Iraq

Tom Williams Regarding Joseph Bell's "Bell Curve" column April 22, titled "Not at all hot for war in Iraq:" As usual, our local liberal columnist claims to be confused. This time, Bell laments the recent musings of Col. David Hackworth (retired) and Gen. Anthony Zinni (also retired) about everything from: whether there was a threat from Iraq, whether the United States had the "moral authority" to attack Iraq, whether our soldiers (and presumably the U.S. public)

Marisa O'Neil While on duty in Iraq, 19-year-old Marine Lance Cpl. Mike Casillas loved getting letters and packages from home. He especially loved the gummy bears. On Friday, Casillas, home on a 21-day leave, returned to his former school, Wilson Elementary, to visit with family, old friends and new students. Some of those students, from his brother's first-grade class last year, got to see in person for the first time the Marine with whom they'd corresponded and sent goodies.

JOSEPH N. BELL On March 28, 2003, retired Marine Col. David Hackworth told an overflow audience at the Newport Beach Public Library lecture series: "I just can't find in my soldier's soul a threat, no matter how hard I look in Iraq. And I can't see a moral authority for attacking them, either." I came away from that speech with a fervent hope that people in power in Washington who shared his views -- and hopefully Secretary of State Colin Powell did -- would prevail over the hot-for-war neocons, several of whom had managed to avoid military service themselves.

When commenting on his recent visit to Iraq, Imam Sayed Moustafa Al-Qazwini repeatedly refers to the nation’s crumbling infrastructure and economy — sighing with a thousand-yard stare as he reflects on the “heartbreaking” conditions he witnessed first-hand. The violence is bad, he says, but is limited to a few pockets of resistance around Baghdad and other regions. He identifies the country’s real crisis — the one that stands to pull it apart — as its rapid economic nose dive, coupled with corruption and failure to reverse the trend.

Time to duck and cover. Tom Williams has detonated yet another toxic mushroom cloud. A creature of habit, his perennial target is Pilot columnist Joseph Bell. Bell is a notorious recidivist, whose columns routinely get up Williams's nose. On April 22, Bell had the temerity to discuss Iraq and a local talk by Gen. Anthony Zinni. To which Williams responded in no fewer than 1,240 words and a paid advertisement. The snarky rustic surpassed himself. Bell, said his nemesis, suffered from confusion and indulged in lamentations over Zinni's "musings."

Young Chang Chuck Anderson tied a body bag around a lamppost Saturday afternoon as part of a protest against the United States going to war with Iraq. He and about 35 others making up the No War on Iraq Sponsoring Committee occupied all four corners at the intersection of Bristol Street and Anton Boulevard in front of South Coast Plaza. The group carried signs that read "Honk For Peace," "War is also Terrorism," "Stop Bush," "Thou Shalt Not Kill," "Don't Invade Iraq" and other slogans protesting President George Bush's proposal to attack Iraq preemptively if it refuses to comply with weapons inspection demands.

June Casagrande Four years before the administration of George W. Bush invaded Iraq, a plan was in place for just such an invasion and, more important, for the inevitable occupation. Titled "Desert Crossing," the plan called for a stabilizing presence in each of Iraq's 18 provinces as well as a clear strategy for getting out of the country. But by the time the United States invaded Iraq last year, this plan was as good as forgotten. "We went in there with no plan at all," retired four-star Marine Gen. Anthony C. Zinni said in a telephone interview.

Fire captain spends first day back on the job getting used to life at Costa Mesa Fire Station No. 5.There was no time for celebration on Costa Mesa Fire Capt. Bruce Pulgencio's first day back to work. After 16 months away from Fire Station No. 5, he spent Tuesday in training -- trying to learn the new computer system and re-acclimate himself to the 24-hour work cycle. "He has been a lost puppy dog at times," joked Fire Capt. Ron Cloe, a longtime colleague of Pulgencio. Not that Cloe questioned his friend's learning curve.

To mark the fourth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, many religious groups have organized protests across the country. Those involved with a mass protest in Washington on Friday called on President Bush and Congress to withdraw troops from Iraq. What are your thoughts about the war on this anniversary? I've been opposed to this war from the beginning. I grieve for the families of those who have given their lives or been wounded. I support activities that support our troops, but I do not support this war. I believe as a result of this war, terrorism has increased, innocent people have been killed, and our country is needlessly divided.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid last week said the Iraq war is lost and the troop surge is accomplishing nothing. What's your reaction to that? Democrats have been quick to criticize the reinforcement plan, but they haven't offered an alternative of their own to deal with the realities of the situation. Where is their plan to prevent Iraq from becoming a terrorist state? Where is their plan to prevent the civil war and possible genocide that would occur if we retreat? Senator Reid has said the war in Iraq is lost, but it is not. If it were, we would be experiencing these severe consequences.

George Ciampa remembers crossing the English Channel to the shores of Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944, then waiting to disembark his ship. "There was 4,000 ships out there," he said. "You could see ships getting hit, bodies and debris in the water, and you're waiting for your turn to get off. You're hearing the shells zooming overhead. " When the 18-year-old finally got onto a small landing craft to take him to the beach, the scene was frantic. He had a rifle, but his job was to pick up the dead.

Whether they're just saying it for political gain or from bad advice, the current crop of GOP presidential candidates are wrong to criticize plans to pull out of Iraq by the end of the year, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Costa Mesa) said this week. First on Twitter on Sunday, then in an interview with the Daily Pilot on Wednesday, Rohrabacher said the military should get out as fast as possible. "If we're going to get out of Iraq, the sooner the better. I don't understand some of my GOP colleagues & Presidential candidates," Rohrabacher posted on his Twitter account.

Costa Mesa city officials will gather Sunday on the 10-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Community leaders, military personnel and Costa Mesa police officers will remember those who lost their lives from 9 to 11 a.m. at the U.S. Army Reserve Base at the Air National Guard facility, 2651 Newport Blvd. A moment of silence is slated for 9:20 a.m. Costa Mesa Chief Executive Tom Hatch, Police Chief Tom Gazsi, acting Fire Chief Kirk Dominic and Iraq War veteran 2nd Lt. Thomas Deluccia are scheduled to speak at the event.

The fact that Audie Attar has landed in Irvine, also known as America's Safest City, is more than just a little ironic considering where he's come from, where he's been. He's just 30 years old, but he's been around the world and back, both literally and figuratively. Born in Baghdad, Iraq, Attar has called Irvine home for about five years now, where he continues to evolve as a person and a businessman. His passion now is Paridigm Sports Management, which he founded in 2009 after six years working as a sports agent for All Pro Sports and Entertainment, Inc. Paradigm is gaining some momentum, now representing six NFL players, a handful of MMA fighters and is working on adding players from Major League Baseball.

CORONA DEL MAR — In a sea of teenagers, veterans from the Army, Air Force, Marines and Navy stood out every few feet along long tables that filled up the Corona Del Mar High School gym. The veterans wore suits and ties or regular clothes, and a few were in full uniform. They represented World War II, Korea, Vietnam and Iraq wars. One of them said he served in a "we-weren't-there" conflict in Latin America. One man served under Gen. George Patton in the Battle of the Bulge, another was a Pearl Harbor survivor and another, Walter Ehlers, was a Medal of Honor recipient.

Editor's note: This corrects the subhead by removing the word Afghanistan. COSTA MESA — Vanguard University will mark International Women's Day on Monday with a campus event looking into issues unique to female veterans. The private Christian university will present "Making Peace on Her Way Home From War," an evening symposium celebrating the service of female veterans and women still serving in the military and discussing the issues they face, said Brent Theobald, Vanguard's director of veterans affairs.

On Wednesday, Iraq war veteran David Mayer is going to be at the general meeting of the American Legion Newport Harbor Post 291, along with his mother and father. He will speak about the organization he is establishing to build homes for veterans who have suffered debilitating injuries in the military, according to Jess Lawson, 3rd vice commander of Post 291. Army Specialist Mayer was on his second tour of duty in Iraq when he lost both of his legs in an attack on his convoy on March 14, 2008.

COSTA MESA — They served their country in Iraq as U.S. Marines. On Thursday, the four men were serving the crowd of hundreds, pretending to play poker as bulls charged them, seeing who could last the longest without getting up from the table and running away. It provided some of the most intense moments at the Orange County Fair. "Not even the bull riders volunteer for this kind of stuff," says Tim Coy, an emcee. "The bull riders know the dangers involved, but we get a lot of Marines who volunteer.

J ose Angel Garibay, the first serviceman from Orange County to die in the Iraq War, had a dream for his mother: to buy her a home. The Marine corporal's family received $250,000 in life insurance after he was killed in 2003. They bought a house in Santa Ana later that year, putting down $138,000 for a modest place in a quiet neighborhood. But times have been tough for the Garibays. Simona, the family's mother and sole breadwinner, trusted too many people through the years.

When Jean Wegener, executive director of the Costa Mesa nonprofit Serving People in Need leaves work each night, the phones at the office are always still ringing these days. ?And they never stop ringing, all night,? she said. The charity, which offers homelessness-prevention programs and other assistance for people in crisis, has seen over the past few years a 65% increase in calls that it receives from families in financial trouble, Wegener said. Volunteers for SPIN will take to the streets today with the OC Marathon to raise money for families teetering on the brink of homelessness.