Rudyard Kipling"
“When you're left wounded on Afganistan's plains and
the women come out to cut up what remains, Just roll to your rifle
and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldier”
General Douglas MacArthur"
“We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.”
“It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.” “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.
“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.”
“May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .” “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
“Nobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
The Soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as bright as his brass
"Step forward you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint."
I've had to work on Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said
And I never passed a cry for help
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burden well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
Syrian Residents Decry 'Occupa-tion' by Islamist 'Liberators'
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Execution of 3 Shiites in Raqqa in revenge for killing of Sunnis in other towns.
Raqqa a city of about 500,000 has been in rebel hands for almost four months now but there are already conflicts between many remaining in the city who want a civil and democratic state and the Islamists who want an Islamic caliphate. The struggle between the two viewpoints is shown in a battle of slogans:"A slogan painted in small letters on a school wall reads, "We the people want Syria to be a civil, democratic state." Scrawled next to it in bigger letters is the response from an unknown Islamic hard-liner: "The laws of the civil state contradict the Islamic caliphate." " The rebellion's three star flag is not seen in Raqqa but black Islamic banners. Moderates have been trying to struggle with the radical's grip on power. They have managed to establish a number of newspapers and other media outlets and also public forums trying to educate the residents about democracy and the right to vote. This seems rather surprising to me in that one would think that the militants would immediately crack down on the media and the forums. Perhaps they wish to win the support of the public. There are two radical factions that took control of Raqqa, the Al Nusra Front many of whom are foreign fighters. The group is on the US terror lists and has links to Al Qaeda. The other group is Ahrar al-Sham which is Syrian but with a jihadist ideology as well. Many opponents of the Assad regime have been distressed by the extreme brutality of the fighters. In the days after seizing the city, the brigades brought captured security forces into a public square, killed them, and drove their bodies through the streets. Later in May, Al Nusra fighters brought three Shiite Muslims into the city's main square and shot them in the back of the head. The group announced that the shootings were in retaliation for killing of Sunni Muslims in other nearby cities. The statement was made in the name of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant referring to a merger announced in April. Appended videos show two sets of executions in Raqqa. Mohammed Shoeib, who witnessed the events, said that the Shiites were executed in front of everyone, young and old. For several hours no one dared approach the bodies to take them away for burial. The nurse, Saado, who finally did, was assassinated the next day. Other observers confirmed Shoeib's account. Shoeib complained:"Executing people in this manner in a public square and killing Saado was unacceptable and turned many people against them. Our revolution was against oppression and we don't accept such actions under any circumstance." Activists erected a mourning tent where the three were executed. For three days, they received mourners who expressed their anger at the execution. The al-Nusra front were not pleased but did not remove the demonstration. The rebels were greeted with great enthusiasm when they first took the city. But the Assad regime still mounts air attacks that cause considerable damage. Schools in the city are closed and Syrian government employees have no paychecks coming in. The residents complain that the Syrian National Coalition pays little attention to the needs of Raqqa. An anonymous owner of a sweets shop said:"The opposition groups are too busy fighting each other. They have not sent anyone to ask about our needs, nor is there any contact with any of them." A spokesperson for the Coalition said the city was receiving aid but that it was unmarked and so people might no be aware of it. He also said that air strikes around the city made delivering aid difficult. The rebel groups do their best to administer the city. They set up bakeries, and try to keep the electricity and water going and also distribute the aid they receive from international agencies. Many residents praise the militant groups and support them more than the opposition in exile. The militants are there trying to make things function at least. However, the owner of the sweets shop said:"Raqqa has not been liberated. It has been re-occupied by the Islamists." All Voices
