http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/edito...-connable_x.htm

Very nice, a true view of Iraq. Not just the cowards in the press.

You should go sign up and help him out, Im sure he'd appreciate it. And speaking of cowards.....

Very funny how excited you folks get when someone speaks out for the good...

Hmmm, guess no one died, you all cant quack chimp... figures.

Is this guy even real or is this yet another RNC-Karl Rove-generated "letter" from one our "soldiers"?

Uh, who got excited?

Philly, this is taking one person's story and making it true for everyone. It's not. Would you say that one of the prisoner abuse people represent the entire military? Heck no!

In general, the military and it's personnel are trained to always think in a positive way. I mean, spokesmen for the military are no different than like the President's Press Secretary.....they are always going to put a positive spin on whatever they can.

There are plenty of Marines that would write a negative column on the mission and how long they've been there with promises falling through of when they'll go home, etc. But that wouldn't speak for everyone, would it?

There are plenty of Marines that also probably wouldn't say things are calm and collected either, such as those that are killed and injured everyday.

As for the media, I keep hearing some people continuously saying how the media focuses on the negative and not the positive........but it's like that for local/national news as well. And although many are to blame the media for concentrating on the bad, they do it because that's what people want to watch. Nobody wants to see if a cat was saved in a tree today on the news.


Overall, I don't know of a single person who does not wish our troops the best and does not support them.

Ditto illini. I agree with the major's perspective, but I respectfully disagree with his analysis because I want him -- and the rest of our forces -- to come home. NOW.

From the halls of Montezuma, to the shores of Tripoli... (sword salute)

You know this for certain? You've polled them or spoken with them individually? Or are you just drawing that conclusion from how you feel about it and from the reports you read in the papers and watch on TV?

I can't say for Marines, but the I only person I know personally who has served in Iraq (in the Army) certainly had a much less optimistic and rosy view of the situation.

That's my point. I don't think any of us could say one way or the other. I have three friends who have served or are serving there who say it's going well. That doesn't mean 100 percent of the troops are signed on for what they're doing, but it doesn't mean they're an exception, either.

I know families of 2 marines in Iraq and my inlaw uncle's son was killed in Iraq. The one who was killed was set to come home and was told to stay (which made the families and him rather upset) and 2 weeks after he was supposed to be home he was killed. Another one does support the whole thing and thinks we should be there for however long it takes. The other absolutely hates Bush, Rumsfeld, etc.

I've seen plenty of reports with SOLDIERS talking themselves about how they weren't very pleased.

I'm not saying it's 30-40-50% of them or anything like that, but I'm sure you can find a fair number of troops who would tell you they aren't too happy.

I heard a story on the news this morning that people from the South tend to be more in favor of the war than those in the North. I know that there are bunches of GA rednecks who love the fact we went into Iraq and flexed our muscles and showed those Arabs who's who! I am not one of those as well as most of the people I know who feel this war is nothing more than a personal vendetta by Bush. My brother, a career army man, is in favor of the war and routinely quotes the same army quotes he always does. I could call it brain-washing, but that might get some people upset here, so I won't say that military are sheep, and I won't say that this war is all about the oil. And I won't even mention that we know nothing of Islamic relgion or culture and that we should not be trying to "Mericunize" this country. You didn't hear it from me.

If this war was about oil.. oh hell i dont even need to say... just go put a few gallons in and get back to me.

So, Little Filly, please, tell us what this war is about. It certainly wasn't about Saddam being a credible threat to the U.S. and it wasn't about WMDs (both lies that were forcd down our throats)...so, what is the purpose of this war? Almost 800 Americans now dead...how far will it go?

Dont you know Bobby, it was about ending the torture...oh wait, thats not it.