thought some of you may be interested in this. message sent to troops in iraq:<br /><br />IMMEDIATE<br /><br /><br />UNCLAS<br /><br /><br />SUBJ: IRAQI ELECTIONS MESSAGE TO TROOPS<br /><br /><br />1. (U) ON JANUARY 30TH IN IRAQ, THE WORLD WITNESSED AN IMPORTANT<br /><br />MOMENT IN THE GLOBAL STRUGGLE AGAINST TYRANNY, A MOMENT THAT<br /><br />HISTORIANS MIGHT ONE DAY CALL A MAJOR TURNING POINT. AMERICAS MEN<br /><br />AND WOMEN IN UNIFORM, WHO WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN THE LIBERATION OF<br /><br />IRAQ, WERE THERE TO WITNESS THIS MOMENT AS WELL.<br /><br /><br />2. (U) DURING THE STRUGGLE TO BRING FREEDOM TO IRAQ, MANY OF YOU<br /><br />HAVE FACED DIFFICULT TIMES FAR FROM HOME. I SUSPECT THERE HAVE<br /><br />BEEN MOMENTS ALONG THE WAY WHEN SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE WONDERED WHETHER<br /><br />OR NOT THE EFFORT WOULD BE WORTH THE COST, OR WHETHER, EVEN, THE<br /><br />PEOPLE YOU WERE TRYING TO HELP TRULY STOOD WITH YOU.<br /><br /><br />3. (U) LAST SUNDAY, THE IRAQI PEOPLE ANSWERED THOSE UNDERSTANDABLE<br /><br />QUESTIONS IN A RESOUNDING WAY. JUST AS VOTERS HAD IN AFGHANISTAN<br /><br /><br />LAST OCTOBER. THE WORLD IS EXPERIENCING A GLOBAL STRUGGLE BETWEEN<br /><br />FREEDOM AND FEAR AND YOU ARE ON THE SIDE OF FREEDOM. THAT*S THE<br /><br />SIDE TO BE ON. AND THE PEOPLE OF AFGHANISTAN, AND NOW THE PEOPLE<br /><br />OF IRAQ, HAVE CHOSEN TO STAND WITH YOU.<br /><br /><br />4. (U) CONSIDER THE COURAGE IT TOOK FOR THE IRAQI PEOPLE TO GO TO<br /><br />THE POLLS WHEN THEY HAD BEEN WARNED THAT THE ACT OF VOTING COULD COST<br /><br />THEM AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS THEIR LIVES. THINK OF THE<br /><br />DETERMINATION THEY MUST HAVE POSSESSED TO RISK BECOMING TARGETS FOR<br /><br />BOMBINGS OR BEHEADINGS.<br /><br />AND YET THE IRAQIS VOTED, MILLIONS OF THEM.<br /><br />VOTERS ARRIVED ON CRUTCHES AND DONKEY CARTS, PASSING BY GRAFFITI<br /><br />WARNINGS ON THE WALLS THAT SAID: YOU VOTE, YOU DIE;*<br /><br />A. IRAQIS CAME TO A POLLING STATION TO VOTE EVEN AFTER A ROCKET<br /><br />ATTACK HAD KILLED THREE PEOPLE SEVERAL HOURS EARLIER;<br /><br />B. CHILDREN WAVED IRAQI FLAGS AS THEY WITNESSED THE BIRTH OF THEIR<br /><br />NEW FREE SYSTEM;<br /><br />C. ELDERLY WOMEN WITH TEARS IN THEIR EYES HELD UP THEIR VOTING CARDS;<br /><br />AND<br /><br />D. VOTERS DISPLAYED THEIR INK-STAINED FINGERS AS BADGES OF HONOR IN<br /><br />THE FIGHT AGAINST EXTREMISM.<br /><br /><br />5. (U) IRAQ*S SECURITY FORCES ALSO DESERVE RECOGNITION FOR THEIR<br /><br />BRAVERY AND THEIR WILLINGNESS, DESPITE THE THREATS, TO WEAR THEIR<br /><br />COUNTRY*S UNIFORMS AND TO PROVIDE SECURITY ON SUNDAY FOR BOTH THE<br /><br />MILLIONS OF VOTERS AND THE THOUSANDS OF ELECTION WORKERS.<br /><br /><br />6. (U) THESE ARE TIMES OF CONSEQUENCE. IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS,<br /><br />FIFTY MILLION FREE PEOPLE IN AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ HAVE BEGUN TO BUILD<br /><br />NEW FUTURES. THEY HAVE REJECTED THE EXTREMISM THAT FUELS ATTACKS<br /><br />ON CIVILIZED PEOPLE. AND YOU HAVE MADE THAT POSSIBLE. HAVE NO<br /><br />DOUBT: THE COURAGE AND SACRIFICES OF U.S. FORCES HAVE HELPED TO<br /><br />CREATE THE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH AFGHANS AND IRAQIS ARE DEVELOPING THE<br /><br />ABILITY TO TAKE HOLD OF THEIR COUNTRIES.<br /><br /><br />7. (U) NOW THESE FREE PEOPLE CONTINUE TO SEEK YOUR HELP IN BUILDING<br /><br />FREE, DEMOCRATIC AND PEACEFUL NATIONS IN SOME OF THE WORLD*S MOST<br /><br />VIOLENT REGIONS. NO ONE TREASURES PEACE MORE THAN YOU WHO HAVE<br /><br />ENDURED THE HORRORS OF WAR.<br /><br /><br />8. (U) SO TO ALL OF YOU WHO ARE SERVING ON FREEDOM*S FRONT LINES,<br /><br />AND TO YOUR FAMILIES, I OFFER MY DEEPEST APPRECIATION AND RESPECT.<br /><br />TO THOSE WHO HAVE LOST FRIENDS OR LOVED ONES DURING THIS CONFLICT OR<br /><br />WHO HAVE BEEN INJURED IN DEFENSE OF OUR FREEDOM, FIND COMFORT IN<br /><br />KNOWING THAT YOUR SACRIFICES HAVE HISTORIC MEANING. AND KNOW THAT<br /><br /><br />ONE DAY, THE PEOPLE OF IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN WILL FIND A WAY TO THANK<br /><br />YOU, AS I DO, FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART.<br /><br /><br />9. (U) MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND MAY GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES.<br /><br />DONALD H. RUMSFELD<br /><br /><br />BT
