Letter: U.S. troops believe in their mission in Iraq

Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2006 | 7:12 a.m.

I wonder if letter writers Ray Harbert and James Poupard know that they are in complete agreement with Osama bin Laden, who stated years ago that America doesn't have the stomach for a prolonged conflict with radical Islam?

They both state the regrettable statistic that more than 2,860 brave American troops have paid the ultimate price. But that's still not as many as our enemy took out in one day.

Do either of them truly realize that these soldiers died for what they believed in? That they volunteered for the mission, knowing that death was a real possibility?

Story after story tells of wounded soldiers looking forward to completing their rehabilitation so they can go back for another tour of duty in Iraq. And this includes those who are willing to do so with prosthetic limbs.

Every branch of the military has filled their recruitment quotas. Some have changed their requirements to do so, but when they did make those changes, more than enough volunteers came knocking on their doors.

Thank God there are enough people who realize the growing danger of Islamofascism worldwide and are willing to do something about it. And that includes the government officials in Iraq who risk death every day just going to work, as well as the populace in general who knew full well they could be killed trying to cast a vote.

Our troops don't want to desert the Iraqis. Why do people like Harbert and Poupard? It's so sad that 9/11 wasn't enough to wake everyone up to what's coming. What will it take?

Ken Lucas, Las Vegas