Thankful in Iraq

This Thanksgiving, there is so much to be thankful for. I would like to begin by thanking each of you that read this for your interest in our cause.

We are also blessed by the support of family, friends, and the American people as we struggle to bring the tenets of democracy to a nation of people so long oppressed. Sectarianism and political violence, though still present, are losing popular support.

The leadership in today's military does an outstanding job in supporting the common soldier's welfare and well-being. Even halfway across the world, most soldiers have some opportunity today to celebrate Thanksgiving in some way.

Thanksgiving falls this year at the same time as the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha, or "Festival of Sacrifice," which commemorates Ibrahim's (Abraham of the Old Testament) willingness to sacrifice Ismael. Muslims traditionally sacrifice their best livestock and give the meat to those who are in need. The fact that these two holidays coincide during such a period of flux as this helps to demostrate that despite any differences between the east and west, there are common bonds of humanity that bind us.