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Visit http://www.garcabranca.com for details/booking/confirmation. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ --- V M <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > A Goan Falls in Iraq > by V. M. de Malar > > (From O Heraldo, Sept 22) > > Just 19, Nicholas Madaras of the US Army had almost > completed his tour of duty, and was making plans to > study medicine. The soft-eyed son of William > and Shalini (nee Coutinho) Madaras, with maternal > roots in Cuncolim and Loutolim, > Mario observes: > First of all, Nicholas Madaras was not a Goan by any stretch of anyone's imagination. He was an American-born, all-American kid, whose Mother happens to be from Goa, who was brave and patriotic enough to volunteer to be an American soldier, even though that meant risking one's own life. > V.M. writes: > > It's clear from his memorial website ( > www.nicholasmadaras.com) that Nick's > 19 years constituted a rich and valuable life. > and > > Then the photo wearing battle fatigues, and the > story stops abruptly, permanently. > Mario adds: > Nicholas Madaras was an American hero who gave his life on behalf of his country, not Goa, and on behalf of freedom and democracy for Iraq. > V.M. writes: > > More than 60 Connecticut residents died the state > was swept up along with the rest of the USA in a > national determination to strike back. As we know, > this admirable instinct has been controversially > diverted away from Afghanistan and Al Qaeda. > Mario observes: > Sadly, the striking back should have started way back in the mid-90's, when a whole series of attacks by Al Qaeda on US interests were well underway. Then, it could have prevented all the subsequent attacks on the US culminating in the sneak suicide attack on 9/11. > V.M. writes: > > Instead, the Bush administration has used rage > about 9/11 to trigger a military occupation in > the heart of the Arab world. > Mario observes: > This is patently false. First of all, the liberation of Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11 and no US leader has said it had anything to do with 9/11. This is a deliberately false interpretation by opponents of Iraq's liberation of comments by US leaders that Iraq had growing ties to Al Qaeda from the presence there of Al Zarkawi and the Ansar Al Sunnah training camp at Salman Pak. > Simultaneously, Saddam Hussein had been refusing to divulge any information about his WMD's as he had agreed to do in the cease-fire treaty in 1991, in spite of 16 UN resolutions over 12 years demanding that he do so. The concern after 9/11 was that with Al Qaeda's escalation to suicide attacks on the US mainland, that Saddam, who had also been encouraging suicide attacks on Israeli civilians, would provide Al Qaeda with his unaccounted for WMDs, which could then be used in another suicide attack on the US leading to far greater loss of life. > Previously, President Clinton had signed the Iraq Liberation Act in 1998 based on the same rationale as was used in the actual liberation in 2003. In 2003 there was also UN resolution 1441, which had given Saddam an ultimatum of serious consequences if he would not disarm and divulge what he had done with his WMDs. > Finally, the assertion of an American "military occupation" in Iraq is also false, since the presence of the US-led coalition in Iraq is now at the request of a democratically constituted Iraqi government. > It would be like saying that the Allies in WW-II "occupied" Europe whilst in the middle of liberating it. By this peculiar standard, the US also "occupies" Germany, Japan and S. Korea. > V.M. writes: > > The Iraq campaign has been plagued with setbacks, > and promising young men continue to die while > pursuing fast-receding objectives. > Mario observes: > I'm not sure where V.M. gets the false idea that the objectives in Iraq are "fast-receding" since they were confirmed AGAIN just this week by both the US and Iraqi governments. > V.M. writes: > > Madaras wasn't your average American grunt. His > multicultural background and looks set him apart. > He was sensitive to locals, especially children who > loved soccer as much as he did. His mother says > "Nick always wanted us to send him candy and things > to give out", and asked for soccer balls to share > with Iraqi kids. She writes, "he grew up very proud > of his American and Goan/Indian heritage." This > background showed, at his funeral another > soldier serving in Baq'uba testified that Nick > "loved and honoured" Iraqis. "He wanted them to > know he was there to keep them safe, " said Pfc. > John Cevasco, "he knew he was there to do the right > thing, and he never stopped trying to do it." > Mario observes: > The comment that Nicholas was "not your average American grunt" is racist on it's face. It is also offensive and insulting not only to Nicholas but to all the American soldiers serving in Iraq, almost all of whom share the same sentiments as Nicholas did for the Iraqis as described by his family and colleagues above - who were also "average American grunts". > Obviously, V.M has not taken the time to speak to any average American grunts, as I have. This accounts for his totally ignorant comments above. > V.M. writes: > > There are two sides to this very sad story. Nick > Madaras was an American patriot who died for his > beloved country. > >and > > The past is always with us, and the hurt is > always the same when one of our own falls, no matter > how far away. Rest in Peace, Nicholas Madaras. > Mario observes: > Nicholas Madaras was an American patriot and hero, V.M. How you can claim he was "one of our own" is beyond me, especially after you belittle and insult in your essay some of the the things he stood for, fought for and gave his live for. > However, I join you in praying for his soul and in wishing that he rest in the peace that was his ultimate goal and that of his colleagues and leaders. > > _______________________________________________ Goanet mailing list Goanet@lists.goanet.org http://lists.goanet.org/listinfo.cgi/goanet-goanet.org