In June of last year I promised not to write anything else about Iraq for three months. I guess that's one promise I was able to keep. Maybe a little too well, as 10 months seems like too much time going by without mentioning the on-going struggle there. Although there's been some uneven progress throughout the country, there is certainly no end in sight to US involvement.
A recent brief article in the Washington Post refers to a longer article in Esquire magazine that chronicles the final journey home of SGT Joe Montgomery, one of the now over 4000 Americans killed in Iraq. Both articles are excellent. You'll need a few minutes to read the article in the Post, maybe 20-30 minutes to read the Esquire article.
War is tragedy, for all parties involved. Sometimes it's easy to get lost and numbed by the statistics. Every once in a while it's good for us to be reminded of the human costs.
I've mentioned before that I firmly believe the invasion of Iraq was a huge mistake perpetrated by President Bush and his administration, most of whom did not factor in the human toll into their warped calculations. But I also believe we need stand up some semblance of a functioning Iraqi state and government prior to bringing home the troops.
I hope the right person is elected president in November to make the best of the mess we are in, otherwise the loss of SGT Montgomery, and his comrades in arms, will truly be in vain.
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