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  • Maj. Jason York addresses those attending Saturday morning’s breakfast. Patrick McCreless

    Iraq war veteran speaks at GOP breakfast

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June 7, 2008

Iraq war veteran speaks at GOP breakfast

By Patrick McCreless

PATRICKM@CULLMANTIMES.COM

After a year spent fighting in Iraq, Maj. Jason York is convinced not just that progress is being made there, but that the war is still winnable.

York, who is a Holly Pond native, was the guest speaker for the Cullman Republican Party’s veterans honor breakfast Saturday at the Dodge City Travel Center. He recently returned to the United States after spending a tour of duty in Iraq with the 3rd Battalion 23rd Marines.

“I know what you hear on TV ... most of what you hear is not very good,” York said. “But there are some good things going on. We’ve got the insurgents and Al Qaeda on its heels.”

York said he and his unit spent a year in Iraq’s Al Anbar province doing far more than simply shooting at the enemy.

“It’s a multifaceted conflict,” he said. “We’re trying to win over the Iraqi people. It’s more akin to helping them help themselves.”

York said he and his Marines helped the Iraqis partially by working to legitimize the local government. His unit trained and mentored many of the province’s local government officials.

“If we can convince the people the government is legitimate and wants to take care of them, that’s our ticket out of Iraq,” York said.

The unit also provided security by aggressively patrolling the province and collecting intelligence, as well as by working with Iraqi forces so they can eventually take over responsibility of the country’s infrastructure and law enforcement.

“You hear a lot of bad stuff about Iraqi security forces,” York said. “But they’re getting better every day.”

Economic stability was also a high priority for the unit.

“The reason why a lot of people join the insurgency is they don’t have a job, they don’t have any money,” York said. “Economics is the key.”

He said Iraqis were taught improved agricultural methods while others were assisted with opening their own businesses.

To York, the Iraq War will be a long and expensive affair, but the alternative is far worse.

“Failure is what keeps me up at night,” York said. “There would be civil war, unrest and genocide. Success is critical to the country and critical to the world.”

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