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SW: →Non-partisan, bi-partisan or neocon [[lobbyist]]s?: - add section
"It's time that the rest of America heard the words of soldiers who have served (and been wounded) in Iraq and the stories of families who have lost loved ones there," Hegseth wrote.
===NeoNeoconnected=======''The Weekly Standard'' op-connecteded====
The VFF "seven", all veterans of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan—[[David Bellavia]], [[Pete Hegseth]], [[Michael Baumann]], [[Carl Hartmann]], [[David Thul]], [[Knox Nunnally]], and [[Joe Dan Worley]]—responded in ''The Weekly Standard'' on August 24, 2007,<ref name="VFF7">David Bellavia, Pete Hegseth, Michael Baumann, Carl Hartmann, David Thul, Knox Nunnally, Joe Worley, [http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/014/006bzlfl.asp "Iraq Vets Respond ...to the New York Times seven,"] ''The Weekly Standard'', August 24, 2007.</ref> to an August 19, 2007, ''New York Times'' op-ed<ref>Buddhika Jayamaha, Wesley D. Smith, Jeremy Roebuck, Omar Mora, Edward Sandmeier, Yance T. Gray, and Jeremy A. Murphy, [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/19/opinion/19jayamaha.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin "The War as We Saw It,"] ''New York Times'', August 19, 2007.</ref> by what is being called the ''NYT'' "seven", all "infantrymen and noncommissioned officers with the 82nd Airborne Division soon heading back home" from 15 months duty in Iraq—Buddhika Jayamaha, Wesley D. Smith, Jeremy Roebuck, Omar Mora, Edward Sandmeier, Yance T. Gray, and Jeremy A. Murphy—who wrote a less-than-glowing assessment of the conditions on the ground in Iraq.
"Of the almost 3,000 soldiers from the Army's storied 82nd Airborne Division currently serving in the hottest of Iraqi neighborhoods, seven felt confident enough in their misgivings to sign an opinion piece. They should not be surprised that many of their comrades--including the seven undersigned here--find their work to be misguided, ... The portrait these soldiers painted, while surely accurate and honest, is more representative of pre-surge Baghdad: sectarian strife, lawlessness, and indiscriminate slaughter" the VFF "seven" wrote.<ref name="VFF7"/>
"We understand the frustration our fellow soldiers feel. All of us were in Iraq before the 'surge' and lament never seeing a coherent, security-based counterinsurgency strategy. In truth, we were only clearing--not holding. ... But we also know what's possible when even small portions of counterinsurgency strategy are applied. Insurgents are exposed, leaders stand up, and stability occurs. ... It's unfortunate that soldiers in the 82nd Airborne have not yet benefited from the new strategy, but it will ensure that their actions, and those of their fallen brethren, will not have been in vain," the VFF "seven" wrote.<ref name="VFF7"/>
''Translation'': The VFF "seven" do not have any first-hand knowledge of the current situation on the ground in Iraq. Although the ''NYT'' "seven" do, they are wrong.
====Foundation for the Defense of Democracies====
As part of activities for week 7 of its 10-week "<u>Win</u> the War! Victory in Iraq" campaign, in a viral email posted August 21, 2007, VFF Executive Director [[Pete Hegseth]] directed<ref>Pete Hegseth, [http://wwwwakeupamericans-spree.blogspot.com/2007/08/vets-for-freedom-week-7-spread-word.html "Vets for Freedom: Week 7: Spread the Word - The Surge is Working,"] Vets for Freedom (posted by spree ([[Susan Duclos]]) on ''Wake up America'' Blogspot)/cross-posted at [http://www.israelated.com/node/22252 ''Israelated''], August 21, 2007.</ref> recipients to read three articles "released by" the [[neo-con]]-affiliated, pro-war/pro-[[regime change]] in Iraq [[think tank]] [[Foundation for the Defense of Democracies]] (FDD):
