American Legion Supports Iraq War, Surge

On Monday, the National Commander of the nation's largest veterans organization -- the American Legion -- said that "much resolve and patience" are required by the Congress and the American people on the matter of the war in Iraq.

National Commander Marty Conatser is a retired sergeant major with the Illinois National Guard. He said that he has recently visited the American troops in Iraq and, echoing what other visiting leaders have discovered, their morale is very high and they are confident that, given sufficient time, they can achieve a decisive Coalition victory.

He also concurred with United States Commanding General David Petraeus that any rush to withdraw our troops from Iraq now would simply be a "rush to failure".

"General Petraeus forcefully and effectively reported measurable gains to the joint session of the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committees and his honest and professional assessment reinforced what I had seen in Iraq in the last month. General Petraeus's assessment that the military objectives are in large measure being met plus his reasonable proposal for a troop draw down prove the wisdom of the 'surge' strategy," Conatser explained.

The head of the 2.7 million-man strong Legion also had scathing words for critics, especially anti-war Democrats, who have attempted to undermine the character credibility of the commander of the U.S. forces in Iraq.

"For anyone or group to portray General Petraeus as a traitor is outrageous and downright despicable. The military leader I met with is an honest, dedicated patriot who is succeeding given the very difficult mission before him. He should be commended not condemned for his 35 years of selfless service to our nation."