Learning the Hard Way is Still the Best Way

Moses learned the hard way that he was Hebrew and not Egyptian. What we know about Moses and his calling has been gathered from Scripture: being the one chosen to see the Israelites freed from bondage. They were liberated in the end, and their journey to the Promised Land -- albeit coursed with peril -- was a welcome new beginning.

So it was with the men, women and children who fled the lands of their birth to escape despots and religious persecution -- to walk unfettered and unthreatened upon the new promised land: America. They risked all traveling thousands of miles to be counted amongst those who chose to face unknown dangers rather than bend or perish under the yoke of tyranny.

In 1781, America became a free and independent nation. Our Constitution was written not for the leaders but for the people -- for “We, the People.” This sacred document ensured that no imperial classes would be allowed to exist. There would be no monarch to set down archaic rules. It was by the sweat and labor of immigrants from all the world’s nations that America was created, in which hope and opportunity is limitless -- where Americans rule themselves.

These pioneers built this country, and this country built them into Americans. They cleared the land, raised homes and houses of worship and drew up colonies of free citizens, carving new states out of the forests, prairies and wilderness as they pushed westward. They carried freedom with them. Here a vast segment of humanity was given the chance to start fresh:

The English, the Scotsmen and the Dutch produced elegant furniture in their workshops in New England. The Italians worked the sulfur mines of Louisiana. The French and Swiss planted vineyards in California and New York State. Danes, Norwegians and Swedes seeded the earth and made the Midwest flourish with grain. It was Irishmen whom, in large part, constructed the Erie Canal, the Statue of Liberty and the eastern section of the transcontinental railroad.

Welshmen farmed, dug coal and quarried in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Among their descendants were William Penn, Thomas Jefferson, Chief Justice John Marshall, and Robert Morris - the foremost financier of the American Revolution and a signer to the Declaration of Independence.

The Spanish Conquistadores -- the first to roam the Southwest in the 1500s -- infused music, art, language, architecture and literature to the region. They brought from Spain the horse and cattle, and established ranches (haciendas) upon which these noble creatures could serve their owners. The Spaniards also introduced the rites of faith and built Catholic missions.

Mexicans worked the oil fields of Texas proficiently, and rode herd in New Mexico with equal expertise. Greek and Portuguese fishermen harvested the oceans. Germans, Hungarians, Russians, Slavs and Chinese all worked side by side with so many, many more peoples of diverse cultures -- and this great nation was built by the industry of such Americans.

America became the country where dreams were transformed into certainties.

Came then 2001, and our country was brutally attacked and is since being menaced by Islamic terrorists. Executing murder and mayhem against entities and persons American (and anything and everyone from the West; and all who are non-Islam) is the standing order handed down by their mullahs.

Compounding abuse with the damage and death suffered on that Tuesday morning six years ago, here in the United States there is a growing army of conspiracy theorists who are littering the intellectual landscape with their bent notion that the Central Intelligence Agency and the U.S. Military had a hand in the monstrous events of September 11th. Additionally, our Congress, of which the majority are Democrats, appear to be attempting to countermand the efforts of our National Security Agency, and thereby playing straight into the hands of the very disciples of hell who are hell-bent on destroying us.

Terrorists and Democrats alike should be reminded of the following insofar as Americans are concerned:

In spite of everything, we never lose our faith in the future. We believe in the future. We build and will continue to build for the future. And when we’ve finished building, we develop something new and have to start re-building.

Deep down we yearn for peace. We take every route to avoid conflict. But when conflict is unavoidable we engage with a ferocity that is unrivaled to protect our freedom.

That’s the kind of people Americans are: we work and fight hard, and harder still, because we have the freedom to do it.

Beginning in 1777 at Valley Forge, Americans fought and froze, suffered and died for the future freedom of all Americans. Our freedom is the only way of living we know. We fought for it 300 years ago, 200 years ago, a century and a half ago, and in both world wars -- and continue fighting the same fight today.

Americans are slow to anger and easygoing, but merciless when our freedom is threatened, because we are passionately dedicated to the ideals our forefathers passed on to us: the liberty and dignity of all men.

We believe that if all men throughout the world could turn their energies towards peaceful coexistence the way Americans have turned their energies towards the construction of this great nation, wars would soon be as outdated as the soon-to-be-outdated death cry 'Allah Akbar!'

The pioneer Americans had to learn and adapt the hard way. They never failed to give thanks every day for what they had. And we, their descendants, must never go to sleep at night ashamed of our deeds, whether for ourselves, our country, or the world at large.



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Note from the author: Parts of this writing were inspired by a film prepared by the War Department during World War II, entitled, “Why We Fight World War II - The Battle of China / War Comes to America” (available on DVD), and I have blended -- and expounded upon -- segments of the film’s narration (read by the actor Walter Huston) into this commentary.

Ding-Dong, "The Bill" is DEAD!

God Bless the American People!

A President's Prayer

My Fellow Americans:

Last night, when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that troops of the United States and our Allies were crossing the Channel in another and greater operation. It has come to pass with success thus far.

And so, in this poignant hour, I ask you to join with me in prayer:

Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity.

Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith.

They will need Thy blessings. Their road will be long and hard. For the enemy is strong. He may hurl back our forces. Success may not come with rushing speed, but we shall return again and again; and we know that by Thy grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph.

They will be sore tried, by night and by day, without rest -- until the victory is won. The darkness will be rent by noise and flame. Men's souls will be shaken with the violences of war.

For these men are lately drawn from the ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate. They fight to let justice arise, and tolerance and goodwill among all Thy people. They yearn but for the end of battle, for their return to the haven of home.

Some will never return. Embrace these, Father, and receive them, Thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom.

And for us at home -- fathers, mothers, children, wives, sisters, and brothers of brave men overseas, whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them -- help us, Almighty God, to rededicate ourselves in renewed faith in Thee in this hour of great sacrifice.

Many people have urged that I call the nation into a single day of special prayer. But because the road is long and the desire is great, I ask that our people devote themselves in a continuance of prayer. As we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy help to our efforts.

Give us strength, too -- strength in our daily tasks, to redouble the contributions we make in the physical and the material support of our armed forces.

And let our hearts be stout, to wait out the long travail, to bear sorrows that may come, to impart our courage unto our sons wheresoever they may be.

And, O Lord, give us faith. Give us faith in Thee; faith in our sons; faith in each other; faith in our united crusade. Let not the keeness of our spirit ever be dulled. Let not the impacts of temporary events, of temporal matters of but fleeting moment -- let not these deter us in our unconquerable purpose.

With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogances. Lead us to the saving of our country, and with our sister nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace -- a peace invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men. And a peace that will let all of men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil.

Thy will be done, Almighty God.

Amen.

Franklin D. Roosevelt - June 6, 1944

"Red Shirt Fridays" for our Military

**Author unknown**

Last week, while traveling to Chicago on business, I noticed a Marine sergeant traveling with a folded American flag, but did not put two and two together.

After we boarded our flight, I turned to the sergeant, who'd been invited to sit in First Class (across from me), and inquired if he was heading home.

“No,” he responded.

“Heading out?” I asked.

“No. I'm escorting a soldier home.”

“Going to pick him up?”

“No. He is with me right now. He was killed in Iraq. I'm taking him home to his family.”

The realization of what he had been asked to do hit me like a punch to the gut. It was an honor for him. He told me that although he didn't know the soldier, he had delivered the news of his passing to the soldier's family and felt as if he knew them after many conversations in so few days.

I turned back to him, extended my hand, and said, “Thank you. Thank you for doing what you do so my family and I can do what we do.”

Upon landing in Chicago the pilot stopped short of the gate and made the following announcement over the intercom:

"Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to note that we have had the honor of having Sergeant Steeley of the United States Marine Corps join us on this flight. He is escorting a fallen comrade back home to his family. I ask that you please remain in your seats when we open the forward door to allow Sergeant Steeley to deplane and receive his fellow soldier. We will then turn off the seat belt sign."

Without a sound, all went as requested. I noticed the sergeant saluting the casket as it was brought off the plane, and his action made me realize that I am proud to be an American.

So here's a public Thank You to our military Men and Women for what you do so we can live the way we do:

Red Fridays.

Very soon, you will see a great many people wearing Red every Friday. The reason? Americans who support our troops used to be called the "silent majority." We are no longer silent, and are voicing our love for God, country and home in record-breaking numbers. We are not organized, boisterous or overbearing.

Many Americans, like you, me and all our friends simply want to recognize that the vast majority of America supports our troops. Our idea of showing solidarity and support for our troops with dignity and respect starts this Friday -- and continues each and every Friday until the troops all come home, sending a deafening message that every red-blooded American who supports our men and women afar, will wear something red.

By word of mouth, press, TV -- let's make the United States on every Friday a sea of red much like a homecoming football game in the bleachers. If every one of us who loves this country will share this with acquaintances, coworkers, friends, and family, it will not be long before the USA is covered in RED and it will let our troops know the once "silent" majority is on their side more than ever, certainly more than the media lets on.The first thing a soldier says when asked "What can we do to make things better for you?" is. "We need your support and your prayers."

Let's get the word out and lead with class and dignity, by example, and wear something red every Friday.

The Grand Delusion Islam

by Amil Imani

"We are our beliefs," it is said. Beliefs steer people in life. Some beliefs are harmless, some are the motive force for good, and yet others are delusional, misguided, and even outright dangerous. Every version of the belief called "Islam" ranges from the delusional to the dangerous.

Islam is a Grand Delusion, birthed by Muhammad's hallucination he relayed to his first wife and employer, Khadija. Greatly frightened, he told Khadija that he was visited by jinn (devil) in the Hira cave. Khadija comforted the distraught man by assuring him that the episode was Allah's way of choosing him as his messenger. Muhammad believed his rich wife-employer who was 15 years his senior and the delusion became a belief-Islam.

Remarkably enough, under the early tutelage of Khadija, Muhammad succeeded in attracting a number of influential followers. Before long, the movement gathered more and more power through violent campaigns and the faith was taken to new people and alien lands. This grand delusion, Islam, presently has in its stranglehold over a billion humans, posing an existential threat to all non-Muslims.

Islam is rooted in the primitive tribal mentality of "We against Them," "We the righteous against the heathens," "We the servants submissive of the Great Allah against the rebellious enemies of Allah." Islam is a polarizer. Islam is an enemy-maker. To Islam, a non-Muslim is a combatant against Allah and he is fair game to be subjugated and killed.

When some billion and a half adhere to the pathological belief of Islam and use it as their marching order of life, the rest of humanity can ignore the threat only at its own peril.

Once again, a resurgent Islam is on a campaign of conquest throughout the world. Hordes of life-in-hand foot-solider fanatical Muslims are striving to kill and get killed. All they want is the opportunity to discharge their homicidal-suicidal impulse, on their way to Allah's promised glorious paradise. And in the background granting the foot soldiers' wishes are their handlers, the puppeteers, who pull the strings and detonate these human bombs. Those who cherish life must recognize these emissaries of death, what makes them, what motivates them, and how best to defend against them.

The campaign of death waged by the Islamist-jihadist, be he a puppet or a puppeteer, is energized by the belief of delectable rewards that await the faithful implementer of Allah's dictates. Through a highly effective indoctrination, the jihadist has come to believe firmly in Islam's grand delusion. He believes that Allah is the one and only supreme creator of earth and heavens; that it is his duty and privilege to abide by Allah's will and carry out his plans at all costs; he believes firmly in a gloriously wonderful immortal afterlife in paradise, for which a martyr's death is the surest quickest admission. Although the dominating theme of the delusion is quasi spiritual, the promised rewards of the afterlife awaiting the martyr are sensual and material. All the things and activities that the jihadist desires and cannot attain or practice, and rejects in his earthly life will be purified and proffered to him in the paradise of the next life. Thus goes the delusion.

It is important to understand that the human mind is not a perfect discerner of the objective reality. In actuality, reality is in the mind of the beholder. The outside world only supplies bits and pieces of raw material that the mind puts together to form its reality. Depending on the type and amount of bits and pieces that a given mind receives, its reality can be very different from that of another mind.

The more prescribed and homogeneous a group, the greater is the group's consensual reality, since the members share much in common experiential input and reinforce each others' mindset. Thus, members of a given religious order, for instance, tend to think much more similarly to one another than to members of other groups with different experiential histories.

Various approximations of the objective reality, therefore, rule the mind. The degree to which these approximations deviate from the larger group's consensual reality determines its delusional extent and severity.

A cocaine mainliner, for instance, under the influence of the drug, may become convinced that a bug is burrowing under his skin. In his absolute, although clearly false, certitude of the reality of his perception, cocaine users are known to take a knife to their own body to dig the burrowing bug out before it has penetrated too deeply.

A methamphetamine user's reality is often distorted in a different way. Under the influence of the drug, an intense paranoia overtakes him. His reality is dominated by the belief that one or more people are lurking about to harm or kill him. He may wield a deadly weapon, going from room to room, from closet to closet, in search of the assailants. If you believe that a bug is camping deeply in your body, then you might go ahead and try to dig the non-existent bug out. If you believe that people are lurking around the house to harm or kill you, you go after them before they get you. If you believe that all the troubles of the world are due to the evil-doings of the non-Muslims who war against Allah, then you do all you can to fight and kill them, particularly since Allah tells you to do so in the Quran.

The drug-induced delusions are hallucinations. They are dramatic and usually transitory, while religion-based implantation of ideas program the mind with lasting delusions.

Delusions, even when they are at great variance from the objective reality, can rule the mind without the need for drugs, or as a result of neurological dysfunctions or other factors. The young and less educated are most vulnerable to believe the claims of charlatans, con artists and cunning clerics as truth and reality.

A tragic example of the young's susceptibility to induced delusion is the case of thousands of Iranian children who were used as human minesweepers in the last Iran-Iraq war. The mullahs issued made-in-China plastic keys for paradise to children as enticement to go forward and clear the minefield with their bodies ahead of the military's armored vehicles. The children believed the murderers and rushed to their death, thinking that they were headed for Islam's glorious paradise.

The repeated intense indoctrination of the children even changed the perception of some of the charlatan mullahs so that they, themselves, believed their own lies, took their own keys to Allah's paradise and rushed to their death clinging to the plastic trinkets. Hence, some of the puppeteers, in this instance, became puppets themselves. Such are the follies and fallibilities of the human mind.

It is, therefore, understandable that many of the higher-up Islamic puppeteers, who are usually brainwashed from early childhood, devote their fortunes and persons to the implementation of their deeply engrained delusions.

Deluded by the threats and promises of Islam, Muslims, poor or rich vie with one another in furthering the violent cause of Allah.

Many non-Muslims are also victims of a different, yet just as deadly, delusion. They believe that Islam is a religion of peace, that only a small minority of Muslims are jihadists, and Muslims can be reasoned with to abandon the Quran-mandated elimination of the non-believers. These well-meaning simpletons are just as deluded as the fanatic jihadists by refusing to acknowledge the fact that one cannot be a Muslim and not abide by the dictates of the Quran.

Amil Imani is an Iranian-born American citizen and pro-democracy activist residing in the United States of America. Imani is a columnist, literary translator, novelist and an essayist, who has been writing and speaking out about the urgency of confronting the jihadists and Islamism. He maintains a website at http://www.amilimani.com/

Your contribution is earnestly appreciated, and it will immensely help us to carry on.

Stand Up or Stand Down?

In America’s political system, the people are represented by two separate -- but not necessarily equal -- groups: Republicans who set off to hunt down, prosecute, and eliminate terrorist regimes and Democrats who draft deadlines in favor of admitting defeat.

Since the birth of this nation, procedural and legal dramas have been the bases for the system we call “political.” In recent days, these stage shows have spawned self-destruction rhetoric from the Left: a timed withdrawal from Iraq (which coincides with another Iran hostage crisis that has ignited international furor, this one involving captured British sailors).

Congress’ plan to pull out our troops was loosely addressed to the American people. In actuality, the audience viewing and hearing such imprudence is worldwide and thus seen and heard by our enemies -- and could not have been broadcast (and repeatedly re-broadcast) at a worse possible time in view of Iran’s seizure of Britain’s military personnel and property.

The plan, especially now, can only serve to promote the false idea that we and our allies are credulous; and it will exacerbate the festering hatred of everything and everyone American and allied to America, both in the U.S. and abroad. The plan’s authors seem unable to comprehend that they are also recklessly wagering our country’s existence against President Bush’s unyielding efforts to extinguish terrorism.

As expected, protecting America and its citizens has evolved into a mêlée for absolute power on the part of Democratic leaders in the House and Senate, particularly third-in-line-to-the- Presidency, Nancy Pelosi. Coupled with this is Congress’s voracious craving to paint our Chief Executive a fool with public statements such as: “[The President should] calm down with the threats … there’s a new Congress in town,” from Pelosi; and “[The President should] get real with what’s going on in the world” from Harry Reid -- as Iran plays Russian roulette with members of England’s Royal Navy.

These are the same addled pronouncements mouthed by liberals to evade the fundamental issues. Rather than assist in fortifying our nation’s moral fiber, shoring up our borders, and taking positive and responsible leadership for the long-term, this new Congress seems incapable of arriving at unassailable solutions to bring down terrorists; they prefer to take the overcrowded low road of mercilessly censuring, demeaning and vilifying our President and his administration.

Congress’ plan to disassemble our offensive barriers will backfire disastrously, for us and for all of humankind. It shouldn’t take a Rhodes scholar to calculate the math, that at the moment the last uniformed soldier steps off Middle East soil there will be a worldwide, all-out holy war declared by the dedicated forces of evil. Thereafter, not a minute, hour or day will pass without the global media delivering staggering accounts of noncombatant civilians -- both non-Muslim and Muslim -- summarily dismembered, blown up, and shot down. Sociopathic madness will stampede out of control and the countries under attack can blame none but themselves for having left the terrorists uncontained and their borders undefended and vulnerable.

To Speaker Pelosi and Harry Reid: This includes the United States of America.

These nightmare scenarios are not spun from a storyteller’s imagination. They are the present day realities, and are precisely what President Bush has worked hard to prevent from happening (again) on U.S. soil as well as throughout the enlightened world. He has never asked for plaudits or shiny medals or a fatter bank account for his endeavors. He does it because it was, is, and always will be the right thing to do. At the same time, it has taken an insurmountable leap of faith and strength of will on the part of our President to battle not just the terrorists but also his own Congress.

President Bush’s concept to wipe out terrorism is unique inspiration. After September 11, 2001, he did not shirk his responsibilities and act as if all was, once again, at peace with the world. With the majority consent of Congress at the time, our President deployed the matchless power of our all-volunteer armed forces to fight terrorists on their ground. That was then.

This is now:

The world has turned its back on America and on the battle against terrorism. Congress are doing the very same, because it is they, not the President, who are ill equipped emotionally to deal with “...what’s going on in the world” -- because the Democrats do not, and apparently will never, possess the chutzpah it takes to ride the lonely high road and be as unique and courageous as George W. Bush.

Mr. Right, not "Mr. Right Now"

by Tanya Simon

You don’t become President. The Presidency is an institution and you have temporary custody of it.
–Ronald Wilson Reagan

In the four short years of the office’s term, the man elected must rise up to and sustain the Constitutional oath: ‘…that I will faithfully execute the office of the President of the United States and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, so help me God.’

There is no pledge as powerful and as selfless, because it demands that the succeeding custodian of the Presidency continue the eternal uphill struggle for, by and against the myriad of domestic and foreign issues that eclipse our lives: hostile world leaders; growing numbers of disillusioned and dissatisfied citizens; invidious politicians on both sides of the aisle who handily switch from ally to adversary between sunrise and sunset; biased media reporting with the intent to thwart the Chief Executive’s credibility; predisposed civilian groups aggressively intoning issue after issue (whether relevant or not) -- to name a few. And there remains the singular matter that requires our sitting and future President’s attention 24/7: the promise by riotous Islamist terrorists to cause our destruction.

In view of these contentious realities, what distinctions should Americans expect from our next President?

Above all: Leadership. He must be governed by a steel-eye countenance in order to effectively assume the mantle of Commander in Chief and stand knuckle to knuckle with our avowed enemies -- upholding the principle that America takes a backseat to no one.

The next man destined to serve the American people knows to expect a daunting hand-off from George W. Bush, which is why that man must also cross the threshold of the Oval Office fully armed with practical business and management experience required for controlling the White House.

He will be a man who says what he means and means what he says -- who can 'talk with beggars and walk with kings.'

He must possess unshakable moral integrity.

He must be fearless when confronted with intense and unending enmity and criticism.

He must passionately pursue every best measure necessary to defend our nation and amplify our security, no matter the cost.

These are only some of the reasons why the Republican Party should not support a candidate who is only partially qualified for the post. To invest any hope in a man based solely on poll popularity or, worse, name recognition, could prove fatal for the GOP and the American people. This would be as dangerous as placing our trust in a non-FDIC bank with a flashy name that caters mainly to the glitterati while dealing junk bonds to the middle class.

We would be incompetent if we champion any Presidential candidate who has broken his sacred marriage vows by publicly satisfying his carnal pleasures, and who joined himself to a spouse who has been a wife to more than one man. The Presidency has already suffered the shame of adulteration from a ‘Mr. Right Now,’ and we should, therefore, not risk the possibility of more reprehensible maltreatment of the station.

Americans deserve better. Americans deserve the best.

We must seriously consider that one candidate who is wholly qualified to be the 44th President of the United States:

That one candidate who is capable of rising up to and sustaining the Constitutional oath...

That one man who can lead us back up the iron mountain we proudly call America.

That one man is Mitt Romney.

The life of our country depends on him.

Protesting the War is Not a Strategy

By Rose Pedenko and Tanya Simon

The moment the final midterm election votes were counted, Democrats wasted no time stumping for the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq. However, real conservatives-the normal majority-continue to believe, as we always have, that pulling our forces out prematurely will be a blunder of monumental proportions. It would not only be viewed as frailty on our part, but serve to embolden the enemy and further imperil our nation and its allies. It is the liberal wing of the Democratic Party and their "rush to escape" Iraq that causes great consternation. Conservatives believe it is not really Iraq from which they want to retreat-but from the war itself.

Democrats preach for peace. This is a good thing, but it is neither the answer nor a solution to the death threats that dangle every day over our lives like the Sword of Damocles.

Since the horror of 9/11, liberals would have us believe they support the war in Afghanistan, because that is where the Taliban trained and from where Osama bin Ladin directed or still directs his murder/suicide operations. If we had engaged the Taliban in Afghanistan-and not concurrently expanded the front of the war on terrorism to Iraq-the same peace protesters would be calling for a pull-out of troops from Afghanistan as well. Three and a half years have gone by and the early success in Afghanistan remains, at best, tenuous. With no defined war front or uniformed enemy, the anti-war crowd will always find itself in an apparent quagmire.

We must ask: What then, Democrats? You should not demand we withdraw unless and until you have a bulletproof strategy up your collective sleeve-not some blue sky vision of sitting down with the devil to negotiate a better position in hell.

Speaker of the House-Elect Nancy Pelosi and her liberal colleagues, tend not to think about the ghastly realities with which we are threatened but how they can toss more rhetoric into the air without actually delivering decisive action over the next two years. The bluster and brouhaha surrounding their investigations into past-perceived mistakes does not equal a National Security policy.

At this critical turning point for our nation, Pelosi et al. should remove their rose-colored glasses, turn their attention away from the wholly unrealistic expectations of their "peace without honor" constituents, and concentrate on building up our nation's strengths rather than tearing them down. We cannot protest our way to victory.

Every American, regardless of political persuasion, must accept the realities of our war on terrorism. The enemy has no intention of going away, whether from Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Iran, Syria, or from inside our own borders. They have but one goal: the destruction of Israel and America. This is burned into their hearts as children and continues until the day they die, taking as many "infidels" with them as they possibly can. This is not some quixotic mission for Allah they are on, but a duty as natural as the wretched air they breathe.

The gravity of this Islamo-fascist indoctrination cannot be dismissed with a knowing smile before Congress or the wasting of taxpayer money on unnecessary partisan investigations. This, like preaching peace, will not bring relief from our fears, and it won't end the war. The enemy we face is terminally serious. They have no timetables, or exit strategies, and are wholly unconcerned with how many of their own people die in order to achieve their ends.

They will not go home until they win.

An injured soldier has a new future... in pizza!

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 9, 2007 - A U.S. veteran who lost both legs in 2004 when a roadside bomb exploded in Iraq will begin a new career because his indomitable spirit moved a total stranger to give back to those who have served their country.

Army Staff Sgt. Robbie Doughty and Michael Ilitch, the founder of Little Caesars Pizza, one of nation's largest pizza chains, proudly stood side by side for the grand opening of the veteran's new pizza store in Paducah, Ky., yesterday.

Doughty, 31, was honorably discharged from the Army in July 2004 and began a long road to recovery facing an uncertain future with his young family. As he endured months of rehabilitation, he never gave up hope, never lost his courageous spirit and learned to walk again, he said.

Ilitch who, along with Little Caesars Pizza, owns Major League Baseball's world champion Detroit Tigers and the National Hockey League's Detroit Red Wings, read about Doughty in a Nov. 23, 2004, USA Today article.

Ilitch was so moved by Doughty's courage and determination that he called the Kentucky veteran to thank him for serving the country. After many conversations, Ilitch offered Doughty an opportunity to open his own Little Caesars Pizza franchise in his hometown of Paducah.

"Doughty stood strong for our country. I was so impressed by his courage, commitment and upbeat attitude in the face of adversity, that I wanted to do something," Ilitch said. "Offering him a new career path in his hometown seemed like a good transition. Doughty's 'can-do' attitude will make him a strong Little Caesars franchisee."

Doughty accepted Ilitch's offer and followed his suggestion to find a business partner. His choice was fellow veteran Lloyd Allard, who served with Doughty in the 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group, in a dangerous area in Iraq. "

After a career in the military, I was open to a new venture," Doughty said. "Our military background and familiarity with systems, processes and a teamwork management style make the Little Caesars franchise a good fit.

"Opening a business and becoming an entrepreneur will definitely be an exciting new chapter in my life for my family and me," he said.

"From day one, Doughty was ready for his next challenge," Allard said. "With our leadership skills and Little Caesars' training and ongoing support system, we look forward to becoming strong franchisees and sharing our experience with other veterans."

Their story also prompted Ilitch to launch a new, innovative franchise program to provide qualified, honorably discharged veterans with a business opportunity when they transition to civilian life or seek a career change. The program provides a benefit of $10,000 for qualified veterans and up to $68,000 in benefits for service-disabled veterans. "

Doughty and Allard inspired me with a vision: to develop a program to create career opportunities for military veterans," Ilitch said. "I believe that it's important for Little Caesars and corporate America to thank the men and women who have served in the armed forces and this program offers an exceptional opportunity for veterans who are seeking new career options."

(From a Little Caesars Pizza news release.)

[Web Version: http://www.defenselink.mil/News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=2989]

Veterans of our military should go to the Little Caesars Pizza site for more information on how to start up a new career. http://www.littlecaesars.com/

Iraq is "Winnable"

By Linda D. Kozaryn
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2, 2007 - While the situation in Iraq is challenging, it is "winnable," U.S. Navy Rear Adml. Mark Fox told a group of online journalists and bloggers yesterday during an operational update by telephone.

Fox, who has flown combat and contingency missions over Iraq in Operations Desert Storm, Southern Watch and Iraqi Freedom, is now communications director for Multi-National Force, Iraq.

"Sectarian violence is now the gravest threat to our strategic objectives in Iraq, and to be honest, Iraq is a more complex strategic problem entering 2007 than it was this time last year," he said. However, he noted, he's seen cause to believe the struggle is winnable.

"I draw hope from the fact that we are joined, not opposed, by the overwhelming majority of the Iraqi people in this struggle," Fox said. "In polling conducted in November, 89 percent of Iraqis nationwide agreed with the statement: 'My first loyalty is to my country rather than my sect, ethnic group, or tribe.'"

Fox said he's pleased to be "working in partnership with the liberated people of Iraq as they work to build a stable, secure, and self-governing country." The fact that more Iraqis are joining police forces is cause for optimism, he said.

In December, 1,115 Iraqi men signed up to join the Police Forces. "To put this in context," Fox said, "eight months ago we had zero recruits from Ramadi. In one month, over 600 tribesmen in Ramadi alone qualified for enlistment."

In December, he added, Multinational Force officials restored responsibility for security in Najaf Province to Provincial Iraqi Control.

"Last week, Iraqi forces in Najaf detected and assessed a significant security threat, realized they were outnumbered and facing an entrenched enemy, and did exactly what American forces are trained to do in that tactical situation: call for airpower," he said. "In the end, we killed 262 anti-Iraqi forces, and captured 411. We also recovered 11 mortar systems and enough heavy machine guns to show this was not a group of pilgrims."

Fox attended a city council meeting in Fallujah that he described as raucous and disorganized. He said council members had some significant points of contention. "But it demonstrated even if the Iraqis are not at the levels of Jeffersonian democracy yet, they are eager to find solutions to their problems."

The Iraqi economy is also showing positive signs, Fox said.

"Each time I travel outside the International Zone, I'm amazed that virtually every house in Baghdad has a satellite dish on the roof," he said. "While everybody focuses on the violence in Baghdad, rural Iraq has experienced a post-Saddam boom that is employing and putting cash in the pockets of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi families."

Fox cautioned, however, that it's important to have realistic expectations about short-term progress.

"First, it will take some time for the effects of the additional troops being deployed to take hold," he said. "Second, although (U.S. Army Lt. Gen. David) Petraeus brings unparalleled experience and wisdom to this fight, Iraq's problems are systemic, and will not be turned around immediately in February and March."

Fox went on to highlight what he called "one of the most important intangibles" that doesn't make it through the mainstream media filter: "the sense of mission, and the morale of the people who are serving here.

"It's not every day that you have the opportunity to leave your fingerprints on great work," Fox said. "And this is one of those times where everybody that's here understands what an incredibly important mission we're engaged in.

"We're also focused on this mission to the point where we understand the vast majority of the American people support everything about the military," he continued. "And the people who disagree with the nature of the political decisions that brought us here, we still appreciate the fact that those people also support the military."

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2007 will be "Battle of the Wills" in Iraq

By Sgt. Sara Wood,
USA American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5, 2007 - The next year will be an important time in Iraq, when the Iraqi government must take more responsibility for the country and the coalition must continue its commitment to creating a stable, unified Iraq, a top British general in Iraq said today."

In 2007, we really are in an interesting time in which we hope to see the government understanding its responsibilities and having the confidence to step up and take those responsibilities ... (and) the indigenous Iraqi security forces taking the full responsibility for their security," British Army Maj. Gen. Simon Mayall, deputy commander of Multinational Corps Iraq, said in a Pentagon news conference via satellite.

This year will be a battle of wills in Iraq, Mayall said, as the coalition and the majority of Iraqis struggle against those who don't want a democratic, representative society that responds to the rule of law. The stakes are very high, and the Iraqi security forces and government need to see the strong commitment of the coalition as they grow and develop the ability to take over their own country, he said.

"Those people are absolutely relying on us in the coalition to continue to stand by them to give them the confidence to continue to defend the security of the Iraqi people, to develop their competence to do it, and to take forward this shared mission -- to deliver a new future to Iraq," he said.

When the Iraqis will be ready to take over security completely is conditions-based, Mayall said, but the important thing is to keep them in the fight and continue to develop their capabilities. Iraqi units fight alongside coalition forces every day, and they will continue to improve as they are given more responsibility, he said.

The Iraqi security forces are increasing the coalition's capacity, but a surge in troops alone will not be the answer for Iraq, Mayall said. A surge is needed in every element of the counterinsurgency operation, including development of the Iraqi government and ministerial capabilities, and economic development, he said.

"In any counterinsurgency operation, particularly the type of complexity of operation we're in at the moment, the security line of operation cannot and was never designed to deliver the desired end state," he said. "Therefore, around any application of military force, we must assume that the government of Iraq is also stepping up to the plate."

Speaking from the perspective of a British officer, Mayall said he is utterly impressed by the dedication and courage of the U.S. servicemembers in Iraq. Britain remains a staunch ally in the war on terror, he said, and he expressed optimism about Iraq's future. "I remain utterly confident, with the commitment we have from the Iraqis and ourselves, that we are going to be successful in 2007," he said.

[Web Version: http://www.defenselink.mil/News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=2603]