At least four more US soldiers and two more US sailors
have died in Iraq in the last 48 hours. For what?
The Emperor has no uniform...
Paul Rieckhoff, US army veteran of Operation Iraqi
Freedom: I don't expect an easy solution to the
situation in Iraq, I do expect an admission that there
are serious problems that need serious solutions.
I don't expect our leaders to be free of mistakes, I
expect our leaders to own up to them.
In Iraq, I was responsible for the lives of 38 other
Americans. We laughed together, we cried together, we
won together, and we fought together. And when we
failed, it was my job as their leader to take
responsibility for the decisions I made — no matter
what the outcome.
My question for President Bush — who led the planning of this war so long ago is this: When will you take responsibility for the decisions you've made in Iraq and realize that something is wrong with the way things are going?
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Transcript: Weekly Democratic Radio Address
Saturday, May 01, 2004
The following is a transcript of this week's
Democratic radio address, delivered by Paul Rieckhoff:
Good morning. My name is Paul Rieckhoff. I am
addressing you this morning as a US citizen and
veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. I served with the
US Army in Iraq for 10 months, concluding in February,
2004.
I'm giving this address because I have an agenda, and
my agenda is this: I want my fellow soldiers to come
home safely, and I want a better future for the people
of Iraq. I also want people to know the truth.
War is never easy. But I went to Iraq because I made a
commitment to my country. When I volunteered for duty,
I knew I would end up in Baghdad. I knew that's where
the action would be, and I was ready for it.
But when we got to Baghdad, we soon found out that the
people who planned this war were not ready for us.
There were not enough vehicles, not enough ammunition,
not enough medical supplies, not enough water. Many
days, we patrolled the streets of Baghdad in 120
degree heat with only one bottle of water per soldier.
There was not enough body armor, leaving my men to
dodge bullets with Vietnam-era flak vests. We had to
write home and ask for batteries to be included in our
care packages. Our soldiers deserved better.
When Baghdad fell, we soon found out that the people
who planned this war were not ready for that day
either. Adamiyah, the area in Baghdad we had been
assigned to, was certainly not stable. The Iraqi
people continued to suffer. And we dealt with
shootings, killings, kidnappings, and robberies for
most of the spring.
We waited for troops to fill the city and military
police to line the streets. We waited for foreign aid
to start streaming in by the truckload. We waited for
interpreters to show up and supply lines to get fixed.
We waited for more water. We waited and we waited and
the attacks on my men continued…and increased.
With too little support and too little planning, Iraq
had become our problem to fix. We had
nineteen-year-old kids from the heartland interpreting
foreign policy, in Arabic. This is not what we were
designed to do. Infantrymen are designed to close with
and kill the enemy.
But as infantrymen, and also as Americans, we made do,
and we did the job we were sent there for — and much
more.
One year ago today, our President had declared that
major combat operations in Iraq were over. We heard of
a "Mission Accomplished" banner, and we heard him say
that "Americans, following a battle, want nothing more
than to return home."
Well, we were told that we would return home by July
4th. Parades were waiting for us. Summer was waiting
for us. I wrote my brother in New York and told him to
get tickets for the Yankees-Red Sox series in the
Bronx. Baseball was waiting for us. Our families were
waiting for us.
But three days before we were supposed to leave, we
were told that our stay in Iraq would be extended,
indefinitely. The violence intensified, the danger
persisted, and the instability grew. And despite what
George Bush said, our mission was not accomplished.
Our platoon had been away from their families for
seven months. Two babies had been born. Three wives
had filed for divorce and a fiancée sent a ring back
to a kid in Baghdad. 39 men missed their homes. And
they wouldn't see their homes for another eight
months.
But we pulled together — we took care of each other
and we continued our mission. The mission kept us
going. The mission was to secure Iraq and help the
Iraqi people. We saw first-hand the terrible suffering
that they had endured. We protected a hospital and
kept a school safe from sniper fire. We saw hope in
the faces of Iraqi children who may have the chance to
grow up as free as our own.
And still, we waited for help. And still, the people
who planned this war watched Iraq fall into chaos and
refused to change course.
Some men with me were wounded. One of my squad leaders
lost both legs in combat. But our platoon was lucky —
all 39 of us came home alive.
Too many of our friends and fellow soldiers did not
share that same fate. Since President Bush declared
major combat operations over, more than 590 American
soldiers have been killed. Over 590 men and women who
were waiting for parades. Who were waiting for summer.
Who were waiting for help.
Since I've returned, there are two images that
continue to replay themselves in my mind. One is the
scrolling list of American casualties shown daily on
the news — a list reminding me that this April has
become the bloodiest month of combat so far, with more
than 130 soldiers killed.
The other image is of President Bush at his press
conference 2 weeks ago. After all the waiting, after
all the mistakes we had experienced first hand over in
Iraq, after another year of a policy that was not
making the situation any better for our friends who
are still there, he told us we were staying the
course. He told us we were making progress. And he
told us that, "We're carrying out a decision that has
already been made and will not change."
Our troops are still waiting for more body armor. They
are still waiting for better equipment. They are still
waiting for a policy that brings in the rest of the
world and relieves their burden. Our troops are still
waiting for help.
I am not angry with our President, but I am
disappointed.
I don't expect an easy solution to the situation in
Iraq, I do expect an admission that there are serious
problems that need serious solutions.
I don't expect our leaders to be free of mistakes, I
expect our leaders to own up to them.
In Iraq, I was responsible for the lives of 38 other
Americans. We laughed together, we cried together, we
won together, and we fought together. And when we
failed, it was my job as their leader to take
responsibility for the decisions I made — no matter
what the outcome.
My question for President Bush — who led the planning
of this war so long ago — is this: When will you take
responsibility for the decisions you've made in Iraq
and realize that something is wrong with the way
things are going?
Mr. President, our mission is not accomplished.
Our troops can accomplish it. We can build a stable
Iraq, but we need some help. The soldiers I served
with are men and women of extraordinary courage and
incredible capability. But it's time we had leadership
in Washington to match that courage and match that
capability.
I worry for the future of Iraq and for my Iraqi
friends. I worry for my fellow soldiers still fighting
this battle. I worry for their families, and I worry
for those families who will not be able to share
another summer or another baseball game with the loved
ones they've lost. And I pledge that I will do
everything I can to make sure they have not died in
vain and that the truth is heard.
Thank you for listening.
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