Orangekite1’s Weblog

If I didn’t care about the Marines I would not pay attention to the news, and just follow the cable TV shows about Michael Jackson’s death. If I didn’t care about our soldiers, I would just watch cable TV or movies and not list their stories here. But,  I want the best for our Marines, and I do not want them to DIE FOR DEFEAT. I do not want them MAIMED FOR McCHRYSTAL.

I want our Marines and soldiers to come home safely, and  have a victory like in World War II, and not another in a long history of losses or stalemates like the Korean War, Vietnam War, First Gulf War, etc.  I want a victory so we can have parades and V-A Day-Victory in Afghanistan Day.

But, I don’t see mention of  victory with Gen. McChrystal. All I hear is a defeatist attitude. I see no winning of the hearts and minds of American military families. I do not hear him saying he will not compromise the safety of our men. Why didn’t he say that?

Why is all we hear is that our troops WILL NOT have air support? WHY DOES ABC NEWS REPORT WITH THEIR EMBEDDED REPORTER THAT MARINES CANNOT SHOOT BACK AND A COMMANDER TELLS THEM ONE CIVILIAN DEATH IS TOO MANY? THIS IS A WAR. IT IS RUN AS AN OCCUPATION. MAYBE THE MARINES CAN WEAR TEE SHIRTS WHICH SAY “I LOVE THE TALIBAN” AND THEY WON’T BE SHOT. IT IS AN INSULT THAT MARINES ARE SHOWN ON ABC NEWS BEING SHOT AT AND NOT BEING ABLE TO SHOOT BACK, AND ONE ENLISTED MARINE STATED THIS ON THE REPORT.

 As you can see in this first story below, our troops are under orders to let the enemy escape. Who issued these orders? Are they legal?

All I hear is a general who does not take the utmost precautions to keep his own troops safe. I hear stories which contain insults, repeatedly in his first week in Afghanistan, hurtful to the families at home, as they demoralize them and fills them with fear with his inconsiderate and dangerous statements about the US troops on the ground, and in no way even tries to win the hearts and minds of Americans.

And Marie Brig. Gen. Nicholson telling Marines they would be eating a lot of goat and drinking a lot of tea with Afghan civilians. Pardon me, but who is going to kill the Taliban? I am going to have to send that to PETA, don’t destory  goats! And the families have to read this that their loved ones, their dearest Marines are not going to be securing America’s national security, but will be eating goat and drinking tea with villagers who could sympathize with the Taliban or be Taliban as they don’t wear uniforms.

The hearts and minds of Americans and American military families are not even won by Gen. McChrystal before he goes and tries to win over the Afghans.What about cleaning up your own house before going over there to try to win hearts and minds of Afghans? This is US taxpayer money, and tax payers should be considered too.

The only way to be culturally sensitive is to leave Afghanistan and get off their soil. The tactics to win the hearts and minds of Afghans before killing the Taliban and enemy fighters and BEFORE winning the hearts and minds of Americans is not a good strategy.

AMERICANS SHOULD BE OUTRAGED AND  CALL THEIR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND THE PRESIDENT AND DEMAND TROOPS BE BROUGHT HOME FROM AFGHANISTAN IMMEDIATELY. IF MARINES CANNOT FIGHT, AND ARE AN OCCUPATION FORCE, THEN ALL TROOPS SHOULD BE BROUGHT HOME.

AMERICAN TROOPS SHOULD NOT DIE FOR DEFEAT.

AMERICAN TROOPS SHOULD BE BROUGHT HOME, AND OUR MONEY WITH THEM.

American troops should not DIE FOR DEFEAT.

1.) Taliban get away: new policy under Gen. McChrystal and President Obama. The Taliban run out the back door. Whose son or daughter will be killed or maimed now since the troops had a chance to kill the enemy but he was allowed to get away?

From the story and link below it:

  http://www.fresnobee.com/news/national-politics/story/1509367-p2.html

Before the mission, Schoenmaker, the company commander, said he would practice “tactical patience” as a way to avoid civilian casualties – an issue newly arrived Gen. Stanley McChrystal has underscored in recent weeks. Though troops in many similar circumstances have called in airstrikes on such a militant-controlled compound, Schoenmaker did not.

“We made the decision to isolate the compound and not destroy it because we couldn’t confirm if civilians were inside,” he said. The militants were believed to have escaped out the back.

2.) Questions as to U.S. troop strength. Marine BGen. Larry Nicholson says troop levels a little light. Remember: U.S. TROOPS MUST NOT DIE FOR DEFEAT in Afghanistan. Link:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/02/AR2009070203283.html

3.)  Marines and first casualties of Afghan offensive:

http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-07-03-voa1.cfm

4.) Marines in searing heat in Afghanistan:

http://www.fresnobee.com/news/national-politics/story/1509367-p2.html

 5.)  Obama’s vision of victory in Afghanistan. I thought we already accomplished this. I didn’t think there were terrorist training camps in Afghanistan. I thought they all are in  Pakistan now. I can’t say for sure, that is just what I had read. Link:

Obama’s statement of victory in Afghanistan:

 President Barack Obama told The Associated Press in an interview Thursday that he has a “very narrow definition of success when it comes to our national security interests” in the region. “And that is that al-Qaida and its affiliates cannot set up safe havens from which to attack Americans.”

“I think we can measure it by whether or not they’ve got training camps where people are coming in and getting trained in explosives, being sent out and directed in carrying out terrorist activity,” Obama said in Washington.

Link:

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2009/07/marine_meb_070109w/

6.)  North Korea missile launce toward U.S. feared over July 4th holiday:

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2009/07/ap_north_korea_missiles_070209/

7.)  Operation Khanjar begins in Helmand Province:

http://www.dvidshub.net/?script=news/news_show.php&id=35881

8.) US faces resentment in Afghan villages:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/03/world/asia/03helmand.html

9.) Stragetic shift for US troops in Afghanistan:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/03/world/asia/03afghan.html?emc=tnt&tntemail1=y

 10.) Afghanistan: Obama policy puts US troops at risk

http://islaminaction08.blogspot.com/2009/07/afghanobama-puts-afghans-before-us.html

11.) Video from Camp Lejeune on Afghanistan deployment to villages:

http://www.news14.com/content/local_news/coastal/611498/lejeune-troops-engaged-in-major-afghanistan-offensive/Default.aspx

12.) Marine “offensive” in Afghanistan described in BBC report and video. I called my reps yesterday in D.C. and said this sacrifice of US troops is unacceptable and the occupation of Afghanistan should be stopped now. It will save our tax dollars, and be culturally sensitive to the Afghans who don’t want us there. I suggest anybody who wants to end this war because our troops are being used as pawns by generals who don’t care and follow possible illegal orders to sacrifice U.S. troops and violate their right to life, to call their representatives and tell them to end the war in Afghanistan. Statements like the one below are unaccpetable, because how can a young Marine on patrol just staying alive and on the verge of heat stroke stop a Taliban from beheading a civilian somewhere? It is IMPOSSIBLE. There is no was a Marine can stop the Taliban from harming a civilian. The best way to do it is to kill the Taliban but the Marines, as shown on ABC news tonight are prevented by Gen. McChrystal on orders from the Commander in Chief, from shooting back when shot at. Young Marines interviewed were not happy at all to have bullets wizzing by their heads and they could not shoot back or call in air strikes. This is an occupation, and no orders to win the war or come home to victory. END THE WAR IN AFGHANISTAN NOW. Save lives, limbs, and tax dollars. Let our “allies” fund the “reconstruction” or better yet, let the Afghans fund it themselves with the copper mine funds and fees they are getting from the Chinese, and from other mines. Link:

Capt Pelletier said the US military was prepared for casualties, but stressed that “it is absolutely essential that no civilians be harmed”.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8129789.stm