Today marks the five-year anniversary of official combat action in Iraq. Protests, speeches, and ceremonies honoring military personnel have been frequent across the country. The war remains one of the most divisive issues in the country today. That debate has been displayed front and center in the Senate over the past few years.
Here’s Minority Leader McConnell’s (R-KY) quote on the anniversary per today’s press release:
“Last week, congressional leaders from both parties stood together in the Capitol Rotunda to pay tribute to the service of our troops. Though we will continue to engage in a spirited debate on the future of our national security, we can do so in a manner which honors the brave men and women who have sacrificed so much for our country. We can rise above political fights and focus on continued security in the Middle East, instead of what will happen in November. And we can spend less time telling the troops their mission is unwinnable, and more time focused on providing them with the funding they need to succeed in their mission.”
“On this fifth anniversary of U.S. military service in Iraq, we must provide our armed forces everything they need so that they can return to their families in success.”
Additionally, here are some quotes made by Majority Leader Reid (D-NV) courtesy of Politico:
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) placed the blame for the ongoing conflict squarely on President Bush.
“America still has not heard from this administration – or from their Republican allies – a winning plan for achieving the political solution we need in Iraq and hastening the day when our troops can redeploy home, “he said.
“Instead, we hear reckless statements about staying in Iraq for 100 years,” added Reid in a not-so-subtle jab at presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain.
The Majority Leader’s latest press release was mainly filled with quotes from his speech given last week at a bipartisan Congressional ceremony honoring the troops.
No doubt after five years every American should take stock on the war in Iraq. At the very least realize it has been five years and let that sink in a little. We were in WW2 a little over three and a half years and beat both Germany and Japan. Of course this is not the same situation but, we’re still losing after all this time.
I feel it also important to remember the events that occurred at the beginning of the invasion. I made an eight minute documentary about the looting of the Iraqi National Museum. I had the good fortune of interviewing Dr. Donny George, the former director of the Museum, and learned a great deal about this tragic, historical, and still misunderstood event. Below is a link to the video. I hope it is insightful about one aspect of the this war that is still raging five years later.
-Stuart Draper
http://www.scribemedia.org/2008/02/07/looting-the-iraqi-national-museum/