The Chronicle has published a letter from Iraq. Unfortunately, it’s not a letter from a military person. Nope, the Chronicle finally finds a letter it wants to publish and it’s from…a journalist:
This probity has been reflected in Fassihi’s subsequent work. It also might explain the wildfire circulation of her unofficial, not-for-publication e-mail about Iraq, meant for friends but leaked on the Internet. Though the missive apparently does not contradict her reportage, it is blunt, bleak and opinionated in a way that mainstream coverage generally avoids.
“Iraqis like to call this mess ‘the situation,’ ” Fassihi wrote. “The situation, basically, means a raging barbaric guerrilla war. In four days, 110 people died and over 300 got injured in Baghdad alone. … Insurgents now attack Americans 87 times a day.” Later she adds, “One could argue that Iraq is already lost beyond salvation. For those of us on the ground it’s hard to imagine what if anything could salvage it from its violent downward spiral.”
Fact for fact, Fassihi’s e-mail offers little that can’t be found in published accounts. What has made it dart from Web site to Web site is the contrast of unvarnished personal expression with Fassihi’s status as reporter for an establishment newspaper. What has made the piece resonate is that its voice was not meant for the public.
You know, this is just pathetic. And the editors made an editorial out of it. How hard can it be to find a letter from a journalist saying things aren’t going well in Iraq?
Since the Chronicle is apparently unable to find any letters from our brave troops, who get around a bit more than reporters do, we’ll help out:
Here’s some background on Al Faluja to keep in mind.
A) Why is it in the news almost every night? Because it is one of the FEW places in all of Iraq where trouble exists. Iraq has 25 million people and is the size of California. Faluja and surrounding towns total 500,000 people. Do the math: that’s not a big percentage of Iraq. How many people were murdered last night in L.A.? Did it make headline news? Why not?
B) Saddam could not and did not control Faluja. He bought off those he could, killed those he couldn’t and played all leaders against one another. It was and is a ‘difficult’ town. Nothing new about that. What is new is that outside people have come in to stir up unrest. How many are there is classified, but let me tell you this: there are more people in the northeast Minneapolis gangs than there are causing havoc in Faluja. Surprised?
C) Then why does it get so much coverage? Because the major news outlets have camera crews permanently posted in Faluja. So, if you are from outside Iraq, and want to get air time for your cause, where would you go to terrorize, bomb, mutilate and destroy? Faluja.
There’s more to that letter so please read it. Here’s the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel which managed to get several letters from troops in Iraq and braved space restrictions to publish them all:
Six members of the Wisconsin National Guard agreed to share some of their letters with readers of the Journal Sentinel. They tell first-person stories that usually don’t make the evening news or the daily papers but are history nonetheless: repairing roads and bridges, working in a palace, coping with the intense heat, trying to save the life of a wounded soldier.
[snip]
Our best offense is to be busy each and every day. I can report that the Group has over 130 assigned missions, and the tasks grow daily. We are actively involved in repairing damaged bridges, an airfield runway, roads, culverts and other projects, which enhance the mobility of our combat forces. We supported the recent uprising in Najaf by sending a task force of 125 soldiers led by Maj. Dan Pulvermacher.
They spent two weeks building a prisoner detention facility, along with berming the perimeter of a new base camp. They also built guard towers, a weapons range and a helipad. They handed the mission over to soldiers retained in Iraq for up to 120 days and returned safely last weekend. We are also actively involved in force protection missions like berming, rebuilding guard towers, bunkers and barriers on the 27 bases we have troops assigned.
Additionally, we are aiding in their quality of life on these bases by building roads, shower and latrine facilities and with getting new containerized housing units set and operational. The sheer area of 3,500 square miles challenges us, as it is not easy moving our heavy construction equipment, and many of our troops live like gypsies. No one is complaining, however, and is focused instead on completing their missions. All of these efforts earned us a comment from the Division Engineer, Col. Haight, that the “264th Engineer Group has truly earned the trust, confidence and respect of the senior leadership of the 1st Infantry Division”. You can all be very proud of your soldier’s contribution to the war effort and the cause of freedom for this oppressed people. . . .
Arthur C. Zuleger
Colonel
Commanding
Here’s a letter forwarded to the Powerline guys:
One night last month, we were stopped in the desert outside of Fallujah. We had 3 detainees under our control that were captured in the act of doing bad things against Marines. Because we were in the open without any facilities around, the detainees were temporarily being held on a patch of desert closed off by concertina wire. Besides for the wire and guards watching them, they were out under the stars just like all of our Marines.
Around 3:00 a.m., the wind started blowing hard and a sandstorm hit our position. As Marines covered themselves with their sleeping bags, the sky opened up and the flying sand was joined by a downpour of rain. Most of the Marines hopped into vehicles to get some cover.
In the back of a truck, which was the closest vehicle to the detainees, 4 Marines were trying to stay dry and get some sleep. The lieutenant who was in charge of providing security for the detainees approached this truck and opened up the back hatch. He ordered the Marines out of the truck and told them that they couldn’t stay in there. The Marines asked why and he explained to them that he had to put the detainees in the back of the truck to protect them from the rain and sand.
Word of this spread very quickly and everyone was livid. We couldn’t believe that our Marines were being kicked into the sandstorm/rainstorm so these 3 detainees, who were caught trying to kill Marines, could stay dry. The next day I was still angry and everyone was still talking about what had happened that night. Later in the day, after having time to cool down and think about the situation, I switched from being angry to being proud.
Who else, other than Americans, would kick their own men into a storm so their enemy could sleep in peace? Who else, other than Americans, feel so strongly about laws and rights that they would go to such extremes to protect captured terrorists during a war on terrorism?
When these guys are under our control, they eat better than they do when not in capacivity, receive medical attention that they would never otherwise receive, and are treated like Marines only know how to act, professionally.
And here’s a couple from the Mudville Gazette blog:
“Captain Lindsley came up with the idea of starting a free prosthetics clinic in Iraq for local people regardless of age,” Cummings said.
“Captain Lindsley’s civilian boss, Chris Wallace at MRC, has been very supportive with materials,” Cummings said, “and the Army has been supportive by providing us with time and a place to help people in need.”
The two Soldiers are working almost every day at the Grey Wolf Forward Operation Base in Baghdad’s International Zone, taking measurements for the construction of new limbs for Iraqis in the program. Work is also performed on bracing limbs that cannot support themselves.
Cummings was scheduled to go home in early October, but he has chosen to stay and help more Iraqi amputees.
We know you don’t like the Iraq war, Chronicle editors, so quit beating your readers over the head with that 2 x 4. We get it! Would it really be so terrible to publish anything positive from over there? Twenty-five million Iraqis have just been freed from a brutal dictator. Life in Iraq isn’t easy and it isn’t great, we know, but the troops on the ground, doing the security and rebuilding work tell a different story than the one you plaster all over your pages day in and day out.
