On May 30, 2005, Richard Cheney, referring to the insurgency in Iraq, said, “The level of activity that we see today from a military standpoint, I think, will clearly decline.” In October of 2006, he said, “I would have expected that the political process we set in motion…would have resulted in a lower level of violence than we’re seeing today.” Cheney is Vice-President of the United States.
Michael Desch said, “There is an inherent tension between senior military leaders and their civilian overseers. Debates about using force, contrary to popular perception, tend to pit reluctant warriors against hawkish civilians.” Desch holds the Robert M. Gates Chair in Intelligence and National Security Decision-Making at Texas A&M’s George H. W. Bush School of Government and Public Service.
Andrew Bacevich said, “When my son was killed in Iraq… I found myself pondering my responsibility for his death. Among the hundreds of messages that my wife and I have received, two bore directly on this question. Both held me personally culpable, insisting that my public opposition to the war had provided aid and comfort to the enemy. Each said that my son’s death came as a direct result of my antiwar writings. This may seem a vile accusation to lay against a grieving father. But in fact, it has become a staple of American political discourse, repeated endlessly by those keen to allow President Bush a free hand in waging his war…. Although the First Amendment protects antiwar critics from being tried for treason, it provides no protection for the hardly less serious charge of failing to support the troops — today’s civic equivalent of dereliction of duty.” Bacevich is a retired Army officer who served in Viet Nam. He now teaches at Boston University.
Mark said, “‘Support the troops’ is a buzzword for ’support the war.’ The war is killing our troops. Please do not support my troop.” Mark is the father of a soldier now serving in Iraq.
George Bush, referring to the war in Iraq, said, “We’re going to expect heavy fighting in the weeks and months [ahead]. We can expect more American and Iraqi casualties. It could be a bloody — it could be a very difficult August.” Bush is President of the United States. He was speaking to reporters at a news conference.
