Hurl's Rant
Rambling, Tired Observations
In the past week I have flown a dozen missions or so of various types. Casevac, raids, Cordon and knock, Convoy escort, etc. As mentioned before, the Iraqi army is really getting involved in their own security as well as hunting down terrorists in their own operations. Clearly terrorists are murdering, disrupting, destroying, maiming, and...... terrorizing.... people as much as possible in a desperate attempt to topple the Iraqi government, throw the country into civil war/anarchy, and ultimately establish an authoritative Islamic regime.
Unfortunately, terror seems to be paying off with some. It certainly paid off in Spain. It's paid off with Israel since Oslo 12 years ago. It remains to be seen if it will pay off in Britain or ultimately the US. It certainly doesn't take much to scare/subject liberals - they dropped their pants years ago....
I have seen a significant portion of Iraq now in the 4 months that I have been flying here. You should see the roads - unbelieveable. They were designed by German Autobahn engineers and built in the 70's. Unfortunately - like most of the infrastructure - construction and maintenance pretty much ended when Saddam took power in 1979. Like most tyrants, his efforts and money went into personal palaces and the purchase of weapons - from France, Germany, and the former USSR.
I laugh when I hear idiots rant about the weapons America allegedly sold Saddam.... Where are all the American planes, tanks, bombs, missiles, rockets, munitions, rifles, mines, etc.??? How come they look so - Russian? Is that also some kind of sinister Bush/Halliburton/Israeli scheme? Oh I get it - Dow Chemicals sold Saddam some fertilizer 25 years ago that was used for non-fertilizing purposes. Riiiiight....
This country is actually quite beautiful - at least along the rivers. Of course the crushing 125 degree heat and constant blowing dust and sand right now is more like the surface of Venus.... But hey, it has it's seasons.
Each day, life here goes on. Yes there are the almost daily suicide/homicide sacrifices made to Allah - mostly in and around Baghdad. And the daily IED attacks along certain parts of certain roads. But the VAST majority of Iraq is like any other place on earth (or Venus) - people going about their daily business. Cars fill the roads, markets are jammed, people buying, selling, working, playing....
I hope to see a free, secure Iraq someday soon. I am working hard for that. I am working hard to stop terrorists from stealing that hope and vision from the majority of Iraqis. I hope politicians quit striving to portray this effort as a failure in order to gain political ground. I hope the MSM quits LYING and starts reporting the other side of Iraq - the 98% that is positive.... I'm not holding my breath.
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