Joe Lieberman made an unexpected jaunt to Iraq this week and praised the progress he saw in the form of — listen up — a bustling market. But the troops recruited to have lunch with the ex-Democrat had a different take: “It just seems like we drive around and wait to get shot at.”

One soldier collected a list of questions from 30 of his comrades, at the top of which was: “When are we going to get out of here?”

It was unclear whether the troops actually raised their concerns. As one soldier said, “I think I’d be a private if I did.” Keep that in mind the next time you see a pro-war politician on television saying they’ve been to Iraq, they’ve talked to the troops and they’re all big fans of the mission.

(h/t: Think Progress)


McClatchy:

“We’re not making any progress,” Hedin [Spc. Will Hedin, 21, of Chester, Conn.] said, as he recalled a comrade who was shot by a sniper last week. “It just seems like we drive around and wait to get shot at.”

But as he waited two chairs down from where Lieberman would sit, Hedin said he’d never voice his true feelings to the senator.

“I think I’d be a private if I did,” he joked. “It’s just more troops, more targets.”

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