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Two Soldiers Who Co-Wrote NY Times Op-ed Critical of War Killed in Iraq

Via Brandon Friedman at Daily Kos:

Two of the seven soldiers who wrote the New York Times op-ed piece criticizing U.S. counterinsurgency strategy 3 ½ weeks ago have been killed in Iraq.  Yance T. Gray and Omar Mora died Monday in a vehicle accident in Baghdad.   The AP has reported on Yance Gray here, and KHOU, a Houston-area TV station has reported on Omar Mora here.  Their families have been notified.

Here's the August 19 NY Times op-ed, The War as We Saw It. Some snippets:

bq.. Four years into our occupation, we have failed on every promise, while we have substituted Baath Party tyranny with a tyranny of Islamist, militia and criminal violence. When the primary preoccupation of average Iraqis is when and how they are likely to be killed, we can hardly feel smug as we hand out care packages. As an Iraqi man told us a few days ago with deep resignation, “We need security, not free food.” In the end, we need to recognize that our presence may have released Iraqis from the grip of a tyrant, but that it has also robbed them of their self-respect. They will soon realize that the best way to regain dignity is to call us what we are — an army of occupation — and force our withdrawal. Until that happens, it would be prudent for us to increasingly let Iraqis take center stage in all matters, to come up with a nuanced policy in which we assist them from the margins but let them resolve their differences as they see fit. This suggestion is not meant to be defeatist, but rather to highlight our pursuit of incompatible policies to absurd ends without recognizing the incongruities. We need not talk about our morale. As committed soldiers, we will see this mission through.

Update: See Scribe's new diary on this, In Memoriam.

< Norman Hsu: Another Capital Venture Goes South | Obama's New Iraq Plan: Troops Out by End of 2008 >
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  • Display: Sort:
    War in Iraq (5.00 / 1) (#1)
    by barbarajmay on Wed Sep 12, 2007 at 11:08:41 AM EST
    Does anyone else out there find the timing of their deaths suspicious?

    I Think Of (5.00 / 1) (#2)
    by squeaky on Wed Sep 12, 2007 at 11:13:28 AM EST
    Tillman. I wonder if they were seen as rats by some, or at least a liability. In any case, it sends a strong message.

    Parent
    I do (none / 0) (#3)
    by HeadScratcher on Wed Sep 12, 2007 at 11:21:06 AM EST
    I find this suspicious. Bush/Cheney with no regard to anything the U.S. Congress or World Leaders have to say are so worried about the opinions of two U.S. soldiers to the point that they want them silenced!!!

    I'm sure the guys at Loose Change are already working on the documentary of how this was accomplished...

    Parent

    I was writing a diary on this (5.00 / 4) (#4)
    by scribe on Wed Sep 12, 2007 at 11:25:39 AM EST
    What a horrible loss ;( (5.00 / 2) (#5)
    by Militarytracy on Wed Sep 12, 2007 at 02:37:06 PM EST
    Any soldier in this mess is a terrible loss for their families and the nation, losing these two though after they have displayed so much courage and honor in their duty, thoughts, and voices is very hard.  They did the almost unthinkable, they told the truth about Iraq in a soldiers voice and it didn't agree with the lies about Iraq that the CIC was trying to spread.  Horrible loss to lose so much courage and honor in Iraq.......shame on the Dems for not ending this.

    Sgt Murphy (5.00 / 1) (#7)
    by Che's Lounge on Wed Sep 12, 2007 at 02:51:22 PM EST
    is also recovering (hopefully) from a serious head wound he received prior to the publication of the op-ed.

    Bushboy's Big Tears at Casualties (none / 0) (#6)
    by patriot76 on Wed Sep 12, 2007 at 02:43:20 PM EST
    Here's a photograph of Bushboy formulating his strategy for the next six months in Iraq: http://wwwthepartyofthewidestance.blogspot.com/

    Interesting odds (none / 0) (#8)
    by Che's Lounge on Wed Sep 12, 2007 at 02:53:31 PM EST
    that three of the seven authors have been killed or wounded. They must have been too close to the action. Or they were fragged.

    this just makes me despise the (none / 0) (#9)
    by seabos84 on Wed Sep 12, 2007 at 08:10:19 PM EST
    worthless dems a little bit more.

    recall - fascists are lying selfish scum, they are doing EXACTLY what fascists should do...

    ummm, that is why they are fascists.

    HOWEVER, the worthless sacks on our side making excuses and excuses, oh and

    making big paychecks!
    making great retirement!
    making great health care!

    and making things like 80-14 votes for the fascist possible ...

    I read that piece and I think of 2 of them KIA, and I feel so sick.

    rmm.