August 27, 2006 at 14:26:20 "Yes, Virginia..." by Missy Comley Beattie     Page 1 of 1 page(s) www.opednews.com

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On a trip to Fairbanks to participate in a ceremony for a memorial of the Alaska-Siberia Lend Lease program, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld spoke with families of the 172nd Striker Brigade, a unit of 3,800 troops. About 300 American soldiers from the unit have already returned home. The others are in Iraq, serving a one-year tour which was supposed to end soon. Those still in Iraq will see their tours extended by at least 120 days and many of the troops already home will redeploy to Iraq. They are needed to quell the violence in Baghdad.

During the flight to Alaska, the secretary of defense was questioned by reporters about the effect of this action on the troops. The arrogant Rumsfeld responded: "These people are all volunteers. They signed up.They all are there doing what they're doing because they want to do it."

Missy Beattie lives in New York City. She's written for National Public Radio and Nashville Life Magazine. An outspoken critic of the Bush Administration and the war in Iraq, she's a member of Gold Star Families for Peace. She completed a novel last year, but since the death of her nephew, Marine Lance Cpl. Chase J. Comley, in Iraq on August 6,'05, she has been writing political articles.

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