Pull out of Iraq? Read this first from someone who is there now!

A family member of mine is in Iraq now. I am so confused as to what to think about the War but his recent message puts alot of it into perspective. I think you should read it and comment on it if you so choose:

"Dear XXXX:
When they determined the size of the troop buildup, they factored in leaves, casualties (wounded stay on your books), Emergency Leave etc. So the El Paso thing is doable. I'll keep you posted on when I get Mid-Tour leave.

I really hope that the Democrats come to their senses pretty soon. Any pullout option is bad for me for three reasons:

1) We have over 700 million tons of military equipment. If we decide to pull out, it will take over a year to withdraw all of it. If we Decide to "Cut and Run", we will need every soldier we now have over here to guard that equipment until we pull it out. It will basically be an invasion in reverse. Oh, by the way, you know they won't send any fresh troops over if we're leaving, so I'll actually be stuck here longer if we decide to withdraw. Unless we're willing to supply the Iranian and Syrian Militaries with best andmost cutting edge Military equipment on the planet, I'll probably be stuck here another year.

2) The only way we will be able to ensure the loyalty of the Iraqi Forces will be to promise to take them with us if we withdraw. Everyone in the world except for the American Public knows what happened to the South Vietnamese when they were overrun. Here, it would be much worse.
Our media is really bad about owning up to the results of their poor judgment when they're wrong. If you don't believe me, just ask the Duke Lacrosse Team. So, after we withdraw the equipment, we will get the unique opportunity to fight our way back into Kuwait escorting 400,000 ISF and their extended families (Call it about 3-4 Million total People, about 90% of them civilians!) add anther 9-12 months to my deployment (On top of the 15 months).

3) Based on the fact that we Guzzle Oil and refuse to drill for it in the US, We refuse to build nuclear powerplants, we're tearing down hydroelectric dams, and there's a movement afoot to close down our coal-fired powerplants. Do you really think Millionares like John Edwards, Nancy Pelosi, or Al Gore are really SERIOUS about all that rhetoric? Do you really think they are going to let THEIR money beome worthless? It's much easier for them to manufacture convenient rhetoric and send the peasants to go die. If we pull out with anything less than a victory, I can guarantee we will have to re-invade in 10-15 years. Not "want to", have to! Considering how much "Wasta" we would lose in the Middle East, we would be forced to re-invade, and the war will be longer and far bloodier. If there were Oil drilling rigs at work off the US coast, I might think differently.

XXXXX years from now, (my child) will both be military age. I will be
able to be recalled to Active duty until AGE 6X! Let's just win now and
save ourselves the trouble later. Remember, when the hostages were siezed in Iran in 1979 and we pulled out of Lebanon in 1982, it was not Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan who were defeated, it was America. We have to destroy our enemies over here, defeat them and make the world know they were defeated, otherwise, we'll be doing this again in a few years.

Keep praying for us over here. I am really looking forward to leave!"

What do you think ATS? (edited to remove family info.)

I will tell you what they will do with the tons of equipment in Iraq they will do the same the government did with the tons of equipment in Saudi Arabia after the first gulf war.

They will bury the extra equipment in the sand.

How do I know, well I know somebody that was witness of the waste of tax payer money that got wasted under the sands of the desert.

I have to agree with the point made. Whether we should or should not have gone in there we're there now. We need to finish what we started or we will indeed have to go back in. If we have to go back the cost in lives on all sides will be much much higher then it is now. I hate the idea that our troops are over there risking all but a pull-out now would send the message that all lives lost over there to this point were for nothing. Is this really what we want to say?

Originally posted by Moserious
Let's just win now and
save ourselves the trouble later. Remember, when the hostages were siezed in Iran in 1979 and we pulled out of Lebanon in 1982, it was not Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan who were defeated, it was America. We have to destroy our enemies over here, defeat them and make the world know they were defeated, otherwise, we'll be doing this again in a few years.

Win what? What do we win? If this was a mistaken war we win nothing but humiliation that we attacked another country by mistake. What are all those dead innocent Iraqi's winning? Freedom? From life maybe. I see no bonus for them. What about all the orphaned kids?

If this was a war with a purpose I'd agree with you and your family member but this war's purpose was an imagined one and was not true. The democracy bs was an afterthought to a bad idea gone really bad. Sorry but this all smacks of propaganda and your family member should be wanting to come home , not wanting to stay in a country that doesn't want him. While private contractors make billions over there a regular soldier was denied a pay raise...that should tell you something about who supports what and who is behind the troops. Its not all the people pushing to stay there thats for sure. They want them all to sacrifice and to do it as cheaply as possible.

I really don't know what to think. Yeah we've got a family member over there and he is a hell of man. More of a man than I ever will be. Who am I to say whether the war is right or wrong, when I am not even over there. Geez! Either way I respectfully request all "..... Top Secret" members to keep all of the soldiers and their families in your thoughts or prayers.

I really appreciate your feedback and I respect everyone's opinion. It's a tough topic for sure. Mo Out