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shadowmayor

(1,325 posts)
4. WMD's my ass
Thu Jul 9, 2015, 12:48 AM
Jul 2015

Thanks for posting this. I spent 2005 or OIF3 or two Thomas Friedman (suck on this) units worth of time in Abu Ghraib prison where we brought liberty and freedom to thousands of Iraqis detained and trapped inside of fences within high walls. Didn't believe in the war before I went, while I was there, and certainly not after I returned. But I was a soldier, and I couldn't live with the thought of another going in my place - it's complicated. I was a stop-lossed, cross-leveled engineer sent in with the MP reserves out of NY. We had more lead, RPG's and mortars and rockets rained on Abu Ghraib than any spot in Iraq. It was truly a hell-hole beyond description. Did the soldiers torture and humiliate prisoners before we arrived? You betchya as Palin might say. But those who ran the show - contract employees and officers didn't get blamed - naturally. The deaths and rapes and more were never released to the public. Wonder why?

We were told we were a liberating force, and not an occupying force. Camp Remembrance where most of the Iraqis were detained was to remind us all of those brave firemen and police officers who died on 9-11. Yet while we were there, the boy president let it slip that Iraq had nothing to do with the attacks in NY. Not to be deterred, we charlie-miked for the rest of the year. Had a front row view of the phony elections, drove down the roads and saw the murderous carnage unleashed by our war machine, and listened intently to groups of Sunni prisoners tell me around May of 05 that the US should leave as we were killing too many people and the Shiites were taking over. That was the point where the civil war was a done deal, thanks to our war pigs in charge.

I spoke out openly against the invasion to the chagrin of many in our unit at first, but by the end of the tour, a great many had changed their minds. Senators Schumer and Clinton were sent several letters begging them to help remove the Iraqis from Abu Ghraib as it was in violation of the Geneva conventions regarding protecting those under an army's charge and keeping them from harm and away from the field of battle. Crickets on that one folks, big crickets.

ISIS was formed in our prisons, er detention centers like Abu Ghraib and Bucca. I refuse to refer to them as ISIS as they're really Al Qaeda 3.0. Why weren't any of our generals fired? Why were our politicians and media so easily fooled by the bullshit surge? I came back to a brain dead country that had no idea what was going on, much of it in our name.

Apparently Abu was selected by that well known incarceration and war expert Wolfowitz as he found it to be centrally located. The list of fuck-ups, disasters, and wanton disregard for the Iraqi people is endless. It really was a case of: Join the Army, see the world, meet interesting people and kill them. Hardy fuckin' har har.

So when a dip-shit repuke tries to thank me, I am no longer polite. I tell them: "No, let me thank you for voting for the bastards who led us into a terrible war, where millions of Iraqis lie dead and homeless and suffering, where our treasure was hemorrhaged to feed KBR and other private war profiteers and where my buddies and I came back broken both physically and psychically. And now we're expected to man-up and be quiet about all that shit?"

And if a democrat dares to thank me, I simply reply: "You have got to be fucking kidding me right? Because if you don't know what a terrible insult that is, well lend me your ear, and I'll tell you a little bit about what war is really like, and I am positive you won't enjoy it one goddamned bit!"

And I always ask, "what the hell did the people of Iraq ever do to the people of the USA?"

Time to exhale

The Shadow Mayor

I Wonder If This Veteran Saw This..... global1 Jul 2015 #1
Now if a few million more vets would figure this out. SoapBox Jul 2015 #2
That is the problem SoLeftIAmRight Jul 2015 #91
I'm glad he said it too Hydra Jul 2015 #3
WMD's my ass shadowmayor Jul 2015 #4
On behalf of every one of us who protested, wrote letters, Le Taz Hot Jul 2015 #14
+1 - thanks for keeping this topic front and center! erronis Jul 2015 #76
+1000 G_j Jul 2015 #15
Outstanding. H2O Man Jul 2015 #16
Thank you, Shadow. Wilms Jul 2015 #18
+1 a huge bunch! Enthusiast Jul 2015 #19
K&R newfie11 Jul 2015 #20
Your athenticity and sincerity come through loudly in your post... hlthe2b Jul 2015 #21
+ another Scuba Jul 2015 #22
Please stick around. Smarmie Doofus Jul 2015 #24
K & R JohnnyLib2 Jul 2015 #25
Shadowmayor, well said. Thank you. Nitram Jul 2015 #27
What Taz said, yes, that. DeadLetterOffice Jul 2015 #28
Thank you for this post They_Live Jul 2015 #29
+1. bemildred Jul 2015 #30
Great post, GGJohn Jul 2015 #31
++ bahrbearian Jul 2015 #32
Please take this post and give it its own thread. Loki Jul 2015 #33
Frustrating Scarsdale Jul 2015 #133
+1000 MissDeeds Jul 2015 #37
Be sure to thank Hillary, too, if you see her. moondust Jul 2015 #40
HRC don't need no stinkin' Geneva Conventions! Never did - never will! Divernan Jul 2015 #95
It's times like this that I truly wish I believed in hell. I'd wish that ALL those responsible rhett o rick Jul 2015 #127
You are the voice of reason. Baitball Blogger Jul 2015 #41
This should be another opening post! B Calm Jul 2015 #43
Thank you for this. mountain grammy Jul 2015 #45
They thought that they could adolpt American values... Human101948 Jul 2015 #62
Thank you for that history, much of which I didn't know. mountain grammy Jul 2015 #74
Yes, MLK spoke about how those letters were ignored. nt kelliekat44 Jul 2015 #80
+1 azmom Jul 2015 #47
Wish you ran for real President. Octafish Jul 2015 #48
war is a racket, and I have long held that the Iraq war was one of the cruelest ruses ever played on Fast Walker 52 Jul 2015 #49
recommended bigtree Jul 2015 #51
Ditto from the 60s...they said the 90s would stand the 60s on it's proverbial head. Indeed. libdem4life Jul 2015 #52
+1 historylovr Jul 2015 #53
Powerful post panader0 Jul 2015 #54
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS Martin Eden Jul 2015 #55
You don't hear that so much anymore, do you? Support our Troops? Frustratedlady Jul 2015 #59
+1 I considered any car with that fucking ribbon to be a threat to me and the other drivers. L0oniX Jul 2015 #75
I always follow Support Our Troops with.... peace13 Jul 2015 #134
Thanks. "ISIS was formed in our prisons" - likewise, the Islamic Brotherhood closeupready Jul 2015 #56
+1000 heaven05 Jul 2015 #58
At WWII's ending, German citizens were made to see. chknltl Jul 2015 #61
Thank you for this post! Gemini Cat Jul 2015 #63
Unfortunately the people of Iraq just happened live above a very large pool of petroleum; and... Raster Jul 2015 #64
K&R to this passionate post... hwmnbn Jul 2015 #65
Like Vietnam The Wizard Jul 2015 #66
No one can say it better brer cat Jul 2015 #67
Too true. kenfrequed Jul 2015 #69
+1 from an old late 1960's war protester with forever changed friends who came home. L0oniX Jul 2015 #71
Say it loud and often The Polack MSgt Jul 2015 #78
+ 1,000,000,000 What You Said !!! WillyT Jul 2015 #82
I'm an Iraq war vet myself Victor_c3 Jul 2015 #83
Please know that you have a home here, Le Taz Hot Jul 2015 #88
+1 geardaddy Jul 2015 #84
Thank you for your story Shadow. I am sorry for the burden you bear. raouldukelives Jul 2015 #85
We need more people like you in this counry. herding cats Jul 2015 #93
Please continue to post as your remember more fadedrose Jul 2015 #94
+1: three words: Sons. of. Iraq. MisterP Jul 2015 #98
Thank you for this post, shadowmayor. Eloquent, devastating, and must be communicated widely. seafan Jul 2015 #100
Thankyou LiberalLovinLug Jul 2015 #103
Please post this as an OP. bvar22 Jul 2015 #104
Best post I've ever read on this site WilliamPitt Jul 2015 #105
Thanks for every word of this post. gvstn Jul 2015 #106
Yes........ MyOwnPeace Jul 2015 #108
Yes, please make a separate thread of this catchnrelease Jul 2015 #111
thank you! for your post. and honesty. and having a conscience. Voice for Peace Jul 2015 #112
Both parties want us to move on.... Spitfire of ATJ Jul 2015 #115
Please, make this an OP. marym625 Jul 2015 #117
worthy of its own thread Skittles Jul 2015 #121
Truly outstanding post CrawlingChaos Jul 2015 #124
As Le Taz Says, Please Do Not Allow Your Moving Words to Remain Buried in a Comment Stream (nfm) The Roux Comes First Jul 2015 #126
Thank you for writing this stopwastingmymoney Jul 2015 #128
Kick, kick, kick!!! Heidi Jul 2015 #129
Dude. More like Light Mayor. byronius Jul 2015 #130
thank you! nt steve2470 Jul 2015 #131
None of these guys were voted in... MrMickeysMom Jul 2015 #132
Thank you, brother. I love you with a flaming heart. thekestrelseye Jul 2015 #138
The whole "hero" thing is a ruse. Cassidy1 Jul 2015 #5
I don't need DoD to tell me to honor the troops pinboy3niner Jul 2015 #6
+1000. GGJohn Jul 2015 #9
^THIS^ cherokeeprogressive Jul 2015 #23
I saw a Wounded Warriors commercial this morning underpants Jul 2015 #39
Well said. I'm former USAF. I think you captured it perfectly. stevenleser Jul 2015 #87
Why do you put the word service like this? GGJohn Jul 2015 #8
Words are put in quotes when they don't mean what someone suggests they mean. Cassidy1 Jul 2015 #12
You're wrong, GGJohn Jul 2015 #26
It's not our service... it's what the country DOES with that service... Bigmack Jul 2015 #68
I agree, but the poster I was replying to had it all wrong GGJohn Jul 2015 #70
No insult taken. Cassidy1 Jul 2015 #107
Just curious salimbag Jul 2015 #110
I started out as a WO1, GGJohn Jul 2015 #118
Thanks John salimbag Jul 2015 #120
I flew Slicks and Snakes doing troop insertions and CGS ops, GGJohn Jul 2015 #122
Sick! Fast Walker 52 Jul 2015 #44
You ever serve? GGJohn Jul 2015 #50
I don't think it would surprise you that I have not Fast Walker 52 Jul 2015 #89
Did you ever serve? Cassidy1 Jul 2015 #109
Yes, I did serve our country and I proudly served. eom. GGJohn Jul 2015 #119
As a Viet Nam Vet bluestateboomer Jul 2015 #7
Concerning W, Cheney, Rumsfeld and the other Republican hacks that killed all these people... PatrickforO Jul 2015 #10
When this happens Caretha Jul 2015 #137
K&R! This post should have hundreds of recommendations! Enthusiast Jul 2015 #11
This veteran salutes Jim Adams! Scuba Jul 2015 #13
And now Dumbya who sent them to war on his lies malaise Jul 2015 #17
A Veterans' CHARITY event to be exact! calikid Jul 2015 #113
They are shameless malaise Jul 2015 #116
this deserves to go viral samsingh Jul 2015 #34
That letter might be the best response to Republican hypocrisy I've ever seen. ladjf Jul 2015 #35
thank you for your courage ellennelle Jul 2015 #36
This harkens to another age of American veterans from World War I the "Bonus March". gordianot Jul 2015 #38
As a veteran myself, I never could understand why veterans vote republican. K&R B Calm Jul 2015 #42
That and people who work for a living. lonestarnot Jul 2015 #72
The service members in my family are still right wing. peace13 Jul 2015 #136
I think of you and others like you every single day. democrank Jul 2015 #46
this should be the response from every veteran spanone Jul 2015 #57
Kicking for the vets navarth Jul 2015 #60
Party Neutral DustyJoe Jul 2015 #73
K&R Killing for lies must be a most horrible truth to realize. raouldukelives Jul 2015 #77
Kicked and recommended. Uncle Joe Jul 2015 #79
k and r + gazillion niyad Jul 2015 #81
R#195 & K for, I've been saying this for years. The local radio wingnut lectured me UTUSN Jul 2015 #86
BOOM! merrily Jul 2015 #90
Actually, the Repubs are quite correct to thank the troops for their service brentspeak Jul 2015 #92
+ 1,000,000,000 lark Jul 2015 #96
If only all of them would wake up. Sadly most either don't vote or are repubs. craigmatic Jul 2015 #97
On top of that, SmittynMo Jul 2015 #99
Plus a private jet from Dallas to Houston spiderpig Jul 2015 #101
Un frickin believable SmittynMo Jul 2015 #102
I wish that he could go on every TV and say this. Rosa Luxemburg Jul 2015 #114
Brilliant Post Thespian2 Jul 2015 #123
Truth amuse bouche Jul 2015 #125
Thanks for writing this. peace13 Jul 2015 #135
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