One Marine's View

Satan and Sand Storms

Gang-

Things have been going great here in Iraq.  Internet is bad but tonight a huge sand storm has hit and BOOOOYA, internet is up and everyone is emailing away.  A little action in our area but all has been great. Life is getting better a day at a time.  Mail.......well is ok, once or twice maybe a week. The guys got your packages and think you all are angels. We smell.  Letters seem to sneak through and I've given them to warriors without mail.  VTines day was great as I played mail man for these guys.  It made their day.  We worked with a German Shepard Military Working Dog today.....he bit a Marine. We told the Marine, don't play or bother Satan..........nice doggy, nice pooch... munch, bark ,bite, munch, drool.....the Marine didn't listen.  I think I saw Satan smile.  I've never seen a dog move that fast.  It was a blur of fur and blood and Marine trying to get away from Satan.  I really didn't know if I should laugh or cut his arm off for him.  Ya, good idea, get the furocious animal mad at ya....your on your own buddy and you look like a steak!!!!  Meanwhile I'm staying perfectly still.

I can't see across the street as I'm sure the hords of locusts are coming next as the sand storm rolls in.......for the past couple days.  Is it bad when you breath in and you have dirt on your teeth?  If the girls could see us now!  Gepeto the mouse in my room has escaped!  Be on the look out for a four legged mouse with my knife!  I thought I caught him and began the interogation process about his regime and overall plan to continue to invade my mattress and I go get a bottle of water and Booya, he is gone.  I knew I should have used handcuffs.  Until the next sand storm when I can get on the all mighty internet, stay safe and don't pet strange dogs!

Years of U.S. intel work are paying off, as more and more senior
terrorist leaders are being identified, and found. This has caused most of
the al Qaeda leader ships to flee the country, taking their cash with
them. The U.S. is putting additional pressure on Syria to give up
terrorists who flee in that direction. The Iraqi Sunni Arab terrorists groups,
who comprise over 90 percent of the people fighting the government,
and making attacks on U.S. troops, are also in big trouble. The leaders
of these groups are hoping for some kind of amnesty before they get
caught. Capture can be delayed for a while by bribing the local police and
army units. Meanwhile, the terrorists are suffering a severe cash flow
problem. The al Qaeda contributions are gone, and most of the money
coming from foreigners has dried up. The Iraqi “resistance” is seen as
broken, and no one wants to support a lost cause. Being on the run has
made it difficult to organize the roadside bomb teams. The use of these
weapons has declined so much (over 90 percent in some areas) that U.S.
commanders fear their troops are starting to get sloppy, after being on
the streets for weeks without encountering a single IED.

THE OTHER BAD GUYS

Al Qaeda went to war over Iraq , and lost. While the terrorists are trying to put a brave face on it, the defeat has hurt recruiting and fund raising. The number of foreign volunteers entering via Syria or Saudi Arabia are way down. Not just because  borders  are harder to cross, but because fewer young men are willing to cross them to die in Iraq . Less cash is coming in from wealthy Islamic conservatives. These fellows are very much put off by the widespread slaughter of civilians. Al Qaeda and its pro-Saddam Iraqi Sunni Arab allies never seem to learn. A recent suicide bombing of a pet market, used two mentally retarded women to wear the bombs, which were then detonated remotely. Apparently the two women did not understand what they were taking part in. This proved to be a PR disaster for al Qaeda. Using women for such attacks is considered, well, unmanly. Using the mentally ill is not seen as proper behavior for a Holy Warrior either.

Back in the saddle!

Now in Iraq, the Marines are conducting themselves as expected and are full of energy to take on what awaits. From the last time I was here, some things have changed, others have not. The sexy burning trash smells including burning tires, medal and who knows what else is ever present. The area hasn’t changed either; same old neighborhood and I think I even see a few dogs that tried to bite me last time. One big change since last deployment is the people. Did anyone happen to notice that the Iraqi people here are behind us and helping us? Wow, that is the single biggest difference, the people. From local volunteers to professional trained Iraqi police and Army, the local populace has turned 180 degrees from my last deployment. Sorry for not posting in awhile but something about no computers in the middle of hell and when I do find one the service is marginal. Email is not even a real option yet as I damn near had to trade off my next born to use this computer but I will let you know when email is back up. Stay tuned kids, its going to be a hell of a ride!!!!