On July 4, the day of the celebration of the 231st anniversary of the independence of the United States, about 600 US troops stationed in Iraq signed new contracts with the Pentagon. Moreover, many of them have already spent two or three terms in the combat zone. What is the reason that encourages people to risk their lives?
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The answer to this question is probably given by the event also on July 4: several ceremonies of swearing in new US citizens took place in Iraq. 325 soldiers of the American army uttered words of loyalty to the country for whose interests they are fighting, vowing to “support and protect the Constitution and laws of the United States of America from their enemies.” 161 serviceman gained the opportunity to call himself a full-fledged American in Baghdad, in the marbled hall of the former palace of Saddam Hussein Al-Faw. Since the beginning of the conflict in Iraq, over 1,200 GIs of foreign origin have become US passport holders.
Commander of the US military contingent in Iraq, General David Petraeus, addressing his new fellow citizens, said: “You made the decision, just like your comrades in arms, to sacrifice your life for the sake of defending the freedom of a country that you couldn’t fully call your own, and I consider it’s a great honor for me to fight for this just cause with you. ” And then the military leader deemed it necessary to emphasize: “No awards and bonuses, regardless of their status and size, will be able to become compensation for the contribution that each of you standing on the defense of our nation has made and continues to make in its defense.”
General Petraeus announced to the audience that the ceremony is dedicated to the memory of Sergeant Kimelle Watt, born in Jamaica, and Corporal Farid Elazzo, Moroccan. They died in early June, without waiting for American citizenship. But surely they will be awarded this honor posthumously, as Corporals José Gutierrez and José Garibei, who were killed in the first days of the war in Iraq.
Numerous guests arrived at the celebration of Independence Day in Baghdad, who settled down on the balconies and staircases of the palace of the executed dictator. Among them were senators John McCain and Lindsay Graham who had flown specially to the Iraqi capital. They congratulated the servicemen, who earned the title of US citizen with their own blood and blood of others, and in their own way complained about all the difficulties that soldiers had to experience in Iraq’s unpopular Iraqi strada.
“As you know, the war you are fighting on has divided the American people. But she did not share the Americans in admiration for you. We are all proud of you, ”said McCain.
By the way, the reputation of the senator, actively advocating the continuation of the military campaign in Iraq after more than half of the Americans began to take a negative attitude to this White House action, turned out to be greatly tarnished. According to a survey conducted by the research company Opinion Research, McCain is one of the last places in the 2008 presidential candidates ’race.
