Another terrible tragedy in Iraq. Sixteen U.S. soldiers are dead from a helicopter crash.....more than likely shot down.

Our soldiers in Iraq have a very tough job to do. They are trying to "win hearts and minds", stabilize the country, rebuild the country, and facilitate the transition to a new Iraqi government. These things come into conflict sometimes. How can the soldiers protect themselves from bands of Baathist-holdover guerillas and terrorists without antagonizing the local population? Terrorists often hide and fire from densely populated civilian areas. If our guys fire back they risk harming civilians and outraging the locals. If they don't fire back they are sitting ducks.

The first duty of our soldiers is to defend themselves. I hope an aggressive sweep to wipe out Saddam's remnants is in the offing. And what about Saddam himself? We need to find that bastard. When he's caught a lot of this resistance will die down and the people of Iraq will feel safer.

Continuing episodes like this will make this occupation less popular with the American public? Will George Bush stay the course? He has to. Leaving Iraq in a state of anarchy would be the worst possible thing we could do.

Lets put in more men if needed and get more help from our allies. Subdue the resistance by all means necessary. This includes continuing the campaign to win the loyalty of the Iraqi people. I don't understand what is taking so long to restore vital services there.

Hang in there Mr. President.
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