The World Socialist Web Site received the following email sent from “a soldier from Iraq.”
I am a cavalry scout in the United States Army. I am stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas. We returned home Tuesday and I would like to comment on this war from a specialized soldier’s eyes.
I honestly think the president lied to all of us. After seeing first hand what was in most parts of Iraq, my whole company could not fathom a threat of any means. I love America, and will defend her when called upon, but in this case there was not a real threat.
Actually, Iraq is more dangerous now to its people than it was when Bush gave us the call. I don’t speak for everyone I am sure, because some guys join the service just to fire weapons. But almost every soldier we talked to while in Iraq wanted to be home, and thought that Bush made a grave mistake. A town called Tikrit in Iraq is a hotbed of anti-American action.
President Bush said on TV today that Americans are welcomed??? He must be on another planet. A few small towns south of Baghdad may be somewhat safe to sleep in the truck, but most of that country is more anti-American than what Bush is telling everyone.
By the way, the Thanksgiving photo-op at the airport was only open to pro-Bush soldiers. We were screened unknowingly about four days before he showed up in secret. We didn’t know he was coming, but looking back, all the questions we were asked were designed to weed out the antiwar soldiers.
They had a tough time finding the right ones. As a matter of fact, my company and some Marines who talked loudly about Bush were sent to Tikrit the day before Thanksgiving for “security detail.” There are a lot of married men who are committing adultery in every new town they are moved to. Not all soldiers are doing this, but the numbers are staggering. I am not married, and yes I had sex—consensual sex. There is no money source in Iraq right now to speak of, and prostitution is rampant.
Most soldiers carry protection because it is flown in at stock time. Do not think that I am against soldiers who support Bush, but some soldiers in Baghdad have never fired their weapons, and are living it up—sex, alcohol, pot...
To close, I think in my own opinion that we invaded a country that was super-poor and might not have even had a decent slingshot. This in my opinion was a political war, and I am glad to be back in Texas. I have a feeling Bush will be back soon also.