My kid, who is stationed in Tal Afar, in northern Iraq have I mentioned that before?, made a journal entry this morning and sent it to me:
"There is a feeling here that I can't describe. I don't like the feeling though. This place really puts shit into perspective. What is the most valuable thing in your life? Now imagine that someone has just taken it away from you. We just lost the life of a soldier the other day. I bet that he was someone's most valuable thing. Hold on tight to what you have because you never know when it will be taken away."
I love you.
I know, I know; publish or perish.
I've been out of the loop so bear with me if I rehash some of last week's news. I get the distinct impression that the perpetual pessimists get a buzz from that voodoo that they doo, but you can only fool some of the people some of the time, etcetera, etcetera. At some point success has to smack them in the hind end on their way out the credibility door.
Speaking of success, Bill Roggio, over at the Fourth Rail, speaks about Consolidating Success in Western Anbar. The province of Al Anbar is the largest in Iraq and comprises almost one third of the nation of Iraq.
Another success was highlighted by Ralph Peters question in the NY Post, "Dude, where's my civil war?'
As much as the pessimists were wishin' n hopin' for Iraq to degenerate into an all out nation-wide bloody failure, it just didn't happen.
And what was really impressive were the men of theIraqi army who anchored the successful suppression of a bloody civil war. I guess the msm overlook something good to say about Iraq:
* The Iraqi army deployed over 100,000 soldiers to maintain public order. U.S. Forces remained available as a backup, but Iraqi soldiers controlled the streets.
* Iraqi forces behaved with discipline and restraint - as the local sectarian outbreaks fizzled, not one civilian had been killed by an Iraqi soldier.
* Time and again, Iraqi military officers were able to defuse potential confrontations and frustrate terrorist hopes of igniting a religious war.
* Forty-seven battalions drawn from all 10 of Iraq's army divisions took part in an operation that, above all, aimed at reassuring the public. The effort worked - from the luxury districts to the slums, the Iraqis were proud of their army.
AS a result of its nationwide success, the Iraqi army gained tremendously in confidence. Its morale soared. After all the lies and exaggerations splashed in your direction, the truth is that we're seeing a new, competent, patriotic military emerge. The media may cling to its image of earlier failures, but last week was a great Iraqi success.
A few more bits of good news that conveniently got neglected, which is odd because the more of this Iraqi progress that is consecutively strung together, the more secure Iraq becomes under the command of Iraqis which means the less involved coalition forces have to be which means the sooner those forces can go home, but I guess all that makes too much sense for the pessimists to grasp. nurse! oxygen!
Iraqi Army Battalion Assumes Responsibility
Iraqi Army Brigade Makes Positive Step Toward Indepent Operations
Iraqi Army Takes Over Baghdad Battle Space
Iraqi Army 2nd Brigade Plans and Leads Humanitarian Effort
Iraqi Army medics receive training and help their own
And finally, in a first, Iraq Executes 13 Insurgents
You just can't make this stuff up. From the yapping lap dog's anemic cousin's department comes word that former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic, the so-called "butcher of the Balkans" being tried for war crimes at the Hague, was found dead today in his prison cell. He was 64.
Hold on.
It gets better.
He may have been poisoned.
On a lighter note, the oscars are soon to raise their pompous head with a whole cluster F#%k of over dressed and over paid hollywood mouthpieces showing off for who ever will watch and telling us all what great work they do.
You know what?
I just don't care.
I rarely go to the movie houses and have little interest in all this hoopla.
So don't even ask.
~Have a great weekend!