dwccrew;1697772 wrote:
You can disagree all you like, it doesn't change the fact that myself and others I served with were more intelligent than you gave us credit for and formulated opinions on what we were doing there. We knew, it was easy to understand when you were in country and could see the waste. Soldiers don't truly understand why they are fighting? Are you kidding? So WW2 soldiers didn't know? Vietnam vets didn't know? Please! That is insulting.
you formulated opinions on what you were doing on the ground, not the bigger picture, the politics behind it or anything based on information neither myself or you were given. My soldiers didn't see the enemy organization charts that led back to Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations. They didn't understand how deep Iran had their hands involved in what was going on. They knew Sunni, Shia, AQI and JAM.
To your second point, how is fighting in Iraq (in which no terrorists were known to have trained in) defending our freedoms? If we truly were fighting terrorists that were training and plotting against the US we would have invaded Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. That is where majority of the terrorists come from and hide out. I'm sorry, but you have been brainwashed into believing that the fight over there is actually making us safer. What makes the US safer is vigilance on our part in the US. There have been numerous attempts on attacking the US since we had military action in the mid east. The underwear bomber on Christmas day flight into Detroit (thwarted by vigilant passengers, fighting in the mid east didn't stop him from attempting). The times square bomber (his attempt was not thwarted by US military action in the mid east, but by vigilant citizens and law enforcement right here in the US.
Terrorists did train there, there were training camps found in the desert. I have never heard a terrorist being trained Saudi Arabia. They may receive funding from wealthy Saudis or the terrorist may even be of Saudi origin, but its not the same. just because the 9/11 hijackers were Saudi, doesn't mean anything, we aren't fighting nations.
The underwear bomber happened 2 months after we had boots on the ground in Afghanistan, 2 months with a small military force isn't anything. We've bled AQ dry by fighting them in Iraq. Its not just military either, for example the Treasury department has made moving terrorist money extremely hard.
Afghanistan at one point was a fight I could support until politicians totally bungled it by trying to call the shots and tying the military's hand behind their back and not allowing the generals to lead as they see fit. Afghanistan was a terror state and wil be once again. The US has lost that war and they don't even realize it yet. The Taliban will take over once US troops leave. Iraq was a loss as well as it is not ran by politicians that are aligned with our enemies. None of this has defended our freedoms nor made us safer IMO.
No doubt politicians bungled it by trying to call the shots. but every radical muslim we kill over there is a win for us.