Posted by
Proud_Vet on Wednesday, July 12, 2006 12:01:27 PM
I just read this on Polipundit, and it makes my skin crawl:
This Soldier Can No Longer
Explain The Bush Adminsitration
Five years ago, my service in the Army Reserve was invigorated as the United States
was facing mortal danger. During these years, I have have proudly served almost
23 months of active duty accumulated under the current Presidential
Mobilization Order.
Last week, I was shocked by the U.S. Supreme Court in the Hamdan v. Rumsfeld
Opinion.
Today, I do not know what words to use for the actions
taken by the Administration:
“The Bush administration said Tuesday that all detainees
held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and in U.S.
military custody everywhere are entitled to protections under the Geneva Conventions.”
Like all Soldiers, I am a product of years of accumulated training. I have
been trained that the terrorist enemy we face is not subject to Geneva protection. But
the Department of Defense has now issued instructions that they are entitled to
such protection. The administration has now created a dilema in the minds of
thousands of Soldiers.
As a Combat Arms Officer, I could “work through” the dilema of possibly
facing a Courts Martial for killing the enemy. I have faith in my fellow
Soldiers that no innocent Soldier will be convicted.
But now I ask, Why bother? As a Commissioned Officer, why would I risk the
lives of men that I am entrusted with to capture the enemy who now has zero
intelligence value because they are protected under the Geneva Convention? Why
would I risk my own freedom, or that of my men, by engaging the enemy
offensively where the enemy would be killed resulting in an investigation.
Like many Commissioned Officers, I can no longer explain or defend
the actions of this Administration.
You see, there are those that have constantly said that
Iraq is just like Vietnam. Well, up to now, that has certainly
not been close to the truth. But it is quickly becoming so. The public
is now bored with Iraq and Afghanistan and quickly loosing their
courage in the GWOT, and now we are messing with the ability of
the soldiers to do their jobs. This is what happened in Vietnam, and
then the war was lost. Not by the soldiers, but by their civilian
leadership in Congress and the White House. I fear the same thing is
happening here, only the consequences will be much more severe.
Congress must do something to reverse this dreadful decision by the
SCOTUS to get us out of this mess, or the comments above will become
true---why fight anymore when all it will lead to is trouble for
those just trying to do their jobs.