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Post by bryan2 on May 27, 2004 14:19:45 GMT -5
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Post by Just Here on May 27, 2004 17:00:10 GMT -5
From the above collection: "They're great, pushing everyone back so I can walk without going around, no, straight through for us."
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Guarp
Junior Member
Posts: 79
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Post by Guarp on May 27, 2004 17:17:04 GMT -5
Nowadays, it seems to be that news is only news if it's shocking.. and stories about progress and peace won't make it to the headlines as it doesn't qualify as "breaking news". I don't think it's purposely held back, it's just that people working together peacefully isn't catchy, and so not worth to being shown on TV. I do know there's a lot of good work being done by the coalition forces in Iraq. For example: our (Dutch) troops in As Samawah don't have as much resistance as most American forces have. Which leaves more airtime on TV-channels left for the good work they're actually doing, like building bridges and providing clean drinking water. The negative news is about Najaf, Al-Sadr and bombings in Baghdad, but I am sure there's a lot of good work being done in Iraq by the Americans, the British as well as the other nations participating.
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Post by no name on May 30, 2004 18:39:50 GMT -5
Thanks for posting that link, Bryan. I agree with your comments as well, Guarp. The media would have us think Iraq is going down the toilet, when it's not the case at all. I've also enjoyed reading through blogs made by Iraqi citizens -- it gives pretty good insight into the mindset of some of the Iraqi people. The below info was obtained from Hammorabi's blog (which also has links to other Iraqi blogs): hammorabi.blogspot.com/The Arab Leaders
Few years ago we used to follow the meetings of the Arab Cheaters (Leaders) but not now! We don't give it a damn now. It is always the same they gather around the table to yell, curse each other, read what they prepare in their papers from bottom to top or either sides doesn't matter! It is the same scenario. It is a show performance and some time mime and pantomime!
Above all we feel sick of the same faces always. Same presidents, Kings, Oil Sheikhs, and name it and get it! Why the Arab leaders (cheaters) are leaders for life?? WHY? On the time they gather now in Tunisia there is a new PM swearing in India after a new public election! Why there are no ELECTIONS in the Arab countries? We are sure one of the main reasons for the production of TERRORISTS there is because of the oppression by the ongoing for life leaders. Bullsh- for such a sick situation!
Tunisia the country where they gather now governed by Ibo Rageba until they pulled him handicapped from the Throne! Same thing may happen with his predecessor now! Houssnei Mubarak another hypocritical Arab leader for life in Egypt. There are no suitable men or women to lead other than him!! Farce! Saudi Arabia; a country named after a person called Saud! He left thousands of perverted Sons (Amirs) who are considered as superior human to their fellow citizens. Their corruption is one of the main reasons for the birth of the repulsive ideology and terrorism. In Syria the death of the president resulted in a country with vacuum because no men were able to govern but the young Son of the president who is an ophthalmologist and not politician! The supposed (constitution) was then amended to allow a younger person to be president and so Hafez gone and the Son of Hafez inherited the throne of Syria!! Farce! The oil provinces of Qatar, UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain etc needs no comments! The rest are more or less same!
The problem is the Arab people blame the USA and the West for that rottenness system and leaders for life. Ask any Arab and he or she will tell you it is America which appointed these cheaters on us and supported them! It is America which is the cause of our misery! It is America which keeps this government over our necks and heads! If therefore a person slipped in the road because of a Banana skin he will blame America because their leader appointed by the US and they don't put rubbish bins in the roads. This is the view of the majority of Arab ordinary people (90%) or more. This is one of the most major causes why the Arabs hate America. More than that these leaders support the anti-American groups like the fanatics Wahabis to make the people feel that their suffering is not from their cheaters but from the USA and these cheaters indeed are heroes. If you like to become a hero in the ME be Anti-American! If you ask some one from the Gulf why they don't build a factory to manufacture cars; he will tell you because the USA put for us red lines we can't cross them!!!!
We feel sick from the Arabs system and governments! Are their leaders going to become civilised and ask their people to set out electoral system and change power through political civilised ways like India now and not by tanks, or force or death or the son either replace his father after his death or by an upheaval against his father after expelling him to the neighbour country! Bullsh-! We don't give them a damn now a day! Posted by: Sam / 5/22/2004 11:06:08 AMReply from an American Solider to HammorabiBelow is a letter from an American solider in Iraq in reply about my letter to an American solider published before in this site. I replaced the name with letters to keep his ID protected but I haven't changed anything else!
From: ** * ** ** **/*** <********@***********> Sent :19 May 2004 22:45:34 To : hammorabi1@hotmail.com Subject : An American soldier... response to your letter...
I am responding to...A Letter to an American Solider!
I am an American soldier and would like to comment on what you say in your letter.
I think what you are trying to ask here is, how we feel when we go into a foreign country... regardless of the reason.
I know that I myself, and most of my friends all feel the same, we have enormous respect for Iraqi civilians whether you see it or not. We believe that Iraqis are a very proud people of dignity and honor and whose ancestors created the foundations of modern civilization. We believe that Iraqis are sacred in many ways; your ancestors are the subjects we read about in our most holy book, and whose words created the bible from which our religion is based. We believe that you are a very intelligent people who deserve above anything to have a healthy democratic form of government that respects its people instead of abuses them.
We believe we came to your country to liberate you from Saddam Hussein, we believe he was a very bad person. We believe we are there now to make sure you receive a healthy democracy that you can be proud of. We understand that we are not perfect, we are only human beings, we have made mistakes... we also understand that as we realize our mistakes we will do everything we can to stop doing it wrong, and get it right.
We honestly do try to respect your religion and your customs, sometimes it is not easy though, there are so many things about you that we don't know, many things you see as disrespectful are done out of either ignorance or the lack of funds/personnel, please forgive us for this. We are not trying to be mean. Also, as for your holy places, we do try as often as possible to respect that too, but you have to admit, sometimes the people who are trying to ruin your chances for democracy use these places in very UN-holy ways.
Something else I am sick of hearing and reading that is not true, WE DO NOT WANT TO CHANGE YOUR RELIGION, WE DO NOT CARE WHAT FAITH YOU PRACTICE, IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WHY WE ARE THERE, BEING MUSLIM IS NOT A HINDER TO DEMOCRACY, BEING CHRISTIAN IS NOT A HELP, IT SIMPLY DOES NOT MATTER.
We are ALL disgusted by what happened in the prison, NO human at ANY time should EVER be treated like that. That was wrong and I hope the people that did that get far worse than what their victims received. Americans are not happy with what happened. The vast majority of us believe that the whole chain of command responsible should be punished appropriately.
You are correct, human beings are all the same in many ways, we have families, loved ones, fathers, mothers, and friends... we all want one thing and that is to live in a world where we can wake up every morning in our own house, go to work and make enough money to feed our families, come home to our cute kids and beautiful wives, and go to bed feeling safe and happy.
We American soldiers are not completely stupid, we can imagine ourselves in your place, how would we feel if a Muslim nation invaded the states to free us from an evil dictator, and then seemed to turn out at times as bad as the evil dictator said they would be.
Honestly, we would not be that happy either.
Even though you may not LOVE us, please understand that we ARE there to help you... We get pulled quite harshly from our happy lives, from our happy homes, from our happy families, so we can go to a strange country of strange people and do a job that no one in the world seems to want... We turn on the news and we watch the whole world act like we are so bad and that Saddam was such a saint. We miss our families and our homes. We honestly HATE wearing these hot uncomfortable uniforms that were NOT made for your climate. We can't understand you when you talk. We honestly are interested in your culture, food, and history, but have to have this chance to learn about you ruined by people endlessly shooting at us, or shouting hateful things at us. All this and we still go there because deep in our imperfect but good intentioned hearts we believe you, not matter how bad you hate us, deserve a govt that respects and treats you good. No matter how hard it is for us there, no matter how many of our close friends have to die, we will NOT give up until Iraq is returned to being a leader of science, education, and civilized ideals like it once was. Japan was once ruled by a tyrant, it was changed into a democracy and now is an economic world leader and a regional superpower, German was once ruled by a tyrant, it was changed into a democracy, and is now an economic world leader and regional superpower, I believe with all my heart that Iraq will be one of the greatest economic world leaders, a regional superpower, and the flagship of human rights and Arab progressiveness.
Nothing comes without a price, nothing comes in the snap of a finger... please have patience, in the end you will all have won more than you can imagine or even dream.
*** **** American Soldier Posted by: Sam / 5/21/2004 02:02:12 PM
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Post by no name on May 30, 2004 22:25:59 GMT -5
From the above collection: "They're great, pushing everyone back so I can walk without going around, no, straight through for us."Just to put it in context, here is the full (and heartwarming) story: Greetings all,
These guys and I are in Kabul, they came up and decided to be my bodyguards. They're great, pushing everyone back so I can walk without going around, no, straight through for us. Everywhere you go they patiently wait outside for you to return as they can resume the duties of "executive protection." If you purchase anything they will carry it for you. So naturally I couldn't resist the good photo opportunity. Of course if anyone got too close, they will have their pinky's out and ready, hehe. Anyhow, don't worry about me, these two have got my back. Hope to see you all soon.
Take care and God Bless.
SSG Levi T. Darnell(Submitted by his proud Mother from Idaho)
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Post by no name on May 30, 2004 22:30:39 GMT -5
And another: Here is 1st Lt. Scott Baber from Maumee, OH (pronounced maw'mee) near Toledo, OH. He was an MP with 501st MP Co-5th PLT; Unit# 93057 but now is traveling with and protecting Brigadere General Hertling, assistant 1AD commander. He has been in Iraq for over 13 months but hopes to be home August or September '04. Scott has stayed in touch with grade school students at home on a weekly basis, along with family and friends via e-mail. Below is a note from Scott:Positive information about Iraq is simply not getting out to the American people. I have peers that work tirelessly to provide local school children with a place to learn, families with child care, and businesses with loans- but the death of a soldiers makes a better headline. Until that changes, the rest, I'm afraid, doesn't matter.
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Post by botany on May 31, 2004 0:48:23 GMT -5
This is really a nice thing coming out of such a mess that the Iraq war has created. andy
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Post by Robb Klaty on May 31, 2004 10:30:53 GMT -5
Perhaps you meant to say: This is really a nice thing coming out of such a mess that the former Iraqi leadership has created.
Robb
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Post by no name on May 31, 2004 14:50:37 GMT -5
Soldier Tells Iraq Story You Won't Hear in Our MediaMay 20, 2004BEGIN TRANSCRIPT RUSH: Jeff in Moreland, Oklahoma. This is our returning soldier from Iraq. Welcome, sir. Nice to have you on the program. CALLER: I appreciate it Rush. Real honor to talk to you. RUSH: All right, give us some details about where you were, how long you were there. I know you want to keep some anonymity here which I totally understand. I don't want you to violate that, but give us some background so that we can have a context for the details of the story you want to relay on this Iraqi wedding business. CALLER: Well, Rush, I spent 300 and about 56 days in downtown Baghdad. RUSH: Hang on. For those in Rio Linda that's just about a week short of a year. Okay. CALLER: And one of the things I told your screener was... Well, first of all I was very angry when I was listening to that caller earlier because he had no idea what he's talking about. One of the most basic -- RUSH: Which caller was that? CALLER: The guy that was... Gosh, what was he saying? He was saying -- RUSH: The Toyota dealer who used to know me from Kansas City? CALLER: Yeah, I believe so. RUSH: Yeah, this guy was complaining that I was being too flippant about these wedding parties? CALLER: Right. RUSH: Okay. CALLER: The fact of the matter is, when we first came into Baghdad, Rush, we had two very simple rules: Don't stay out past curfew and don't shoot at us. RUSH: What is curfew? CALLER: Curfew used to be 11 o'clock. For some reason they lifted that. I have no idea why. RUSH: Those are the rules for Iraqis? CALLER: That was the rules for all Iraqi citizens –– and not shoot at us, and every time they'd have a wedding... Every Thursday is wedding night in Iraq for some reason. Now, they will have them on other days but every Thursday we would have to react to all kinds of gunfire and when we would get out on the street, in their celebration. They'd just take shots at us, too. One particular small firefight we got into was with a funeral procession. They love to have their weapons at their celebrations. RUSH: A funeral procession, and they fire on you even at that. Now, what kind of weapons are we talking about? CALLER: Well, just about every Iraqi citizen has an AK-47. RUSH: Waaait a second. We haven't heard that. Just about every Iraqi citizen has an AK-47? CALLER: Roger. We allow them to keep an AK-47 per household, and/or a pistol. RUSH: Second Amendment triumphs! CALLER: In Iraq it does. (Laughing.) But I was telling your screener also, one of the hairiest night we spent in Baghdad was not the night Uday and Qusai was reported killed. It was one of the nights that the Iraqi National Soccer Team actually won a game, and I don't remember who they were playing. We come under heavy fire that night also, by heavy weapons, probably .51 caliber, PKAs -- RUSH: Let me ask, I have been told some things. I'll bet you that the posture that you are required to assume has changed from the days you got there till now. I bet I could fire on them at some point and I'll bet you now you're more handcuffed, can't fire back as often as you could? CALLER: Well, when you talk to certain people that are in charge over there they're saying that they've not changed the rules of engagement at all, but I can tell you it's trickled down to the soldiers and a lot of it is due to media coverage. There's a reporter on every corner in Baghdad. You dang near have to be shot before you feel comfortable enough to shoot back, and it's a very serious, a very scary situation. RUSH: Wait, wait, wait. Shot or shot at? CALLER: A little bit of both. We would take mortar rounds and not do a damn thing about it, and that's scary when you're leading, man. RUSH: You take mortar rounds and not do anything about it? Has that been from the beginning? CALLER: No. At the beginning, we were taking care of business, Rush. I mean, we were allowed to do our job. And a lot of it is -- we still have a lot of embeds, and those kinds of people that had gone through the war, and they knew the deal -- and then we started getting people from all over the place coming in and pretty much dictating (laughing) what we would do on the street by just being there. Making simple arrests, there would be a camera stuck in your face, and you'd have to be very careful, and I'll tell you right now the Iraqi people are not real nice people. Now, I would say the majority them want us there, but there are some out there that just absolutely don't like us and they will cause problems -- and the thing of it is, they know they got media in their back pocket. RUSH: Mmm-hm. CALLER: Rush, if you would just allow me two seconds to tell you a little bit about a person I put in Abu Ghraib. I put in over 200 people in Abu Ghraib. RUSH: Sure, go ahead. CALLER: One day... RUSH: What kind of people were they? CALLER: Well, I'll just tell you an example of what kind of person this guy was. I had a young male come up to me. We were doing a dinar (the Iraqi currency) exchange downtown. He said, "I need help. I need help. My mother's been stabbed," and we went ahead. We'd been getting ambushed by going and helping Iraqi people so we were a little bit skeptical of going and helping this guy, but after about an hour of him pleading with us, we decided to be very cautious and go to his house. When we got to his house, there was a small girl, probably about the age of six or seven. There was another girl about ten, and another girl that was 13, and then the mother. All three of them had been stabbed and raped, and they showed us up to the room where this guy was drunk and passed out, and of course we went in there and we grabbed him, and we come back downstairs and found out what the story was, what this guy had been doing. And I want to tell you, Rush, it takes everything you can do to keep your composure to not want to cut his head off for something like that. It was beyond belief, and we sent him out to Abu Ghraib, and to tell you the truth -- and I could get in trouble for this, I guess -- I'm hoping he's one of those guys that was in one of those human pyramids, because he... You cannot imagine what he had done to those kids. I saw it with my own eyes and so did my whole platoon, and it was beyond belief, and those are the people that we're dealing with over there, and it's not the majority. It literally is a few bad apples over there. RUSH: Okay, now, I've got a break coming up. Can you hold on through the break for just a couple? Okay, because just a quick observation here. One thing that you said that has confirmed a suspicion, and that is that the Arab immediate propaganda, al-Jazeera, is having an impact on the way you are ordered to do your job, and it's changed, and you are much less aggressive and much more defensive even when people are firing on you -- from wedding parties, funeral processions or whatever -- and also the kind of people that are in the Abu Ghraib, that you have personally described here. That's one person, you said you put 200 in. Just a couple more things. This is fascinating. We'll be back and continue in a minute. [ear-splitting tone] COMMERCIAL BREAK
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Post by no name on May 31, 2004 14:51:01 GMT -5
RUSH: And we are back, and we're talking with Jeff in Moreland, Oklahoma, who is back from a nearly year-long tour in Iraq. So you've been fired on by Iraqi wedding parties and rules of engagement changed, became more defensive during the period of time you were there. When you get back now -- and I don't know -- there's got to be a little bit different. How long have you been back? CALLER: I've been back just a little over a month now. RUSH: Okay, so you've had a chance to compare the media you're seeing here versus the American media, bits and doses or whatever that you got over there. What's your impression of news reporting about what's happening in Iraq from your stateside vantage point? CALLER: I told a lot of people at my hometown church the same thing, Rush. I have been more scared of Iraq watching it from the news over here than I ever was over there -- and I was in quite a few little skirmishes, lots of firefights, about 75 hostile raids and I have never been so scared in my life watching it over here on this news. It's not near as bad as people think it is. RUSH: What's your reaction when you see the commanding officers from over there being dragged over here to testify before these congressional committees? RUSH: What's your reaction when you see the commanding officers from over there being dragged over here to testify before these congressional committees? CALLER: I think it's an absolute shame. I'm one of those military geeks, Rush. I've been a military man since I was a little boy, and I really don't play politics very well. I just don't care about it. (chuckles) I kill things and break things, I guess. I can't imagine being able to... What am I trying to say here? In World War II, being able to just go over and do our job and be done with it. I can't imagine what is going on in our political system today. It's going to make us lose this war. RUSH: You know, I thought the same thing last night again and again and again. I think it frequently. But last night, I was watching something on the news, and people were bellyaching and moaning about the turnover date of June 30th and, "Are they going to be able to run their own affairs by June 30th?" and I guess it was (General) Abizaid. Abizaid was being asked when the Iraqi police and others would be able to run their own security. He said, "Well, we thought maybe by September, but it's going to be April now, because a dam broke. We had a bad week recently." He was talking about all this garbage with the prison, and I got thinking about Germany. We occupied Germany for seven years straightening it out, and we are still there with the military presence. Japan was the same way and yet here we've got people in this country declaring failure already and we haven't even turned it over to them yet. And because of that there's just such a loss of historical perspective. But you're right. It's not really a loss of historical perspective. It's the introduction of politics into this, and there are actually factions in this country that want us to lose. CALLER: Yes, I agree. I used to sit down that with my interpreter quite often in talking about Japan. Japan was a much more fanatical, much more fanatical enemy. I mean, it was sold to almost every man, woman and child to them. I can tell you in the Arab nations, for the most part, the Arab fighter is a coward, a straight-up coward. When we can put more pressure on him than he can put on us, he'll quit. RUSH: By "coward" you mean they hide behind women and children and in civilian homes and this kind of thing? CALLER: Not only that. When you get into a firefight with them instead of them standing -- of course, I understand, they can't put up with what we can give them, but they just won't fight. They have to fight on an ambush, bushwhack kind of way to fight us or they just simply can't fight us. RUSH: Well, but isn't that a new kind of warfare, though? Isn't that something we have to deal with? I mean, it's one thing to call them cowards, but there's got to be a system. There's got to be a strategy to get rid of people who do things that way. CALLER: Yeah, I think there is, Rush. Unfortunately, you'd have to turn off the TV camera to get it done. RUSH: Yeah. I know. CALLER: I honestly -- RUSH: I'll tell you something else. If you take the can have cameras you've these hearings you'd get a lot more done in those things in a lot less time. CALLER: Yes, I agree, and I can tell you, about these kids that are being prosecuted for what they do in Abu Ghraib. Yes, that went beyond what they should have done. That goes without saying, that they need to be punished in some kind of way, but I can tell you, that court-martial didn't go very long because the pressure that's on right now. Those kids were hung. All of them are hung, and they are guilty until they are found guilty. I don't excuse what they did. As a matter of fact, I know it hurts us. It hurts us badly over there, but my heart goes out to those kids because I'm going to tell you, they are not dealing with the choir over there, and some of the things that these people do, it takes every amount of energy you have to keep from wanting to really, really hurt those people, and I sympathize with them totally. Now, the fraternal pranks and things they were doing, that goes unexcused. RUSH: Well, I think in this case they may have been sent to the wrong prison and the wrong kinds of people. Sounds like they were contracted MPs rather than highly trained. I mean, that's just a guess, but that's the way it's shaping up. But clearly there's going to be a lot of fall people here and they're not going to stop till they get somebody out of the defense department, too. CALLER: And I agree with that, and that is what's unfortunate about the whole mess. I am in charge of several soldiers, and -- RUSH: Are you going to be going back? CALLER: Yes. It looks like we'll probably be going back soon. I really can't really tell you when, but it will be sooner than what we was hoping for. RUSH: Yeah. Well, it sounds like it's been your life. So, I just want to tell you that when people -- I know I can speak for the people of this audience -- that when they listen to you describe this, they are heartened, and their instincts are confirmed because you are telling a side to the story that really isn't told here. And you have it from both perspectives to share -- here and there. I'm probably going to get more e-mail on you and your call today than I've had on anything in a long while. I just want you to know how much I and the people in this audience appreciate everything that you are volunteering to do. You know, I don't know what the general state of mind of the GI is in Iraq today given all of these propaganda assaults from al-Jazeera and even here in the United States, but you have to know that the vast majority of people here are almost in awe and appreciation for what you're doing, and they are -- we're all -- just so hopeful and prayerful that you're able to succeed and do what you've been trained to do and are turned loose to do it. CALLER: You know, Rush, when we got back to the United States it was evident right off of the bat. As soon as we got off the aircraft we noticed that. But the thing that really blows me away is the people that say, "God, we really, really support the troops, but, man, I don't support what we're doing over there." Well, I would just like to say, "If you're supporting the troops, you're supporting what's going on over there and the soldiers over there." There has been some times with the Michael Jackson and the other things that's been going on in the United States, and we thought we were forgotten. But it didn't take me two seconds getting off that airplane to know that America is behind us, and I appreciate that. Because it is, it gets pretty lonely over there. RUSH: I can't even imagine it. I mean, I have said basic questions like, "How often do you get to take a shower? Where do you live? What do you do? Are you working 24/7? " You've got to constantly be on your guard. I mean, I can't -- it's something that most of us cannot -- even understand, much less relate to. CALLER: You know, I didn't get a day off the whole time I was there, but it's mainly because of my position. We did try our best to let our soldiers have a half a day off a week, if we could. For about the first eight months I was over there I took a shower out of a broken pipe out of the ground. We did, however, live in a pretty nice place. I don't want to tell you where it's at because then people would be able to pinpoint where I was. But, yeah, it was pretty rough on us there for a while, and one of the things that people don't understand is, you know, with the IED (improvised explosive device) threats and everything else sometimes supplies didn't go through. RUSH: What's an IED threat? CALLER: The IED threat along the main supply routes, the roadside bombs -- RUSH: Oh, okay, yeah.
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Post by no name on May 31, 2004 14:51:28 GMT -5
CALLER: Yeah, they were put out. I was hit by two of them while I was there, and I can tell you it's not a lot of fun and it makes you not want to go down those roads anymore. There were times we would get, you know, two bottles of water a day. But, you know, nobody complained about that, Rush. Everybody --
RUSH: Well, that's what always has amazed me, Jeff, because you all volunteered for it, and there isn't any whining. Whining is going on back here.
CALLER: You know, and that's what I was telling my wife on the way to town today. I'm really worried about this nation. I'm worried about it, and I see it from the perspective now, after being at war for this nation. I come back and I'm scared to death at just how stupid people are. Just forgive me if that's a bad thing to say on the radio but I just cannot believe how stupid people are, and it's scary to me, Rush. It really is.
RUSH: You mean stupid in the sense they don't understand what's actually going on?
CALLER: They don't understand what's actually going on, Rush, and there's people out there misleading them, running them down the wrong road. And they are so quick. The one thing that really chaps me more than anything else is that, "We're over there for oil," and it chaps me to no end because, if you were there, you would see that oil really -- at least at the tactical level -- now, strategic and operation, maybe -- not operation, but strategic, maybe, and you know what, that's fine. That's fine by me. But at the level that I'm at, this is the farrest [sic] thing from oil. There is a real threat in the Middle East. Those people hate us. I've never been hated so much before in my life as we run up against some of these people -- and I tell you what, we've got a war going on in Iraq and it's not going on right here, and I believe that, and people may be saying that all over the United States, but I'm telling you. That war is going on over there because we're making that war over there.
RUSH: One question before I have to go here.
CALLER: Sure.
RUSH: It's about the fact that you say, "They hate us." Is the degree to which they hate us so profound that you question whether or not we can win, and accomplish this mission of actually creating an Iraq where the people there are free to choose their own way and it will be rooted in democracy?
CALLER: There is no doubt in my mind we can win. As a matter of fact, there's no doubt in my mind that we could finish this whole thing pretty quickly. The one thing that Iraq needs more than anything else is religious freedom, and you don't hear that from a lot of the politicians. Maybe in the inner circles, I don't know, but this is a religious war. They hate us simply because we're not them and until we find some kind of way to bridge that gap -- and maybe just call a spade a spade and let's get it on.
RUSH: You're talking primarily about the terrorist insurgents, not the general Iraqi population?
CALLER: No, the general Iraqi population -- at least where I was in what they call the Sunni Triangle, I guess -- the Sunnis are mainly westernized. I mean, almost completely westernized. They're more of a pagan. They go to mosque once in a while, but they really don't follow. I'd say it's like a lot of people in the United States that go to church. They go there because they do, but do they follow it during the week? Sometimes not. The Shi'a would be really more the problem because they're a little bit more fanatical, and then we have the Wahhabi coming in from God knows where, and --
RUSH: Saudi Arabia.
CALLER: -- they're causing a lot of trouble. They're causing a lot of trouble, and it's based -- it's soundly based -- in their religious beliefs. The normal Iraqi person in Baghdad. We have upped their lifestyle maybe a hundredfold. You know, when we first got to Baghdad we could have an Iraqi do anything for us -- and what I mean is be an interpreter for us, or maybe even dig a foxhole for us or whatever -- for a dollar, and they loved it. They would do anything for a dollar.
RUSH: But now immigrants are the only ones that'll do that work because the Iraqis consider it beneath them?
CALLER: It's becoming that. They want to live a lifestyle like the Kuwaitis, where the Kuwaitis don't work at all. All of their labor is done from outside.
RUSH: Sounds like Los Angeles.
CALLER: (Laughing.) Thank God I've never been out there.
RUSH: (Laughing.) Jeff, I'm only kidding. We love Los Angeles here. Jeff, thanks so much for the call. This has been extremely enlightening and informative. You're the real deal. You obviously have been there and done it, and we appreciate you sharing it with us. I'm glad you were able to get through. Thanks for trying.
CALLER: Keep it up, Rush.
RUSH: Okay, that's Jeff from Moorhead, Oklahoma, just back from Iraq and about ready to go back.
END TRANSCRIPT
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Post by Just Here on May 31, 2004 18:52:03 GMT -5
Just to put it in context, here is the full (and heartwarming) story:... Heartwarming? Latency and preadolescents acting as thugs pushing civilians out of the way so soldiers will not hve to walk around. Would this behavior be allowed in any gathering in the US? What is the heartwarming part? The fact that the soldier allows them to push people out of the way for him or the fact that he does not see anything wrong with it?
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Post by Just Here on May 31, 2004 18:55:03 GMT -5
Soldier Tells Iraq Story You Won't Hear in Our Media Is this your way of giving us the good news that Rush is no longer part of the US media system??? I wonder where the transcript was made? Maybe Rush will become the Wolfman Jack of the century!
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Post by no name on May 31, 2004 19:15:35 GMT -5
Heartwarming? Latency and preadolescents acting as thugs pushing civilians out of the way so soldiers will not hve to walk around. Would this behavior be allowed in any gathering in the US? What is the heartwarming part? The fact that the soldier allows them to push people out of the way for him or the fact that he does not see anything wrong with it? What a totally blown out of proportion inference.
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Post by no name on May 31, 2004 19:21:27 GMT -5
Is this your way of giving us the good news that Rush is no longer part of the US media system??? I wonder where the transcript was made? Maybe Rush will become the Wolfman Jack of the century! "Media" meaning mainstream media outlets like NBC, CBS, ABC, and national and state newspapers/magazines. What do you mean by "where the transcript was made"? If by that you mean the transcript may be faked, it's not. I was listening when the fellow called the show several days ago. Is it the info you dispute, or the people who were carrying on the conversation (i.e., Rush and the U.S. soldier)?
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Post by no name on May 31, 2004 21:28:32 GMT -5
E-mail from Dave - May 22, 04www.thegreenside.com/story.asp?ContentID=9262Dad - You probably heard that Mike was wounded this week. We take rockets and mortars from time to time and he got caught outside when a rocket came in. He was lucky as he only got hit with some shrapnel in the back of the head. Grateful that it was only a flesh wound. He was medivaced to a surgical unit. I got word that he was going to be medevaced to the surgical unit on my camp and went by that evening looking for him only to find out he went to a different treatment facility. They put some staples in his head and he hopped a helo to return to his camp and was back at work that night. He is a tough guy. In fact, I actually saw him yesterday as I had to go to his position for some business. It is always a quietly thankful moment when you see a guy who has been wounded or who you think was wounded and he turns out to be ok. Mike was actually embarrassed about the whole thing and shrugged off any mention of it as he feels like he is not "doing enough" right now. We only were able to talk for a short time and I swear that within a few minutes I had forgotten about the whole thing until we shook hands when I had to go. He turned to leave and I saw the zipper of staples on the back of his head. He was going back to work. You would be very proud of the Marines as they have been able to switch gears from intense offensive operations back to what we call "stability operations." Stability operations simply translates to getting out into the countryside and teaching Iraqi Police and soldiers how to do their jobs. More importantly, our priority is just making contact with them and trying to instill a sense of confidence and pride in what they are doing. As I have shared with you over the past 15 months or so, it is hard to imagine trying to establish a police force or "national guard" (the equivalent of what we are working with) out of a population that has never even seen such entities as we understand them. If you said National Guard in Missouri, most people would think "the guys who show up when there is a flood, blizzard or tornado to help people." Or maybe after 9/11, that guy at the drug store who left for Iraq for a year as part of an engineer unit. Here, they simply have no paradigm of what such a force is. We have to sit down and go over the most basic principles of protecting the people by being there to help when there is a crisis on one hand and getting out on night ambush to keep the muj out of the village on the other. As a whole they did disintegrate or worse during the April fighting. I have heard a lot of false exaggeration about the fact that the Iraqi Army would not stand and fight with the Marines in Falluja or the Army in Baghdad. Nonsense. I could tell you stories of individual heroics of Iraqi soldiers. One specific example is of an Iraqi SgtMaj who came into our lines during the first days of fighting in Falluja. He made his way through the mujahadeen and risked being killed by us to tell us that he was concerned about the ICDC (Iraqi Civil Defense Corps) armory in town. He knew it was only a matter of time until the muj went for the armory to take the weapons. Honestly, I would have thought that they had already done it as the police stations and every other good piece of ground seemed to be occupied by the muj by that time. In short, he wanted to let us know that he was going back into the town to get the weapons. The Marines asked him if he wanted us to help. No. He only wanted us to take the weapons from him when he came back through. This guy took a couple young Iraqi soldiers with a truck and drove back through our lines into the hornets nest of Falluja. He went to the armory, emptied the weapons and ammo stored there and brought it back out through the fighting to us. We expected him to want to stay with us or to move on to Baghdad or some other safe area. He refused and stated that he was going back into the city as that was where his duty was. Not a coward by even the most cynical standard. We had a group that showed up shortly thereafter. You have probably heard about them as they came out of Baghdad and on the way were ambushed a couple of times. By the time they made it here only 200 of 700 were in their ranks. I know that the public story is that they folded after a couple of days of fighting and disintegrated. They actually made it through three days of fighting. Not just taking a few rounds, they held through accurate machine gun fire, mortars and multiple assaults. They also moved forward and occupied positions on the Marines' flanks. After three days, we pulled them out. The Marines will tell you that they did a hell of a job. The Marine Corps has been around for 230 years. We have many battles and history under our belts that instills in the Marines a profound sense of duty and tradition. Further, the culture has made peer pressure into a positive art form. Words like "selflessness" are not only used but are taught to every recruit. Show me another place in our society where a 20 year old guy worries more about letting his buddy down than his own well-being. This is true across the board. There are probably a few other places left that instill this but not too many where it holds together when the rubber meets the road. The Iraqis had none of this going into Falluja. In fact they had and continue to have just the opposite. They live in a world of terror. For decades, Sadaam played one neighbor against another, one tribe against another, one sect of Islam against another and one race against another. Therefore there is never a sense of safety to the Iraqis even within their own tribes. Here if you join the police or the army, you are eventually approached by the terrorists and threatened. If they think you are a leader, they tell you that they will kill you and your family. The orders are simple, look the other way when you are on duty and leave when the terrorist show up. If you don't they will kill you and probably your family.Imagine that young guy who joins the ICDC or police. He may be somewhat of an idealist when he gets out of our initial training but when he shows up to his unit, the muj have already infiltrated it and immediately make it clear that there is no hope of survival if he does not do exactly what they say. For good measure and effect, they regularly assassinate Iraqi policemen and soldiers just to make it clear that they will kill them on a whim. The guys that were in place prior to April lived in that world. We are working against it still. Without the tradition and culture of the Marine Corps and constantly thinking that their very presence next to us may get their families killed, I am amazed they made it for an hour much less than three days. We decided to pull them because this place needs young patriots. It does not need us to put them into a position where they will be ground down in intense combat or maybe to be killed when it is over. Hopefully they can be a nucleus for tomorrow's leaders. Time will tell. CONTINUED IN NEXT POST
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Post by no name on May 31, 2004 21:28:58 GMT -5
CONTINUED FROM ABOVE POST:
We are back at it with the police and ICDC. With us are retired police officers from the US and other civilians who are trying to contribute. Police forces back in California are sending us equipment and expertise on training. The lesson that we have learned for this iteration is for us to focus first and foremost on our true strength and that is the character and decency of our Marines. Force of personality and personal example are more important to us right now leading up to the ineivitable violence this summer than the right radio for the Iraqis. For what it is worth, I think that is the right approach. If we demonstrate the best aspects of the Marines who they see every day, we are giving the young Iraqi men something that can never be taken from them. They are seeing the best part of a free people. Hopefully the lights will go on.
The enemy is confused right now. He goes to bed convinced he is going to win because he watches the Al Jazeera and then the US media and believes that we are a weak willed people who can be terrorized and who have a penchant for self-loathing. Then, he wakes up and he comes across a coalition check point and he sees a young Soldier or Marine who stands there like a rock and exudes strength and conviction. The same terrorist who was in the mosque the night before in a frenzy is now subjugated by the presence of a guy who does not match up with what he has been told and sees on TV. It must be confusing as all get out. Every day, he will continue to see in three dimensions the best that our society has to offer and their is no amount of sound bites that will trump that in the end.
In another email, I will share with you what I think is going to happen this summer. It will be a tough pull. However, we are prepared. We get reports of impending muj attacks on Marine positions and I am amazed at the universal response - "Good, that means we don't have to try to find them tonight." There is plenty of fight left in the guys. On a lighter note, the Iraqi people are coming back more and more to approach the Marines. When they are in private, they regularly tell us that we cannot leave and that they "need" us to stay. Of course they cannot say that publicly for reasons above.
I will close with something that was on my mind this morning when I punished myself by watching CBS news. I saw the anchor come on and just before he spoke, I told my rack mate "Lets see what the opening line is going to be...." Sure enough before he said anything else, he said "It just keeps getting worse and worse...." Yes, he was talking about Iraq. Honest to God we laughed at him. I'm not kidding. It is getting to the point where the Marines are getting past their anger at the talking heads and are laughing. To really get a rise out of them, requires a retired military officer who betrays his oath and stokes the fear mongering.
Do you remember when I came back last fall and people would ask about WMD and I would say that I did not care if we ever found any? The day we found the mass grave is vivid to me still. We found it up near the Iranian boarder. Very quickly people came from miles and miles away. We stood and watched the family members digging up bones and clutching remains as they sat in the dirt, rocked back and forth and cried. They were adamant that we should come over and look as they dug them up. Every single body had its hands and feet wired together with ROMEX. Each skull had a bullet hole in it except for a few that were smashed with a club or rifle butt. There were clearly men but also women and children. The grave never made the news as there were no media with us and it was small by Iraq standards. One detail that I found particularly outrageous was that the assassins left the identifications on the bodies as if they were so arrogant that it never occured that someday, someone would dig up the bodies and hold them accountable. I will never forget it.
That memory is vivid and relevant to me today as I feel like I was blessed to have been there and see it personally. To the people that cry that we should leave Iraq because we came here for the wrong reasons I would say "I don't care." Honestly, if I found out tomorrow that everyone in government knowingly lied and brought us here because Iraq grows the best sunflower seeds in the world it would not matter to me. We liberated a people from a regime that will go down in history as one of the most brutal ever. That would be enough.
However, we are now in a life and death struggle with an enemy who wants nothing more for us to leave so that they can bring their own brand of terror to the same people. Our biggest failings have been that, as a coalition, we have not been able to overcome our own-ham handed actions and horrible mistakes/crimes and simply convince the Iraqi people that we do in fact want to leave them a free and prosperous country where there is hope. The most successful way to do that is to continue to go out and show them every day and not to cut and run. And you know what? It is working. People are coming to us and talking to us even in the face of Abu Garayb and in the real threat of their own death.
Inside this country right now, there are extremists who have set up courts where in one room, they try Iraqis and in the next they kill them minutes later. Not fantasy - reality. Again, the death sentence? Accepting payment for damage we have done in fighting or in an accident. Taking a job working on a coalition base. Having a brother who has done his job in the police or ICDC.
Are people so naive as to think that if we left, things would get better? The country would implode and thousands of people would be killed. When the dust settled, a more dangerous Iraq would emerge and we would be even more hated throughout the world. It is that simple. We came here to help these people and at the same time to make the world a safer place for free people everywhere. If we leave too early, the people will suffer horribly and the world will have taken one giant step backward. Maybe we are slow on the uptake but it is pretty clear here what the right thing to do is and it is not to abandon the people to the terrorists.
I understand that some people are simply frightened by the violence - for good reason. To them I would say, hang in there. I see people every hour of every day that make me sure we are strong enough to be successful. To people that say our agenda is anything other than what I have written, I say that it does not matter because the young men and women doing the heavy lifting are doing it for the right reason and at the end of the day, the Iraqi people will benefit. They may never like us while we are here as there are thousands of years of culture that separate us. The fact that we are not popular does not change our moral obligation.
Please tell everyone that we are now bathing in coffee and loving it. I got on the Greenside yesterday. I sincerely appreciate the well wishes and share them with the guys (along with the coffee). I also appreciate the hopes that I keep my limbs as that lines right up with my own goals as well. If I could ask anything about the website, my guess is that people go to it to find out what is really happening. They also probably read the message board to be reassured that other people are holding the line. Regardless of what is posted there that may seem negative, please refrain from insulting someone who voices their opinion. Of course, if someone really gets froggy they are more then welcomed to go to boot camp, earn their ticket over here and put their money where their mouth is.
Love, Dave
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Post by no name on Jun 6, 2004 17:02:09 GMT -5
Thanks, Kalatwww.snopes.com/photos/arts/kalat.aspClaim: Photograph shows a statue of a U.S. soldier crafted by an Iraqi sculptor. Status: True. Example: [Collected on the Internet, 2004] This picture of the statue was made by an Iraqi artist named Kalat, who for years was forced by Saddam Hussein to make the many hundreds of bronze busts of Saddam that dotted Baghdad. This artist was so grateful that the Americans liberated his country, he melted 3 of the fallen Saddam heads and made a memorial statue dedicated to the American soldiers and their fallen comrades. Kalat worked on this night and day for several months. To the left of the kneeling soldier is a small Iraqi girl giving the soldier comfort as he mourns the loss of his comrade in arms. It is currently on display outside the palace that is now home to the 4th Infantry division. It will eventually be shipped and shown at the memorial museum in Fort Hood, Texas. Origins: According to the Army News Service (ARNEWS), the text reproduced above is a relatively accurate description of the statue shown in the photograph accompanying it. In July 2003, two statues of Saddam Hussein, which an Iraqi sculptor named Kalat had a hand in creating, were removed with explosives from outside a palace complex in Saddam's hometown of Tikrit, Iraq, where the U.S. Army's 4th Infantry Division headquarters group is located. The 555th Engineer Group cut up the bronze statues and shipped the pieces to Kalat, who — using a photograph of 1st Sgt. Glen Simpson as a model — spent several months fashioning them them into a likeness of an American soldier kneeling to mourn a fallen comrade, while a young girl reaches out to comfort him in his time of grief. According to ARNEWS: The sculpture is based on a scene many in Iraq have witnessed in one form or another. A Soldier kneels before a memorial of boots, rifle and helmet — his forehead resting in the hollow of his hand. Behind and to his right stands a small Iraqi girl with her hand reaching out to touch his shoulder. The statue evokes emotion. The girl was added to the statue to remind people of why the sacrifice was made, [Command Sgt. Maj. Chuck] Fuss said. "It's about freedom for this country, but it's also about the children who will grow up in a free society," he said. The statue will eventually be flown to the 4th Infantry Division museum at Fort Hood, Texas.
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Post by Fair is Fair on Jun 7, 2004 19:00:30 GMT -5
Perhaps someone should post photos from the Iraqi side of the picture. All of the children are not thanking the occupying troops.
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It smells like BS to me
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Post by It smells like BS to me on Jun 7, 2004 19:07:46 GMT -5
Does anyone actually believe that the email posted was real? It has the feel of a scripted reality program.
Imagine writing the folks back home that "Here, they simply have no paradigm of what such a force is."
Or the fact that he speaks of himself and the marines in the third person.
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Post by no name on Jun 10, 2004 21:44:29 GMT -5
On another thread, people have already done that. My post of the above info is to dispute the common mis-perception that Iraq is going to hell in a handbasket, that all the Iraqis “hate” us, and that there’s no progress being made, which is not the case at all.
Well, I know that I’ve read through more than just one letter by soldiers from there who maintain that they are doing a good work there and that progress is being made, despite some setbacks.
I’ve also heard several accounts from soldiers who maintain that the Iraq they know while they are actually over there is quite different from the Iraq they hear about when they get back home . ..
What do you mean? You think soldiers don’t have good language/verbal/writing skills?
I saw him do that a couple of times. There are also other times where he refers to himself in the 1st person. Maybe it’s a military thing. There’s another letter I read through where the soldier speaks in a similar manner.
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Post by no name on Jun 10, 2004 21:44:53 GMT -5
May 14, 2004Marine Letter From Fallujah About Great AmericansReceived this email from a Marine in Fallujah via Colonel M. It's long and it's a very important read. I'll have a message for you at the end of this one. To all my family and friends, We just returned from offensive operations in areas I am sure that all you have read about or seen on the news. This is my first day off since we've been in country, and I don't know what to do with myself. My Battalion is taking a slight 24-36 hour "pause" while we prepare to return to security and nation-building operations. We've been working continuously since we got here and I forgot how to relax, but a good cigar helps tremendously. I was recently selected for promotion to Captain, so today I smoked a fine celebratory Cohiba that the Battalion Commander gave me. I couldn't have asked for better on my day off. My cigar supply has worn thin. Although cheap Cubans are in great supply here, they are like smoking tree bark. Life is OK in Iraq. Don't believe everything that you read. Yes, Marines and soldiers are dying, but it is a relative few. We are absolutely slaughtering the enemy in every area that we operate. There are a few civilian casualties, but the insurgents are dropping like flies. We won't transform this place into California any time soon, but the Iraqis are enjoying running water, electricity, and rebuilt or new schools. The Iraqis are good people, and they realize the necessity of our presence here. Many of them don't want us to leave. I appreciate the emails that you all have sent. I spent a lot of time this morning trying to read them all. I have had little luck being able to send emails from here. I have tried a number of times to reply to some of you a few weeks ago, but they bounced back. I hope this one gets out. The deployed military servers are so unstable. I can still get my personal email address, and you can now get me on this Marine Corps email account. Many of you have asked for my mailing address. Here it is: XXXXXXX (removed for privacy) I have been thinking a lot about Pat Tillman for the last few days. We all heard about his death shortly after it happened. There was a tremendous ripple effect throughout all ranks that was quite sobering. A great American was lost. Such is a dying breed: A man whose honor and loyalty exceeded well beyond the faççade of patriotism represented by rain-drenched American flags we all saw hanging in front of houses for the few short months following September 11, 2001; a man who acknowledged that his good fortune in life existed only through the sacrifice of generations before him; a man who awoke every morning thankful to be an American and recognizing the distinction between the rights protected by the Constitution and the privileges many Americans think we deserve. We as a country have lost sight of this distinction. As I read a Stars and Stripes article about Tillman, on the following page, there is an article about Gweneth Paltrow. She has voiced her frustration with the direction this country is heading. She is frustrated with the war and how the Bush administration has dealt with it, so she expresses her desire to raise her child overseas in Europe. Protecting her right to raise her child in another country and speak freely about it is what men and women fight and die for daily. Under the former regime and the Ba'ath party, an Iraqi woman who expressed her frustration with the government in this way would have been arrested, tortured, and killed. Freedom of speech is something that most countries cannot comprehend, and it is something that we take for granted. Pat Tillman gave his life to protect Ms. Paltrow's 1st Amendment rights. However, Gweneth Paltrow is not frustrated enough with this country to stop earning huge paychecks in Hollywood. She says that she will continue to make movies in the US. Her selfishness and hypocrisy is shameless. She spits in the face of the Bush administration and his aggressive national defense policy, but continues to reap the benefits and privileges of the same policies that have protected her. Who the hell is Gweneth Paltrow, the rest of the Hollywood elites, and their anti-Bush ramblings without the government that protects their views? Pat Tillman gave his life to protect the privileges of wealthy, sanctimonious elitists whose only concept of sacrifice is having to miss their afternoon massage because the last scene took a little longer to shoot. My former Company Commander always said that there are good Americans and there are great Americans. By his definition, I am a good American. Becoming a Marine is something that I had always wanted to do. I traveled the long, winding road en route, but I made it. For that, I am proud. I merely recognized the privileges and opportunities that I have as an American and wanted to return the favor. (Experiencing life in a third world country is definitely validating that decision.) However, I did not sacrifice much to join the Marine Corps. I was mowing lawns the summer after I graduated from LSU, wondering what I would do if I was not accepted to become an officer in the United States Marine Corps. I love being an American, and I love my job. I love fighting for my country. I left no wife or kids behind, no six-figure job. Being a good American does not necessarily mean joining the military. Being a good American is not a huge sacrifice. Good Americans just want to give something back. Then there are the few great Americans. Pat Tillman had the "American dream." He made millions by playing football. In what other country in the world can someone become a millionaire by playing a sport, singing a song, or acting in a movie? Most young Americans idolize athletes, who give up college educations to enter the draft, earn millions of dollars, own a dozen expensive cars, and fondle strange women because they can. What ever happened to revering honor and integrity? Today's children would rather become rap stars or professional athletes than police officers or firefighters. Pat Tillman recognized that Americans risk their lives everyday protecting and defending the constitution of the United States of America and providing him the opportunity to earn millions of dollars. He recognized that only through strength could the peace and prosperity of this country survive. After American soil was soaked with the blood of thousands on September 11, he recognized that all the money in the world would not protect his family and friends from terrorism. Instead of throwing up a flag in front of his house, instead of wearing a yellow ribbon on his lapel, he has given the ultimate sacrifice of his life in defense of this nation. Pat Tillman is a great American. Did you all think that because I was in Iraq, you were safe from my political diatribes? Thanks to all of you that have emailed me. Great job on the MJM Foundation Gala- I heard it was another hit. Congrats to Mike and Loren. Congrats to Christine and Matt. Congrats to Dawn and Bobby. I have thoroughly enjoyed all the photos of new-borns and toddlers from you- I am losing track. I hope I didn't miss anyone.I miss you all. Take care, Jonathan First, I only removed his name and address to protect his identity. Second, if some of you want to send this Marine some cigars, I'll give you his address providing a few caveats: 1. You send your name and address. 2. We have cooresponded previously via email. Thanks. www.blackfive.net/main/2004/05/marine_letter_f.html
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Post by no name on Jun 10, 2004 21:45:13 GMT -5
Letter From Iraq - Airman Angry At The MediaBLACKFIVE (Hat Tip to BLACKFIVE) Thank you very much for the supportive email. It is always Good to hear from the TRUE AMERICANS that still bleed red, white, and blue. The only thing that I get to see from the American people is what is portrayed on the news. The media, and the people that listen to what they say and believe it almost make me more pissed off than the Iraqis that are over here shooting at us. At least when the Iraqis are shooting towards us, it is to our face, instead of like the traitors that call themselves Americans who stab us in the back. I know that we are doing the right thing over here because I get to see it first hand. We are near a concrete plant that is off base and run by Iraqis. I have actually had some of them come up to me begging me to take them back to America because they know how bad living in Iraq is. I get to talk to Iraqis everyday, and I explain to them that Iraq will one day be like America, and ask them not to try to leave here, but to stay and be part of the Iraqi people that made their country a better place. I have never been anywhere else in the world that the people were so happy to see an American. The media never tells that side of the story. They never tell about how every week we risk our lives to take food, clothes, and toys to the Children's hospital in An Nasiriyah. Something that never happened when Saddam was in power, something these people have never seen. Instead the news talks about a battle in Al Fallujah where we lost one marine, and that is the entire story that they tell. They make it sound like we lost that battle because we lost one marine, but they don't tell you that right after that marine got killed, they sent in a C-130 gunship and blasted every one of the insurgents away. Now who won the battle? I could go on for days and it is probably stuff that you already know, I mean you spent enough time in the military to know that the media is crap. It is good to hear that you are not afraid to let your voice be heard, and I pray that there are many more like you out there. As long as we have the true patriots out there that keep giving their support, we will prevail and Iraq will see freedom as we do. Todd www.brandonblog.homestead.com/files/2004_05_25_archive.htmlONE MARINE'S THOUGHTS FROM THE FRONT LINES by Capt. Adam J. Becker March 19, 2004 -- On a cloudless day in January, my entry to Baghdad on a C-130 was marked by a fuselage-shuddering, steep descent from high altitude to the tarmac at Baghdad International Airport - or BIAP, as we say here. It has to be that way, every time, for the safest, quickest way to the ground. This is a dangerous place. I am United States Marine - so I know I am in the right place. You know, its one thing having an airport's name go from Idlewild to John F. Kennedy. But on my watch here as a U.S. Marine, I will be damned if I allow this airport ever to change back to Saddam International Airport. Let that be a symbol of the fact that there will be no rollback. We will not falter or leave before the job is done. That job, in simple terms - to a dumb Marine like me - is to achieve a great and important thing here in Iraq. We are doing this as part of a world team called the Coalition, with the Iraqi people who will very shortly be the team's owners and managers. When the Iraqis take over, the Coalition will become a coach for a long while - and then we step off and leave it all to them. The liberal press chooses to miss that this is not solely a U.S. effort, but a Coalition effort. While we are the star players, you can't win a game with just the star players. We have a great team here, and we will succeed - despite the efforts of an evil, cowardly and extremist resistance. The fight goes on here, and it goes very well. But the going can be slow. The Iraqi people - who are counting on our assistance - are fervently trying to rebuild under constant threat from the few, but deadly, international malcontents and disaffected insurgents. Essentially, these insurgents are anachronisms in a country that will no longer be hospitable to their vile, cowardly kind. They just don't know it yet. They say we are coming up on a one-year anniversary for our presence here in Iraq. As a Marine and a New Yorker, I disagree. This is really a 14-year anniversary. I enlisted in the Marines in 1990, giving up a safe, normal life - I was going to be a New York City school teacher - to be a part of righting the wrong that Saddam Hussein committed. I left active duty service after my ninth year in the Marines. Then the call came on 9/11. I volunteered and was out of the U.S. for Operation Enduring Freedom in less than two weeks. Now, here I am at Camp Victory in Iraq, supporting the First Marine Expeditionary Force and all of the Coalition in a job that I really can't discuss here - but it is the most important I have ever done. The Marines have just arrived and are holding down the entire Western Sector of Iraq. The Marines have their hands full - but nobody is more capable and up to the job. The Western Sector in the Al-Anbar province is the largest, most dangerous and most diverse region of the country. Here, the Marines must balance duplicitous Syria and Iran to the North and West with highly volatile cities such as Fallujah and Ar-Ramadi closer to Baghdad. We haven't been here long on this second trip to Iraq, but I can tell you we are doing spectacularly. I want New Yorkers to know that the Marines have our part of the situation well in hand. We have never been better trained with better experience. We are at our finest at the right time - as usual. We all know the mission - from lance corporal to general. This place and what we are doing here is more closely linked to terrorism - and American and world security - than I will ever be allowed to discuss. We wouldn't be out here giving it everything we have if it weren't important. Not a day goes by out here that I don't think of the cops, firefighters and regular New Yorkers who died on 9/11. As New Yorkers and as Americans, please stand behind our leaders - and us here. We can do any job on earth and have already accomplished more in Iraq than we had any right to expect. By the way, Marines are pretty easy to thank when we come home and you see us: Buy us a couple of beers, and we'll call it warmly appreciated. Semper fidelis. Capt. Adam J. Becker U.S. Marine Corps Baghdad www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1102975/posts
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Post by no name on Jun 10, 2004 21:45:31 GMT -5
FROM IRAQ THE MODEL BLOG: iraqthemodel.blogspot.com/archives/2004_06_01_iraqthemodel_archive.html:: I plan to make quoting from Iraqis' comments on the BBC Arabic forum a weekly corner of this blog (or when there's a hot topic). It's one of the ways to show opinions of Iraqis other than those usually not seen in the western media (although this site is a part of the western media but as it is in Arabic so I don't think many people in the west can benefit from it. This time the comments are related to the main topic on the Iraqi field; the formation of the interim government. I noticed that there were more positive comments from Arabs this time than in the past weeks but I also noticed that most of the negative ones came from Syria (largest share) while there's a remarkable change in attitude in the comments coming from KSA, Egypt or Jordan. Another observation was that negative comments from Iraqis decreased significantly also and actually I could find only one comment of those. “Congratulations to the Iraqi people, may the future bring more happiness. Lie no.1: we’ll crush the Americans at the gates of Baghdad. Fact: the regime ran away and fell apart without resistance and the regime’s head tried to flee to save himself with a couple of hundred millions of dollars. Lie no. 2: the heroic leader is the courageous son of a tribe and he’ll fight to the last breath. Fact: he surrendered in a rat hole without shooting a single bullet. Lie no.3: the objective of the American invasion is the Balkanization of Iraq. Fact: Iraq wasn’’t divided as some wished to see. Lie no.4: the Americans will plant hate and mistrust among She’at, Sunni and Kurdish Iraqis to make Iraqi another Lebanon. Fact: no civil war-that the terrorists wanted to provoke- happened. Lie no.5: Iraq was invaded to let America steal Iraq’’s oil and control the prices. Fact: oil prices increased and the (oil coupons scandal) pointed out the actual thieves who stole Iraq’’s oil while under sanctions. Lie no.6: Iraq was invaded to put a hand on Iraqi’s money. Fact: 68 billion dollars were assigned from America’s budget to cover the expenses of the troops and the reconstruction in addition to another 25 billion dollars assigned this month. Lie no. 7: the explosions and random killings were fabricated by the Americans to postpone the sovereignty hand-over to Iraqis. Fact: the interim government was formed and the new president was chosen a month before the planned hand-over date.” Jihad –– Iraqi in USA.“Discussing the political side of any subject should cover all the facts on the ground related to this subject; otherwise it will be unrealistic and lacking reason. The subject of the new Iraqi government, till now, is only a breeze of hope to put our feet on the right direction and this is also a phase to test the dedication of those men until the day of future elections. By reviewing the plans announced by Dr. Allawi regarding the coming eight months (if he succeeded to implement them), peace and comfort almost kick fear out of our hearts.” Nadhom Mohammed –– Baghdad/Iraq.“The government that that the US put in charge can-in no way-be the beginning of a change towards democracy because democracy and freedom pave the road for the countries of the region towards progress in industry, the thing that America doesn’’t want to occur.” Mohammed –– Syria.“I don’t understand how could a government be independent when it’s chosen by the occupier? What I fear as an Arab is that Iraq might turn to be a dagger in our nation’s back” Firas –– Syria.“My reply is directed to the two gentlemen, Mohammed and Firas from Syria: actually I want to state here that the Syrians are the last to have the right to criticize the new Iraqi government. Whatever this government’s nature is; the president didn’t heir the throne from his father. Your house is built of glass, gentlemen and you know it’’s not difficult to smash it.” Aws Al-Husainy –– Nasiriyah/Iraq.“To our Arab brothers, let’s imagine that an Arabic brother nation or even an Islamic nation came to Iraq, spent her money and sacrificed her sons’ blood to save the Iraqis from Saddam. Would that savior nation leave Iraqis alone after that? I believe that America wants a democracy in Iraq but within known limits just to ensure that there will be no threat to her interests in the future. Part from that, there will be plenty of space for Iraqis to move within which opens real new horizons for a better future. As far as I know, this is all what any human being-not suffering from paranoia or still holding ancient slogans-wish.” Mudhir Hussain –– Baghdad.“I believe that the sovereignty hand-over WILL happen, even if it needs several stages and this is just a matter of time. Dictatorship has gone forever and we’re not feeling sorry for that. We support Yawer because he’s an educated, open-minded man and he descends from a respectable family. He has moderate perspectives and we expect him to use this feature to approximate Iraqis’ opinions and we’’ll support him in his mission although he’s a ceremonial president as I heard. As for the cabinet, I think that despite the fact that it was formed without elections and we do disagree with the formation in some points but it’s much better than most of the Arabic governments’ formations. I hope that Allawi succeeds in improving the economic and security situations. And I think that if he succeeded to do so he may have a chance to be elected with his cabinet next year. Otherwise we shall stand in his face but through voting boxes (like in other democracies) not through violence. One last thing to say: we, in Iraq, have learnt the lesson and we’re not going to praise and clap to anyone and no one can force us to do so no matter what his place is. The road to dictatorships starts with clapping” Mohammed –– Baghdad.
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