would read Galloway's article about getting out of Iraq NOW.

As opposed to discussing a book about Vietnam that he co-authored. This is about IRAQ, this is about what's happening NOW -- not about a book or a movie about the past.

At least Editor and Publisher has picked up on Galloway's message about getting our troops out of Iraq NOW: Joe Galloway: 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover, But Only One Way to Exit Iraq -- and has published excerpts and link to the very same article I posted in my OP.

I have to admit that I'm a bit confounded that just about everyone who has posted on this thread has completely ignored the actual article about Iraq which was the entire reason I started this thread in the first place.

Does no one want to address the actual issue of getting our troops out of Iraq sooner rather than later? :shrug:

sw

[Lilith Velkor]

21. It's painful

and people are more easily distracted than usual.

I hear Pelosi has made it a priority, but she's got a tough row to hoe what with all the ditherers in the party.

kickin' it... :kick:

[scarletwoman]

22. Wow, thank you! I thought this thread was long dead and forgotten.

I really appreciate the kick! Now, if only some more people would read the article...

sw