Iraqi Ambassador : Thank You US Veterans

[Nadita]

11/11/2014

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Post From KTFA by billuke » November 10th, 2014, 11:47 pm  •  

From the Iraqi Ambassador to the U.S.

Commentary: Iraqis Thank U.S. Veterans As Shared Struggle Continues

By Lukman Faily, Special to Military Times 4:23 p.m. EST November 10, 2014

Shortly after I arrived in Washington, D.C., last year as my country's new envoy to the United States, I visited Arlington National Cemetery. I felt honor-bound to pay tribute to the American servicemen and women who made the ultimate sacrifice to rid my country of Saddam Hussein's tyranny and to resist transnational terrorism.

For nine years, American and Iraqi soldiers fought alongside each other, bled together, died together, and wept together to mourn fallen comrades.

Now, once again, Iraqis are seeing American service members helping us — this time, not as combat troops but as military advisers to help us defeat the terrorists of the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
~~~

 

Eleven years after the fall of Saddam, Iraq is on the frontlines of the struggle with the best-funded, best-organized and best-equipped transnational terrorist organization on earth.

ISIL threatens to subjugate or exterminate everyone — everywhere — who will not swear allegiance to its extremist views. As the world witnesses ISIL's crucifixions, beheadings, mass executions and enslavement of women and girls, civilized people everywhere realize that ISIL is our common enemy — and combatting it must be our common cause.

Containment is not an option, because, as long as ISIL survives, it will seek to annihilate "the other" — and that means all of us, regardless of our religious views, whatever our ethnicity and certainly regardless of national borders.

ISIL recruits and trains, among others, battle-hardened western fighters, who will inevitably be unleashed back with vengeance into the societies from which they came.

How can the world community defeat ISIL? Yes, through military action. But military action alone — as important as it is — isn't enough. The U.S. has introduced a comprehensive strategy whereby its allies and the regional powers in the Middle East will conduct political, economic, humanitarian and diplomatic efforts to counter-act ISIL and the discontents that it exploits.

We fully support this strategy because we know that the causes and consequences of terrorism are transnational, and efforts to solve these problems must be regional and global in scope.

Since ISIL has taken control of Iraqi territory, this is Iraq's fight. But we cannot wage and win this fight alone.

Let me be clear about what Iraq does and does not need from the U.S. The Iraqi government is not asking for American combat troops on the ground. What we do need is American know-how, training, and intelligence-sharing.

Through this assistance, over the past two months, Iraqi security forces have made significant gains. We have liberated Mosul Dam. We have ended the siege of the town of Amerli. We have reduced the threat to Baghdad and Erbil by fortifying defenses. And the Iraqi army and the Kurdish peshmerga are cooperating as never before, including joint operations with U.S. support.

Only a few days ago, we liberated the town of Zumar in the north and the strategic area of Jorf Al Sakhar in the midland.

 

On the political front, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has formed a new and inclusive national unity government. This government incorporates all Iraqis, including Sunnis, Shias, Kurds and others. This means that the new government has the backing of all the major political blocs

Further, Prime Minister al-Abadi has taken decisive measures to reform the military establishment, including appointing defense and interior ministers for the first time since 2010.

Together, we will rebuild Iraq and eradicate ISIL. Now, as over the past 11 years, the U.S. Iraq, and more than 60 other countries are working together as part of a coalition and in a common effort. 

Together, we have lost lives and treasure in our shared struggle against terrorism and extremism.

Together, we have defeated the terrorists before.

And, together, we will defeat the terrorists again.

Long after victory is won, future generations of Iraqis will honor American troops, just as I do today, on Veterans Day, with appreciation and admiration.

Thank you, American veterans. 

Lukman Faily is Iraq's ambassador to the United States.

http://www.militarytimes.com/story/opinion/2014/11/10/iraq-us-isil-veterans-sacrifice/18813513/

 

[yendor]

I,too, would like to thank those who have served and are now serving and defending our country. Today is set aside to honor those brave young men and women who gave their time and some their life to make this the GREATEST country the world has ever seen..... in spite of some of the poor decisions that their leaders might have made.   GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS & GOD BLESS AMERICA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Texstorm]

It's impossible for me to fathom each and everyone of Veterans who have given it there all and their sacrifices are beyond measure. I believe in our country and I believe in God and it is his will that we finish what he had started. Freedom comes with a very high price and while the Iraqi people are in a great struggle, the seed has been planted. It's up to them to allow it to flourish and with the passing's of infrastructure they will be catapulted into a new way a of life. Electricity and water, roads and bridges, food and shelter will give birth to a new group of free thinkers. We all have witness the changes occurring all over the world and it's certainly not all gloom and doom, There are many good people doing a great many of things behind the scenes and you only have to open your heart to be one of them. Everyone that has been blessed has this in their hearts, you know right from wrong ! If the rest of the world doesn't have that capability it should not be of your concern. God will save the world in his own time that's what I believe. And that leads me back to why I got into this speculation of the Iraqi dinar, I believe in scripture and I believe that Babylon will rise again and will fall again. When people say that they don't believe in God, one only has to remind them that the date that the whole world has today is A.D. AFTER THE DEATH OF CHRIST ! No one can change that fact ! In fact I challenge them to change the date of today, we all will live and die by this calendar of A.D. ( That doesn't include our own mistake of not knowing what day it is LOL) Now that you know where I stand I will try and refrain from anymore preaching especially since I am less than perfect. Thanks DV 

[caughtinthecrossfire]

...the date that the whole world has today is A.D. AFTER THE DEATH OF CHRIST ! No one can change that fact... 

unfortunately, Tex...there has been a push to replace the B.C. and A.D. with B.C.E and C.E.....“before common era” and “common era,”

They are pushing this in every college history class, university and community college campuses and I'm sure every host of online class.  I have witness a blatant dismissal of B.C. and A.D. in even non-history classes.  My heart gets heavy over it.

 

They are trying to neuter God, Jesus, and the impact and reality of the resurrection.

 

Yeah, I burn over this, too, however, I know God knows...and I believe His hand is never at rest and His will is never denied.  I can't say I've been given the wisdom to understand the processes of the world but I have been bless with knowing which ones are not in agreement with what is good and pleasing.  One day...all this separation from God that so many seem to want these days, will be granted.  I pray the majority (if not all) will realize the folly in separating themselves from Him before a final judgment is rendered.

 

I am thankful to see the Iraqi Ambassador's acknowledgment of our support and our losses.  I know the majority of the Kurds (at least prior to Obama) shared in an appreciation of our soldiers' sacrifices.

 

Ok...(slides soap box back into the corner)...I'm going for coffee round #2 before doing more exam studies.

 

Best wishes all,

crossfire

Edited November 11, 2014 by caughtinthecrossfire