Facts on the Ground

Two major gaffes have come out of the President's speech yesterday. In one, the President claimed that the invasion of Tall Afar was an Iraqi operation with Iraqi soldiers in the lead, which was totally contradicted by someone who was there:

I was in that battle from the very beginning to the very end. I was with Iraqi units right there on the front line as they were battling with al Qaeda. They were not leading. They were being led by the U.S. green beret special forces with them.

Then, the President made reference to a goodbye letter written by one of our soldiers:

One of those fallen heroes is a Marine Corporal named Jeff Starr, who was killed fighting the terrorists in Ramadi earlier this year. After he died, a letter was found on his laptop computer. Here's what he wrote, he said, "[I]f you're reading this, then I've died in Iraq. I don't regret going. Everybody dies, but few get to do it for something as important as freedom. It may seem confusing why we are in Iraq, it's not to me. I'm here helping these people, so they can live the way we live. Not [to] have to worry about tyrants or vicious dictators_. Others have died for my freedom, now this is my mark."

Here's the whole letter. Note what was left out.

Obviously if you are reading this then I have died in Iraq. I kind of predicted this - that is why I'm writing this in November. A third time just seemed like I'm pushing my chances. I don't regret going, everybody dies but few get to do it for something as important as freedom.

It may seem confusing why we are in Iraq, it's not to me. I'm here helping these people, so that they can live the way we live. Not have to worry about tyrants or vicious dictators. To do what they want with their lives. To me that is why I died. Others have died for my freedom, now this is my mark.

Now, this is a real big sticking point on the right, that the "liberal media" supposedly selectively edits everything to change the meaning of quotes. This butchered quote that the President used does change the meaning. Apparently this guy turned down a $24,000 bonus to re-enlist for a fourth time, preferring to enter college. He's obviously a proud guy, and he wanted to believe in the mission. But to cast it as a sunny-eyed "I died for freedom" line distorts and disfigures his memory.

But I guess it's like spitting into the wind to ask for this White House to be honest about the war.