A movement is underway across America and beyond to ensure that when Gen. David Petraeus, who is leading the ongoing offensive against Al Qaeda in Iraq, comes to Washington on Sept. 15 to testify before Congress, an army of veterans and our supporters will be watching his back.

Another nationwide installment of A Gathering of Eagles, modeled on the wildly successful event on March 17 when tens of thousands of pro-troop, anti-terrorism demonstrators blocked leftists' access to national war monuments that had been targeted for defacing, is gathering momentum with an even broader base of support than we had last winter.

The pro-terrorism anarchists at ANSWER, the umbrella group of anti-democracy agitators who are heavily funded by anti-American anti-military organizations, are planning another anti-troop rally Sept. 15, complete with a scheduled 'die-in.' They again are calling for their supporters to deface the Vietnam Memorial and other monuments on the National Mall.

The Gathering of Eagles core organization which was the prime organizer in the March event, and was joined by Move America Forward, the largest pro-troop organization in the country, will also get a boost from Eagles Landing www.EaglesUp.us a new group that is comprised of some of the original members of the GOE. The original group has evolved into a full-time organization that is taking on anti-military protesters at numerous locations across the country, while Eagles Landing is focusing specifically on rallying troops for the Sept. 15 event.

The Military Order of the Purple Heart again is taking a major role in the September rally, as it did in March, and efforts are underway to get more involvement from the national veterans organizations.

One difference in the planning for the next Gathering of Eagles is to keep a large continent of Eagles on hand throughout the day, to deflect any attempts to mar the memorials after most of the day's activities have ended. In March, anarchists returning from a rally at the Pentagon after the vast majority of Eagles had departed, attempted to overwhelm Park and Capitol police to attack the Vietnam Memorial.

They weren't successful, but this time the Eagles will stay around for the full day, just as insurance.

It is interesting to say the least, that as even the most hard-line pro-left news outlets are forced to acknowledge that substantial gains are being made in Iraq, left-wing politicians from both parties are now attempting to jump on the pro-troop bandwagon. Their leaders in Congress are switching the emphasis of their anti-military rhetoric to complaints about unmet political objectives, but for the moment the rank and file are scrambling to undo their anti-troop activities over the past several years so they can appear pro-troop in time for the next election.

But we shouldn't be fooled by this sudden switch to the other side of the fence, so to speak, because it has nothing to do with the troops, the war, or a sudden eruption of epiphanies under the Capitol dome.

The left is and has been at war with America for decades, and for most of that time has been able to operate with impunity. Beginning in the 30s and escalating in the 40s and 50s the left successfully infiltrated the American media, our Congress, our public schools and universities, and our government.

Under the guise of passing laws that are supposed to help the poor and underprivileged, the left has eroded our liberties, saddled us with out of control taxes, restricted our access to the media and dumbed down our national educational system.

Nonetheless, Americans who still believe in personal initiative, secure borders, a strong defense department and minimal government, have managed to organize, circumvent the mainstream pro-terrorist media, and oppose efforts to turn this country into a socialist state headed for communism.

So when you see Democratic members of Congress and Republican turncoats suddenly jumping on the pro-Surge bandwagon and mouthing pro-troop platitudes, you aren't seeing a change of heart, you are seeing camouflage. They are merely attempting to clothe themselves in a uniform that will enable them blend in with the victorious side when our troops emerge victorious in Iraq.

Oddly enough, I don't believe we have seen the last of the fighting or casualties, and those who are flipping now may well wonder whether they changed sides too quickly. But over time we will prevail, and when that happens, the previously anti-troop anti-military forces in Congress will be scrambling to give the impression that they really supported the troops all along.

Funny. I wrote several months ago, a couple of times in fact, that if the administration gave the troops a chance, and didn't tie their hands with impossible Rules of Engagement, they would never let their country down. I don't recall anyone sending me messages or posting replies at the end of those columns saying they agreed with me.

I just remember a non-stop flood of anti-troop sewage flowing out of Congress every single day.

So when I see these former critics suddenly turning into cheerleaders, I am not fooled. They haven't changed their minds, and they aren't changing sides. They are just going to ground, hiding out, waiting.

They haven't given up on their ill-advised efforts to turn America into another second-rate socialist/communist enterprise where the concept of personal freedoms isn't even a whisper of a dream, must less a reality. They are just hiding out, and believe me they will be back.

Remember in 1990 we thought communism was dead forever. But don't tell that to the Chinese.