Supporters of Operation Iraqi Freedom will conduct a nationwide caravan along with more than 2-dozen rallies calling for continued support of U.S. troops based in Iraq in the days leading up to General David Petraeus September 15th report to Congress.
From September 3, 2007 through September 15, 2007 the nation’s largest grassroots, pro-troop organization, Move America Forward will lead thousands of supporters in a cross-country effort called the “FIGHT FOR VICTORY TOUR.”
* Read the News Release - CLICK HERE
* See the Caravan Route & Schedule - CLICK HERE
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That is not all that is going on though. As we showed you previously, tomorrow is going to be a busy day.
Vets For Freedom: Call To Action
(Hat Tip to Red State) The bottom of their post, via Vets for Freedom, they ask that this be emailed around as well as put up on blogs to help spread the word.... soooooo here we go.
Last week, Vets for Freedom launched our "10 Weeks to Testimony" campaign and committed to leading the charge to support General Petraeus and stop anti-war radicals and politicians on Capitol Hill from undermining the mission in Iraq.
Unfortunately-despite thousands of phone calls to Capitol Hill this week--even more Republican senators have bowed to political pressure and declared defeat, despite progress being shown by General Petraeus's new counter-insurgency strategy.
Next week, politicians in Washington, DC are poised to sell out America's safety because election season is near. As veterans, we cannot allow this to happen. The information battle Vets for Freedom was planning for September is upon us in July, therefore we must adapt, overcome, and do something immediately. Our collective voice must be heard on Capitol Hill, and it must be heard now!
This is a call to action. We are asking every Iraq and Afghanistan veteran who believes in supporting the mission--and defeating America's enemies--to converge on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on Tuesday, July 17. It's time the fighters in this war tell their representatives--face to face-that now is no time to betray the mission.
What You Can Do This Week!
Week #2: Converge on Capitol Hill, July 17 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have already sacrificed blood, sweat, and tears on foreign battlefields. Now America needs one more thing while you're home -- one day of your time. We are the last line of defense.
We're not going to protest, wave signs, or scream slogans. We are going to make our voices heard, in a professional manner, in keeping with the finest traditions of our great country and military. I have no doubt you will want to join us.
But you say: "It's an entire Tuesday, and travel is expensive!" We share these legitimate concerns, but answer with this fundamental question: If not you, then who? Who else will tell Congress to give General Petraeus, his strategy, and our comrades time to complete the mission? It has come to this. It must be us.
But you also say: "It's such short notice, and I have to work." Again, legitimate concerns, but we have already received commitments from numerous veterans with full-time jobs who have said--no matter the notice--I'll be there. We need the same from you. Your country needs the same from you.
You might also say, "I'm Active Duty, I can't do this type of stuff." There is a common misconception that troops serving on active duty cannot participate in events like this. This is false. As long as you are 1) out of uniform; 2) not speaking on behalf of "the military"; and 3) not protesting, you are absolutely allowed to be involved. The same goes for National Guard and Reserve troops.
We hope to raise enough money--from the supporters of Vets for Freedom who cannot make it to Washington, DC--to ensure that everyone who makes the trip is reimbursed at some level. Every dollar donated to Vets for Freedom between now and July 17 will go directly to covering travel costs of veterans.
So, how do you get involved? Be bold. Take a stand. And join your fellow Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors, and Marines on Capitol Hill. Here's what you need to do:
If you are a veteran and are ready to take a stand and join us on Capitol Hill on July 17, please send an email to Adriel at adriel@vetsforfreedom.org as soon as possible. The email should contain the following 6 points of information:
- Name and basic information (phone number, email, and zip code)
- Military background (OIF/OEF experience, unit, current status)
- Home state (and any other states you have lived in)
- Your most probable means of transportation to Washington, DC
- A very brief biography (no more than one paragraph)
- Any questions you might have
- Time and place for initial link up in Washington, DC (assume between 8--9am)
- Driving directions, maps, and parking instructions
- Basic timeline/instructions for the day (assume day will finish between 5--6pm)
- Other preparation materials
- Detailed itinerary (including your office visit schedule, media schedule, and event schedule to visit your member of Congress--everything will be done in groups)
- Latest Iraq news and information
- Capitol Hill map
- Vets for Freedom complementary polo shirt; breakfast and lunch provided
You may not be able to make it to Washington, DC, but that doesn't mean you can't still support our mission on July 17. You can do the following three things:
1) Donate. As we've already mentioned, every dollar donated in the next 4 days will be used to reimburse the travel costs of veterans who will be paying their own way to Capitol Hill.
2) Call your Senator. The response to our Week 1 "call to action" was incredible. Thank you. Thousands of calls were made, and we need to do this again. Reinforce our veterans on Capitol Hill by calling the 2 Senators from your home state on July 17 and telling them to support the troops-and the mission!
3) Forward this Email. Send this email to everyone you know. Post it on your blog. Print it out and hand it out to friends. Get the word out, so we can get as many veterans on Capitol Hill as possible.
This is our mission. This is our moment. Join Vets for Freedom on Capitol Hill and do your part to support our fellow soldiers and Marines in Iraq and Afghanistan
See you on the 17th!
Regards,
Pete Hegseth
Iraq War Veteran 2005-2006
Executive Director, Vets for Freedom
Click here for more information on Vets for Freedom's "10 Weeks to Testimony."
(NOTE from Spree- I was of two minds about this because our veterans have done so much for us, as a country, that I hate to ask them to do more, but this is also FROM Veterans, requesting OUR help to get this word out and I would never refuse a request that they ask of me. So, hit that Donate button folks and help them in any way you can, if you cannot donate, then spread this around, via email, on your blog, but they are asking US to help them to help our active military, so lets get to it.)
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Not done yet!!!!!
Right Truth brings us News you need on Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia.
Bottom Line Up Front tells us that Haditha Marines Want Murtha Censured. (hehe, GOOD.)
Miss Beth's Victory Dance tells us about the Wounded Warrior Project (Takes a few seconds to sign up to vote, but the Wounded Warriors need the money, so head on over and get the info.
Brian from Iowa Voice has a great smack down and I suggest everyone read it.
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Following up on what I showed you yesterday, and what Contributor Snooper, from Take Our Country Back, brought you today, Ralph Peters shows us a bit of the strategy that seems to be doing well in Iraq:
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Excellent article in the NYT, with Maj. General Rick Lynch, telling us how it REALLY is in Iraq and considering he is there, and Reid and his merry band of surrender monkey's AREN'T, this man and his words should be heeded because he knows that our troops, if forced into defeat, will come home and they certainly won't be thanking the Democratic defeatists in Congress OR the Senate.
General Lynch, a blunt-spoken, cigar-smoking Ohio native who commands the Third Infantry Division, said that all the American troops that began an offensive south of Baghdad in mid-June were part of the five-month-old troop buildup, and that they were making “significant” gains in areas that were previously enemy sanctuaries. Pulling back before the job was completed, he said, would create “an environment where the enemy could come back and fill the void.”
He implied that an early withdrawal would amount to an abandonment of Iraqi civilians who he said had rallied in support of the American and Iraqi troops, and would leave the civilians exposed to renewed brutality by extremist groups. “When we go out there, the first question they ask is, ‘Are you staying?’ ” he said. “And the second question is, ‘How can we help?’ ” He added, “What we hear is, ‘We’ve had enough of people attacking our villages, attacking our homes, and attacking our children.’ ”
General Lynch said his troops had promised local people that they would stay in the areas they had taken from the extremists until enough Iraqi forces were available to take over, and said this had helped sustain “a groundswell” of feeling against the extremists. He said locals had pinpointed hide-outs of Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, an extremist group that claims to have ties to Osama bin Laden’s network, that had been used to send suicide bombers into Baghdad and they had helped troops locate 170 large arms caches. The general said the locals had started neighborhood patrol units called “Iraqi provincial volunteers” that supplied their own weapons and ammunition.
The general declined to be drawn into what he called “the big debate in Washington” over the war, saying American troops would continue to battle the enemy until ordered to do otherwise. But he made it clear that his sympathies were with the Iraqis in his battle area, covering an area about the size of West Virginia, mostly between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, that extends about 80 miles south of Baghdad and includes 4 of Iraq’s 18 provinces. The offensive he commands is part of a wider push by American and Iraqi forces in the areas surrounding Baghdad, and in the capital, that began in February.
“What they’re worried about is our leaving,” he said. “And our answer is, ‘We’re staying,’ because my order from the corps commander is that we don’t leave the battlespace until we can hand over to the Iraqi security forces.” To hold on to recent gains, he said, would require at least a third more Iraqi troops than he now has, and they would have to come from other battle areas, or from new units yet to complete their training. “Everybody wants things to happen overnight, and that’s not going to happen,” he said.
You tell em Maj. General Lynch!!!!!!
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Last but never least, go get your daily dose of REALITY by reading the news releases yourself before reading the MSM's spin, get the truth.
Its out there.
.