Posted on 02/24/2007 2:27:52 PM PST by Bigun
Hi everyone.
I'm still alive but freezing my tail off. We got 8 inches of snow last week and it reached 5 degrees below zero that night. That's not why I'm e-mailing though. You may have heard about a suicide car bomb attack in Kabul last Thursday. It was at one of our FOB's (Forward Observation Bases) about 27 miles from here. But the real story is why no one was killed. We employ several thousand Afghans on our various bases. Not to mention the economy that is fed by the money these locals are making. Some are laborers and builders, but some are skilled workers. We even have one Afghan that just became OSHA qualified, the first ever. Some are skilled HVAC workers. Anyway, there is this one Afghan that we call Rambo. We have actually given him a couple of sets of the new ACU uniforms (the new Army digital camouflage) with the name tag RAMBO on it. His entire family was killed by the Taliban and his home was where our base currently resides. So this guy really had nowhere else to go. He has reached such a level of trust with US Forces that his job is to stand at the front gate and basically be the first security screening. Since he can't have a weapon, he found a big red pipe. So he stands there at the front gate in his US Army ACU uniform with his red pipe. If a vehicle approaches the gate too fast or fails to stop he slams his pipe down on their hood. Then once the gate is lifted the vehicle moves on the 2nd gate where the US Army MP's are. So he's like the first line of defense.
Last Thursday at 0930 hrs a Toyota Corolla packed with explosives and some Jack Ass that thinks he has 72 Virgins waiting for him approached the gate. When he saw Rambo he must have recognized him and known the gig was up. But he needed to get to that 2nd gate to detonate and take American lives. So he slams his foot on the gas which almost causes the metal gate to go up but mostly catches on the now broken windshield. Rambo fearlessly ran to the vehicle, reached thru the window and jerked the suicide bomber out of the vehicle before he could detonate and commenced to putting some red pipe to his heathen ass. He detained the guy until the MP got there. The vehicle only exploded when they tried to push it off base with a robot but no one was hurt. I'm still waiting for someone to give this guy a medal or something. Nothing less than instant US citizenship or something. A hat was passed around and a lot of money was given to him in thanks by both soldiers and civilians that are working over here. I guess I just wanted to share this because I want people to know that it's working over here. They have tasted freedom. This makes it worth it to me.
Name redacted for security reasons, CPT, US Army
What the heck are you talking about???
Are you trying to say the Iraqis who are fighting, dying and working, at great risk to their families safety, every single day for their freedom and a democratic government don't want it???
How rude and factually incorrect.
Great story. I'm glad you posted it and I read it.
Exactly my thought when reading that statement.
Kind of the same reaction I have to the UN in Iraq...or anywhere!!!
what the hell is he even doing out there?
He's doing what he can.
We desperately need the UN here in MPLS. Why you ask? We are in the middle of a full blown crisis, as it snowed here last night. I know I know it's hard to believe but it's true. All the local media have their crack reporters out standing by the side of the road telling us it snowed and the roads are slick.
I blame global warming for this unprecedented event!
ping
Well they've had 4 years to care enough to allow us to take some troops out,but instead we're talking about INCREASING the number of troops in Iraq.Go figure !!!
LOL!!! I heard from a soldier in MN last night...waiting the coming snowstorm! Sled riding today?
March 20, 2003 through May 1, 2003: (end of major combat)
*** April 21, 2003 the Coalition Provisional Authority was established as a transitional government which was dissolved 6-28-04.
May 2, 2003 thru June 28, 2004: (sovereignty turned over to Iraq)
*** The Iraqi Governing Council was the provisional government of Iraq from 7-13-03 to 6-1-04, serving under the CPA.
*** Occupation ended on 6-28-04 as sovereignty was turned over to Iraq.
June 29, 2004 thru January 30, 2005: (1st Iraq election)
*** The Iraqi Interim Government took the place of the CPA and IGC on 6-28-04 until the 1-30-05 elections and the installation of the Iraqi Transitional Government.
January 31, 2005 thru December 14, 2005: (Iraq general election)
*** The Iraqi National Assembly was elected to write a permanent Constitution for Iraq and exercise legislative functions until the new Constitution goes into effect.
*** Following the elections, the Iraqi Transitional Government replaced the IIG on 5-3-05 until it was replaced by the first permanent government on May 20, 2006.
*** October 15, 2005 the Constitution of Iraq was approved by a referendum backed by 78% of the voters.
December 15, 2005 thru today's date.
*** MAY 20, 2006 - Formation of Iraq's new unity government following the 12-15-05 elections!
Well they've had 4 years to care enough to allow us to take some troops out...
So you see, in reality the Iraqi government has only existed NINE MONTHS!
4 years ago the tyrant Saddam was in power.
In LESS THAN 4 YEARS:
* the tyrant was removed
* 14 month occupation ended
* provisional governments were formed at various stages
* sovereignty returned to Iraq
* 3 votes and the writing of a constitution completed within ONE YEAR
* permanent government seated
* the tyrant captured, tried and executed
* over 300,000 NEW Iraqi Army and Security Forces trained and equipped
* rebuilding of much of their infrastructure continues
* have established diplomatic representation in 54 countries
* 47 countries have diplomatic representation in Iraq
* GDP growth rate at 17% last year with estimates of 4-13% for 2006
* Iraqi Security Forces control nearly 70% of Iraq as of 12-1-2006.
Well we're going on 4 years there according to my math.One of the reasons their government is only 9 months old is because nobody in their mess up country gets along.I mean the Sunnis hate the Kurds and the Kurds hate the Shiites.They've got a government and they've got a Constitution but I'd bet my house against your car that if we pulled out tomorrow in 6 months there would be a civil war and in a year they'd be a province of Iran !!!
Anyone else notice how the Toyota is the automaker of choice for Jihadis? I sense a major ad campaign here.
Ooooops, sorry. I did not realize you were illiterate.
Wow, snappy comeback !!!
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