More time, please
Faitfhful readers may recall our posts on Lt. Peter Hegseth, the Forest Lake, Minnesota native. He graduated from Princeton and served with the 101st Airborne Division as a member of the New Jersey National Guard. We heard from Pete in connection with his service in both Guantanamo and Iraq.
Today's Star Tribune carries Pete's op-ed column "The surge can work, but it needs time." The column is a companion to Pete's October 2006 Wall Street Journal column "More troops, please." Pete's column today argues the necessity of giving General Petraeus -- and the new counterinsurgency strategy in Iraq -- time to succeed (or fail). In a message to us this morning, Pete updates us on his current mission:
I recently became the Executive Director of Vets for Freedom. The mission of Vets for Freedom is to “mobilize veterans to communicate America’s strategic objectives in Iraq and Afghanistan.” We hope to explain America’s strategy -- namely “the surge” -- to the public; countering the chorus of left-leaning veterans groups who have truly hijacked the debate and are screaming “leave Iraq now.” A vast “silent majority” of U.S. troops support the mission in Iraq, and want to see America do everything possible to achieve success.In his column today Pete writes;The difficulty of the last four years does not change the underlying reality in Iraq: the safety of America depends on the outcome of the battle in the streets of Baghdad. Our enemies -- radical Islamists waging a global insurgency—already exalt their victory over the Soviets in Afghanistan as proof of their ascendance; and believe the weak-kneed Americans will be the second Goliath to fall at their feet. Iraq is ultimately a war of perception -- and for the sake of America’s strategic interests—we cannot afford defeat, real or perceived, in the eyes of our enemies and allies.
Vets for Freedom was started in 2005 and grew in strength leading up to the 2006 mid-term elections. It has since been largely dormant and I hope to reinvigorate the organization—along with founder Wade Zirkle -- in time for the "is the surge working?" debate later this summer." It is essential that the experienced voice of the American soldier be part of the debate. If people are interested in Vets for Freedom, or would like to provide much-needed funds for our efforts, please tell them to visit www.VetsforFreedom.org or shoot me an email at phegseth@gmail.com.
I share Americans' frustration with this difficult war, but this frustration does not change the underlying reality: The safety of America depends on the outcome of the battle in the streets of Iraq. Our enemies -- radical Islamists waging a global insurgency -- already exalt their victory over the Soviets in Afghanistan as proof of their ascendance, and believe the weak-kneed Americans will be the second Goliath to fall at their feet.But this need not be the case. There is a new general in town with a new strategy, and reports from Anbar and Baghdad are promising. All I ask -- as a soldier who fought next to Americans and Iraqis who died for Iraq's future -- is for the time necessary to give this winning strategy a chance.
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