We cannot win the war without the will to win

My wife and I protest every Saturday against the vicious, cruel and, in my opinion, treasonous actions of General Mattis against the Pendleton Eight. A young Marine recently thanked each of us for our demonstrations, stating, “You [the demonstrators] are helping all of us <all enlisted Marines>. Pendleton base police have also been affirmative.”

If the Pendleton 8 are flight risks, why are they held in solitary confinement and not allowed to talk with each other? Flight risk can be eliminated by confinement to the general jail population. Confining the eight to solitary confinement for six to nine months, being continually interrogated, threatened with life imprisonment, not allowed to communicate with each other is, in my opinion, torture. Cpl. Pennington’s attorney verified that Pennington had an abscessed tooth for over two months without dental care. Marine Generals believe enlisted warriors are guilty until proven innocent and that Naval Criminal Investigative Service’s proven perjury against defendants is acceptable.

Corporal Thomas’ sister has provided my wife and me with much truthful information. These warriors are the most patriotic young kids in America who are being prosecuted for fighting a war in the manner taught at Camp Pendleton; seek out and destroy the enemy. Now they are charged with battlefield murder. How many Iraqis are charged with murder?

The suicidal rules of engagement required by the Pentagon Generals are murdering our Marines to appease the Iraqi enemy. We cannot win any war without the will to win. America’s new Iraqi General stated, “America’s task is to help Iraqis gain the time they need to save their country.” Doesn’t he know we are losing a war against Iraqi ragtag nobodies? America could win this war in one week’s time if we used our vast weapon superiority to defeat our enemies as we did in WWII.

I am disgusted with the sissy Iraqi appeasement military leadership in this country. If Karl Roves or Jeb Bush’s sons were in Iraq, the suicidal rules of engagement would immediately change ad the war would end. Middle class enlisted are used as cannon fodder to appease Iraq.

Archie McPhee