We moved to Belize 5 years ago today. Of course that coincides with the horrendous events in New York City, that has changed the world that we now live in.
I am no longer immersed in the media of the UK, but now feast on the news of the US which today (September 11th 2006) is subjected to the political shenanigans of it’s politicians trying to score political points on the back of the 9/11 tragedy.
We are all guilty of believing that our governments know what they are doing. That our politicians know their jobs. That our parents knew how to raise us as children. That our bosses at work know what’s good for us and that they know the way to proceed in their businesses. That our religious leaders are divinely inspired and know what they are talking about.
We are all guilty of handing over control of our lives to a 3rd party who we put our trust in and we are all continually let down by leaders who abuse their positions in power. We do not ask questions because we assume that someone else has done this for us. We assume that in government, checks are put in place to stop the abuse of power crazy leaders like George Bush and Saddam Hussein. We are wrong.
In Belize politicians of the government are continually sucking cash out of the country, . The local people have no idea that the Social Security funds that belong to them have been squandered by lawless politicians, that their government plays ping pong with the local Telecoms’ company BTL, which owns the monopoly on the Telecommunications business in Belize. For the cash benefit of a privileged few. That government cash funds and land set up to inspire local business and individuals to prosper are handed out to friends and family like free tickets to a concert.
Today, September 11th 2006, George Bush made another of his speeches for peace in his relentless way, referring to Iraq again and again on a day that had nothing to do with the Iraq war. Yet the American public has been hoodwinked into believing that the Iraq war is directly linked to the war on terror and the 9/11 attacks.
The American public has been badly let down by its government as has the British Public. Bush continually tells us that he wants peace before spending the majority of his speeches talking about war!!! I think a peace loving person would probably spend his time talking about making alliances, friends, relationships with other countries and not devoting the majority of his Christian inspired life fighting wars. As “Pink” recently sung, Bush has come “a long way since whisky and cocaine”.
I repeat again for anyone who does not understand what happened “There has been no provable connection between the former Iraqi regime and the 9/11 attacks”
And lets be real about this. If there was a connection, the US government would have moved heaven and earth to have found it and justify their war in Iraq.
So what the hell are the US/UK forces doing there?
We assume that our leaders know what’s best for us even when Israel bombs the crap out of Lebanon. All of the sane people of the world demand an immediate ceasefire. Apart from the US and the UK governments.
I do not know what inspires Tony Blair. But George Bush wears his faith on his sleeve. He insistently tells the world that he knows best. That he knows what these fanatical terrorists are going to do, if we don’t stop them. He tells his American public that the US has to bring the fight to the terrorists because him and his warmongers in the Pentagon know best. And the people all assume that their government does know best.
How does he know whats good for America? How does he know what these terrorists are going to do next? Is he a mind reader? If he knows what these terrorists are going to do why didn't he stop the attacks in the first place.
We live in a crazy world where peoples’ perceptions of reality are manipulated so easily by media and by governments. Fanaticism or extremism or addiction or any other way you want to describe something just doesn’t work. We all need a healthy balance in life. We do not need our addictions or fanatical beliefs. So lets hope that the Muslim extremism and hatred for the West can be kept in check and eradicated. Lets hope that Bin Laden can be caught and tried for his crimes. Lets hope that George Bush can be caught and tried for his war crimes. And lets hope that after 1,000s of years of fighting we can finally learn to live together in a world that benefits us all.
And that our competitive tendencies and primitive tribal urges can be satisfied on the field of sport and not on the field of war.
Showing posts with label Iraq. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Iraq. Show all posts
Iraqi Soldiers Report
I havnt' blogged for a while so today I am going to catch up with the latest report from Iraq plus part 2 of my rise to the premier league.
All the text below is written by a US soldier serving out in Iraq.
"...This week Bush said "evil men obsessed with ambition and unburdened by conscience must be taken very seriously and we must stop them before their crimes can multiply.
OK folks was he talking about those elusive Iraqi terrorists or Karl Rove and "Scooter" Libby or maybe all of his administration. Evil is also such a strong word that a world leader should avoid using lest history judge in someone elses favor. The "Axis of Evil" by the way, two of the three countries were our allies at one time. Does that mean we have had Evil allies? Many of the artillery rounds used for IEDs are American 155mm rounds we sold to Sadaam Hussein. So in the end around the Reagan administration's actions in the eighties are killing American soldiers today.
I just wish he would stop using soldiers as political leverage stating that changing plans would be letting us down. Everyday he is letting us down. Politically he wants to draw down troop strength but we do not have enough soldiers to do the job correctly now. We get blown up by IEDs because there are not enough of us to cover the ground we are asked to cover. The left wants troops brought home so they can say the right was wrong(trust me I would like to go home) but if no one replaces those troops the ones remaining here are at greater risk of injury. The right wants to stay the course and also lower troop strength because they want to be re-elected.
Problem is commanders on the ground are saying we need more troops to do the job. Sound like any other war we have been in. Oh that's right we are not allowed to compare to "that" war, its unpatriotic. How about a frightening little statistic for those who hate to compare. ~500,000 troops in Vietnam at its height and 50,000 KIA over 10-15 years. That is 10%. We have been at ~100,000 troops in Iraq over the past 3 years and lets say we maintain that for 10-15 years. 2000 KIA in 3 years x 5 to reach 15 years and you have 10,000 KIA. That is 10%.
Someone needs to have the guts to speak the truth, whether it is the President, Congess, or the press. Are we here to force democracy down the throats of Iraqis or are we here to gain a foothold in the center of the arab oil fields, so we can continue to watch NASCAR and drive 6mpg SUVs? Are we here fighting a war or are we building a democracy? Soldiers cannot do both at the same time. We cannot succeed by destroying a mosque with insurgents firing from it one day and the next we build a clinic. Destroying the country at the same time we are rebuilding it only makes the US military seem foolish.
The press and the government state that Anbar province is really the only trouble spot. Americans need to look at a map of Iraq. Anbar takes up ~1/3 of the land mass of Iraq. Restated, only 1/3 of the country is completely lawless, the rest just can't stop suicide bombers and the murder of Iraqi lawyers, government officials, and soldiers on leave (Iraqi soldiers on leave cannot take their weapons with them because many never return to duty, so they go home unarmed, easy targets for insurgents). Back to the top of the page, there was a time in this country that giving up the name of an American spy was a crime called treason. Not a social slap on the wrist indictment with the probable promise of KBR or like board positions. I bet Libby would spill the truth if faced with the maximum penalty for treason(execution) and the offer of plea bargain. I obviously have had way too much time to read the news this week."
All the text below is written by a US soldier serving out in Iraq.
"...This week Bush said "evil men obsessed with ambition and unburdened by conscience must be taken very seriously and we must stop them before their crimes can multiply.
OK folks was he talking about those elusive Iraqi terrorists or Karl Rove and "Scooter" Libby or maybe all of his administration. Evil is also such a strong word that a world leader should avoid using lest history judge in someone elses favor. The "Axis of Evil" by the way, two of the three countries were our allies at one time. Does that mean we have had Evil allies? Many of the artillery rounds used for IEDs are American 155mm rounds we sold to Sadaam Hussein. So in the end around the Reagan administration's actions in the eighties are killing American soldiers today.
I just wish he would stop using soldiers as political leverage stating that changing plans would be letting us down. Everyday he is letting us down. Politically he wants to draw down troop strength but we do not have enough soldiers to do the job correctly now. We get blown up by IEDs because there are not enough of us to cover the ground we are asked to cover. The left wants troops brought home so they can say the right was wrong(trust me I would like to go home) but if no one replaces those troops the ones remaining here are at greater risk of injury. The right wants to stay the course and also lower troop strength because they want to be re-elected.
Problem is commanders on the ground are saying we need more troops to do the job. Sound like any other war we have been in. Oh that's right we are not allowed to compare to "that" war, its unpatriotic. How about a frightening little statistic for those who hate to compare. ~500,000 troops in Vietnam at its height and 50,000 KIA over 10-15 years. That is 10%. We have been at ~100,000 troops in Iraq over the past 3 years and lets say we maintain that for 10-15 years. 2000 KIA in 3 years x 5 to reach 15 years and you have 10,000 KIA. That is 10%.
Someone needs to have the guts to speak the truth, whether it is the President, Congess, or the press. Are we here to force democracy down the throats of Iraqis or are we here to gain a foothold in the center of the arab oil fields, so we can continue to watch NASCAR and drive 6mpg SUVs? Are we here fighting a war or are we building a democracy? Soldiers cannot do both at the same time. We cannot succeed by destroying a mosque with insurgents firing from it one day and the next we build a clinic. Destroying the country at the same time we are rebuilding it only makes the US military seem foolish.
The press and the government state that Anbar province is really the only trouble spot. Americans need to look at a map of Iraq. Anbar takes up ~1/3 of the land mass of Iraq. Restated, only 1/3 of the country is completely lawless, the rest just can't stop suicide bombers and the murder of Iraqi lawyers, government officials, and soldiers on leave (Iraqi soldiers on leave cannot take their weapons with them because many never return to duty, so they go home unarmed, easy targets for insurgents). Back to the top of the page, there was a time in this country that giving up the name of an American spy was a crime called treason. Not a social slap on the wrist indictment with the probable promise of KBR or like board positions. I bet Libby would spill the truth if faced with the maximum penalty for treason(execution) and the offer of plea bargain. I obviously have had way too much time to read the news this week."
Iraqi frontline update
For those of you who don't know about these Iraqi updates, I have a friend whose brother is serving in the US army in Iraq. He sends these reports back from the frontline about what it's like to be out there. As I have stated before I object totally to the invasion of Iraq but do not print these articles to prove a point either way. I add these articles to my blog so that people can get an real life view of what life in Iraq is like for a soldier, without the media editing and bias that inevitably comes with all reporting. Needless to say this article inidicates what an impossible position all the troops out in Iraq face.
Read on.....
"....Sometimes it is tough to figure out what to say every week here. The problem is that sometimes nothing happens here then other times I do not even have time to sit down at my desk. This week has been a mix of that. For any of you at home you already know another soldier was killed this week. He was responding to secure the helicopter crash site (in the news) early in the week when his vehicle hit an IED. He was killed instantly and the other soldiers in his crew were hardly even shaken up. Mentally that has been tough for them, he was their leader.
Most Iraqi people do not want the insurgency around, but those same people do not want us around. Iraqis rarely get blown up by IEDs. They know where the bombs are and the trigger men do not target Iraqis. Many in the US think IEDs are like mines, we roll over them and they blow up. Most of them are triggered by someone using a phone, a garage door opener, doorbells, or hand held radios (motorolas).
Local Iraqis, including the Sheiks who get contracts to build things (paid in US dollars), know where the bombs are but do not tell us that info. They say they will be killed if they talk but really they just don't care if we get blown up. One sign on patrol that tells us we are about to be attacked is that the streets will empty and shops will be closed. The people know we are being targeted but don't feel they need to tell us by who or what. Soldiers are then supposed to remain professional when they ask the shopkeeper about the attack. He says "no ali baba, no muj, I know nothing" but he closed his store, he knew something.
If the Iraqi people do not care about the soldiers why should the soldiers care? That is where this war is heading for the US and I do not want to see US soldiers end up there. The leaders try to keep things professional and so far they are succeeding in our unit. Soldiers who break the rules are quickly punished or in some cases arrested but soldiers become bitter when their friend is dead and the shopkeeper whose shop is right next to the crater says he knows nothing.
The politics at home bother me, the media and their version of truth bothers me, but what bothers me most is watching men lose some of their humanity for a cause that even George Bush does not truly want to commit to...."
Read on.....
"....Sometimes it is tough to figure out what to say every week here. The problem is that sometimes nothing happens here then other times I do not even have time to sit down at my desk. This week has been a mix of that. For any of you at home you already know another soldier was killed this week. He was responding to secure the helicopter crash site (in the news) early in the week when his vehicle hit an IED. He was killed instantly and the other soldiers in his crew were hardly even shaken up. Mentally that has been tough for them, he was their leader.
Most Iraqi people do not want the insurgency around, but those same people do not want us around. Iraqis rarely get blown up by IEDs. They know where the bombs are and the trigger men do not target Iraqis. Many in the US think IEDs are like mines, we roll over them and they blow up. Most of them are triggered by someone using a phone, a garage door opener, doorbells, or hand held radios (motorolas).
Local Iraqis, including the Sheiks who get contracts to build things (paid in US dollars), know where the bombs are but do not tell us that info. They say they will be killed if they talk but really they just don't care if we get blown up. One sign on patrol that tells us we are about to be attacked is that the streets will empty and shops will be closed. The people know we are being targeted but don't feel they need to tell us by who or what. Soldiers are then supposed to remain professional when they ask the shopkeeper about the attack. He says "no ali baba, no muj, I know nothing" but he closed his store, he knew something.
If the Iraqi people do not care about the soldiers why should the soldiers care? That is where this war is heading for the US and I do not want to see US soldiers end up there. The leaders try to keep things professional and so far they are succeeding in our unit. Soldiers who break the rules are quickly punished or in some cases arrested but soldiers become bitter when their friend is dead and the shopkeeper whose shop is right next to the crater says he knows nothing.
The politics at home bother me, the media and their version of truth bothers me, but what bothers me most is watching men lose some of their humanity for a cause that even George Bush does not truly want to commit to...."
Iraqi Constitution from our friend in Iraq
"They keep talking about drafting a constitution for Iraq. Why don't we just give them ours? It was written by a lot of really smart guys, it's worked for over 200 years, and we're not using it anymore."
George Carlin
George Carlin
Voting in Iraq - a Soldiers Viewpoint
Well the constitutional referendum is in the past. It was quiet herewith not much in the way of problems. It was a surreal day "out there".
Normally crowded market places were deserted. People were walking
everywhere in the rural areas where there usually is no one but
sheperds.
Of note, there was not a single female voter in this Province.
The voting here did not match up with the rest of the country. More
participation than last year but less than 5% turn out. We have not
heard which way the voting went.
Why did no one vote here? Many reasons
probably, Sunnis feel left out, insurgents threaten to kill voters, the
population feels the American occupation (their words)is driving and
controlling the whole process, the polling sites were kept secret until
two days before the election, and many people just don't care(just like
in the US). Despite the lack of turn out and the overall bad attitude
of this area, there was a sense of something good happening on the day.
People waved at us and thanked us for protecting the polling sites.
People seemed happy to be out and not threatened by speaking with us.
Soldiers, US and Iraqi, felt like they were doing something worthwhile
at least for the day.
What happens now? We go back to the patrolling
and searching for the bad guys. There are a lot more now, because many
came in pre-election and we had to focus on protecting/preparing polling
sites which meant the insurgents could move in other areas more freely.
We will also expect to see more fighting among the insurgent groups as
the local thugs look to push the foreign fighters out of the area. We
recently got some 30-40 replacements in the battalion, so we are close
to full strength.
I was asked to comment on Bush's sit down with USsoldiers in Iraq. All I can say(because I did not see it) is that
everyone here knew ahead of time it was scripted and the soldiers were
pre-selected. That was not a secret here. It was what we call a "dog and
pony show". I am not sure if that saying is used outside the military.
There is not much that is unscripted after the enlisted soldier in
Kuwait hit Mr Rumsfeld with the surprise question about armored
vehicles.
Iraqi "No Spin" update
Escribbler writes about many different subjects. One is our on-going football tournament in Belize, Two is the Internet and Blogs, Three is Football in England, Four is poking fun at George Bush, Five is life in Belize and Six is the regular update from Iraq.Here is the latest no spin news from my friends brother who is serving his time in the US army. These articles are always unedited and this one was written today.
"Hello All, I figured I would start this week off with a list of good things here in Iraq. Sun tea......that's about all I could come up with. We are finished the first week of Ramadan, the holiest time of year for muslims. It is about a month long, is always in the ninth month of the muslim year and begins with the sighting of the new moon over Mecca. It commemorates Mohammed receiving divine revelation of the Qur'an. It is a period of spiritual "dryness" ramida. The goal is to develop or reaffirm Allah conciousness. The main way of participating is fasting from sunrise to set, "sawm". The day begins with Suhoor a pre-dawn meal and ends with iftar, after sunset.
The fasting includes even no water for most. Pregnant women, children and the infirm are exempt. Eid al-Fitr is the celebration feast that ends Ramadan and is a big party. In the past attacks against US forces have decreased during this period but attacks against Iraqi Army, Police and civilians have increased.
One problem is that during this period families gather after dark for meals together. This is complicated if there is a curfew, so our curfew is raised to 1100pm. Also people often gather at Mosques so crowds of people are more common during Ramadan. The insurgency uses these things to change their methods of attack. Of course the Mujahadeen can eat during Ramadan, Allah allows this.
The Iraqi soldiers still fast for the most part so the "Muj" are fit and the ISF are weak during this time. Crowds at night, and near Mosques allow the "muj" to move weapons and themselves around more easily and the late curfew can allow car bombers to get closer to their targets than during the day. The upcoming elections are more concerning to us than Ramadan. That is coming up soon and we do not know what turnout will be here. Last year only one tenth of 1% came out to vote, so improvemnent is well within reach"
Bush talks to God
George Bush seems to have got himself into more hot water after being quoted as saying "'I'm driven with a mission from God. God would tell me, George, go and fight those terrorists in Afghanistan. And I did, and then God would tell me, George, go and end the tyranny in Iraq... And I did'And now, again, I feel God's words coming to me, Go get the Palestinians their state and get the Israelis their security, and get peace in the Middle East. And by God I'm gonna do it"
He is a worrying leader. I guess he must be getting inspiration from somewhere and if its from God what better justification. And cynical me thought it was all about the oil.
Claims were made by a Palestinian Negotiator for the the upcoming TV series Elusive Peace: Israel and the Arabs
Bush Articles BBC and Guardian
-----------
If that isn't a concern then an insight into the mind of another influential US Christian leader (televangelist) Pat Robertson might be. Here is his fascinating thoughts into dealing with other world leaders (talking about Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez)
"If he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think we really ought to go ahead and do it," said Robertson Monday. "It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war."
Seriously, a Christian leader said this on TV. Hardly seems like a divinely inspired quote??
Thou shalt not kill. hmmmmm. Commandments : Subsection 4, Paragraph 12.3 "....Unless I say so..."
And this comes from a hugely influential figure in the USA. And we think the Middle East is full of fanatical religious leaders....
full articles CNN and Media Matters
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And the UK has started to threaten Iran about aiding the insurgents in Iraq. I hope we are not headed for another roll of the dice on the Risk board!!
BBC Article
Latest from Iraq - Soldiers viewpoint
Hey all,
It has been a tough few weeks in the whole country, with attacks against a lot of civilian targets around Baghdad. Here, insurgent attacks on Iraqi Army units, who can't defend themselves so we run in to try to cover for them. The Iraqi Army is in no condition to take over operations from the US Army.
In the news, Iraq seems to have snuck back to the forefront again as Generals discuss timetables and such with Congress. My cynical political mind thinks that talk about troop withdrawal distracts people from the issues brought to the front at home, and talking about bringing troops home is good, just don't mention it will not be for 5 years or so. Then after the Iraqi election the news can forget Iraq until we hit that magic 2000 number. The way things are going right now 2000 could be reached before Thanksgiving.
As I have said before, one of the greatest hurdles here is, it is not us against them. It is us against them and them and them and them. Well, hopefully everyone is enjoying the Fall. It has not gone above 100 (degrees) yet this week. It is only Sunday though.
It has been a tough few weeks in the whole country, with attacks against a lot of civilian targets around Baghdad. Here, insurgent attacks on Iraqi Army units, who can't defend themselves so we run in to try to cover for them. The Iraqi Army is in no condition to take over operations from the US Army.
In the news, Iraq seems to have snuck back to the forefront again as Generals discuss timetables and such with Congress. My cynical political mind thinks that talk about troop withdrawal distracts people from the issues brought to the front at home, and talking about bringing troops home is good, just don't mention it will not be for 5 years or so. Then after the Iraqi election the news can forget Iraq until we hit that magic 2000 number. The way things are going right now 2000 could be reached before Thanksgiving.
As I have said before, one of the greatest hurdles here is, it is not us against them. It is us against them and them and them and them. Well, hopefully everyone is enjoying the Fall. It has not gone above 100 (degrees) yet this week. It is only Sunday though.
Bush - The worlds greatest statesman
Donald Rumsfeld is giving the president his daily briefing.
He concludes by saying: "Yesterday, 3 Brazilian soldiers were killed."
"OH NO!" the President exclaims. "That's terrible!"
His staff sits stunned at this display of emotion, nervously watching as the President sits, head in hands.
Finally, the President looks up and asks, "How many is a brazillion?"
courtesy of mobys blog
He concludes by saying: "Yesterday, 3 Brazilian soldiers were killed."
"OH NO!" the President exclaims. "That's terrible!"
His staff sits stunned at this display of emotion, nervously watching as the President sits, head in hands.
Finally, the President looks up and asks, "How many is a brazillion?"
courtesy of mobys blog
Soldiers report from Iraq
Although i don't support the war in Iraq i think that knowing someone who has a relative in Iraq makes it alot more personal. And hearing his thoughts and experiences from the front line really puts into perspective any of lifes other problems. Here is the latest posting :
"....the first soldier from my state was killed this week. He was shot by a sniper while out on a patrol. The bullet went under his left armpit and went through his heart. There was nothing anyone medical could do. A soldier standing next to him was also shot but the bullet caught the edge of his SAPI plate (Small Arms Protective Inserts-part ofthe body armor, a large ceramic/kevlar plate that goes in the bullet-proof vests. It weighs about 20 lbs and there are 2 of them, 1 front, 1 back) and most of the velocity/inertia was lost. He ended up with only a 2"x 3"x 1"deep chunk of muscle torn from his chest. He will probably be back to full duty by OCT.
Part of the problem here is that there is rarely any real direct conflict. An IED (roadside bombs) explodes on our soldiers, a snipershoots at them, a mortar round drops here in the base area and there isno one to fight back at. We raid a village/house and find weapons and remote phones, garage door openers, things used to detonate IEDs, wear rest the men who have them but there is rarely a fight. It is frustrating to soldiers who go out on patrols every day and get shot at or "blowed up" as we jokingly call it that they have no one to fight. The Army calls it low intensity conflict but the soldiers start to feel like a worm on a hook....."
"....the first soldier from my state was killed this week. He was shot by a sniper while out on a patrol. The bullet went under his left armpit and went through his heart. There was nothing anyone medical could do. A soldier standing next to him was also shot but the bullet caught the edge of his SAPI plate (Small Arms Protective Inserts-part ofthe body armor, a large ceramic/kevlar plate that goes in the bullet-proof vests. It weighs about 20 lbs and there are 2 of them, 1 front, 1 back) and most of the velocity/inertia was lost. He ended up with only a 2"x 3"x 1"deep chunk of muscle torn from his chest. He will probably be back to full duty by OCT.
Part of the problem here is that there is rarely any real direct conflict. An IED (roadside bombs) explodes on our soldiers, a snipershoots at them, a mortar round drops here in the base area and there isno one to fight back at. We raid a village/house and find weapons and remote phones, garage door openers, things used to detonate IEDs, wear rest the men who have them but there is rarely a fight. It is frustrating to soldiers who go out on patrols every day and get shot at or "blowed up" as we jokingly call it that they have no one to fight. The Army calls it low intensity conflict but the soldiers start to feel like a worm on a hook....."
The War in Iraq from a US Soldiers view point
This is pretty amazing stuff. A friend of mine in America has a brother out in Iraq. He sends her posts from the frontline. Want to know whats really going on out there? Its not exaclty what the media portrays. Check out his latest posting -
"......hard to believe another week is already past. Last week was a flurry of activity. AQIZ, the Iraqi bad guys, launched a country wide "offensive"which meant we were busy. We had a lot of fighting going on all week. Our unit mostly fought in a small section of the city and in the rural surroundings. We had only minor casualties in the fighting which lasted about three days. No one from our unit was evacuated out for injuries. We captured a lot of "detainees" and it is turning out some are "high value". It is the first time the insurgents really tried to fight. In some ways three days of continuous fighting actually helped morale. The soldiers were finally fighting an enemy that was there around them. Usually there is no one to fight, just a bomb or a sniper's shots.
In reading the news sometimes I wonder how the media decides what tovreport. I know it must be difficult because for the media to report on this area they have to embed with us. Not many want that now because one, we do not live in very comfortable conditions, two, they would not really have free run of the area (and would be killed or kidnapped if they tried), and three, one could write the same stories, from the relative comfort and safety of Baghdad as here, just the place names would change. The problem is that gives a skewed report that Baghdad is a hot spot. Baghdad is actually calm and quiet. At Anaconda, a largebase in Baghdad, the soldiers do not even have to carry their weapons when not on duty. Here there is no such thing as not on duty. I do not think there are places in Iraq without daily attacks. The Kurdish controlled area in the north and the British controlled sector in the south are relatively safe. I would say safer than under Hussein. The rest of Iraq is under constant struggle. I am not sure the media has a handle on what is happening in the country anymore, maybe I need to try to read Newsweek or Time. The sources I see just report sporadic attacks in the outskirts of Baghdad with the occasional attack in the green zone. That may be the truth but then take every other major city in Iraq (around ten) and each of them is identical to Baghdad with daily sporadic fighting in the areas surrounding them and an occasional large coordinated attack. I do not know if that is the picture being painted to the American people.
I also know many Americans are now focused inward. Only around 80 soldiers of Mississippi's 155th Brigade Combat Team (around 6000 soldiers)have been allowed to go on emergency leave. Those soldiers mostly have dead or missing relatives. Around 30% of the soldiers homes were destroyed. That is 1800 soldiers who don't have a home to return to. There is no one to take their place and so they will stay in Iraq until January when they were scheduled to go home. ~40% of theMississippi National Guard is deployed to either Iraq or Afghanistan right now. The US military is horribly over extended. One could argue that this was a disaster of unprecedented proportion (but not unpredicted) and that is correct.
What if North Korea decided now was a good time to invade South Korea. Could the United States get any troops there even to reinforce the 18000 there now? N Koreas army is about five times that size. I am sure there is a war bunker in Korea where they are discussing this. The choice would be let N Korea invade or pull the troops from the Gulf Coast. Military planners have war gamed fighting on three fronts. We have been fighting on two now for three years. Now with the reliance on Nat Grd and reserves to help fight on foreign fronts we cannot support the third"front", the Gulf Coast. A fourth is impossible........"
Sobering Stuff.
A US Soldiers viewpoint
"......hard to believe another week is already past. Last week was a flurry of activity. AQIZ, the Iraqi bad guys, launched a country wide "offensive"which meant we were busy. We had a lot of fighting going on all week. Our unit mostly fought in a small section of the city and in the rural surroundings. We had only minor casualties in the fighting which lasted about three days. No one from our unit was evacuated out for injuries. We captured a lot of "detainees" and it is turning out some are "high value". It is the first time the insurgents really tried to fight. In some ways three days of continuous fighting actually helped morale. The soldiers were finally fighting an enemy that was there around them. Usually there is no one to fight, just a bomb or a sniper's shots.
In reading the news sometimes I wonder how the media decides what tovreport. I know it must be difficult because for the media to report on this area they have to embed with us. Not many want that now because one, we do not live in very comfortable conditions, two, they would not really have free run of the area (and would be killed or kidnapped if they tried), and three, one could write the same stories, from the relative comfort and safety of Baghdad as here, just the place names would change. The problem is that gives a skewed report that Baghdad is a hot spot. Baghdad is actually calm and quiet. At Anaconda, a largebase in Baghdad, the soldiers do not even have to carry their weapons when not on duty. Here there is no such thing as not on duty. I do not think there are places in Iraq without daily attacks. The Kurdish controlled area in the north and the British controlled sector in the south are relatively safe. I would say safer than under Hussein. The rest of Iraq is under constant struggle. I am not sure the media has a handle on what is happening in the country anymore, maybe I need to try to read Newsweek or Time. The sources I see just report sporadic attacks in the outskirts of Baghdad with the occasional attack in the green zone. That may be the truth but then take every other major city in Iraq (around ten) and each of them is identical to Baghdad with daily sporadic fighting in the areas surrounding them and an occasional large coordinated attack. I do not know if that is the picture being painted to the American people.
I also know many Americans are now focused inward. Only around 80 soldiers of Mississippi's 155th Brigade Combat Team (around 6000 soldiers)have been allowed to go on emergency leave. Those soldiers mostly have dead or missing relatives. Around 30% of the soldiers homes were destroyed. That is 1800 soldiers who don't have a home to return to. There is no one to take their place and so they will stay in Iraq until January when they were scheduled to go home. ~40% of theMississippi National Guard is deployed to either Iraq or Afghanistan right now. The US military is horribly over extended. One could argue that this was a disaster of unprecedented proportion (but not unpredicted) and that is correct.
What if North Korea decided now was a good time to invade South Korea. Could the United States get any troops there even to reinforce the 18000 there now? N Koreas army is about five times that size. I am sure there is a war bunker in Korea where they are discussing this. The choice would be let N Korea invade or pull the troops from the Gulf Coast. Military planners have war gamed fighting on three fronts. We have been fighting on two now for three years. Now with the reliance on Nat Grd and reserves to help fight on foreign fronts we cannot support the third"front", the Gulf Coast. A fourth is impossible........"
Sobering Stuff.
politics of the day
My time in USA has been an interesting one, and i have had a few heated debates with various people along the way. Top of the list has been George Bush, followed closely by immigration issues and thirdly, the right to bear arms. I have been labelled a liberal by many of the people we have met, due to my anti-war stance and seemingly outrageous view that i think dropping bombs is a bad thing!!
I live in Belize in Central America and am seeing the opposite side of the immigration problem that is facing america. We have a lot of poorer people living around us and many if not most seek the riches and wealth of a life in the states. Of course they have no idea that once you arrive there you have to work hard, have a decent education and in some intstances have a few lucky breaks along the way to create the American Dream. I have seen 5 men leave their homes and families in the last 5 months, snaking the way up from Belize, through mexico, being apprehended by mexican gangs, who demand money for their release. They reach the Mexican/USA border and play the ping pong game as they bounce backwards and forwards from Mexico to USA being arrested/released and harrassed along the way until finally they reach Nirvana. Of course once they arrive in the USA, reality soon hits home and they start to understand that the american way for most people is not as they have seen in the Movies or in magazines. And all of the men that i know made it. It seems that there is a 100% success rate for Mexicans, Belizeans, Guatemalans etc, with no passport, no papers and no money to make it into the USA. So long as they have enough patience.
And for the Americans that i have met, the frustration at seeing this influx of foreigners is too much to take and their tax dollars are increasingly being spent supporting "illegal aliens", a very unflattering term to describe people seeking a better life. My parents also complain about a similar problem in England as do people in most western societies who all have a great life compared to the people in the poorer countries of the world.
And it seems that the USA is split right down the middle with regards to supporting their war in Iraq as does the public in England. Ask someone for their opinion and most people will have a strong view one way or another. Me - well i never thought it was a good idea, and cannot believe that the politicians who approved this invasion have still been able to blinker the masses into thinking they were doing the honourable thing. I still havnt heard of a weapon of mass destruction being found and i'm sure most people will be aware of the escalating violence in the country.
As for catching terrorists. Well my analogy is this :: invade a country under whatever made-up premise you might have, ideaology, oil, weapons of mass destruction, terrorism or whatever excuse you feel like giving and kill whoever it is you wish to remove. Job done! However kill innocent people due to unfortunate "collateral damage" and what do you get. Mothers, without husbands, sons and daughters or Children withour parents or Fathers without families. These people now become your new terrorists. Filled with hate and anger for what has happened to their families. And where is that hate directed. At the perpetrators of these attacks. And so the cycle begins again. Here we are in 2005, learning nothing from our past and blindly creating chaos and hatred for the future. What a crazy world we live in.
I live in Belize in Central America and am seeing the opposite side of the immigration problem that is facing america. We have a lot of poorer people living around us and many if not most seek the riches and wealth of a life in the states. Of course they have no idea that once you arrive there you have to work hard, have a decent education and in some intstances have a few lucky breaks along the way to create the American Dream. I have seen 5 men leave their homes and families in the last 5 months, snaking the way up from Belize, through mexico, being apprehended by mexican gangs, who demand money for their release. They reach the Mexican/USA border and play the ping pong game as they bounce backwards and forwards from Mexico to USA being arrested/released and harrassed along the way until finally they reach Nirvana. Of course once they arrive in the USA, reality soon hits home and they start to understand that the american way for most people is not as they have seen in the Movies or in magazines. And all of the men that i know made it. It seems that there is a 100% success rate for Mexicans, Belizeans, Guatemalans etc, with no passport, no papers and no money to make it into the USA. So long as they have enough patience.
And for the Americans that i have met, the frustration at seeing this influx of foreigners is too much to take and their tax dollars are increasingly being spent supporting "illegal aliens", a very unflattering term to describe people seeking a better life. My parents also complain about a similar problem in England as do people in most western societies who all have a great life compared to the people in the poorer countries of the world.
And it seems that the USA is split right down the middle with regards to supporting their war in Iraq as does the public in England. Ask someone for their opinion and most people will have a strong view one way or another. Me - well i never thought it was a good idea, and cannot believe that the politicians who approved this invasion have still been able to blinker the masses into thinking they were doing the honourable thing. I still havnt heard of a weapon of mass destruction being found and i'm sure most people will be aware of the escalating violence in the country.
As for catching terrorists. Well my analogy is this :: invade a country under whatever made-up premise you might have, ideaology, oil, weapons of mass destruction, terrorism or whatever excuse you feel like giving and kill whoever it is you wish to remove. Job done! However kill innocent people due to unfortunate "collateral damage" and what do you get. Mothers, without husbands, sons and daughters or Children withour parents or Fathers without families. These people now become your new terrorists. Filled with hate and anger for what has happened to their families. And where is that hate directed. At the perpetrators of these attacks. And so the cycle begins again. Here we are in 2005, learning nothing from our past and blindly creating chaos and hatred for the future. What a crazy world we live in.
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