I’ve occasionally shared emails from the former 8th Army Chief of Staff, Ranger Bill. He’s just completed 14 months in Iraq and I think his insights on the experience add some perspective to the daily dose of gloom and doom we get spoon fed from the MSM. He doesn’t sugarcoat things (as anybody who worked for him can attest), but he makes it clear which side is winning:
Hi Gang.
Left Iraq on Saturday, 29 JUL 06, and thought I would share some final observations as I look back on the past 14 months. I’m currently processing through Ft Bliss, and should be home on Thursday.
Al Qaida is wounded and is lashing out. Although not defeated, our operations have significantly degraded their leadership capability. They are having success in killing Shia civilians, which gives the Shia militias an excuse to murder Sunnis in retaliation. This sectarian militia violence poses the largest threat to the stability of Iraq, and therefore we are focusing much of our effort against the various militias.
Despite the impression given by much of the press, we don’t ride and walk around all day waiting to be blown up by an IED. Our intelligence enables us to conduct raids every day and every night to kill or capture specific targets, which in turn leads to more intelligence. Concurrently we are training the Iraqi Army, which is becoming quite good at accepting battlespace from us and taking the lead in the fight. We still have a number of challenges training the police. We turned over the security of the first province to the Iraqi security forces, and will steadily add provinces this fall.
Caught up in the day to day operations, casualties, and events of this fight, it is easy to become mired in the belief that we are not making progress. One has to occasionally step back from the current fight and assess how far we have come. Since my arrival in May 05, the Iraqis have written and ratified a Constitution, elected a government in a free, democratic process, and made significant progress in developing a capable Army. We have inflicted significant damage on Al Qaida and its leadership, and have prevented them from gaining the initiative. Much work has been done to rebuild the infrastructure that received no attention during Saddam’s regime.
However, we still have a tough fight ahead of us. We are focusing on disarming or destroying the militias and securing Baghdad, while concurrently continuing to pound Al Qaida. The Government leaders have said the right things, but now need to follow through with action. They must take concrete steps to unify Iraq and eliminate sectarian violence. They have about six months to get it right and show some progress. Our DOD, DOS, and DOJ advisors are working hard to make it happen.
I think it is important to remember that Al Qaida chose to fight us in Iraq, not the other way around. We are their main effort, and their senior leadership understands what is at stake in Iraq. It’s about defeating the United States and establishing a base of operations in the Middle East from which to continue their terrorist quest to establish a caliphate that reaches across North Africa and into Europe, increasing their chances for successful strikes against the U.S. homeland. America needs to wake up and understand that we have more at stake as a country in this fight than we did in WW II. Losing Iraq will provide Al Qaida a significant base of operations and the psychological edge to continue to attack America and enlist allies in their cause. Conversely, defeating Al Qaida in Iraq and establishing a democracy with an economy embracing capitalism will start to unravel the repressive regimes of the Middle East that provide the support base Al Qaida so desperately needs.
As I close out this tour, I would be remiss if I did not mention one of the great Americans carrying this fight to the enemy, GEN George Casey. In June he began his third year as the overall commander in Iraq. The continuity he provides in both defeating the enemy and building a democratic Iraq cannot be underestimated. He is shouldering a heavy burden for our country, and America owes him a heavy debt of gratitude. It was my honor to serve with him on both ends of my career. With him the entire tour has been another outstanding Soldier, CSM Jeff Mellinger, an NCO who truly exemplifies the NCO and Ranger Creeds as he moves around Iraq checking on the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines who are doing the heavy lifting.
As I depart, I will miss the great young Americans who do our country’s tough work every day and every night. Their selfless service, dedication, teamwork, camaraderie, and humor in the face of adversity are beacons for all Americans to follow. I will miss the smile on an Iraqi child’s face when we open her new school, and the satisfaction our engineers have when they provide potable water to a village. I will miss the determination of the Iraqi people to risk death in order to exercise their right to vote. I will miss the NCO Corps, truly the backbone of our Army and the single characteristic that distinguishes our Army from every other army in the world. The NCOs guarantee us victory in every endeavor. I won’t miss the rear echelon military bureaucracy we have created to support this operation, despite the valiant efforts of outstanding staff officers and NCOs to fight through it and accomplish the mission. I won’t miss performing or attending memorial services. I thought I had attended my last one on Sunday, but we had another Soldier killed by an IED four days before I left. Losing these great young Americans has become progressively harder each of my 31 years in this business. I guess it has a cumulative effect.
We have made an astounding amount of progress in the past 14 months, and are on the edge of winning this fight. The next six months will be decisive. We will destroy the militias and continue to decimate Al Qaida. Our biggest challenge is to get this new Government to step up to the plate, begin cleaning out the corruption, and take decisive steps in securing its people. Concurrently we must help them fight the growing Iranian influence. It is a tough fight, but the Iraqis can do it as long as America does not lose its resolve. With what is at stake for us, we cannot afford to.
Thanks for the support and the prayers this past 14 months; they work. Please keep the kids I left behind in your prayers until we can finish this job and bring them home.
Stay safe.
Bill
Thank you for your service, sir.
Ditto, Sir. Thank you for your service.
Dear John,
Ranger Bill says we are whipping Al Qaida — but meaningful success will be determined by the Iraqi government stepping up to the plate, weeding its corruption, and decisive actions.
Of course we are — we are militarily degrading Al Quada because the US military is truly an organization of bad-ass professionals … they are a force to reckon with. The problem is Ranger Bill loses his dignity when he uncritically embraces a hidden assumption everyone is afraid to question: The ability of Muslims to function as a democracy?
You might say “Of, course it’s possible” for Muslims to be Western — Japanese do it.
One must, however, consider the underlying psychological mechanics of moral restraint required in the populace (a necessary ingredient) … in order for a democracy to function.
Democracy organically grew from a Judeo-Christian civilization: the Western polity was generally constrained by the concept of sin, guilt, and God’s judgement and motivated by faith. This led to a significant number of individuals effectively co-operating without oppressive external policing… giving rise to an effective rule by Democracy.
Behind Japanese society, however, is a comprehensive totalitarianism controlling its people behind its democratic machinary. Thus, Japanese society effectively runs like a democratic bee-hive society. It took an atomic bomb to convince them to play-act Democracy. South Korea is simply a more chaotic and hill-billy version of this underlying control by groupthink hiding behind a democratic facade.
Unfortunately, Muslim culture is less effective and even more chaotic than South Koreans: it’s a society that seeks the survival and gratification of the ingroup above all other principles. Sharia is merely a set of guidelines externally obeyed, and its spirit of “peace” endemically ignored. The belief in Allah does not run deeper than blood ties.
An Iraqi government will someday look like the Korean National Assembly at the Roh impeachment vote: a World Wrestling Championship free-for-all of whirling dervishes. A recipe for civil war.
The capacity for self-governance doesn’t merely come from a ballet box. Democracy requires self-rule based on true convictions within each individual … if not, then Ranger Bill is simply risking his life to set up a democratic police-state where Iraqi freedom merely means free porn on the internet.
This Ranger Bill seems like a true professional, but he really must dig deeper into why he fights?
Shouldn’t he just clearly state Western Civilization will enjoy an immense advantage obtaining operational outposts in the Middle East?
Why all the democracy mythology… as a justification for wearing a prosthetic leg for Iraqis? Especially, when Iraqis will simply elect a candidate that best represents their collective will: an Iraqi president who promises the destruction of Israel.
Ranger Bill harbors an unspoken religion that that doesn’t hold up to reality. Instead of telling us he is fighting for Freedom, why not speak straight forward and convince us of the strategic advantage Iraq gives us.
He can then truly gain our respect for his heroic sacrifice. Just speak the truth.
Actually John, your perspective is the fascinating one. Are you a psy-op disinformation specialist, or just ignorant?(said in all respect)
Turkey is still a military-dominated government, in which the military controls foreign affairs and national security policy and has harmful influence over domestic affairs. There is an absence in Turkey of minority rights, human rights, press freedom, speech freedom and religious freedom. Falsehoods and myths regarding Turkey’s democracy have been propagated for years by Defense and State Department officials. Freedom House in its 2003 annual report calls Turkey only part-free.
The Turks have had a long time to “pull-off” Democracy … the Muslim soul just can’t seem to do it. Why should we expect a radically polarized Iraq to do better than Turkey?
John, your optimism is the more fascinating perspective. Any comments?
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Came by way of the GI blog. Interesting letter from Ranger Bill. Regarding Turkey, however, you may be giving too much credit to that country.If Iraq becomes a true democratic country it would be a miracle.
Ok, at first I was about to take Jeff to task for calling me a lightweight while responding to one of the multitude of spam comments I have not as yet been able to eliminate. I found that ironic.
I just didn’t understand why he was so pissed (or interested in my genitals). Or why he thought I hated dissent and secretly censored. So, I cheecked the comment queue for an email address for Jeff, and discovered comment #4 which for some reason had been captured as spam (when my so called filter lets the most vile porn messages through, go figure).
Anyway, at least I understand why he felt censored. I have not once deleted or otherwise altered any comment to this blog disagreeing with me. Just so you know.
And I sign every post (and comment on other blogs) with my full time. So, I’m not afraid to stand behind my opinions.
I’m going to put Jeff’s inital and follow-up comments up as a blog entry and see if it generates any debate. I like that. Of course, I have about 3 people who read this “lightweight” blog, so I’m not expecting much.
John,
Yes, it did appear like censorship.
Ranger Bill’s idolatrous worship of Democracy and Freedom … usually requires censorship in order to maintain its legitimacy among its cult members. Thus, my confronting your propagating the US Defense Department’s deceptively attractive canard about Turkey’s shining example of Muslim Democracy — was assumed by me to have been censored.
Now,Ranger Bill comes across to me as a Christo-pagan worshipping and willing to sacrifice American lives for a quasi-religios cult called Democracy and Freedom: a strain of a Patriotic Christian heresy that drips in needless blood.
I hate to break it to Ranger Bill, but Democracy is not the Gospel, and lacks any salvific power apart from Democracy’s necessary ingredient — faith in a moral God that demands internalized self-governance within the INDIVIDUAL.
Listen up, Ranger Bill and all such clones.
Democracy is a Western political system — not Jesus Christ. A freedom-loving Democracy requires the capacity of a significant number of individuals within its society to freely respond to an absolute deity with a personal sense of obligation — that willingly obeys His moral rules.
In order for Democracy and Freedom to function, the prospective society requires an organic growth from a Christian foundation(the very source of Democracy)… a foundation that informs the individual of his obligation to a moral God. (If, you challenge this, I will quote you George Washington, saying this very thing.)
Like I have said, Japan and Korea are pseudo-Democracies: they are bee-hive societies functioning under the power of Asian groupthink, and lacks the individualism required for a functional Democracy.
The same is true for our Muslim friends: they lack the quality of spiritual infrastructure that enables them to function in a Democracy.
Islam is just another Asian totalitarianism lacking the vital sense of individual responsibility that Christianity once fostered in the West. Muslims blow themselves up for a religious ideology, not a personal relationship with a deity. That goes also for our “moderate Muslims”.
Thus, you can lead a Muslim to Democracy, but you can’t make him drink it … especially when the transplanted political system is innately rejected by his spiritual immune system.
What Ranger Bill is so ignobly risking his life for, and willing to wear a prosthetic leg — is a future construction of a free “democratic” Muslim police state — that will surely enjoy free porn on the internet, but will eventually be overun by Muslim fundamentalism… and remain dangerous to Israel and the West.
To see Ranger Bill fighting for a false god … just makes him look — sad, and a bit obtuse.
John, in all respect … you seem a bit muddled, too.
What say, ye?
John, I quote you from a collateral response to the above topic: “Well, you know Jeff the more you talk the less it calls for a response. Your words make the case for your ignorance far better than my feeble attempts might do.â€
Spoken like a true lightweight frightened by the discourse, that he prepares a pre-emptive dismissal — ready as an escape hatch.
I assume I am easily dismissed in your mind because, I quote you again: †I don’t see this connection between religon and democracy.â€
Well, aint that special! George Washington saw the connection, but you don’t. Now you are implying George Washington was ignorant… just like me. Now I understand why you have started your own blog.
Please, John … just hear out your founding president before you dismiss him. Give him a little respect… before you trash the dead white guy. He did, after all, start this whole democratic experiment.
“George Washington referred to the United States as “a great experiment.†And in his farewell address he said, “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.†He further admonishes:“Is there no virtue among us? If there be not, we are in a wretched situation. No theoretical checks—no form of government can render us secure. To suppose that any form of government will secure liberty or happiness without virtue in the people is a chimerical [an illusion or fabrication of the mind] idea.â€
And another ignorant man said this:“Democracies have always been spectacles of turbulence and contention and as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths.â€
– James Madison
Another ignorant dude, according to you said this:“Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom.â€
– Benjamin Franklin
“We have no government armed with powers capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice [greed], ambition, revenge or gallantry would break the strongest cords of our constitution as a whale goes through a net.â€
– John Adams
“Can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis? A conviction in the minds of the people, that these liberties are a gift of God? That they are not violated but with his wrath?â€
– Thomas Jefferson
John, I would like to hear your “enlightened†argument why these above men are ignorant in comparison to insights you have gained from your college education.
Please, Yes, I know according to you the more these men are quoted, the less they “deserve a response†to their ignorance, but just humor us a bit — tell us why you “don’t see this connection between religion and democracy.â€
John, we are ready and waiting to grasp your insights, for a better world. Thank you.
All I hear is the sound of crickets.
Sounds like John is trying to think of something to say. Can he do it?
You are fool, Jeff. I don’t waste the energy arguing with fools. You have nothing of value to offer. Your arguments are off topic, and non-sensical. You probably subscribe to the same religous school that is disrupting the funerals of our dead soldiers. Your religious claptrap sounds like the ravings of a madman. You are not speaking for any God I know or wish to know. As I said, your type drives people away from faith, gives all religion a bad name, and you are an insult to true believers.
Your claptrap is asinine. Crawl back under the rock from which you came. That’s all I have to say to you. You are unworthy of further response.
John, Please don’t leave me! I ain’t no religious fanatic? I beg you, don’t reject me because you think I love Jesus too much. I don’t even go to church. I just want to be loved … is that so wrong?
Jeff, please if you are a Christian, then tell it to me straight! What must I do, to be saved?
Democracy or Jesus?
Jeff,
John’s blog is for his personal fun, and should not be construed as a serious blog. He is a nice guy, but not a pundit of serious import.
John means well, but not all of us are articulate about spiritual things. I will step up to the plate for him — to give you the truth.
Yes, a agree with you: America’s Founding Fathers wisely designed the Constitution to protect the inalienable rights God gives to people created in his own image. They knew that any government asserting itself above God’s authority is doomed to failure.
If John had the conceptual ability, I think he would respond with this: The truth about freedom is that we enter this world enslaved to sin. No one except Jesus has ever kept God’s laws perfectly. In his death, Jesus paid the penalty to free us from sin’s penalty and addictive patterns of destruction. All who believe in him receive this new life. All who follow him experience the true freedom of his abundant life. Muslims by their own culture preclude themselves from this freedom in Christ. Democracy under Islam, therefore, requires an autocratic and dictatorial Democracy best described as a police state. This future police state is what American soldiers are dying for… it’s, however, better than a terrorist state under a madman.
Memorize this truth: “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32)
Jeff, our blogger John, knows freedom only comes through Christ. You need to be forgiving of him, he is a little shy about spiritual things… since its a very private matter for him.
This is so funny. You people don’t have a clue about who I am and what I believe. I will say this, spending an eternity with the likes of you would be my own personal hell. Sorry, I’m not drinking the kool-aid. Move along folks. Nothing to see here.