Situation in Iraq and "Victory disregarded..."

Last Sunday I was at a baby reception talking to a Kenyan man about American foreign policy.  These kinds of discussion inevitably turn to Iraq.  The war in Iraq is not very popular among foreign nationals (non-Americans), nor is it popular among most ex-pat Americans I run into here in Kosovo.  There are a percentage of people who are really well-informed and well-read about the situation there and still stand in opposition.  But the majority take their lead from the mainstream media which people an all sides of the aisle agree only report bad news.  I read several blogs from soldiers serving in Iraq and it’s fascinating to read their take on the situation there.  One might argue that they are so deeply in the forest that their view is obstructed by trees.  They can’t see the big picture.  And yet they have the same access to the media as we do, and still see the world differently.

 

Here’s a post from “Major K” who works in the intelligence section of his unit.  He’s literate, well read, well informed, and still manages to see progress in the development of Iraq and in the attitudes of its people towards the freedom they are so painfully winning. 

 

http://strengthandhonor.typepad.com/captaink/2005/06/victory_disrega.html

The UK's Guardian manages to snatch a defeatist headline from the jaws of a true victory.  The arhabi threw everything that they had at the local Iraqi Security Forces in our sister Battalion's sector, in one of the largest coordinated attacks that we have seen since we got here.  They failed.  We had a few patrols nearby that jumped in just to help out, and they caught the bad guys with their pants down, big time.  Read the article.  LTC Funk is right.  I'm sure any reporter can find someone to complain after the shooting stops.  Once again, they also fail to report that a nearby mosque was used as the primary coomand and control center as well as weapons cache for the terrorists.  They even fired on our men from inside the mosque before trying to run away.  Our guys did great that morning.  So did the Iraqis.  The arhabi put together about the biggest operation that they could muster and got their butts kicked.  There were a few follow up IED's and such in our sector, but other than the tragic loss of Dup, things have quieted down again.  We remain on offense and our sister battalion has been pulling a lot of guys out of closets where they have hidden unsuccesfully hoping to fight another day.  I think their only fighting will be done in the chow hall of an Iraqi prison.  Here's another good one that only headlined for about 5 minutes.

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