Free Speech >> Keep track of actual deaths in Iraq. A daily summary << August 13, 2003 Families, Vets Urge U.S. Troops Come Home By ELIZABETH WOLFE, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON – Susan Schuman ‘s son writes home from Iraq complaining of poor living conditions, skimpy water rations and dozens of daily attacks on U.S. troops that go unreported .

The mother of a Massachusetts National Guardsman stationed in Iraq since March, Schuman has joined others — longtime pacifists, military veterans and parents with children on extended deployments — in a campaign to bring them home. David Irving comments: The main topic of this story is interesting, of course, and also the line in which Mrs Schuman says that her son, a US soldier in Iraq, reports “dozens of daily attacks on U.S. troops that go unreported.” “Our soldiers are demoralized.

They are fighting an illegal and unjustified war,” Schuman said at a news conference Wednesday introducing the campaign, Bring Them Home Now. They want the U.S. occupation in Iraq to end, even if they disagree on how to take care of the war-ravaged country. “I want to bring them all home now and let the Iraqi people determine the future of Iraq,” said Stan Goff of Raleigh, N.C., a military veteran whose son is serving in Iraq.

The campaign’s name is a twist on President Bush (news – web sites)’s comment at a July news conference. Responding to attacks on U.S. forces, Bush taunted, “Bring ’em on.” The utterance was criticized as an encouragement for violence against American troops. Set up as a resource for military members while sending a political message, the campaign was initiated by groups including Military Families Speak Out and Veterans for Peace.

It unites the anti-war crowd with those increasingly disenchanted with the U.S. occupation. With no weapons of mass destruction yet found and steady reports of American troop deaths, the campaign has received more support from military families who initially backed the war, but are now asking why their country went there in the first place, said Charley Richardson , whose Marine son returned from Iraq in May.

The campaign started last month and now receives dozens of e-mails everyday, Richardson said. Not all of the messages are favorable, with some writers accusing the group of undermining troop morale by questioning the war and reconstruction efforts. After complaints from soldiers and families over what appeared the indefinite nature of some deployments, the Pentagon began to institute a new one-year rotation policy.

Members of the 3rd Infantry Division — told they would go home when combat ended — were most vocal about being kept on duty in Iraq. The Pentagon now says the division’s remaining elements will be relieved in September. “Clearly there is a need for predictability,” Lt. Gen. Norton Schwartz , director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a Pentagon press conference Wednesday. “The tours will be up to one year in length, but each individual will know when they will be home.” Lt.

Col. Jim Cassella , a Pentagon spokesman, said the antiwar campaign does not reflect the views of most soldiers or family members. “This small group is clearly out of step with the vast majority of servicemembers, families and veterans who clearly understand that we can fight and win the global war on terrorism in places like Iraq, or we can lose it in the streets of America,” Cassella said. “The troops know that, they’ve connected the dots.”

Campaign organizers are urging people to press their senators and representatives to bring troops home. Nearly 150,000 U.S. military personnel are currently in Iraq. Since Bush declared major combat operations over

on May 1, combat casualties have reached 58, with the latest U.S. soldier killed Wednesday, according to U.S. Central Command. Overall, 267 service members have died in hostile and non-hostile operations since the military operation began. Bring Them Home Now | Keep track of actual deaths in Iraq.

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