Yesterday, warmonger RINO Sen. John McCain spent Memorial Day, of all days, visiting Syrians rebels. (See Steve’s post, here.)
For more than a year now, since March 2012, McCain has been pushing for a war in Syria, notwithstanding the fact that:
- Our military is already stretched thin, and our soldiers stressed to the breaking point with repeated tours of duty and unprecedented rates of suicide and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).
- We are plain broke, with a $17 trillion national debt that’s now a dangerous 105% of our GDP (gross domestic product).
The overnight network news contrasted McCain’s trip yesterday with an Obama regime that favors a “diplomatic” solution to the Syrian civil war.
Bunk.
The Obama regime has already positioned us for war in Syria.
Global Security reports that more than a month ago, on April 17, 2013, US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel had announced the deployment of elements of the 1st Armored Division headquarters to Jordan in response to the ongoing crisis in Syria. The elements from 1st Armored Division would join forces that are already in Jordan, providing a cohesive command and control element in cooperation with Jordan forces. If directed, this element could establish a joint task force headquarters that would provide command and control for chemical weapons response, humanitarian assistance efforts, and “stability operations.”
Go to GlobalSecurity.org for a history of the 1st Armored Division since its activation at Fort Knox on 15 July 1940.
In 1990, the 1st Armored Division was deployed to the Middle East in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. In less than 2 months the Division moved 17,400 soldiers and 7,050 pieces of equipment by rail, sea, and air to Saudi Arabia for Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
On 24 February 1991, the 1st Armored Division crossed into Iraq, leading VII Corp’s main flanking attack. Its mission was to destroy the elite Iraqi Republican Guards Divisions. In its 89-hour blitz across the desert Old Ironsides traveled 250 kilometers; destroyed 768 tanks, APCs and artillery pieces; and captured 1,064 prisoners of war.
Beginning on April 15, 2003, Old Ironsides were deployed in a 15-month long mission in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Task Force 1st Armored Division was the largest division-based task force in US Army history up to that point.
The task force secured some of Baghdad’s roughest neighborhoods and brought stability to the city and its surrounding countryside. The Task Force’s accomplishments included planning and executing Operations Iron Hammer, Iron Justice, Iron Grip, Longstreet, Iron Bullet, Iron Promise and Iron Sabre. During these task force operations, soldiers captured more than 700 criminals and former regime insurgents. They also confiscated thousands of rockets, mortars, tank rounds, rocket-propelled grenades and small arms.
In addition to combat, task force Soldiers protected and improved the quality of life for over 5 million Iraqi residents in the city of Baghdad. The task force trained Iraqi police and national guardsmen, renovated schools, established neighborhood councils and spent over $60 million on these and other projects.
During the opening phases of Operation Iraqi Freedom, 133 Iron Soldiers lost their lives while serving in Iraq and 1,111 were wounded in combat.
~Eowyn
