Thursday, June 09, 2005

Reflections from the Iraq War


So much of what we see and read about the war in Iraq comes from reporters who sit in the relative safety of the "Green Zone", have never stepped foot inside of Iraq or were their for on a brief time. Michael Fumento donned the body armor and helmet and went to Iraq, embedded with the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force in the Anbar Province. Here is are his observations.

" I traveled to Iraq essentially for two reasons. First, I believed the mainstream media for whatever reason were missing many important stories. Second, I believed you had to see the war to truly understand it. I was fed up with the pompous pontificating pundits who can go to Iraq anytime but prefer the comfort and safety of home. I paid the price for my trip; a part of me will always remain in Iraq – literally. But I was right on both counts.

I observed that troop morale in even the most hostile areas was better than I would have believed. Unless I identified myself, nobody knew I was a reporter. Troops didn’t hold back antiwar feelings on my account. Yet I heard none. I also carefully fastidiously read the ubiquitous graffiti in the portable toilets and only once found a negative scrawling – a Bush bash. But three other scrawlings ambushed that first one."

I have to respectfully disagree on the MSM missing stories statement. I believe that the MSM is simply not reporting these stories since these stories do not agree with their political agenda. Troop graffitti is a telling bit of insight into what the troops think and believe, as well as the state of their morale. Finding as little as Fumento did, is an indicator that the troops on the ground believe in what they are doing. This is something you would never know from the MSM. I am sure the MSM goes out of their way to find troops opposed to the actions in Iraq.

"Overall – and this is based both on observation and outside study – I’d say the war is ours to lose. But I don’t think we will. In a true guerrilla conflict, time favors the insurgency. But progressively this war has shifted to one waging non-Iraqi terrorists against primarily Iraqi civilians, secondarily Iraqi military and police, and last against Americans.

Indeed, on one IED mission I joined MPs nabbed two men in track suits and tennis shoes running away from the trigger. Both wore head scarves with non-Iraqi-colors and they had Jordanian features.

It’s perfectly understandable that Iraqis resent any foreign troops on their soil. But they know the suicide bombers randomly turning Iraqi civilians into shredded wheat are also foreigners. They’re skeptical about a U.S. withdrawal; but they see the American route appears to be leading to independence. And they know the Jihadist route is one too horrible to contemplate."

Here is another fact seemingly being ignored by the MSM. Most of what the MSM call "insurgents" are foreign terrorists, waging a war of terror on the Iraqi people. The Iraqi people have figured this out and now more and more intelligence information is coming from them to the Iraqi government. Once again, these so called "insurgents" are nothing more than low life terrorists. It is time the MSM started calling them what they are.

For all the negative news the MSM is reporting, and for all of the whining and gnashing of teeth of the leftists terrorist appeasera and ass kissers, it seem that the Iraqi people understand the stakes. They know that the path to democracy is far better than anything the terrorists have to offer. My hat is off to Michael Fumento for having the courage and gumption to get this story out. - Sailor

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