10th anniversary of Iraq War: On March 19, 2003, the war on Iraq began. On the 10th anniversary, the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Marines, Amnesty International, and others reflected on the years of war.
From praise for the dedication of soldiers, to the sorrow of loss and continued suffering in Iraq and the United States, officials and human rights advocates expressed their thoughts on the 10th anniversary of the start of the war in Iraq.
Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel
Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel spoke of dedicated American soldiers in a statement released Tuesday: “They served with valor and met every challenge—from the streets of Fallujah and Sadr City to outposts in Ramadi and Mosul—always watching out for their brothers and sisters in arms,” he said of the more than one million service members deployed to Iraq.
Hagel continued: “Our reflections include the Iraqi people—the Iraqi soldiers and police officers who died alongside our own, the men and women who were caught in the crossfire, and those who still struggle today to secure and govern their nation. The Iraqi people will determine the future of Iraq and the United States will continue to support their efforts for a peaceful, secure, free, and prosperous nation.”
Kate Allen, Director, Amnesty International UK
Kate Allen, director of Amnesty International UK sent a letter to British publication the Independent, which was published on Monday: “Saddam Hussein’s brutal rule is long gone, but Iraq remains enmeshed in a grim cycle of human rights abuses, including relentless attacks on civilians, the near-systematic torture of detainees followed by unfair trials, and widespread use of the death penalty.”
Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Iowa)
Rep. Bruce Braley and Republican Rep. Walter Jones introduced the True Cost of War Act on Monday. Braley has introduced the act in various forms since 2008, gaining some support, but not enough to make it law.
It would require a tallying of the long-term financial and social impact of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Braley’s statement, posted on his website on Monday, reads: “Congress has spent $1.5 trillion on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan so far, but those costs don’t even begin to account for so many indirect costs and the costs of these wars yet to come: lifetime care for injured veterans, long-term mental health treatment, spousal benefits for families of those we lost, and more.
“These wars have had a tremendous impact on our federal budget and our standing in the world.”
US Marines
The U.S. Marines’ Facebook page highlighted an exceptional veteran to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the war in Iraq.
It wrote on its Facebook page on Tuesday: “This week we’re recognizing the 10th anniversary of the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Our Iraq veteran Marines Fan of the Week is Ronald J. Howard Jr, submitted by his brother Ryan Boiselle. Howard went to bootcamp two weeks after the attack of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11. He was an infantryman with Bravo Co, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment during the assault of Baghdad and Fallujah. He did three tours in Iraq total.”
Boiselle told the Marines: “He is my brother, my friend, and possibly the best Marine I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. … Thankfully he came home safe, but like most people not without some mental scars.”
Others recommended outstanding veterans they know.
Bryce Armeni posted on the Marines’ page about his brother who was wounded so badly some of his insides were exposed, but he kept giving orders and doing what he felt necessary: “He figured he was a dead man walking so thought the right thing to do was go out giving orders. Some how he survived. After losing some intestine and colon he refused early retirement. Deployed again.”
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