I'm a retired Special Forces Master Sergeant.That doesn't cut much for those who will only accept the opinions of former officers on military matters, since we enlisted swine are assumed to be incapable of grasping the nuances of doctrine.

But I wasn't just in the army, I studied and taught military science
and doctrine. I was a tactics instructor at the Jungle Operations Training Center in Panama, and I taught Military Science at West Point.

And contrary to the popular image of what Special Forces does, SF's mission is to teach.We offer advice and assistance to foreign forces. That's everything from teaching marksmanship to a private to instructing a Battalion staff on how to coordinate effective air operations with a sister service.

Based on that experience, and operations in eight designated conflict areas from Vietnam to Haiti, I have to say that the story we hear on the news and read in the newspapers is simply not believable.

The most cursory glance at the verifiable facts, before, during, and after September 11th,does not support the official line or conform to the current actions of the United States government.