By way of Blackfive, some very interesting comments by General James Conway, commandant of the Marine Corps. On the media coverage of Iraq:
“We believe that our people are subject to some misinformation — not intentional perhaps, but nevertheless if you talk to any troop that’s been to Iraq or Afghanistan, they will paint you a significantly different picture, I think, from what’s being captured here day in and day out, in the news . . . ”
On “the casualty issue”:
Conway said “the casualty issue” is “driving the thinking of our country.” But he argued the United States has “lost perspective” when considering the number of deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan. “I have gone to way too many memorial services and written too many letters to families to dismiss this lightly,” he said. But he said U.S. forces are losing “on average about two soldiers, or Marines, maybe sailors, a day,” compared to 302 casualties a day during World War II. “We’ve lost just over 3,000 now, in the entirety of the war,” he said. “Since we invaded Iraq we’ve lost 43,000 young men of military age on the highway of this country. . . . That does not transmit to our country. I’ve got to tell you, it just doesn’t stick.”
Conway added, “My view is, if it’s important to the country, we should be able to sustain whatever it takes.”
On the insurgency:
“I’ll tell you, these people have a plan,” Conway said. “And the plan is to boot us out of the Middle East, destroy Israel, take charge of the oil supply and then strangle us to the point where we’ll have no choice but to go back in.”
On Marines:
Conway also said he wants every Marine in the existing force to get combat experience. He said he issued a directive Jan. 19 to implement this goal, which will affect about 35,000 Marines that have not seen combat. “I just think we need to give every Marine that opportunity,” he said.
