Critic of war in Iraq sparks protest at Brunswick Community College

I think she is one of the few that sees this war for what it really is. As far as the comment about fighting the war there or here, if the US would stay home and mind their own bisiness and let all these other countries fight it out among themselves, we would be a lot better off and probably stay out of most all wars and conflicts.

While I am not giving my name to protect myself and family from unwarranted rebukes and personal attacks (I've learned that nasty lesson thank you), I will start by saying I hold the rank of Major with a special operations/counterintelligence US Army unit and have served my country for almost 20 years. I also hold advanced degrees in Political Science and History, specializing in international conflict and diplomacy. After spending the better part of the past several years fighting for this country in Iraq and Afghanistan, I can honestly say that fighting them there so we don't have to fight them here is a false argument. It was a lie when the Bush Administration said it 8 years ago and it's a lie now - still meant only to provide a strawman to scare people into supporting bad policies and giving up their liberties and constitutional responsibilities. We are engaged with such a broadly based and diverse enemy that fighting them in one or two theaters does nothing to limit their capacity for attacks anywhere in the world. They are not centralized or conventional by any means. Giving them our troops as targets in warzones of our creation does not make you or I any safer here. I would personally prefer to support my fellow troops and those previously under my command by engaging in sensible tactics and policies. You can support the troops AND voice dissent about what they are being commanded to do. The troops are intelligent and know that you can do both at the same time without it reflecting badly upon them. Morale is so low among some troops because our government has committed them to war without end and not equipped them to do the job they have been given. Cheerleading for the war, supporting chickenhawk politicians and putting magnets and stickers on your cars does nothing to help them. At this point, they are fighting for each other, not for any causes, ideals or for you. Protesting or voicing dissent does not change the fact that you support them - especially when you insist that their precious lives are not being wasted in a meatgrinder of bad strategies and policies. Our borders and ports are still mostly unprotected thanks to 8 years of misdirected policies and values. Even starting to do it right now, it would take monumental levels of effort and money to make them even close to being somewhat safe - and years to do it. It is true that we need to take out those who attacked us, but suggesting that we use overwhelming force through superior numbers shows that you have not paid attention to history or the type of warfare in which we are now entangled. Cowboy diplomacy and misguided foreign policy developed by incompetent neocon ideologues led us to where today. It will take time to undo what they did. Trust me, I'm not about to give in to terrorists after what I went through, shirk my sworn duties, or oppose just wars - but this is not conventional and cannot be treated as such (i.e. - do what Sherman did). Destroying what is there and harming the population indiscriminately in order to take out a very small, radical and often unpopular minority only turns sentiment against us and further endangers our soldiers on the ground - just as it did to everyone who has ever fought against these people, and just as it did in Vietnam. We cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of the past and it is my hope that thoughtful and pragmatic leadership will correct our course. I guess I'll find out when I arrive in country again in a few months.

Just for everyone's info. We did not go to War against Iraq but to liberate Iraq IE Operation Iraqi Freedom. So, the argument to decimate is not a real one as it was never our stated goal under Bush,Cheney Wolfowitz policy to destroy, conquer, and make a 51st occupied state. As a country, we have not "won" a war since the 1940's but we keep trying. I have the upmost respect for our soldiers in uniform and that respect affords me the constitutional granted liberty to dissent not against them but for them. Remember the Bill of Rights...we had it prior to 2000. For the price Miss Sheehan has paid, I offer she has the fair use authority of freedom of speech regardless of whether you agree with her or not. Again, name one war that the US has decisively "won" since wwII? Korean War Loss, Lebanon Loss, Cuba (Bay of Pigs) Loss, Laos Cambodia no go there, El Salvador quietly loss, We won the Grenada Invasion, Persian gulf 1 and 2 no go, Bosnia and Kosovo...remains to be seen, Somalia no really. The point is you can not win in the traditional decimation and destruction go go blow some crap up. Since the advent of Guerrilla warfare a lesser army strength is its tactics and that in pursuit of this army there will be damage to others. That damage teaches others to respond negatively to the invaders. IRA now part of the political process, ETA now part of the political process. You can not win accept by creating and affecting the positive change desired in the country. Jobs, work, education, hope (uhoh, I said hope). Cindy Sheehan, thank you for son's and your family's sacrifice. Say what you want. Godspeed

Forward deployment has been a basic tenet of our defense since 1945. It works. We don't want to be fighting the war here. The problem we seem to have is "fighting a war." We keep falling into the same idiotic counterinsurgency pit every few decades. We need a tenth Prnciple of War: Totality of Effort. You can't wage war on PART of a nation.