If you haven't seen Michelle's post about her recent trip to Iraq make sure you go take a look. She was embedded with the Army in northern Baghdad and got to go out with them when they patrolled the city. Here's an excerpt:
Modern war in the Middle East is no longer as cut-and-dry as shooting all the bad guys and going home. We are fighting a "war of the fleas"--not just Sunni terrorists and Shiite death squads, but multiple home-grown and foreign operators, street gangs, organized crime, and freelance jihadis conducting ambushes, extrajudicial killings, sectarian attacks, vehicle bombings, and sabotage against American, coalition, and Iraqi forces. Cellphones, satellites, and the Internet have allowed the fleas to magnify their importance, disseminate insurgent propaganda instantly, and weaken political will.It's too bad that this war is being fought in the middle of the war against Bush. The troops need more support than they will be given by this Congress. Congress is about to vote that they don't believe that the military is able to finish the job that they started. They are about to vote that they have lost confidence in the men who are fighting over there to get the situation under control. Too bad we have to fight this war on so many fronts because it must be such a drain on the morale of the troops -- just what we need when we are fighting a 100 year war.
I came to Iraq a darkening pessimist about the war, due in large part to my doubts about the compatability of Islam and Western-style democracy, but also as a result of the steady, sensational diet of “grim milestone” and “daily IED count” media coverage that aids the insurgency.
I left Iraq with unexpected hope and resolve.
The everyday bravery and consummate professionalism of the troops I embedded with has strengthened my faith in the U.S. military. These soldiers are well aware of the history, culture, and sectarian strife that has wracked the Muslim world for more than a millennium. “They love death,” one gunner muttered as we heard explosions in the distance while parked in al Adil. Nevertheless, these troops are willing to put their lives on the line to bring security to Iraq, one neighborhood at a time.
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