By Cptenaud. There's no vacation for our troops in Iraq, Joe Galloway writes that as we are, "hard upon the dog days of August. Members of the U.S. Congress and the Iraqi parliament will soon slither away to the shade of cooler rocks, and President Bush will no doubt head off to Crawford to take his frustrations out on some brush with a chainsaw.


Meanwhile, in Iraq, the 60,000 American combat troops who daily patrol the most dangerous streets and roads in the world will carry on fighting, dying and bleeding in the broiling sun where temperatures nudge the 130-degree mark and 40 pounds of body armor and Kevlar helmet plus weapon and ammunition weigh more with every step an Infantryman takes.


The politicians in Washington and Baghdad will take their summer breaks, happy to postpone any further thought of Iraq at least until September, when the U.S. commander Gen. David Petraeus makes his progress report on the American troop surge to Congress, as though that may make some dif

The sad reality is that the U.S. government tries to justify this by saying they want to return Iraq to it's people and keep order.

They can't do it.

The British in Basra are doing a far better job. They left the local elders in charge and people got about their business. They continued patrolling and securing their area of command. Trying not to upset the locals and respecting their culture.

But the Americans will not listen to the far more experienced British and are making a mess of it.

That's why over three million Iraq civilians are living in refugee camps in Syria, Jordan and Iran. Most of the population is near starvation and the U.N. has called it the worst humanitarian crisis since WW2.

The American soldier can not do anything other then what they are told to do by the higher ups. And judging by the ignorant display Bush has put out. Plus the fact that the troops are there for extended periods of time. It is no wonder that once good intentioned people, Become what their leaders choose to make of them.

That is why I fear this administration is gearing up to become the next Dictator nation. We will know for sure when 2008 comes. If the election is canceled. And the people do not respond. Then there will be a new Nazi nation that will come to power. And this power will have 400,000 nuclear warheads, And some very insane people with the keys to let them fly.

Do not get me wrong the soldier on the ground is not at fault.
He is there ,because he is there.

The west pointers and federal government are to blame.

Amergin, I totally agree with you as to the higher-ups who are responsible for our being in Iraq. But please, let us not forget that in 2004, the voting public had their chance to rid our country of Bush and his neocon agenda, and chose to keep him. We, as the people, bear a great deal of the responsibility as well.

But please, let us not forget that in 2004, the voting public had their chance to rid our country of Bush and his neocon agenda, and chose to keep him.

With a lot of help from rigged voting machine with NO paper trail.

That and Democratic supporters being hindered from voting 'democratically'.

Righthand, your points are absolutely correct. And of course, who can forget the way the election of 2000 was stolen and decided by our esteemed Supreme Court.