IRAQ
What are we doing?
BY LELAND ACKER
While Congress debates President Bush's plan to send more troops to Iraq, local residents sit torn between trusting the country's leadership and the horror of learning of more American casualties in Iraq. The debate, which has surfaced in Washington and is spilling over into the local community, is whether America can be victorious and whether the U.S should deploy more troops to Iraq.

"I believe that we are in a quagmire and are now guilty of throwing more at something that should not have been attempted to begin with," said Jim Harper of Gallatin. "I will be accused of being unpatriotic and anti-military, neither is true. I love our country and the brave soldiers who have and continue to sacrifice for our freedom. I am saying, 'the emperor has no clothes,' so to speak."

Debbie Miller, a teacher at Rusk Junior High, said that America has been in Iraq too long to accomplish anything or to be considered victorious.

"Our service personnel have done all they should have to do," she said.

"It is hard fighting a war that, even if you believe in it, you know the American public won't truly appreciate the sacrifice you make."

Faye Monzingo of Tyler said America can be victorious if the President holds the Iraqis responsible for playing their part.

"The key to his success will be if he stands firm on what he said would happen if Iraqi officials didn't do their part," Ms. Monzingo said. "We aren't responsible for their future, they are."

Ms. Monzingo said, "I really want our troops to come home as soon as they can."

Cpl. Jeremiah Benjamin, a Marine from Nacogdoches, said America can and is being victorious in Iraq.

Cpl. Benjamin, who returned from a tour of duty in Iraq in 2006, said victory is contingent on having the support of the Iraqi people and being able to turn the country over to the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF). He said the battle in Najaf on Jan. 28 proves that America is on its way to accomplishing these objectives.

"An Iraqi civilian contacted the Iraqi Police to report the insurgents north of the city," Cpl. Benjamin said. "The ISF responded and repelled the attack for hours before calling in for American support, which they only did because they were facing a force of 600 insurgents. As much as we would like the insurgents to go away, the reaction by the Iraqis is proof that we can still come out victorious."

Cpl. Benjamin said America's purpose in Iraq is to provide the Iraqi people with a democratic society and bring stability to the region.

Congressman Jeb Hensarling said victory in Iraq is America's best option.

"As costly as fighting this war is, the cost of defeat is even greater," he said. "Failure in Iraq would send that nation spiraling into a state of chaos, becoming what Afghanistan once was, a breeding ground for terrorists bent upon harming our families and our country. We must commit ourselves to empowering the Iraqi government so that we can leave them in charge of their own fate."

The surge

President Bush has proposed sending as many as 20,000 additional troops to facilitate victory in Iraq. This plan has drawn even more debate.

"I personally feel Bush's deployment of more troops to Iraq is about as ill-conceived and misplanned as his original decision to invade Iraq in the first place," said Emily Kosted of Rusk. "Whatever will happen will happen in Iraq with or without U.S. interference."

Anita Woodlee of Rusk said, "I think we have lost too many lives already in Iraq, and I do not think we need to be sending more young people there."

Still other East Texans support the troop surge.

"I am for sending more troops," said Josie Schoolcraft of Bullard. "It's better to have war over there than here like we had 9-11-01."

Sissy Crysup of Rusk said the U.S. should have sent more troops to Iraq from the beginning of the war.

Gil Kalinec of Gladewater said the U.S. should finish what it started.

"If more troops are needed to accomplish this end, then we need to support President Bush's plan. Yes, we can be victorious in Iraq."

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas said, "The one thing we should all agree on is that our military men and women serving in Iraq, and their leaders, should be given a reasonable chance to execute the President's plan."

Cpl. Benjamin said while he would like to see more troops coming back instead of being deployed to Iraq, he sees the potential mathematical equation in the President's plan.

"If we send 21,000 troops for one year and this leads to us being able to cut back 40,000 troops a year sooner than currently planned, then the net outcome is a reduction in forces by 19,000," he said. "I do believe that a small step-up in troop strength now can lead to an earlier, successful conclusion to this conflict."

Cpl. Benjamin expressed his gratitude to those who supported the U.S. finishing its job in Iraq. "They know that the Iraqi people need us to stay the course and the world needs to see us stick it through as well."

He described the lack of public support for the war as "unfortunate."

"We are doing great things for the Iraqi people and, hopefully, soon they will be able to take full control of their country. As nice as it is having people say they support the troops, having the constant negative media coverage of the war has a negative effect on troop moral. It is hard fighting a war that, even if you believe in it, you know the American public won't truly appreciate the sacrifice you make."

Cpl. Benjamin said his experience in Iraq introduced him to three different groups of Iraqis. There are those who think that it is good the Americans are there. He said those are usually the ones who have lived in America and tend to be very secular.

Cpl. Benjamin said another group are those who are glad for what America is doing for their country, but still want U.S. forces out of Iraq as soon as possible. Then there are those who want the U.S. troops dead.

"From what I have experienced in Iraq, the opposition is a very small but tremendously active group," he said. "These insurgents condone the targeted killing of women and children for no greater reason than ideological differences.

"In the face of insurgents burning homes and businesses, kidnapping and killing family members, Iraqi citizens are increasingly cooperating with U.S. forces."

Cpl. Benjamin said the average Iraqi wants clean water, electricity and safety. He said the insurgents are trying to prevent U.S. forces from providing those.

Cpl. Benjamin is in his third year as a U.S. Marine, and is the son of a 22-year veteran of the Marine Corps.