December 2005 Archives

ABC has an article about the Army and a Republican Senator doing something good in Iraq. Image that.

Aloha

NBC's coming show, The Book of Daniel, ought to generate some interesting conversation. Conservative Christian groups are already up in arms about it.

Aloha

Today I went and made a memory. A friend of mine is beginning some remodel on his house. Pursuant to that, he is ripping out the interior walls of his bedroom. I remember how fun it was helping my Grandfather tear the old shingles off his house. So I arranged for my son and I to go help my friend today. Today's task was to remove the interior drywall from the bedroom walls. To my son, that basically meant bashing huge holes in the wall and not getting yelled at for it. He thought that was cool.

Throughout the day I remembered times in my life helping with various projects. Helping my grandfather pull the shingles off his house. Helping my dad clean the garage. That was a fairly perpetual task. I think it still is at his house though I'm not there to help very much anymore. Seems like I spent a lot of my childhood helping my grandfather with something. Twice my grandfather took me to Minnesota on vacation. Both times we spent quite a bit of that time working on various projects for the many great uncles and great aunts that lived out there. In the course of my childhood, working with the various adults in my life, I learned a lot of valuable skills.

In the course of conversation today my friend and I were talking about our dream houses. He was advocating the new cement siding. Very low maintenance, no painting, etc. Someday I'd like to design and build my own house. And I want to use traditional materials. Hardwood floors, real wood lap siding, I'd even like to have lath and plaster interior walls if I can find a craftsman who still knows how to do it. Yes, this home will require maintenance. The exterior walls will need painting, the hardwood floors will need the occasional sanding and refinishing. My hope is that I will be able to use these task to spend time with friends and family. I'd like to teach a grandchild how to paint. I'd like to have my daughter help us make curtains and drapes. I hope my son and I can build a deck. Working with each other in the course of helping each other deepens the relationship and the commitment to one another. Over the course of time the house, the structure, becomes a home. There are memories in the walls, the floors and the decks of the house itself.

I'd like to build a house like that some day.

Aloha

I love the holiday season. I love Christmas. The birth of Christ is significant to me which is the starting point for the day. However, Christmas is also a part of American heritage. I love both aspects of the holiday. Last night we went to church for the Christmas eve service. Lots of singing and what not. A message on the coming of Christ and what lessons we might learn from it. Then we went to a friends house, had soup and pie and enjoyed friendship. This morning we opened presents, had a huge turkey dinner and basically had a quite day at home.

Open of the highlights of the day. My wife gave me a box of Triscuits and can of spray-on cheese. I wouldn't open the Triscuits because I wasn't hungry for Triscuits. My daughter was relentless in her demand to eat some of my Triscuits. I didn't get it. Finally I relented and offered to let her have some. I handed her the box but she didn't want to open it. I still didn't get it. So I opened the box, fully expecting to find Triscuits inside. Nope. New DVD. Nice!

I hope Christmas was good at your house. If you don't celebrate Christmas I hope you celebrate something and in the course of it I hope you enjoy family and/or friends. Relationships is really what life is about. Sharing life with others. Sharing the joy of life.

Aloha

Mr. Howard's comments on Christmas (related news articles) and its place in Australia are a refreshing breath of fresh air in a politically correct world. It is interesting to note that his opposition managed to find a way, convoluted as it was, to make politic hay.

I think Mr. Howard makes an outstanding point. Denying one's own cultural heritage does not make that person more tolerant. Tolerance is permitting or accepting that other people believe differently. Hiding one's Christian beliefs does not make them more tolerant. It appeases the intolerance of others thereby condoning intolerance within society.

Aloha

My father forwarded my letter to his Representative, Ed Case. Here is his reply:

December 15, 2005
Dr. Gordon Smith

Dear Doc:

Thank you so much for the copy of the amazing and moving letter by your son, Mark. He captured so perfectly the sentiments of our American servicemembers that I personally heard and felt in my three trips now to Iraq and Afghanistan. He also expressed the sentiments of so many Americans on the most unfortunate politicization of our efforts there in the ongoing debate in Washington, D.C. Please convey to him my sincere thanks not only for his own service but for giving such a clear voice to hundreds of thousands of our in-theatre veterans as well as millions of Americans, myself included.

With aloha,

ED CASE
United States Congressman
Hawaii, Second District

Dear Mr. Smith:

Thank you for writing me about the reconstruction of Iraq. I appreciate the time you took to write.

The Senate vote on the resolution to authorize the use of force in Iraq was difficult and consequential based on hours of intelligence briefings from Administration and intelligence officials, as well as the classified and unclassified versions of an important National Intelligence Estimate that comprehensively assessed Iraqi's WMD program. It was based on trust that this intelligence was the best our Nation's intelligence services could offer, untainted by bias, and fairly presented. In this case it was not.

The bottom line is that Iraq did not possess nuclear, chemical or biological weapons in 2003 when the war began. Saddam Hussein did not have an active nuclear, chemical or biological weapons program. Considering the statements that were being made by the Administration, and the intelligence that was
presented to Congress which said otherwise, this points once again to major failures in the analysis, collection and use of intelligence.

On top of these intelligence failures, the Administration's war planning was shortsighted and ill conceived. By failing to provide adequate troop levels to secure Iraq and its borders and ignoring requests from General Shinseki and others to increase troop levels, the Administration placed the entire mission in Iraq in jeopardy.

While the situation in Iraq causes all of us deep and growing concern, I recognize that setting a specific date for withdrawal of all American troops, without completing this mission, carries with it the particular hazard that Iraq would deteriorate into chaos, civil war, and a terrorist state would evolve thereby destabilizing the Middle East. Terrorists would be re-invigorated by America turning tail and running, and would increase their efforts to attack westerners and in particular, Americans.

However, I do believe with the election of permanent Iraqi leadership coming on December 15, 2005, there will be an opportunity to assess the stability and the results of American training of Iraqi police and military. It may well be that there will be a better opportunity to then begin a withdrawal.

To further this effort, on October 6, 2005, I joined a group of thirty-eight Democratic senators and one Independent to urge President Bush to provide the American people with a clear strategy for success in Iraq. Citing the aforementioned concerns about escalating sectarian violence, the risk of an outbreak of outright civil war, and conflicting reports on the status of actual progress in training Iraqi forces, we urged the Administration to immediately provide a strategy for success in Iraq.

Specifically, the letter posed four critical questions about
the Administration's Iraq policy:

* How many Iraqi forces are needed to secure the country without U.S. assistance before U.S. forces
can be withdrawn;
* What measures are planned to take place before and after the October 15th constitutional referendum to forge the necessary political consensus in Iraq and reconcile the growing sectarian and religious differences;
* What efforts are being undertaken to attain broader international support; and
* How should the American people assess the progress in reconstructing Iraq? What are the
tangible results of the billions of dollars Americans have provided for Iraq's reconstruction?

I believe the Administration must provide the answers to these basic and fundamental questions about U.S. strategy in Iraq because the American people and our men and women in uniform deserve to hear this vital information. I have attached a copy of my most recent op-ed on Iraq so that you may better understand my views of the current situation there.

Know that I will continue to carefully monitor events in the Middle East, and do my best to ensure that U.S. policy is developed in a manner that allows our men and women to come home as soon as possible. As you know, the Executive branch and both houses are all controlled by Republicans, so they bear a larger responsibility in ensuring a successful outcome in Iraq.

Again, thank you for writing. If you have any further comments, please contact my office in Washington, D.C. at (202) 224-3841, or visit my website at http://feinstein.senate.gov/. Best
regards.

Greetings Senator,

I am an American serviceman. On December 5, 2003 when my country called me to serve in Operation Iraqi Freedom, I packed my gear, kissed my wife and kids, and marched off to war. I put a successful career at Apple Computer on hold. My wife stepped up to the commitment we had made and was mother and father to my children for the nine months that I was on active duty. For six of those months I lived in Kuwait and off the shores of Iraq. When I am called again, as I surely will be, I will pack my gear, kiss my wife and family and march into harm's way.

Those in Congress knew, or should have known, when they voted to invade Iraq that it would be a fairly long term endeavor. I am only a Navy NCO yet I could see that what we were starting would take at least 5 and maybe 10 years to complete. Regardless, we have started this thing in Iraq. Regardless of what mistakes were made getting us into the situation we now find ourselves, the situation and the future of the Iraqi people is now the responsibility of the United States.

Congress needs to set the tone of how the United States will address its commitments. In spring of 2003 when the Coalition led by the United States invaded Iraq we entered into a contract with the Iraqi people. Our end of that contract is that we will help them build a democracy. That job is not done. Pure and simple. The job in Iraq is not done. American forces in Iraq are there to provide security while Iraq builds first a government and then the necessary infrastructure to handle its own defence from both internal and external foes. That is our job. When Iraqi forces are ready to tell us, "you stand relieved, we have the watch," then, and only then, will it be time for Coalition forces to depart Iraq. And at that point, Coalition forces need to leave Iraq as expeditiously as possible.

Military leaders on the ground in Iraq tell us that setting a timetable for withdrawal of troops is a recipe for disaster. We are playing squarely into the strategy of the insurgents. Insurgents in Iraq and al Qaida regularly tell the world that Americans are soft and do not have the stomach to finish this effort. We, the American service personnel, are not soft. We have the strength and the will to finish what we started. The Iraqi people are, at this point, depending on us to finish what we started. I am doing my job. I ask Congress to do theirs.

Stop using American serviceman to make political hay. Congress needs to stand up and tell the world the America is united in our determination to finish what we have started. That does not mean that Congress has to agree with how we got into to this. But it is critically important that Congress present a united stance on the fact that we will finish it. Congress needs to stand united in telling the new Iraqi government, we support you. Let the Iraqi government sort out what is right for Iraq, without undue influence from any part of the American or any other government. Congress should make the commitment to Iraq that US forces will be there to provide a secure environment for as long as it takes them to build a democracy and the forces to defend it.

American forces, we're doing our job. Would Congress please quit playing politics and do theirs.

Respectfully,

Iraq voted in its first paraliment since the 2003 invasion. The turn out was greater than in most western nations.

There will be much naysaying and negativity from around America about this. I have to confess I'm at a loss to know what exactly they will find negative to say but I am convinced that no one will concede the administration credit that things are going pretty much according to the plan they have repeated over and over. The correct course of action is to now take our cue from the duly elected Iraqi government. When that government tells us and the United Nations that they no longer require Coalition forces to provide security, it will be time for all of those forces to leave.

I think what has happened in Iraq is a good thing. As I read about the elections and Iraqi reaction, I remember the day that sovereignty was turned over to the Iraqi Interim government. The Iraqis on the oil platform where I was stationed threw a party that lasted all night. They brought us cake, fruit and other foods, asking us to join in their celebration. They thanked us. One Iraqi to one American service member, in broken English, they thanked us. They were happy.

Congratulations Iraq. Congratulations.

Aloha