Replies

This letter may be the real deal, but I gotta say it has a certain odor of hoax, or at least of a convenient PR stunt constructed by centcom staff. I mane, it is just too perfect.

The same letter was posted on oldguns.com on July 20th, two days before being posted on FreeRepublic. That does not mean much, except to note that the text does not match what was posted here. The one posted on oldguns.net is shorter and has some text rewritten.

I also think it incredibly convenient that the writer mentions Japan and Germany as examples, amazingly just like some freerepublic posters have done. This thing looks like it was lifted directly from some FR posts.

And lastly, the writer mentions joint patrols with Iraqi police. Every report I have heard or read said that the Iraqi police are a surly, ill-disciplined force that will not stick their necks out for anybody. One radio report of a roadblock the other day had the voice of one ID3 member expressing subdued rage at the cowardly local police who would not even man a checkpoint for more than half and hour, leaving our guys out there to do it alone in punishing heat.

I don't know, anyone else feel uneasy with how perfectly this letter seems to have a counter-point for every hot Iraqi issue discussed on this forum? Mybe I'm just too cynical, so I'll slip on my absetos long-johns now.

clamboat, I'm glad to know it was posted at another websight. Hope it travels around the world.

The letter was posted at Southern Command in Tampa.

As for editing, I almost cut out a few paragraphs in this letter, some is personal. Whether someone posts it whole, or a sentence at a time, the letter matches what the troops have been saying (to no avail) for months.

Freepmail Lexington Green for further details.

The Iraqis have been conducting joint patrols with our troops in various parts of Iraq for weeks. They die going after the bad guys, too.

You can check out today's security report:

NUMEROUS POTENTIAL SUBVERSIVE ATTACKS DETERRED
CENTCOM ^ | July 22, 2003

..or check out the other work the troops are doing along side the Iraqi people today in Iraq:

COALITION AND IRAQIS TEAM UP FOR HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS
CENTCOM ^ | July 22, 2003

...or the many, many previous CENTCOM security reports largely ignored by the press:

*COALITION AND IRAQI POLICE WORK TO MAKE IRAQ SECURE