"I just can’t figure out what the hell it is we are here for.”

“I know what we have done is right and we had to do it but there must have been a better way to do it.”

When a soldier starts his conversation like this you can’t help but really really like him. He was standing in the heat, yesterday it was about 52C, guarding the entrance to building where our “governing council” meets. And he was on a roll, the next victims of his attack were the members of the governing council themselves.
“these guys, they work only four days and take the rest of the week off, they should be working 16 hour days to get their constitution going”. Give the man a cigar.
“they have huge lunches, throw tons of food out and they drive stolen cars”, by now we were laughing so loud in the car people were looking at us like we were crazy. He said that if his name is ever mentioned he will be in trouble and mentioned something about an “article 15”. We had 20 minutes with him while we were being OK-ed for meeting a Council member, he was so cool I wish the Americans didn’t freak out every time an Iraqi walks towards them I wanted to shake his hands and say thank you. He made sure I got my pieces of paper back and let us in. But he left us with one more pearl of wisdom:

“They tell you it’s the Oil but I know it is not the Oil, I just can’t figure out what the hell it is we are here for.”

He should be on TV.
:: salam 10:29 AM <+> ::


from "Where is Raed?" an Iraqi blog

http://dear_raed.blogspot.com/


It is really interesting reading Raed's blog. He has no axe to grind. He's just telling it like it is and talking about what's going on in his country. It is nice to get a view into Iraq that you don't get from other media. And I'm posting it cuz I thought other DUers might like reading it.

During a guest remark from 'Riverbend' this comment occurs:

"I'm so angry and frustrated Salam as everyone seems to be. We've got thousands of angry, ignorant American troops running around with tanks and guns pointed at everyone. What the hell happened? And since you're working with the press, what's up with not giving the number of American casualties?! It's funny how on Al-Jazeera they give the numbers in the following way: 'two wounded and two dead'... half an hour later it's: 'three wounded and one dead'- 'lo and behold! They are being resurrected!!!

Well, I'm telling you now- there have been plenty of casualties in Mosul during the 'gunfight' and after (in one of the wooded areas), but you'll be hearing about those in the following form: Troops Die in Car Accident in North of Iraq as Car Swerves to Avoid Crossing Sheep!"

I appreciate a prospective from off the US media path.

it's great.

If some major news network doesn't snap him up and make him their main middle eastern correspondent, there's more wrong with them than can be fixed.

He skewers the US and the Baathists equally. He's been the one reliable source on what's happening in Iraq for many months. I check in at least once a week.

I just wonder if he has any idea just how many faithful readers he has.