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LIVE FROM FALLUJAH (Michelle Malkin features a great letter home from a U.S. Marine)
Michelle Malkin's Blog ^ | November | Michelle Malkin / Dave Bellon

Posted on 11/07/2004 1:28:17 AM PST by Stoat

LIVE FROM FALLUJAH

 

By Michelle Malkin   ·   November 07, 2004 01:06 AM
Thanks to Brain Shavings for introducing me through his blog to U.S. Marine Dave Bellon, who is posting letters to his dad from Fallujah online. Here's an excerpt from his latest dispatch, dated Nov. 3:
Dear Dad -

As you have no doubt been watching, we have had our hands full around Fallujah. It would seem as if the final reckoning is coming. The city has been on a consistent down hill spiral since we were ordered out in April. It's siren call for extremists and criminals has only increased steadily and the instability and violence that radiates out of the town has expanded exponentially. If there is another city in the world that contains more terrorists, I would be surprised. From the last two years, I just don't see a way that we can succeed in Iraq without reducing this threat. The cost of continuing on without taking decisive action is too high to dwell on.

The enemy inside the town have come to fight and kill Americans. Nothing will sate their bloodlust and hatred other than to kill everyone of us or at least die trying. It is hard to fathom as a Westerner as rational thought would dictate that we will only be here for a relatively short blip in their history and while we are here, billions of dollars in investments will pour in and opportunity that is beyond comprehension will open up for anyone willing to work. This is not Kansas and this enemy does not think like that.

If we build a school or clinic, they destroy it. They would rather deny medical care or education for the children of the citizens who live nearby than to have any symbol of the West in general and America specifically among them. It is hard to comprehend. Frankly, we are done trying....

Just last week, we lost another nine Marines killed and an equal number of wounded as the result of some ignorant extremists who was able to convince himself that killing himself and as many Americans as possible would send him to paradise where he could finally get his virgins.

Now, their own ignorance and arrogance will be their undoing. They believe that they can hold Fallujah. In fact, they have come from all over to be part of its glorious defense. I cannot describe the atmosphere that exists in the Regiment right now. Of course the men are nervous but I think they are more nervous that we will not be allowed to clean the rats nest out and instead will be forced to continue operating as is...

When the Marines leave the front gate on an operation or patrol, someone within direct line of sight of that gate is trying to kill them. All have lost friends and watched as the enemy hides within his sanctuary that has been allowed out of what one must assume is political necessity. The enemy has been given every advantage by our sense of morality and restraint and by a set of operational rules that we are constrained to operate under. The Marines feel like their time has come and we will finally be ordered to do what must be done and be given the latitude to do it. Even though the price will be high, there is not a man here that would chose status quo over paying the price.

Every day, the enemy takes more hostages, assassinates developing Iraqi leaders and savagely beats suspected collaborators. I will give you just one recent example that happened last week. One of our patrols was moving down a street when they saw what looked like a fight. The Marines closed with the scene. It was a family that had come to Iraq on religious pilgrimage that was taken hostage and was being taken into Fallujah. The muj stopped for some reason and the father began fighting. The Marines interdicted and captured two of the kidnappers. Two more ran and the Marines could not get a shot without fear of killing/wounding others.

Every day, insurgents from inside Fallujah drive out and wait for Iraqis that work on our bases. Once the Iraqis leave they are stopped. The lucky ones are savagely beaten. The unfortunate ones are killed...

Summary executions are common. Think about that. Summary executions inside Fallujah happen with sobering frequency. We have been witness to the scene on a number of occasions. Three men are taken from the trunk of a car and are made to walk to a ditch where they are shot. Bodies are found in the Euphrates without heads washed downstream from Fallujah. To date we have been allowed to do nothing.

I have no idea the numbers of beheadings that have occurred in Fallujah since I have been here. I have no idea the number of hostages that have ended up in Fallujah since we have been here. I just don't know that Americans would be able to comprehend the number anyway. Unfortunately, the situation has only gotten worse. There is no hope for any type of reasoned solution with an enemy like this.

Once again, we are being asked by citizens who have fled the city to go in and take the city back. They are willing for us to literally rubble the place in order to kill the terrorists within. Don't get me wrong, there are still many inside the town that support the terrorists and we cannot expect to be thanked publicly if we do take the city. There is a sense of de ja vu with the refugees telling us where their houses are and asking us to bomb them because the muj have taken them over. We heard the same thing in April only to end up letting the people down. Some no doubt have paid with their lives. The "good" people who may ultimately buy into a peaceful and prosperous Iraq are again asking us to do what we know must be done.

The Marines understand and are eager to get on with it. The only lingering fear in them is that we will be ordered to stop again. I don't know if this is going to happen but if it happens soon, I will write you when its over,

Love,

Dave

 

Go read all Dave's e-mails at The Green Side. And check here for updates on the impending assault.



TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: fallujah; hooah; iraq; michellemalkin; napalminthemorning; personalaccount; religionofpeace; usmarines; waronterror; wot
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1 posted on 11/07/2004 1:28:17 AM PST by Stoat
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To: Stoat

BTTT


2 posted on 11/07/2004 1:37:24 AM PST by King Prout (tagline under reconstruction)
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To: Neets; Darksheare; scott0347; timpad; KangarooJacqui; The Scourge of Yazid; Conspiracy Guy; ...

non-trivia

BUMP!


3 posted on 11/07/2004 1:38:39 AM PST by King Prout (tagline under reconstruction)
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To: Stoat

Thanks for posting this. Prayers for our men, especially that they can do what has to be done soon.


4 posted on 11/07/2004 2:09:41 AM PST by trustandobey
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To: trustandobey

Prayers for our Marines and all of our troops. God be with you all.


5 posted on 11/07/2004 2:12:43 AM PST by jennyjenny
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl

From the front door of the hornet's nest ping!!!


6 posted on 11/07/2004 4:01:22 AM PST by Maigrey (Member of the semi-naked blogger Political Operative Brigade. To H#ll with pajamas!)
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To: trustandobey

God Bless these fine men who willingly accept the price many of us would shiver from.


7 posted on 11/07/2004 4:07:47 AM PST by mentor2k
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To: mentor2k
God Bless these fine men who willingly accept the price many of us would shiver from.

I thank the Lord everyday for brave men such as these.

8 posted on 11/07/2004 4:14:08 AM PST by pettifogger
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To: pettifogger; trustandobey

Amen to that. Or we could just drop a MOAB.


9 posted on 11/07/2004 4:21:48 AM PST by Robespierre (Come into the light, all are welcome.)
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To: Stoat
This is a good article, but I have to ask if it really was written to the Marine's father or whether it was written mainly for public consumption.

I think a son might have some more important things to say to his father on the eve of a battle such as Fallujah is shaping up to be.

10 posted on 11/07/2004 4:22:00 AM PST by independentmind
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To: independentmind
I have no doubt that the letter was written with the public in mind, but I believe that it was also meant to bring honor to his family by including them in the letter's focus.

I'm sure that there is considerable additional, non-publicised correspondence between this Marine and his family.

11 posted on 11/07/2004 4:28:16 AM PST by Stoat
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To: Stoat

bttt


12 posted on 11/07/2004 4:34:27 AM PST by expatguy (Fallujah Delenda Est!!)
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To: 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub; BykrBayb; LakeLady; bridgemanusa; Darksheare; Dr Snide; faithincowboys; ..

ping


13 posted on 11/07/2004 4:50:09 AM PST by stockpirate (Kerry; supported by, financed by, trained by, guided by, revered by, in favor of, Communists.)
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To: stockpirate; annyokie; ArmyBratCutie; atomic_dog; AZBigDog; CindyDawg; codyjacksmom; CoolChange; ...

Pajama Puppies Ping...

Y'all won't want to miss this letter to his dad from a soldier in Iraq. Excellent read!

LL


14 posted on 11/07/2004 5:42:15 AM PST by LakeLady (WOOF! WOOF! Female Alpha Dog Political Activists Reign. Pajama Puppies treed the demonRATS!)
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To: Robespierre

I've been thinking of a whole series of MOAB"S dropped checkerboard style for a few weeks.

After that build a 6" border around the whole city , fill it with gasoline and light it.

Wait till the flames go out and then Attack.

American soldiers are too precious to be wasted on frontal assaults when we have the technology to do this bunch in.

God Bless our Soldiers who protect us.


15 posted on 11/07/2004 5:47:25 AM PST by chatham
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To: Stoat
Every day, insurgents from inside Fallujah drive out and wait for Iraqis that work on our bases.

Which begs the question, aren't Iraqi and U.S. forces waiting for them to "drive out" and decimating them? If not, why not?

16 posted on 11/07/2004 5:56:45 AM PST by JimRed (Investigate, overturn and prosecute vote fraud; turn more counties red!)
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To: independentmind

The absolutes were probably established before he left for Iraq.


17 posted on 11/07/2004 6:38:56 AM PST by HipShot ("Remember the first rule of gunfighting... have a gun." --Colonel Jeff Cooper)
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To: Tragically Single

ping


18 posted on 11/07/2004 6:52:22 AM PST by tuliptree76
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To: Stoat

I sure as hell wish that they would quit injecting politics into this war, and allow our Marines to clean out that den of murderers!!


19 posted on 11/07/2004 7:08:55 AM PST by international american (RKBA RULES!!)
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To: Stoat

Thanks for the post, and thanks for following The Rule.


20 posted on 11/07/2004 7:29:12 AM PST by Slings and Arrows ("I heff good news and bad news. Good news is I saw Allah. Bad news is he was wearing a yarmulke.")
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