The 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division rolled across the security checkpoint into Kuwait last night, and the gates closed behind the last unit of American "combat" troops to leave Iraq. Now we hear that Operation Iraqi Freedom will officially be retired on September 1 and replaced with Operation New Dawn.
The illegal war in Iraq isn't over yet. Not until December 2011 at the very earliest.
The Pentagon broke down the numbers for us - after September 1, there will be 50,000 US troops on Iraqi soil, not to mention 7,000 mercenaries. All of them armed and capable of doing a lot of damage to Iraq's fragile infrastructure, even if they don't have immediate access to daisy cutters.
These troops should not be forgotten, while there can still be honest debate about what the mercs are still doing in Iraq in the first place.
And what of these troops? Michael Moore said it best in Fahrenheit 9/11:
Of course, not a single member of Congress wanted to sacrifice their child for the war in Iraq. And who could blame them? Who would want to give up their child? Would you? Would he? [Referring to George W. Bush]
I've always been amazed that the very people forced to live in the worst parts of town, go to the worst schools, and who have it the hardest are always the first to step up, to defend that very system. They serve so that we don't have to. They offer to give up their lives so that we can be free. It is, remarkably, their gift to us. And all they ask for in return is that we never send them into harm's way unless it's absolutely necessary.
Will they ever trust us again?
I'll be keeping my champagne on ice for when the last American soldier in Iraq hands in his rifle, packs his duffel bag, and turns out the lights. When his plane delivers his back home to family and friends, then and only then will our illegal occupation of Iraq cease.
Until the day comes...