Let Us Finish Our Defense of You

In my blog Why Do They Fight?, I quoted Former Captain Nathaniel Fick, U.S. Marine Corps,

I took 65 men to war and brought 65 men home.

Together we passed the test. Fear did not beat us.

We fought for each other.

In the micro-world, our military, our sheepdogs, fight for each other. But, in the macro-world it is much bigger than that.

Now read the words of a professional soldier, who retired and then reenlisted. He is a LTC with the Multi-National Force in Baghdad. The LTC is considered crazy, which is affectionately crazy, by some of his friends. I, for one, don’t consider him crazy. I consider him a Patriot.

Why We Fight

I have heard often in the news media and in official reports about how the soldiers are fighting to bring freedom to the Iraqi people and how we have an objective to establish a democracy in the Middle East. While I support these objectives they are not why I am fighting in Iraq, they are not the reasons that many of the soldiers I have talked to are fighting in Iraq. I hope Iraq does become a peaceful democracy, however I am fighting here to defend the United States, my people, my culture and my family.

I want every one to clearly understand that on 9/11 we were attacked by a radical movement that wants to destroy our country and our way of life, a movement that wants to dominate first the Middle East and eventually the world. Make no mistake they want to destroy the U.S.

They would like nothing better then to kill thousands of Americans. While destroying America they will also destroy their own people who do not actively support their terrorism. Read the "Looming Tower". We are evil for them because our freedom and influence destroy their ability to dominate and oppress the people of the Middle East. Those of you who believe that disengagement and isolationism will stop the attacks are badly mistaken they are fanatics and will come after us. The Islamic Terrorist cannot letwestern culture compete with their oppressive theocracy, to do so condemns them to failure because people will eventually want the freedom they see in the west which is happening throughout the world. To withdraw allows the terrorists to define the battlefield and carry the attack to the United States.

I am fighting in Iraq so I don’t have to fight in Nashville. After 9/11, it became clear that Al Qaeda intended to carry their war on to US territory. To do this they had connections with many other organizations and anti-US nations. Among those were Iran, No. Korea and Iraq. Al Qaeda and Iraq were not allies but they both wanted to destroy the US. They already had contacts and Saddam had programs and plans for weapons of mass destruction. There is ample evidence that Saddam had some weapons maybe old but never the less illegal chemical weapons. But more so he would have developed more weapons if left alone. The attack on Iraq accomplished many positive things militarily. It took the war on terrorism into the Middle East where we can attract terrorists to Iraq and kill them here. If not here where do you think they will go to kill Americans. They will be in Nashville and a thousand other US cities.

The War in Iraq does give us an opportunity to establish a democracy in the Arab Middle East, opening up the possibility of changing the dynamic of politics in this region. In no other way is anything going to change out here, we have to initiate change. Lastly it takes out the possibility that Saddam would link up with Al Qaeda assist in their terror war and provide territory, weapons or funding. Keep in mind Saddam funded The PLO suicidebombers. He supported terrorism, used chemical weapons, had some chemical weapons and was a sworn enemy of the US.

It is not easy what we are trying to do. But we have taken the initiative away from Al Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden, we have chosen the battlefield we force them to fight in a place we chose and a time we forced on them they snipe at us and we kill dozens of them every time they attack. They come to Iraq to kill Americans they do not go to America. The homeland is peaceful and without attacks. We are in Iraq to insure that it stays that way. America is not the battlefield, which is what Al Qaeda wanted on 9/11. As in World War Two when we were attacked we took the fight forward to enemy territory, we do not wait for the enemy to carry further attacks to the US.

This is why I fight In Iraq. So you can sleep well at night for I am on watch with my thousands of military brothers and sisters. We would not have it any other way, the alternative is unacceptable. Let us finish our defense of you. We don’t want to fight in Nashville.

The LTC’s words are worth repeating, “Let us finish our defense of you.”

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Why Do They Fight?