Condemn Trump's Disrespectful Comments About NATO Veterans
I am writing to urge you to publicly condemn President Trump's recent comments claiming that NATO allies "stayed a little off the frontlines" in Afghanistan. These remarks constitute a profound disrespect to veterans who sacrificed alongside American troops and demand a clear response from Congress.
The facts directly contradict Trump's claims. NATO's Article 5 mutual defense clause has been invoked only once in history, after the September 11th attacks, when member states deployed thousands of troops to Afghanistan. Over the 20-year conflict, 3,486 NATO troops died, including 2,461 Americans. At various points during the war, allied forces experienced death rates higher than their American counterparts.
Bruce Moncur, a Canadian reservist, had nearly 5% of his brain removed after an American A-10 Warthog strafed his camp in a friendly fire incident that killed one Canadian soldier and gravely wounded five others. His response to Trump was direct: "Nobody named Trump was on the frontline with me." Canada moved troops from Kabul to the deadly Kandahar frontlines in 2006 specifically to relieve American forces, resulting in 159 Canadian combat deaths.
Richard Streatfield, a former British army major who commanded 150 troops in Sangin between 2009 and 2010, lost five soldiers with 50 wounded in what he described as "the most violent town" in Helmand province. He noted that Americans, Danes, and British forces "lost proportionally as many people as each other in relation to the size of force that we had in the country." Poland deployed over 33,000 troops over 19 years, losing 44 soldiers.
Trump avoided military service five times during the Vietnam era. His comments dishonor the memory of fallen allied soldiers and damage critical alliances that protect American security interests. I ask that you issue a statement defending NATO veterans and reaffirming America's commitment to honoring those who answered our call after 9/11.
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