A Baghdad Thanksgiving's Lingering Aftertaste

[POed_Ex_Repub]

Stars and Stripes, the Pentagon-authorized newspaper of the U.S. military, is bucking for a court-martial.

When last we checked in on Stripes, it was reporting on a survey it did of troops in Iraq, finding that half of those questioned described their units' moral as low and their training as insufficient and said they did not plan to reenlist.

With the Pentagon just recovering from that, Stars and Stripes is blowing the whistle on President Bush's Thanksgiving visit to Baghdad, saying the cheering soldiers who met him were pre-screened and others showing up for a turkey dinner were turned away.

More...


http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A57870-2003Dec11?language=printer

I can't say this surprises me...

[Red_Viking]

1. Welcome!

I, too, am an ex-Repub. Went from a middle-of-the-road, basically uninvolved gal to a seething left-winger! Funny how * does that to people.

The whole T-giving debacle is laughable. Fake president, fake turkey, fake everything. My favorite part is the pins that were pre-printed and ready for sale with the slogan, "Did I just see Air Force 1?" What a hoot.

Too bad our media is on their knees to the administration. Otherwise, he'd be a complete mockery. Not that he isn't already, it's just kind of our little secret. One we share with everyone outside our 50 states. :)

:dem:
RV

[aquart]

2. Wish the Washpost would spring for a proofreader.

But other than telling the world they don't know the difference between moral and morale, it was interesting to notice the soldiers barred from the photo op were so angry they ate MREs for Thanksgiving.

That should sit well with their families back home.

Another well-planned Rove event. That man sure is a genius.

[calimary]

3. Anybody got a link to the "Stars and Stripes"?

I googled and apparently am not doing it correctly... Can't find the original story.

[pippin]

4. The Commander in Chief is Afraid of his own troops?

"for security reasons, only those preselected got into the facility during Bush's visit. . . . The soldiers who dined while the president visited were selected by their chain of command, and were notified a short time before the visit."

Good Grief!!

[Moderator]

5. Dupe, Please continue here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=265707

DU Moderator