The Seattle Times recently published the following testimonial from Christopher H. Sheppard, a former Marine captain who served two tours of duty in Iraq. It is concise and powerful. I am saving it. I am also printing it off.
As I watched the Iraq war begin, I completely trusted the Bush administration. I thought we were going to prove all of the left-wing antiwar protesters and dissenters wrong. I thought we were going to make America safer. Regrettably, I acknowledge that it was I who was wrong.
http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/...
I believed the Bush administration when it said Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. I believed its assertion that Iraq was trying to buy yellowcake uranium from Africa and refine it into weapons-grade uranium for a nuclear bomb. I believed its claim Iraq had vast quantities of biological and chemical agents. After years of thorough inspections, all of these claims have been disproved.
I live in Wyoming, one of only three states where Dubya remains above 50% in public opinion polls. I will be sending it to my friends who remain supportive of the Bush administration asking them, "How would you answer this man?" I will be doing this not because I take any pleasure in the failures in Iraq, but because I believe it is essential to warn as many people as possible about Bush's plans in Iran.
I now know I wrongfully placed my faith and trust in a presidential administration hopelessly mired in incompetence, hubris and a lack of accountability. It planned a war based on false intelligence and unrealistic assumptions. It has strategically surrendered the condition of victory in Iraq to people who do not share our vision, values or interests. The Bush administration has proven successful at only one thing in Iraq -- painting us into a corner with no feasible exit.
I will never trust any of them again.
Take a look at the entire article. It is short, powerful, and complete.