VIEW FROM THE FRONT

Got a note from Susan overnight. Susan has a son in the 1st Armor Division.

She passes along a note written by Lieutenenant in the 1AD...a note that offers more perspective on the situation.

I thought you'd like to see it.

With recent events in Iraq, and news coverage being what it typically is, I would like to take a few minutes out of everybody's time to say a few words.

There are two major things going on right now that have lead to the dramatic increase in fighting in the last few days. The first is happening in places like Faluja. The sunnis in this area have always been fighting American occupation, but after a year of handling them with kid gloves due to policies set by the higher ups in politics and the military, they have become emboldened. Basically, they have forgotten what a Bradley 25mm
will do to a car load of armed insurgents. Right now the marines "pacifying" this area by force.

The second cause pertains to what is happening in Baghdad, where I am. A Shia cleric, who happens to be the son of a popular cleric killed by Saddam, made a last ditch effort at a power play before the handover of power to an Iraqi government by making a religious decree to fight Americans. This has lead hundreds of out of work 19 to 25 year old males to grab there RPG's and AK's and attack both Americans, but also police stations and Iraqi government facilities. In places, this has lead to heavy fighting not seen since the war. However, we are fighting a dismounted, unorganized force, who are simply not capable of standing against a professional, mechanized force such as the First Armored Division.

The news blurbs about the fighting that I have seen on CNN have if anything downplayed the fighting (it's hard to know what is going on when you only do reports from your hotel room), and have enphasized American casualties. There is no gentle way to put it, but American forces have on average, as near as I can tell, killed about 150 enemy fighters per day (never mind the wounded), all in the street to street, house to house fighting that critics have said we are so unprepared for. What is going on in Baghdad right now is by no means a Vietnam. The enemy in Vietnam was far more effective, better equiped, and more determined than the enemy here.

As near as I can tell from actually being on the streets on patrol these last few days, the average Iraqi is not interested in forcing the Americans out. Only the following weeks will really tell how determined Sadr's army really is.

In short, try not to buy into spin motivated by political goals and the ghost of Vietnam. This is the desert, not he jungle. We are fighting to put down an uprising of religious fanatics of the same kind that flew two planes into the world trade center. The enemy that we are fighting today would, if given the chance, would be more happy to kill Americans in America.

I am proud of my soldiers and the job we are doing. I am proud of my country, and believe in the decisions of the President who asked me to be here.

"long live the fighters"

Susan...thanks for sharing that. That is one level headed young leader there.