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thedrifter
11-29-03, 06:52 AM
Anti-war groups arrange Baghdad trip for families of servicemembers


By Sandra Jontz, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Saturday, November 29, 2003


ARLINGTON, Va. — A 10-member delegation, made up mostly of U.S. military families, leaves the United States on Saturday for a eight-day tour of Baghdad organized by two antiwar groups to see first-hand what their loved ones face daily.

Their mission is to arm themselves with first-hand knowledge in hopes of enacting change when they come home, said Medea Benjamin, founding director of Global Exchange, an international human rights organization.

“God bless the troops, but bring them home,” Benjamin said. “The delegation is behind their loved ones, but we feel the best thing we can do is get them out of Iraq as quickly as possible.”

Benjamin has been to Iraq three times in the past six months, and made a similar trip Afghanistan with relatives of those killed in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

This is the first time she is bringing families of servicemembers.

“We’ve talked to troops on the ground who are confused about why they’re there, who feel it’s not the right role for the U.S. … and the occupation has turned into something of a potential for a real quagmire,” Benjamin said.

The group hopes to meet with chief U.S. administrator L. Paul Bremer and Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, the top military commander, and with Iraqi governing council members, other human rights organizations, women’s organizations, and to visit hospitals and schools.

The delegation needs no U.S. military permission to travel into Iraq, though officials have recommended against it.

“We don’t recommend that any private group of individuals, no matter how well-intentioned, travels into Iraq until the country is more stable and secure,” said Central Command spokesman Marine Maj. Pete Mitchell.

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=18966


Sempers,

Roger
:marine:

TracGunny
11-29-03, 08:50 AM
I would imagine that the death of a civilian family member will do wonders for the anti-war propaganda machine. I wonder if the ones going know that they are being used...

bobpage
11-29-03, 01:10 PM
What the.....? Since when did we start the Jane Fonda stuff in Iraq? This is silly, and State should never have approved it's travel visa!!!!!!!

RichLundeen
11-29-03, 01:18 PM
Wow. Imagine being one of troops, hearing mambers of your FAMILY are coming! I can't imagine anyone saying 'oh goody, I could use a nice visit from Mom', or whoever.

And the family memebers, what color is the sun on their planet? I mean, do they think they're bring clean undies to a releative away at summer camp, or what?

Unreal.

If they get their arse shot off, well, TracGunny hit it right on the head.

firstsgtmike
11-29-03, 02:56 PM
If they receive ANY U.S. government or military support,

I will demand the same support for MY family members when I take them on vacation to Hong Kong.

Oops, change that. Not "vacation".

We will be going to protest the messages they hide in their cookies. My family and I don't believe in fortune-tellers.

Since a chinese dinner is not complete without tea and cookies, I protest the insiduous way they force their messages on us.

Like other protestors who go overseas as representative of the American people, I will expect to be greeted upon our arrival by a member of the American Embassy and to be provided an armed escourt to protect us during our stay.

RichLundeen
11-29-03, 03:34 PM
Sounds like a resonable 'field trip', 1st Sgt! Thanks for the heads up on the 'evil cookies'. We should do our part to reveal to the world what is lurking at the end of every meal, count me in!
And the armed escort, well, never had one of those, unless you count going to jail......................

thedrifter
11-30-03, 12:08 PM
Relatives of service members start out on Iraq peace mission


The Associated Press
Last Updated 6:06 a.m. PST Sunday, November 30, 2003

SAN DIEGO (AP) - Relatives of U.S. service members said they were nervous but hopeful Saturday as they embarked on a private peace mission to Iraq, where they will bring their message of friendship and doubts about the war.
The leader of the 10-member group, Fernando Suarez del Solar, said it is important for Iraqis to realize that not all Americans support the U.S. military presence in Iraq. His son, Marine Lance Cpl. Jesus Suarez del Solar, 20, was killed in Iraq eight months ago when he stepped on an unexploded American cluster bomb.

"The regular Americans like peace," Suarez del Solar, 48, said in a telephone interview a few hours before the group's scheduled departure. "The enemy is not the people from America.

"The young boys in Iraq only see the American flag on the uniforms. They see that as the destroyer of their life and family. It's very important to try to reach them."

The group included two wives of soldiers based at Fort Bragg, N.C., and four veterans of the Vietnam and Gulf wars, two of whom have children on duty in Iraq.

"I'm feeling a little nervous but too much optimistic," said Suarez del Solar. "I know the military commander over there in Iraq doesn't like my trip, but more important is the people in Iraq."

The group raised donations to pay for the trip, and received letters of support from 25 members of Congress. After a flight to Jordan, they planned to drive into Iraq.

In Baghdad, coalition spokesman Sgt. Danny Martin expressed concern about the safety of the delegation, but said this past week that their effort would be appreciated.

"Any assistance in keeping the entire nation stable and peaceful and secure is more than welcome," he said.

http://sacbee.com/state_wire/story/7869235p-8809288c.html


Sempers,

Roger
:marine:

SheWolf
12-01-03, 10:27 AM
Originally posted by thedrifter
Relatives of service members start out on Iraq peace mission


The Associated Press
Last Updated 6:06 a.m. PST Sunday, November 30, 2003

SAN DIEGO (AP) - Relatives of U.S. service members said they were nervous but hopeful Saturday as they embarked on a private peace mission to Iraq, where they will bring their message of friendship and doubts about the war.
The leader of the 10-member group, Fernando Suarez del Solar, said it is important for Iraqis to realize that not all Americans support the U.S. military presence in Iraq. His son, Marine Lance Cpl. Jesus Suarez del Solar, 20, was killed in Iraq eight months ago when he stepped on an unexploded American cluster bomb.

"The regular Americans like peace," Suarez del Solar, 48, said in a telephone interview a few hours before the group's scheduled departure. "The enemy is not the people from America.

"The young boys in Iraq only see the American flag on the uniforms. They see that as the destroyer of their life and family. It's very important to try to reach them."

The group included two wives of soldiers based at Fort Bragg, N.C., and four veterans of the Vietnam and Gulf wars, two of whom have children on duty in Iraq.

"I'm feeling a little nervous but too much optimistic," said Suarez del Solar. "I know the military commander over there in Iraq doesn't like my trip, but more important is the people in Iraq."

The group raised donations to pay for the trip, and received letters of support from 25 members of Congress. After a flight to Jordan, they planned to drive into Iraq.

In Baghdad, coalition spokesman Sgt. Danny Martin expressed concern about the safety of the delegation, but said this past week that their effort would be appreciated.

"Any assistance in keeping the entire nation stable and peaceful and secure is more than welcome," he said.

http://sacbee.com/state_wire/story/7869235p-8809288c.html


Sempers,

Roger
:marine:



OMG,,, WHAT DO THEY THINK THEY ARE DOING?????? DON'T GET ME WRONG,, PART OF ME, AS A MOM OF A MARINE WHO WAS THERE AND IS PROBABLY GOING BACK,,,, WOULD WELCOME A CHANCE TO SEE HIM,,,, BUT WOULD I WANT TO TAKE A CHANCE THAT BY GOING IT WOULD PUT HIM AND HIS BUDDIES AT RISK, ALSO THAT IF I WERE TO GET HURT,,,, WHAT WOULD IT DO TO HIM????

this is absurd,, and I think that the person who's son died over there needs some serious grief counseling...:confused:

bobpage
12-01-03, 10:22 PM
or the democrats to get out of his face about the loss of a family member and how much Bush has hurt him. NO ONE grieves a Marine's loss of life than a Marine and his family. The dems are trotting these people out for a good old fashioned dog and pony show. "They need to know the people are behind them." Thinking the visit from the President took care of that. Geez. We are headed back, and the left is stooping lower than ever.

SheWolf
12-02-03, 08:03 AM
Originally posted by bobpage
or the democrats to get out of his face about the loss of a family member and how much Bush has hurt him. NO ONE grieves a Marine's loss of life than a Marine and his family. The dems are trotting these people out for a good old fashioned dog and pony show. "They need to know the people are behind them." Thinking the visit from the President took care of that. Geez. We are headed back, and the left is stooping lower than ever.

First let me say,, I have been trying to keep the politics out of this, I am sure that his going to Bagdad was a morale boost for our troops, but I will say, I question the motivation....

I think there is something drastically wrong when more troops are killed AFTER the war has been declared OVER, and a VICTORY claimed by the side losing the troops,,,

It tells me that he had no viable idea/plan of what to do when the main battles were through,, there was no doubt who would win the battles,, their military strength was no match for ours,,,

however, if this carries on too long,, I am so afraid it will be another Viet Nam,,,, we didn't lose that one either, we just quit...

when politicians get too involved the results are often disasterous,,,,

again,,, just my opinion,,,

and yes I am a Democrat,,, who supports our troops, :emark:

I/O Error
12-04-03, 01:17 AM
Originally posted by SheWolf


First let me say,, I have been trying to keep the politics out of this, I am sure that his going to Bagdad was a morale boost for our troops, but I will say, I question the motivation....

Well, I'm sure that there was definitely an air of political advantage about it, but let's be honest; you don't GET to be his rank without living and breathing that sort of thing to begin with. :D I don't personally believe it was nothing but coldly calculating political maneuvering, but does it really matter even if it was? The number of times that the Commander in Chief PERSONALLY puts his ass on the line (even if in such a small way) to visit his troops is AWFULLY rare. They're not just mindless tools, even if *cough* some past administrations seem to treat them as such.

Kind of like one of the principles of leadership; you may not really care about the welfare and moral of your troopies, but as long as you act like you do, that can count. The good leaders really do care, but let's take what we can. I know an awful lot of military folks who are personally grateful to the man for his visit. Typically the President, Congress and the American people just send their troops out to die and they come back in bodybags. *shrug* I like it any time when a little extra effort is put into it, you know?

Regardless of motivation, that was righteous action, and by God it was appreciated. :) Another thing I appreciated was that in the pictures I saw, he wasn't just talking to the guys with gold on their sleeves, he was talking to the average snuffy in the chow line. That's... pretty meaningful, I have to say.


I think there is something drastically wrong when more troops are killed AFTER the...

<snip for length>

...who supports our troops, :emark:

I most certainly will not disagree with the statement that the administration was unprepared for the aftermath of the fighting; that much is plainly clear, and frankly it's something we almost always fail on so this isn't new. Rebuilding nations has not been our forte for some time, it's a messy job. I will say however that losing "only" 400 soldiers is, in the cold calculus of war, an AMAZING success given the task at hand. (Hell, we lose 50,000 civilians a year alone on our highways, here we're recreating an entire country, and not a small one) It makes no difference to the poor kid who catches a chunk of shrapnel in the head whether he dies in a "Major Conflict" or a "Low Intensity Conflict", and it's equally cold comfort to his family, but I'd have to say I'm amazed we've lost so few people. Still stuns me, really, I think the military community was bracing itself for many more.

TracGunny
12-04-03, 07:19 AM
The young boys in Iraq only see the American flag on the uniforms. They see that as the destroyer of their life and family
Unlike Sodamn Insane who killed tens, if not hundreds of thousands of Iraqis.

We’ve talked to troops on the ground who are confused about why they’re there, who feel it’s not the right role for the U.S.
What troops? Where? Did you hand-pick the ones to interview? Statistics and polls may not lie, but liars create polls and statistics.

War is politics, an extension of policy and in this case defense. The "victory" won was only the major ground campaign; part one of the over-all war effort. Part two, the securing and building of Iraq for the Iraqi people, will be long and hard. Stopping anywhere short of completion, even if it means years and many more lives, will be an even costlier mistake. When I left Kuwait after Gulf War 1, and saw that Sodamn Insane was still in power, I knew we would be back. Can you imagine what would happen in Iraq if we up and left without completing the mission?

I do not need another 9/11 to convince me that lives lost over there will save countless lives over here. I cannot speak for all, but that was a primary reason I spent 22 years in the Corps and deployed at every opportunity.

tracrat
12-04-03, 04:56 PM
I agree with my brother, TracGunny. This will be a long, and expensive campaign, but can we afford to do as many on the "left" are sreaming for...cut our losses and with tail tucked withdrawal to the our own borders and hope everything works out on its own??? Maybe the world will straighten out without American resolve and leadership. Right......9-11 has obviously shown that the front line of the war on terrorism is right here, on the door step of every American citizen. We can't afford to fail in the mission in Iraq. The consequences are unimaginable. It pains me every time I hear of the loss of an American warrior, and every day I wish that I could be there by the side of my comrades. I can't. I know that the ultimate sacrifice these warriors are making ensures the fact that I will not have to search a building in my hometown for a bomb or chemical weapons. I am a police officer now and saw first hand the fear and horror of the American people after September 11, 2001 as we searched government buoldings evacuated because of bomb scares. To see hot food left on tables, chairs tipped over and paers scatterd on the floor was a real shock to me. I never want to see that in any American city again.

Semper Fi / YAT YAS

firstsgtmike
12-06-03, 02:20 AM
Motherly Love Brought Her to Base in Tikrit

A Tucson woman joins a group of parents, led by an antiwar group, who traveled to Iraq to see their children on active duty with the Army.

By Patrick J. McDonnell, Times Staff Writer


TIKRIT, Iraq — Anabel Valencia crossed oceans, deserts and half the globe to see her daughter, Spec. Giselle Valencia, a truck driver with Task Force Ironhorse here in Saddam Hussein's old neighborhood.

But you just don't drop in at a heavily guarded U.S. military base in a war zone, even if your kid is on active duty inside.

"Your daughter's on a mission," an incredulous MP holding a fierce German attack shepherd advised Valencia Friday.

"I can wait," came the firm reply from the resolute Tucson, Ariz., teacher's aide, 51 and mother of three. "I came this far. I can wait a bit longer."

Valencia, born in Los Angeles, was one of a handful of parents who traveled to Iraq this week to see their active-duty children. Another parent, Fernando Suarez del Solar, from Escondido, Calif., gathered sand from the spot where his son, Marine Lance Cpl. Jesus Alberto Suarez del Solar, was killed in March.

Sponsoring the trip was Global Exchange, a San Francisco-based activist group that opposed the U.S. invasion and is eager to spread its anti-war message. None of the parents had formal military clearance to visit their soldier children.

Anabel Valencia's trip provided an offbeat glimpse into the U.S. occupation in this former stronghold of Saddam's Baath Party. Police from Tikrit arrived to arrest her but eventually compared her distress to that suffered by the Iraqi people under occupation.

"I'm glad we came and got rid of Saddam Hussein -- he was a dictator and oppressed his people," said Valencia, who also has a son, Chuveny Valencia, 22, deployed in Baghdad, the capital. "But now I think it's time for the troops to come home and for the Iraqis to govern themselves."

The mother says she hasn't seen her daughter, Giselle, in three years. Giselle was stationed in Germany before being deployed to Kuwait and then Iraq this spring. Giselle is a sports-loving woman who wants to teach physical education one day, her mother said. She dropped out of community college and worked part-time at Kentucky Fried Chicken and a discount clothes outlet before seeking a future in the Army, her mother explained.

Valencia informed both of her children of her intention to travel to Iraq. Both had the same reply: Stay home.

"They thought it was a crazy idea," Valencia explained.

Valencia left her Baghdad hotel Friday following breakfast accompanied by two veteran female activists, including Medea Benjamin, the founding director of Global Exchange. The women set out for the two-hour drive to Tikrit on what has become one of Iraq's most dangerous roads, a major north-south artery for U.S. military convoys that is the site of frequent attacks and ambushes targeting soldiers and Westerners in general.

The entourage arrived without incident slightly after midday at the gate of the sprawling compound of Task Force Ironhorse, the 4th Infantry Division force that occupies some of the toughest turf in the Sunni Triangle. The MP with the German shepherd informed Valencia that her daughter had just decamped, driving a truck with a convoy en route to Baghdad.

"I came all this way to see her," Valencia pleaded to the MP, who was unyielding but polite.

"She's in the military, ma'am," said the MP, who declined to give his name. "She's doing very well. She's in excellent health." Valencia was determined to stay put until her daughter arrived, even though she was warned about the danger of traveling after dark.

"I'm not leaving," she declared, her entourage now expanded as journalists working out of the base joined the scene. "We can stay right here tonight." Soon, several white and blue police cruisers burst on the scene. "We have orders to arrest any protesters," explained Capt. Mohammed Ali Hussein of the regional police in Tikrit.

His demeanor soon softened. A dialogue ensued.

"I think it's terrible that the Americans will not let you in to see your beloved daughter," said Capt. Hussein. "This is the way they treat their own people! Imagine how they treat us." As the conversation continued along such lines, military convoys lumbered into and out of the gates. Blackhawk and Apache helicopters buzzed overhead, following the route of the nearby Tigris.

Valencia became teary-eyed. Two cops offered tissues. They were U.S.-trained and are paid by the ruling, U.S.-led coalition, which regularly praises Iraqi police as the coalition's crucial ally. But these guys weren't exactly with the program.

"The Americans promised so much: democracy, freedom, security -- now we have none of these things," said Capt. Mazen Ayash Youssif. "We were better off before. We all prefer the time of Saddam."

The depth of their anti-U.S. conviction underscores the difficulties faced by the military in winning over ordinary Iraqis, especially in the Sunni zone of central and western Iraq favored by the former regime.

"If this is the way the people think here," concluded Valencia, "then we're in a lot of trouble."

One officer said he now has two likenesses of Saddam hanging in his home, up from one before the U.S. invasion. All said the former strongman would easily triumph in any democratic election -- a perception not much evident beyond the borders of Tikrit, even among many other Iraqis fed up with the occupation.

"But you were liberated from a dictator," said Benjamin, taken aback at the direction the dialogue was taking.

Replied another officer, Mohanan Majeed Taha: "We never asked anyone to liberate us. What right did the Americans have to liberate us?"

As the afternoon chill stiffened and nightfall approached, Capt. Hussein offered to put Valencia up at the police station and invited her to his home for a dinner of roasted sheep. "If the Americans won't let you in, we will show you Arab hospitality," he explained.

The police soon left, wishing Valencia the best.

"I hope your daughter treats our people well, not like the other Americans," said Capt. Hussein before leaving. "Then she will be treated well in return, and God willing, remain safe."

With the day slipping away, Army Lt. Nathan Carver approached. He informed Valencia that her daughter might not return until late, or perhaps the next day. The officer suggested that she go back to Baghdad for the evening and return on Saturday, when a visit could likely be arranged.

"I'm so happy," said a relieved Valencia. "Now I believe I will see her."
===============================
A pure propaganda article!

"at the gate of the sprawling compound ... The MP informed Valencia that her daughter had just decamped, driving a truck with a convoy en route to Baghdad.

"She's in the military, ma'am," said the MP, who declined to give his name. "She's doing very well. She's in excellent health."

EXCUSE ME?

Gate Guards who know the up-to-the-minute whereabouts AND the physical condition of every soldier stationed aboard a sprawling compound?

AND who do not wear name tags on their fatigues and thus cannot be identified to have the story verified?

"As the conversation continued along such lines, military convoys lumbered into and out of the gates."

Did the gate guard update his check-off list as to who returned and who left the base, and how their health was?

"I'm not leaving," she declared, her entourage now expanded as journalists working out of the base joined the scene.

I'm curious to see how the other journalists wrote up their arrival.

This writer doesn't even know how to make up a good BS story and make it believable.

tracrat
12-06-03, 03:28 PM
I think I am going to puke.

firstsgtmike
12-11-03, 07:33 PM
Has anyone seen or read an updated article on this story?

I haven't been able to find one.