The National Guard Belongs in New Orleans and Biloxi. Not Baghdad.

[Karmadillo]

http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=1&ItemID=8623

<edit>

The back-page Post story added: “National Guard officials in the states acknowledged that the scale of the destruction is stretching the limits of available manpower while placing another extraordinary demand on their troops -- most of whom have already served tours in Iraq or Afghanistan or in homeland defense missions since 2001.”

Speaking for the Mississippi National Guard, Lt. Andy Thaggard said:
“Missing the personnel is the big thing in this particular event. We need our people.” According to the Washington Post, the Mississippi National Guard “has a brigade of more than 4,000 troops in central Iraq” while “Louisiana also has about 3,000 Guard troops in Baghdad.”

National Guard troops don’t belong in Iraq. They should be rescuing and protecting in Louisiana and Mississippi, not patrolling and killing in a country that was invaded on the basis of presidential deception. They should be fighting the effects of flood waters at home -- helping people in the communities they know best -- not battling Iraqi people who want them to go away.

Let’s use the Internet today to forward and post this demand so widely that the politicians in Washington can no longer ignore it:

Bring the National Guard home. Immediately.

[i miss america]

1. Heck yeah!

[Career Prole]

2. We could also use some of that infrastructure rebuilding

that Halliburton et al are supposedly doing over there.

[rodeodance]

3. my understanding is LA, like many other states have 'nationalization"

of the guard (21 other states)--meaning some (?) are at the disposal of the Fed gov. I realize there are other factors involved and maybe someone else can explain better.

[murray hill farm]

4. just recommended this post...

and thought...someone finially said it...yes...that is absolutely correct...the threat for our national security is right here in our own country...the help is needed here..we need to take care of our own country that is in such huge need of help right now.

[merbex]

5. A no brainer

except for the neo cons

Iraq will always take precedence

[paineinthearse]

6. Question: Are the NG troops stationed in Iraq federalized?

Have the Are the NG troops stationed in Iraq been federalized, or are they under the command of their various states' governors?

It's time for the governors, especially the Dems, to say ENOUGH and order their units home and/or to the gulf coast.

[indepat]

7. But, but how can we be safe over here if the NG troops are not fighting

the over there so we don't have to fight them over here?