The president sent out the following email to his list Wednesday afternoon:
Subject: The final march out of Iraq
Good afternoon,
After nearly nine years, our war in Iraq is ending.
In recent days, many of our troops have come home and been reunited with their families for the holidays. Over the next few days, a small group of American soldiers will begin the final march out of Iraq.
They’re actually flying out, for what it’s worth. The tone here suggests Napoleon’s retreat after defeat in Russia, which is a disservice to our troops.
This moment of success is because of their sacrifice. More than 1.5 million Americans have served in Iraq. More than 30,000 of these brave men and women were wounded. Nearly 4,500 gave their lives. America’s military families have borne a heavy burden.
As we mark the end of this war, we need to show our veterans and their families that they have the thanks of a grateful nation.
Take a minute to look back at the moments that brought us to this point, then share a personal message of gratitude with those who have served.
At this point, there’s a link in the email that says “Send Your Message of Thanks.” By that it must mean send a message of thanks to Obama; the page the link goes to is all about him keeping his promise to withdraw from Iraq. You have to scroll past several videos of President Obama declaring this and saying that before you get to the link to thank the troops. Atop the page, is a political clock counting down to the expiration of the payroll tax cut. Politics first, even on a page that’s supposed to be about the end of the war in Iraq.
The email continues:
Part of ending a war responsibly is standing by those who have fought it. It’s not enough to honor our heroes with words; we must do so with deeds.
That’s why we’ve worked to send 600,000 veterans and family members back to school on the Post-9/11 GI Bill. That’s why one of Michelle’s top priorities as First Lady has been to support military families and why she’s worked with the private sector to get commitments to create 100,000 jobs for those who’ve served and their spouses. That’s why we worked with Congress to pass a tax credit so that companies have an incentive to hire vets and have taken steps to help veterans translate military experience to the private sector job market.
In America, our commitment to those who fight for our freedom and our ideals doesn’t end when our troops take off the uniform.
You can be a part of this effort to honor our heroes.
Help mark this moment. Write a quick note that troops and veterans all over the world will be able to see:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/iraq
Thank you,
President Barack Obama
That link goes to the same page, dominated by images of the president who opposed the surge that won the war.
Speaking of that, the email never comes out and says that we actually won the Iraq war. The closest it gets is to note the “success.”
A significant word is never used: Victory.
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