Troops Cheer Call For Iraq Withdrawal

(AP)  A call by Puerto Rico's governor for a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq earned a standing ovation from a conference of more than 4,000 National Guardsmen.

Gov. Anibal Acevedo Vila said Saturday that the U.S. administration has "no new strategy and no signs of success" and that prolonging the war would needlessly put guardsmen in harm's way.

"The war in Iraq has fractured the political will of the United States and the world," he said at the opening of the 129th National Guard Association general conference. "Clearly, a new war strategy is required and urgently."

Acevedo said sending more troops to Iraq would be a costly blunder.

"By increasing the number of National Guard and reserve troops, we put our soldiers in danger for the umpteenth time since the beginning of the global war on terrorism," said the governor, adding U.S. territories and states need Guard reserves in the event of natural disasters and domestic disturbances.

Acevedo, a Democrat, has called on Washington to withdraw troops from Iraq in the past, but has not been a vocal critic of the war.

Col. David Carrion Baralt, the Guard's top official in the U.S. Caribbean territory, said Acevedo received a standing ovation.

"Maybe the (officers) were not expecting those kinds of comments, but having a dialogue is the point of conferences like these," Carrion said by phone.

The nonpartisan National Guard Association represents nearly 45,000 current and former Air and Army National Guard officers and petitions Congress for resources.

About 1,800 Puerto Rican guardsmen are stationed overseas. It was not immediately clear how many were deployed in Iraq.

"The daily death toll of Americans and their allies has caused irreparable anguish here in Puerto Rico, and throughout the country. The same could be said for the people of Iraq," Acevedo said.

[randomchars]

Report of ovation at Guard conference disputed

By Bryant Jordan - Staff writer

Army and Air National Guardsmen attending the National Guard Association%u2019s conference in Puerto Rico last week did not break into applause or give a standing ovation Aug. 25 when the governor called for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq, an official for the 45,000-member organization said this morning.

%u201CCategorically not true,%u201D said John Goheen, spokesman for the Washington, D.C.-based group. %u201CTo put a standing ovation to the governor%u2019s ... comments are beyond a reach.%u201D

That nearly 4,000 guard members offered up a standing ovation after Gov. Anibal Acevedo Vila called for a withdrawal from Iraq has been widely reported, including by Associated Press.

Goheen said he has been in contact with AP, provided it a recording of the governor%u2019s speech, and expects it will issue a correction. In New York, an AP spokeswoman confirmed the news service is looking into the matter.

Only once during his speech did attendees interrupt with applause, said Goheen, and that was when Acevedo %u2014 echoing the view of all U.S. governors %u2014 called for repealing a Bush administration addition to the insurrection act that makes it easier for the president to federalize state guardsmen.

(edited for length)

[pgrays1]

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) -- The Associated Press reported on Aug. 25 that Puerto Rico''s governor earned a standing ovation when he called for U.S. withdrawal from Iraq during his speech to a conference of National Guardsmen. The story should have made clear that Gov. Anibal Acevedo Vila was given a standing ovation at the end of his speech, which covered various military issues, rather than immediately after his call for U.S. withdrawal from Iraq.

[randomchars]

Looks like the other media is picking up on the false AP report

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/08/airforce_guard_ovation_070828/

It''s a shame AP couldn''t see fit to correct themselves. It seemed like the AP reporter wasn''t there and misunderstood what happened.

[randomchars]

Looks like the other media is picking up on the false AP report

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/08/airforce_guard_ovation_070828/

It''s a shame AP couldn''t see fit to correct themselves. It seemed like the AP reporter wasn''t there and misunderstood what happened.

[randomchars]

Haha :)

I don''t think you were standing next to me because I was sitting down. And if if everyone had been standing up, I still would''ve been able to see because everything was on two big project screens on either end of the stage.

Sorry to burst your bubble leftyintexas! :)

Btw, I found some more out about this story... apparently AP was given a copy of the video after the story appeared. One wonders why it''s taking so long for a correction or clarification to appear (AP is usually a reputable source). They''ve certainly shot their credibility in the foot with this story...

[vivtek-2009]

the people of Puerto Rico don''t pay any taxes either

Not true. No federal tax is paid on Puerto Rico internal income -- but if your employer is based in the States (and everybody''s is) you pay federal taxes *after* your 33% Puerto Rican tax.

And plenty of American companies benefit big time from the tax breaks they get in Puerto Rico. There''s plenty of quid pro quo to go around.

[randomchars]

THIS STORY IS FALSE! As I write this, I am standing in the lobby of the San Juan convention center, where the NGAUS convention is taking place. I was in the audience when the governor made his remarks. THERE WAS NO STANDING OVATION FOR THE WITHDRAWAL REMARKS. THERE WASN''T EVEN ANY APPLAUSE.

The the governor received a standing ovation for his comment that the amendment to the Insurrection Act to allow peacetime presidential mobilization of the Guard without gubenatorial consent should be repealed.

This entire story is a complete fabrication and it can be proven (the entire session was videotaped). One wonders why CBS didn''t bother to check such a simple fact... perhaps there''s a political agenda behind this all?

[drummer94]

I agree andor3. It is not intended to be anti-American, just amusing. I though given the nature of this story this would fit in. Lighten-up.

[andor3]

drummer94 said: "Wouldn''''t it be great to turn on the T.V. and hear any American president give the following speech:" [incoherent anti-American ranting follows in several messages...]

No

Why are you trying to distract from discussing this article--it has some interesting points.

Calls for troop withdrawal are getting a lot of standing ovations these days. Let''s make it happen.

[drummer94]

(cont).. has only earned us the undying enmity of just about everyone on the planet. It is time to eliminate hunger in America. It is time to eliminate homelessness in America. It is time to eliminate World Cup Soccer from America. To the nations on list 1 a final thought: Thanks guys we owe you and we won''t forget. To the nations on list 2 a final thought: you might want to learn to speak Arabic. If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you can read this in English, thank a soldier. God Bless America, and good night.