Governor Calls For Iraq Withdrawal Gets Standing Ovation From National Guard Troops
Via CBS News:
A call by Puerto Rico's governor for a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq earned a standing ovation from a conference of more than 4,000 National Guardsmen.
Gov. Anibal Acevedo Vila said Saturday that the U.S. administration has "no new strategy and no signs of success" and that prolonging the war would needlessly put guardsmen in harm's way.
"The war in Iraq has fractured the political will of the United States and the world," he said at the opening of the 129th National Guard Association general conference. "Clearly, a new war strategy is required and urgently."
Acevedo said sending more troops to Iraq would be a costly blunder.
"By increasing the number of National Guard and reserve troops, we put our soldiers in danger for the umpteenth time since the beginning of the global war on terrorism," said the governor, adding U.S. territories and states need Guard reserves in the event of natural disasters and domestic disturbances.
Acevedo, a Democrat, has called on Washington to withdraw troops from Iraq in the past, but has not been a vocal critic of the war.
Col. David Carrion Baralt, the Guard's top official in the U.S. Caribbean territory, said Acevedo received a standing ovation. Read more...
The Governor and those National Guardsman better prepare themselves for reich wing chickenhawk swiftboating.
Some pretty pictures from Sonoma County:
http://freewayblogger.blogspot.com/2007/08/sonomamendelssohn-violin-conc...
Y'know, if the people who wanted this war to end got ahold of some overhead projecters and used them, the war would be over.
Kudos to speaking out, Governor - now watch your back. The neocons don't like this sort of thing.
There will be no withdrawal unless the people start making some serious noise (like we did over Vietnam). The politicos will not act on their own, right or left.
Kudos to speaking out, Governor. Now become the 51st state, already. Enough of this colony status, or else you are the same as Iraq.
It was a standing ovulation.
The big O if you will.
This war was immoral, unconstitutional and financially ruinous from the day it started. The governor is right - the time to withdraw is now. More and more killing isn't suddenly going to make this awful war a morally just one.....
We don't need to wait till the next election, or next spring, or next time. the time to end this insanity is now. Today - not tomorrow....
That's my rant. Read on if you'd like:
"Top-Ten Reasons to Get out of Iraq Now"
http://www.populistamerica.com/top_ten_reasons_to_get_out_of_iraq_now
The draft is coming. Rich kids need not be concerned.
The United States National Guard, Soldiers, Veterans and The American People Know the Truth.
The FACTS.
http://www.ivaw.org/faq
UNITED WE STAND: Against George W. Bush, Richard B. Cheney and other civil officers who have committed Treason, Bribery, and other High Crimes and Misdemeanors against the United States of America, our institutions and our people.
I hope that sort of bravery is contagious
Why does Puerto Rico hate America?
I hope it spreads....I am sending this to my governor right now...while he is trying to figure out where our manpower is to clean up the floods...thank you for telling us about this....Standing O....awesome..
OT
Has anything come of this? NBC's Today show ran a story about presidential candiates and their young children this morning and used Fred Thompson as an example, as though he has already declared. The press is treating him like a candidate, although he has not "formally" declared. Why is this acceptable??
War is immoral. But when ou live it personal...
I'm french but my brother-in-law was a sailor on the USS R. Reagan, a weapons specialist. I've just learned he had to be sent in a drug rehab. center. Why ? He has been traumatised to have prepared, in one specific occasion, the bombs that have been used on a close air support mission in Faluja, when an entire block of the city have been leveled, killing dozens of civilians to eliminate some insurgent, more than three years ago.
I can't imagine what the troops on the ground are being going through if a guy like him has seen is life destroyed by the war.
And then Laura B. comme to say to us that her husbad "suffers" !
I'm beyond anger now.
Being cooked alive in you skin is clearly nothing like the suffering the Bush family endures.
The neocons are telling a tale of grunts who say "Golly, Sarge. Are they gonna make us quit before finishing our mission? Gee whiz." Starting with Ronald Reagan, all the Repubicans ever give us is fake, 40s-era Hollywood junk.
The Truth Hurts @ 11:
Why do those National Guardsman hate America?
Ruthless People @ 17:
They say the terrorists hate the US "because of our freedom". Makes me think that current administration's policy of destroying the american freedom and lifestyle make perfect sense, since "they" will stop hating the US when there will be no more freedom.
The following was posted in a comment by "randomchars" on the CBSNews.com page at 11:48am on Aug 27, 2007:
I'm not saying the story is false, I'm not saying "randomchars" is lying. This is nothing more than a heads-up that there is apparently some disagreement about the story in general.
which nation
are the supposed to
be guarding anyway
heh...
they...
Nothing worse than some pissed-off Puerto Ricans.
Bless them all.
I agree with those National Guardsmen. They know Iraq is a lost cause. Besides, from what I gather from many strategic websites, the only "course" if you will, available to the Bush Administration is that of an indefinite blocking force to keep Iran at bay from making any other gains in Iraq. In other words, they are saying that all U.S. ground forces will be committed to this screw up for the foreseeable future. Only a token force will be available to respond and it will be limited at that if any other crisis arises.
Is it time for the U.S. troops to leave Iraq? a) Yes, immediately b) Yes, by end of 2007 c) no, job not done
Vote at http://www.pollicious.com
Ruthless People @ 17:
Beat me to it.
Yes, why do our troops hate our troops?
Slaw @ 23:
All of you except Slaw are idiots. Puerto Rico is part of the US. So like Slaw said, our troops hate our troops.
[Deleted. Geno in Ptown, they're all saying the same thing. It's a running joke, and is not a racist or bigoted one-Sitemonitor]
Congressman Paul would end the war immediately and close down bases in the Middle East and around the world. The Dems say they'll end the war but would leave the bases in the Middle East. Hillary has been quoted saying such. We should have a humble and non-interventionalist foreign policy as the Founders wanted. (Google George Washington's farewell address.)
pissed off patricia @ 10:
now that it has happened, expect the media to surround it in total silence.
A quick joke from a Nixon satire album by David Frye in the early 1970s. Nixon is questioned about why we are in Vietnam. Nixon's (Frye's) response is the following:
"We are in Vietnam protecting the right of the South Vietnamese people to choose their own destiny... if not in this life, then in the next!"
Substitute Iraq for Vietnam and the barb still works.
A few things, the Governor is no Democrat, he is affiliated to a local party that gives money to the Democrats (why would he do that when Dems and republicans have screwed us equally over 100 years is beyond me), but since there is no Democratic or Republican party in the local ballot boxes, he can't be a democrat. Second, most in the island is against the war (they see it for what it is, another American Imperial project, it takes one to know one). So this was more for local consumption, I am sure he did not expect his remarks to make a dent in the American media (rarely anything that happens here makes a dent in the American media, unless it Ricky "I sold my soul to the Devil" Martin shaking is whoring ass).
Their where union organized anti-war protest outside this meeting. My guess is that he said what he said to deflect from his poor policies at home and to dampen internal dissent, since anti-war ultimately leads to anti-American (U.S. government that is) feeling as Puerto Ricans are reminded of the high price they pay as the U.S. Imperial dependent rag doll.
Dhalgren @ 5:
No thank you. I am always surprised that so called liberal always answer this way, as if becoming a state of the Union would magically solve all our problems. It is arrogance born out of ignorance that leads to such statements. And we are already an Iraq, we beat the Iraqis to the not so coveted price of Imperial appendage by 100+years. If any politician in the U.S. where serious about freedom and democracy, they would declare the Monroe Doctrine dead and Puerto Rico free.
Rafael @ 31:
Free Puerto Rico!
Free Palestine!
Free Iraq!
Etc.
Well, with the Gov of P.R. on our side nothing can stop us- unless it requires some sort of vote.
We can't call it a withdrawal because the neo-cons with a chip on their shoulder whine about appearing "weak." Let's call it a "strategic redeployment" for them.
reyvn @ 32:
Free Poontang!
I was born and raised in Puerto Rico, and still live in Puerto Rico, and while the governor is a democrat, it is a common sentiment among people here that the Iraq war is based on easily demonstrable lies, that Bush is a power-hungry idiot, and that National Guardsman are being sent straight to Iraq.
Several National Guardsman members have been killed in Iraq and that has not gone over well. The bad thing is we can't vote on presidential elections (Bush would have never even come close to winning if PR were a state) so D.C. politicians don't have to listen to us. Heck, they don't listen to YOU, ya think they're gonna listen to some Puerto Ricans?
Also, though I'm not sure, Acevedo is a former National Guard member... either way, it's no big surprise here that anyone saying the Iraq war is a mistake should get an applause. Remember that we are not dumbed down all the time by Fox News so we can actually curse Bush out in both English and Spanish.
Sorry people. This never happened... I was there and there was no standing ovation, or applause of any kind for the anti-war comments. Regular media is starting to pick up on this btw.
This is kind of disappointing because AP is usually a reputable source. But 3+ days after they were told about their error, still not correction. Btw, the whole thing was video taped and a copy was provided to AP after their story appeared. (In case anyone's wondering, I'm not the person quoted in the story, but I was in the audience during the speech).
Sorry messed up the link option. Below is the link to the article disputing the "standing ovation" story.
Report of ovation at Guard conference disputed
By Bryant Jordan - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Aug 29, 2007 12:04:21 EDT
Army and Air National Guardsmen attending the National Guard Association’s conference in Puerto Rico last week did not break into applause or give a standing ovation Aug. 25 when the governor called for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq, an official for the 45,000-member organization said this morning.
“Categorically not true,” said John Goheen, spokesman for the Washington, D.C.-based group. “To put a standing ovation to the governor’s ... comments are beyond a reach.”
That nearly 4,000 guard members offered up a standing ovation after Gov. Anibal Acevedo Vila called for a withdrawal from Iraq has been widely reported, including by Associated Press.
Goheen said he has been in contact with AP, provided it a recording of the governor’s speech, and expects it will issue a correction. In New York, an AP spokeswoman confirmed the news service is looking into the matter.
Goheen said Acevedo’s speech touched on Iraq, but it also addressed a number of other issues, and it was only when the speech was over that those in attendance gave him the ovation. “To say ... that standing and applauding upon his [departure] was in any way an endorsement of the specifics of his views on Iraq is simply beyond a reach,” Goheen said.
Only once during his speech did attendees interrupt with applause, said Goheen, and that was when Acevedo — echoing the view of all U.S. governors — called for repealing a Bush administration addition to the insurrection act that makes it easier for the president to federalize state guardsmen.
Acevedo, who is a Democrat, said the Bush administration has no new strategy or signs of success in Iraq and that increasing the number of Army and Air Guardsmen and reservists in the war places “our soldiers in danger for the umpteenth time since the beginning of the global war on terrorism.”
The National Guard Association, which was in Puerto Rico for its 129th general conference, is a nonpartisan group representing about 45,000 current and former Air and Army National Guard officers.
AP issues a clarification:
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