A soldier’s take on Newsweek’s unsourced mayhem

Got this in my email this morning, from a Sgt in Saudi Arabia. It speaks for itself. Newsweek cannot simply get by with a half-assed apology, not when they are putting our troops in additional danger, making their jobs more difficult and possibly extending the warfront.

As one of many thousands of soldiers out here, I just have to shake my head at each new “revelation” drug out by the mainstream media. I have lost friends and family to this fight. I have placed my life and the life of my fellow soldiers in danger in order to achieve a measure of the freedoms we enjoy at home for the Iraqi and Afghani people. As soldiers, we all understand that we may be asked to participate in wars (actions) that we (or our countrymen) don’t agree with. The irresponsible journalism being practiced by organizations such as Newsweek, however, are just inexcusable. At this point, because of their actions, and failure to follow up on a claim of that magnitude, they’ve set the process back in Afghanistan immensely…

Most everyone in the Army has, at this point, been on one combat tour already, many are here for their second or third. This pace of battle seriously deteriorates their lives at home and morale abroad. By adding
more fuel to the fire in Afghanistan, they could very well have created a similar situation that we now face in Iraq. Instead of a single front for determined battle, we may now find ourselves committing more troops to help stabilize two countries. [Personal detail omitted – the Anchoress]

I don’t regret serving my country, not one bit, but to have everything I’m doing here undermined by irresponsible journalists leaves me disgusted and disappointed.

The fall-out from this may be long lasting, and the body count may very well continue to rise, although only indirectly attributed to this story. More of my fellow Soldiers are likely to be committed to this war, and more
Americans may have to die before this is over. I wish that they would be held criminally liable for their
actions.

Please withhold my name and unit when quoting me….

While we’re reading all of this with our morning coffee, let’s pause and remember our military in a prayer.