While the country continues to analyze and discuss the devastation Hurricane Katrina has wreaked on the Gulf Coast, media coverage of the war in Iraq has quickly been reduced to second-page news. One disaster, in effect, has replaced another. Only one, however, was entirely avoidable.
As National Guard members from across the country begin the somber process of handling the bodies of the dead scattered across Louisiana and Mississippi, others valiantly do the same for their comrades in the Middle East.
In a war based upon ambiguous and largely inaccurate information, members of our armed forces, such as 22-year-old Madison native Mark Maida, have given the ultimate sacrifice. Yet, since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, one question still remains: why?
Why have 44 Wisconsin men and women perished thousands of miles away from their homes and loved ones? Why was Sgt. Maida, whose scheduled discharge was postponed 90 days due to troop shortages, unable to marry his long-time girlfriend and start a family? Why must his family grieve and mourn?
A 2001 graduate of James Madison Memorial High School, Mr. Maida enlisted in the Army shortly after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. His brother noted how patriotism and sacrifice played a pivotal role in Sgt. Maida's decision to join.
"He believed in defending his country," said Aaron Maida. "He felt an obligation to serve."
Though driven by a desire to ensure our country's national security, Sgt. Maida and the rest of our armed forces have engaged in a futile and fruitless mission that has utterly failed to enhance our nation's safety.
As Monday's events show, the insurgency continues to grow in strength, boldness and audacity. Without question, Iraq has become the next training ground for jihadist recruits, effectively replacing pre-Sept. 11 Afghanistan. It has become a televised stage for the entire Arab world, where radical Muslims fiercely battle American crusaders.
The potential for new recruits and converts to filter into other Middle Eastern countries looms large. As C.I.A. director Porter Goss explained to the Senate in February, "These jihadists who survive will leave Iraq experienced in, and focused on, acts of urban terrorism. They represent a potential pool of contacts to build transnational terrorist cells, groups and networks in Saudi Arabia, Jordan and other countries."
According to the Washington Post, a majority of the suicide bombers in Iraq have come from other Middle Eastern nations. Taking advantage of Iraq's porous borders, men from Saudi Arabia, Iran and Syria eagerly annihilate themselves, hoping to destroy American forces. Their vigor and relentlessness continues to baffle those in the Bush administration who believed flowers and sweets would be handed to our men and women in uniform upon their arrival.
While those who decide to enlist in the military are certainly aware of the possibility of death, it is the government's responsibility to ensure that those in uniform risk their lives only when absolutely necessary. Sadly, the war in Iraq has proved to be anything but that. Because of this, it seems, when we remember young men like Sgt. Mark Maida, the first question to come to mind will always be: why?
Josh Moskowitz ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in political science and journalism.
