Paul Rieckhoff, the president of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), appeared as a guest on MSNBC's Countdown program on Wednesday, Feb. 14. The former infantry platoon leader in Iraq from 2003 to 2004 explained that debate about the war doesn't hurt the troops. Such arguments, claimed Rieckhoff, are simply "political shields."
"The reason guys like me join the military is to preserve that free right to have a real dissent and a real debate about the most important issue facing our country," said Reickhoff. "That is why we joined the military. It‘s why we take up arms, to defend exactly that type of right. So I think
is a really dangerous road to go down when it comes to the political dialogue."
Speaking on the Bush troop surge plan, Reickhoff was surprised to find himself agreeing with Col. Oliver North, who has publicly disagreed with the assertion of surge supporters that the plan has overwhelming support among soliders in Iraq. Reickhoff said, "Everybody I talked to inside Iraq, and most of the people coming home, who have come home in recent months, don‘t support the surge because they don‘t think it will work."
http://www.rawstory.com//news/2007/IAVA_Pres._debate_doesnt_hurt_troops_0215.html
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