IED: Interesting Acronyn

IED Attack
Originally uploaded by rodneykeene.

Notice how it spells "DIE"?


The jokers that come up with the nomenclature for military terms and 'operations' have an ironic sense of humor.
minstrelboy is a reader who emailed me after reading my Landstuhl posts. His family are unfortunately"Gold Star" members. I recommend a trip over to his site for a viewing of extraordinary pictures and stories of these horrific weapons and the ingenious way they are being placed and detonated. His posting on this topic is on September 2, 2006. Read his site. He has fascinating posts about 'boots on the ground', news stories and opinion about the policies that enable the horror to continue. My heart goes out to the members of this group of Americans, the Gold Star Families. I salute them and the service given by their loved ones.

Whether supportive of this war/occupation in Iraq or against it, we have all learned invaluable lessons from Vietnam. In all of my posts and comments about what I and most Americans consider an 'illegal war and occupation', I have never seen, heard nor met anyone that does not support the troops in their constant stuggle to show up and 'do their job'. Very few military members signed up for 'WAR'. And the ones that did I believe most of them, did so with the same fierce protectiveness that a mother lioness exhibits in defense of her cubs.

What I would like to see happen in regards to this 'war' is to see our troops re-deployed outside Iraq, with consistant, solid support to the Iraqi government. Logistics, economic support, tactical support and influence, strategic planning, whatever it takes to help them to get on their feet and take care of their own country. I believe along with many others much more knowledgable, that our pressence in-country exasurbates the civil unrest and violence and is unequivocably undermining the Iraqi ability and will to fix their broken country.

Our troops are over-extended and the breakdown has been showing for many, many months. These 3rd and 4th and even 5th tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, the shameful veteran care, the unwillingness to provide troops with enough and adequate equipment, the congressional hypocracy (almost exclusively by Republican members) in saying they 'support the troops' then behind closed doors, striking down legislation that provides for them and the list of GOP attrocities goes on and on as does the dying of our soldiers, coalition soldiers, and the many innocents civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan. This war must end.