False letters lead to doubt

The United States' involvement with the war in Iraq has now stretched to seven months and counting. And while the Bush Administration declared an end to major combat May 1, our armed forces are still engaged and facing hard.

The morale of America's troops is down according to a survey done by Stars and Stripes, a newspaper for soldiers and government civilians abroad. Depression is an increasing problem, and suicides have become an issue.

Soldiers are also still not properly equipped in Iraq, leaving them unprotected and supplies are running low, as well.

To make matters worse, soldiers continue to fight despite the fact that, like the American public, they do not know what exactly they are fighting for. Stars and Stripes revealed that one-third of 2,000 soldiers surveyed in Iraq were on missions that were "not clearly defined" or "not at all defined."

In attempts at a rest and relaxation program, troops have been granted leave two weeks at a time. They are then required to return to duty. Some, however, have not shown up when they were scheduled to leave again. These soldiers have not, however, been declared by the government as absent without leave.

The response the Bush Administration has given to these issues arising in the media is that the media is filtering events in Iraq, essentially to create concern.

But ultimately it is the job of the media to tell the truth. Recently, however, under false pretenses and misguiding of the government, the media did not.

Fake military letters from soldiers appeared in newspapers across the country recently, claiming to be from the 2nd Battalion of the 503rd Infantry Regiment, glorifying the time and success while overseas in Iraq.

This act of fraud seems to be a sort of public relations campaign on behalf of the Bush Administration to get the country on board with the war efforts. It is also a ploy to raise Bush's approval ratings by proving that he has not made a mistake and lied to the country or led the country to war when he should not have.

Lieutenant Colonel Dominic Caraccilo has admitted to writing these letters on behalf of soldiers who he felt were too busy to do it on their own. Names of soldiers were signed without their consent or knowledge, and the letters were distributed to newspapers across the country.

The men and women of our armed forces have been used in this propaganda scheme against their will. They have been through enough as it is, fighting for their country and enduring conditions most of the American public cannot even imagine.

Why does Bush not want the public to know what is really going on in Iraq? How can he try to convince the public that everything is okay overseas when casualty reports keep coming in and soldiers will not return to duty?

American soldiers are providing a service to the country, for their friends and family, and this is how the government repays them? This is not right.

This campaign only makes the government look guilty and desperate. Enough with lies about conditions of America's armed forces and what is happening overseas.

We have a right to know what is happening concerning their country and fellow country men and women.