To my knowledge the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad hasn’t yet been evacuated, but I do know that preparations are under way in case that’s necessary.
As for the years of blood, sweat, tears and sacrifice of America’s finest, that appears to be slipping away:
US official: Baghdad is about to be overrun. The Green Zone is going down.
— Michael Weiss (@michaeldweiss) June 13, 2014
ISIS militants are taking control of more and more of Iraq. Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city, has already fallen.
During it all I’ve been thinking about a Gold Star Mother who lives nearby. She lost her Marine son in Iraq nine years ago. Our little community here rallied to support her family and hopefully were of some comfort. There is still a picture of him in the window of the local gas station. The sun has left it a little faded, but his name is still readable, as are the words “KIA Fallujah, 2005.”
She remains very proud of her son of course, but I can’t help but try to imagine what she’s thinking today. And the same goes for the thousands of parents of service members killed in Iraq over a nine-year period.
The greatest disservice that could be done to these families — and the country for that matter — is if they end up telling themselves “it was for nothing.”
I’m afraid that’s precisely what’s happening.
This is my friend SGT Turcotte. Will you apologize to his family for throwing away our sacrifices, @BarackObama? pic.twitter.com/gciRraPw82
— J.R. Salzman (@jrsalzman) June 13, 2014
Update:
Iran is of course smelling opportunity due to the instability.
