Letters = from Soldiers in Iraq

From: know buddee (know_buddee_at_hotmail.com)
Date: 10/07/04 

Date: 7 Oct 2004 08:17:24 -0700

...My name is Tony P____, and I am a National Guardsman who has been
stationed in Kuwait and Iraq for the past 15 months. Along with so
many other guard and reserve units, my unit was put on convoy escorts.
We were on gun trucks running from the bottom of Iraq to about two
hours above Baghdad.

The Iraqi resistance was insanity. I spent many nights lying awake
after mortar rounds had just struck areas nearby, some coming close
enough to throw rocks against my tent. I've seen roadside bombs go off
all over, Iraqis trying to ram the side of our vehicle. Small children
giving us the finger and throwing rocks at the soldiers in the
turrets. We were once lost in Baghdad and received nothing but dirty
looks and angry gestures for hours.

I have personally been afraid for my life more days than I can count.
We lost our first man only a few weeks before our tour was over, but
it seems that all is for nothing because all we see is hostility and
anger over our being there. They are angry over the abuse scandal and
the collateral damages that are always occurring.

xxxxxxxxxxx

I am an LCPL in the US Marine Corps and veteran of Operation Iraqi
Freedom. Mr Moore, please keep pounding away at Bush. I'm not some
*** when it comes to war. However, the position we were put in -
fighting an enemy that used women, children, and other civilians as
shields; forcing us to choose between firing at "area targets" (nice
way of saying firing into crowds) or being killed by the bastards
using the crowds for cover - is indescribably horrible.

I saw more than a few dead children littering the streets in
Nasiriyah, along with countless other civilians. And through all this,
I held on to the belief that it had to be for some greater good.

Months have passed since I've been back home and the unfortunate
conclusion I've come to is that Bush is a lying, manipulative
motherfucker who cares nothing for the lives of those of us who serve
in uniform. Hell, other than playing dress-up on aircraft carriers,
what would he know about serving this nation in uniform?

His silence and refusal to speak under oath to the 9/11 Commission
further mocks our country. The Patriot Act violates every principle we
fight and die for. And all of this has been during his first term. Can
you imagine his policies when he doesn't have to worry about
re-election? We can't allow that to happen, and there are so many like
me in the military who feel this way. We were lied to and used. And
there aren't words to describe the sense of betrayal I feel as a
result.

============================

above is an excerpt of the following:

Published on Tuesday, October 5, 2004 by the Guardian/UK
Dear Dad, Iraq Sucks
by Michael Moore
  
Civilian contractors are fleecing taxpayers; US troops don't have
proper equipment; and supposedly liberated Iraqis hate them. After the
release of Fahrenheit 9/11, Michael Moore received a flood of letters
and emails from disillusioned and angry American soldiers serving in
Iraq. Here, in an exclusive extract from his new book, we print a
selection:

http://www.commondreams.org/views04/1005-22.htm

Several more letters from soldiers are there

SUPPORT THE TROOPS
QUIT MAKING THEM KILL INNOCENT CIVILIANS
DROP BUSH NOT BOMBS

<><><><><><><>

> ================
>
> pretty good sources for daily news (far better than the billionaire
> controlled
> propaganda machines (their tv and radio stations):
>
> http://www.commondreams.org
> http://www.empirenotes.org/
> http://www.democracynow.org
>
> ===============================================
>
> A vote for Bush (or Nader) is a vote for global misery.
> Support Bush (or Nader) and you'll be asking for
> global nuclear devastation.
>
> http://www.johnkerry.com
>
> Support the good guy, before it's too late! This may be our last
> chance.