Open Letter: My Burden of Conscience

Threats Watch Steve Schippert on National Review's The Tank blog - Open Letter: My Burden of Conscience

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Dear Senators Reid and Schumer (et al),

As members of the party that is constantly reminding America of the superiority of its members' compassion, I find it personally curious that none such seems to exist for the Iraqi people. How else can your readiness, nay impatience, for a withdrawal of United States military forces from their country be explained?...

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Also read Steve's NR Op-ed - This Is Counterterrorism, Senator.

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Can Petraeus pull it off? Max Boot asks the question, in the latest Weekly Standard, in an article by that name. Certain American political leaders profess already to know the answer; they almost surely had their preconceived answer even when they were unanimously voting to confirm General David Petraeus as the new Multi-National Forces - Iraq commanding general...

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Wow ! What a heart-felt letter from a Marine !!!

Any normal person would have to search his soul and certainly respond to this letter.

Senators, the ball's in your court :mad:

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With the recent uncovering of a terrorist plot involving construction contractors, a girl's school being constructed was also concurrently being wired with artillery shells and propane tanks in the walls and ceilings throughout during the build. Had the soldiers of the First Cavalry Division been placed far from the Iraqis where you desire them with the mission you broadly term "counterterrorism," what consequences would have been brought to bear on these innocent children and their families?

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I'd lay odds they ignore it unless some major MSM outlet picks it up and really runs with it. And if that happens, they'll make "we understand, but these decisions are really made for your own good and you're not smart enough to understand the reasons for them" noises.

6 May Real Clear Politics / Roll Call commentary - 'Strategic Patience' Needed on Iraq by Mort Kondracke.

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As Congress considers next steps on Iraq War funding, it ought to heed the warning of the U.S. ambassador there: Giving Iraqis the idea that Americans are leaving the scene hurts - not helps - the slow process of Iraqi reconciliation.

"The longer and louder the debate gets" in Washington, D.C., Ambassador Ryan Crocker said in a telephone interview from Baghdad, "the more danger there is that Iraqis will conclude that we are going," leading to "a hardening of attitudes" among sectarian factions.

He said slow progress is being made on the political front in Iraq as well as on the military side, but he said he fears that America lacks "strategic patience" and, as a veteran of service during Lebanon's horrific civil war in the 1980s, "the potential consequences do scare me."...

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For Schumer and Reid to show concern and compassion for Iraqis would be inconsistent with their objective of using opposition to helping the Iraqis for the purpose of picking up additional Senate seats. In short they see short term political gain from losing. While that demonstrates that they are not candidates for a profile in courage award, it also suggest that many of there voters also lack compassion for Iraqis.

Reviewing the Ambassador's previous tours, I'd say he knows what he's talking about. I'm happy to see we have some of those left.

Steve is unfortunately correct and Merv concludes a sore point that Tom and I have seen in Sub-Sahara too many times.

If it helps the Senator sleep better, perhaps he should look at the US Military lives and overall time that will be potentially saved. We'll not only come home, but in one piece.

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Crocker, 57, who previously served as ambassador in Pakistan, Lebanon, Kuwait and Syria and has held other diplomatic posts in Iraq, Iran and Egypt, told me that if the United States fails in Iraq, "it could look like Afghanistan pre-9/11 and that just scares the hell out of me."

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What makes politicians like Reid, Schumer, et al look stupid is that they advocate intervention to prevent the genocide in Sudan.


Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't what's going on in Sudan a lot like what went on in Iraq?

The Darfurians feel marginalized and ignored by Al-Bashir's government so some of the Darfurians rebelled against Bashir and Bashir's government reacted with excessive force.

In Iraq, the Sunnis feel marginalized and ignored by the Shiite controlled government so some of the Sunnis rebelled against the Shiites and the Shiite controlled government reacted with excessive force.


Why are some of these politicians ready to leave Iraq and allow the Shiite Death Squads run rampant so our troops can stick themselves in the same mess in Sudan?

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If your unspecified and unqualified recent statements desiring a "redeployment" of US forces to the periphery in order to "Transition the Mission" and "focus it more narrowly on counterterrorism" were in place today, how many Iraqi school children would have been murdered in the coming days?

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Of course the fact that this is the result of a civil war which broke out when we destroyed the existing governance is conveniently ignored. Steve Schippert makes quite a compelling argument for pursing a policy towards Iraq with the best of intentions towards the Iraq people but if good intentions were enough we wouldn’t be in the position we are. The good intentions (saving the world from Iraq, saving Iraq from Saddam, saving Iraqis from Iraq, etc. etc.) have brought us where we are today, and Mr. Schippert makes the argument for more of the same. My 6th grade teacher was fond of saying “the pathway to hell is paved with good intentions” a lesson Mr. Schippert seems in need of. International politics is not a game for the faint of heart. We do not need more good intentions we need ruthless self-interest. Our good intentions have failed us and failed the Iraqis.