Friday, August 05, 2005

A Patriotic Fundraiser - and A Hero's Thoughts on Detainees

via email from:

Norma E. Wright
www.thefreedompage.org
"Serving God and Supporting Our Troops"

Anita Coyoli-Cullen and the Santa Ana Ladies' Auxiliary of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Post 10694, are selling Patriotic Bracelets as a fundraiser.

Check out the following link and read the article below the link about Anita's daughter, Diane Gilliam, who survived a helicopter crash:

http://www.thefreedompage.org/view/?pageID=232642

The following article below was sent to me by:

Anita Coyoli-Cullen
Blue Star Mom
Proud Army Mom of Diane Gilliam
Survivor of Helicopter Crash in Afghanistan 11-23-03
Senior Vice President
Santa Ana Post 10694
Women's Auxiliary of the VFW

Tuesday, July 12, 2005

Walk a mile in U.S. combat boots
By: Diane Gilliam
Huntington Beach

I am a Afghan war veteran and a former interrogator who worked at the Bagram Collection Point in Afghanistan. Although I do not condone any kind of abuse, we have to remember why these people are being detained - for terrorism and supporting those responsible for terrorism.

I never saw anyone abuse our detainees. If I had, I would have confronted him or her. Abusing detainees does not improve the information we obtain from prisoners; instead it can cause false information to be given. I believe too many people are more concerned with how the world views the United States, rather than about allowing us to do our jobs.

Media outside of the military should not be allowed in the combat theaters. The International Red Cross needs to be removed as well. Too many military officers were more concerned with how their soldier looked in a pressed uniform and whether or not they were given a salute while walking down the road.
These are war zones and we need to treat them as such. Detainees from other countries do not have the right to American counsel and they should not receive it.

Just to remind all who are not aware of the status of the detainees in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo, they are not prisoners of war, but terrorists. They support terrorists and they continue to supply terrorists with information, weapons and sympathy. Instead of focusing on the prisoner "abuse," let's focus on supporting our troops and encourage better guidelines for what our goals there should be.

Every detainee that I came across was fed three times a day, given bottled water, a Quran, blankets, flushing toilets, heated living quarters. They were able to send and receive letters from loved ones, have showers every other day, celebrate Ramadan and even play a little soccer to keep their spirits up.

Is that abuse? I think not. But, as an interrogator, I was told not to yell, scream, curse or disrespect the religion of Islam because the detainee had rights. Americans as a whole seem to think I should pull up a chair and share coffee with people who are responsible for killing my fellow soldiers and Americans.

People who are really against this war shouldn't stand on safe soil and gripe. Quit your jobs, tell your families goodbye and fly to Iraq or Afghanistan. Talk with locals there who have lived under the rule of murderers and ask what they want from America and her allies. See the faces of the children who support the troops and those who would be willing to strap a bomb to their bodies to kill a few Americans.

Be the target of a vehicle full of nationals and make that split decision whether to shoot or not. Wonder who the enemy is when you look into the eyes of each person. Go into a prison and see how the detainees treat the military police guards and interrogators. Listen to how they planned the last roadside bomb and look at the smile on their face.

So before anyone passes judgment on those who are keeping America safe, do a military job, not for one day, but for the duration of a deployment. Then tell me how the American military should be treating our so-abused detainees.

HOOOAH, Diane!
-- Pam

posted by Pam @ 11:44 AM |

Iraq War Today is...
...News and photos of Heroes deployed to the Middle East and elsewhere. IWT is dedicated to all of our military Heroes - past, present and future.