Every time I hear another roadside bomb, IED, or EFP has indiscriminately taken the lives of several of our finest men and women, my gut wrenches....
 

..... Every time I hear another roadside bomb, IED, or EFP has indiscriminately taken the lives of several of our finest men and women, my gut wrenches....Why don’t we bomb them out of existence?  So they can no longer attack peaceful people at will?... Why is it that none of the presidential candidates and no one in congress is calling for more aerial bombing attacks on enemy concentrations and more aerial bombing attacks on known IED and EFP factories – ...

We all here about the various parts of “ Sadr City” that are called hotbeds of terrorism.  We here about the “Mhadie  Army” being led by “Mucktada al Sdar”, a strong Anti-American terrorist hiding out in parts of Sdar City, a dingy neighborhood of Baghdad.  We hear about Al Queada strongholds in Bakuba. (please forgive any spelling errors of Iraqi words)

Why don’t we bomb them out of existence?  So they can no longer attack peaceful people at will? 

If it’s our war, then we need to fight it on our terms, not on the enemy’s.  We should not go door to door and hand to hand with these losers.  We need to bomb them out of existence, and, then, carefully, inspect the rubble! 

Then, we hear about American troops going door to door in these forlorn areas, having to abide by idiotic “rules of engagement”, and being tried as criminals at home if they should shoot an enemy combatant that they couldn’t prove was actively engaging them (gun in hand, shooting in their direction at the moment), or she was a woman. 

We hear about HumVees, Bradley Fighting Machines, Stryker vehicles, M1 Abrams Tanks being blown up by IEDs, EFPs and other roadside bombs, killing all inside while on patrol to keep the peace!  The enemy won’t even honestly engage us openly on a field of combat!

Why is it that none of the presidential candidates and no one in congress is calling for more aerial bombing attacks on enemy concentrations and more aerial bombing attacks on known IED and EFP factories – even if they are in Iran!  Even if they are buildings designated by the enemy, and recognized by tourists as “Mosques” 

Most “Mosques” in enemy territory are not solely “places of worship”.  They are being used as ammo dumps, Terrorist recruitment centers and command posts, as in Fallugah.  These would, in any other, non politically correct war, -- and, by the way, have you ever seen a war won by politically correct methods!? – NOT be protected sites. 

Now two prominent Republicans have joined the anti-war movement and demanded our troops be sent home. 

I never was for starting a war in Iraq , but, now that we are there, I believe the people of the United States are owed a good fight instead of the licking our troops are forced to take at the hands of their non-committal commander in chief. 

If the people saw we were licking the enemy; prosecuting the horrible business of war like the single World Super Power could; demanding absolute victory and unconditional surrender of Al Queada, Hezbolla, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and other terrorist groups in the region; fighting like only Americans can when they’re allowed to, then they’d be praising our Glorious leaders and the victories they have won!, instead of begging that we “cut-and-run”.

The world would be a much more friendly and secure place for Americans and we could go overseas with our heads held high and the confidence that once exuded when someone introduced himself as, “I’m an American”, and not having to further define that as North, South, Mezo, Latin, etc.

I want to see our troops come home victorious, not victimized.

One year during the Viet Nam war, I heard a General on a late night talk show tell the talk show host when asked if we could be out of Viet Nam by Christmas (of that year) (it was about July or August).  The general answered that we could pave and parking stripe all of Viet Nam by Christmas if we wanted to.  I never heard another word about it, and, when we did live it was in ignominy on a helicopter from a roof top. 

We have since been known by our enemies to be only a “paper tiger” with no claws and no will to win.

That vision of demeaning defeat must be turned around if The United States of America ever hopes to be victorious in the “War on Terror” and take our rightful place as Leader of the World. 

It’ll take more bombs, Mr. Commander in Chief, not more troops being blown up by IEDs and EFPs. 

Bill Ascherfeld served with the Third Armored Division in Germany during the cold war and was a Combat Ready BAR team leader, ready to fight Russia in the Hungarian freedom uprising of 1956.  His E-mail address is This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it      

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