Palin sends son to fight 'righteous cause' in Iraq

Cindy McCain (L) stands with her husband, Republican presidential nominee John McCain (C) and Democratic counterpart Barack Obama (R) as they toss flowers on the reflecting pool at Ground Zero on the seventh anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on Thursday in New York City. Obama and McCain visited the World Trade Centre area together to pay tribute to the more than 2,700 people killed on September 11, 2001.Photo: AFP

Republican vice presidential hopeful Sarah Palin sent her son off to fight for a "righteous cause" Thursday as his Army unit prepared to deploy to Iraq.
Palin promised the 4,000 troops gathered on a tarmac at Fort Wainwright that she was honoured to be there to see them "go forth in defence of America and America's cause -- and it is a righteous cause."
"You will be there to win," she told the soldiers preparing for a 12 month deployment. "You will see victory."
Palin warned that there were "hardships to be endured and sacrifices to be accepted" before the war was won but said it was a "just and vital" battle.
"You'll be there to defend the innocent from the enemies who planned and carried out and rejoiced in the deaths of thousands of Americans because America can never go back to that false sense of security before September 11, 2001," she said on the seventh anniversary of the attacks.
A link between Iraq and the attacks was touted by the White House before the US invasion but no longer. However, al-Qaeda has since moved into the country.