Posted on 09/14/2003 7:51:26 AM PDT by Ragtime Cowgirl
We drove out to Front Royal yesterday to spend some quality time with my nephews.
Ryan is eight, and I hadn’t seen him in almost three years. He nearly tackled me. Within a couple of minutes, we were fencing with makeshift tinker-toy swords.
“En garde!” I shouted.
“Hyaaah!” Ryan responded, repeatedly “stabbing” me with his “sword.”
Ryan’s brother Kyle, who isn’t quite three years old, picked up a tinker toy and brandished it at me. He growled ferociously, then joined the melee.
I could hold my own against Ryan, but bringing in the toddler was dirty pool. I was “killed” several times.
Ryan finally tired of this activity, so we sat down to play some chess. His thinking is surprisingly sophisticated, for an eight-year-old. I observed as he planned several moves ahead. The only problem was that he was planning aloud.
“Let’s see… if I move my bishop like this, you’ll take it with your queen… no, OK, if I move the castle..”
“Rook.”
“If I move the rook, then you can’t… OK, I’ve got it!”
But as soon as I had his king in danger, it was all over. He couldn’t see beyond protecting his king, and I picked off the other pieces one by one until there was nothing left.
“Hey!”
“Sorry, Ryan. Do you want to play again?”
“Naw. Let’s do another swordfight!”
My sister-in-law took us out to dinner at a Mexican restaurant. Ryan made a mess of his tacos.
“Uncle Scott?” He had something on his mind.
“What is it, Ryan?”
“Why did you have to go to war?”
I looked at his mother. She shrugged.
“Because there are bad people in the world, and they have to be stopped.”
He looked confused.
“Bad guys,” I continued, “like the terrorists—Or the snipers.” Growing up in Northern Virginia, Ryan was very familiar with both. “I had to go to war to stop them from doing bad things.”
“Oh.” He seemed to understand this. “But why did YOU have to go?”
“Well, Ryan, if I didn’t go, somebody else would have to do it.” How do you explain concepts like citizenship and responsibility to a third-grader? “What if nobody goes to stop the bad guys? Then they would win. And they could do all sorts of bad things, with no one to stop them.”
“Oh.” He seemed satisfied with my explanation, and went back to playing with his taco.
If an eight-year-old can understand this, why is it so difficult for some adults?
Someone crammed a sombrero on my head, and a band of waiters appeared out of the woodwork, singing “Happy Birthday” to me in Spanglish. Ryan and Kyle were delighted by the show, and took turns wearing the hat while we ate Mexican ice cream…
8 The End of Ugly and Queasy ~ L.T. SMASH - LIVE FROM THE SANDBOX ^ ~ 7/23/03
8 Stubborn Things [Reserve Officer in Iraq on the "Uranium" press meltdown] ~ 7/10/03
8 Weary but Determined [Reserve Officer from Iraq: "Let's see it through to the end."] ~7/08/03
8 Living With America ^ ~ L.t. Smash's instructions on how to get along with the world's rightful Superpower.
If you want on or off my pro-Coalition ping list, please Freepmail me. Warning: it is a high volume ping list on good days (most days are good days).
BUMP
"LCDR" SMASH links to another two terrific bloggers who are still reporting back from Iraq (and have visited FR):
Great posts from 'Mrs. Chromey' (aka Freeper Maximus_Ridiculousness) last week:
SEPT 9, 2003
Chrome Dome just checked in from Tallil. His old hockey buddy, Wendy, finally made it to Iraq and is now stationed up north near Balad. No idea if or when he'll ever get the chance to see her. Things at Tallil are moving along at the usual pace. Chromey's routine may change up a bit though, and he may end up with longer missions, i.e. longer gaps between calls to Mrs. Chrome Dome, but that's about it (I hope). The temperature has dropped to about 75°-70° in the evenings now, and the winds have really picked up and it's blowing all the sand around again. With the wind and the cooler temperatures, Chromey's said he's had to bundle up a bit at night. Along with his usual shopping list, he asked if I would send him his beloved dirt bike helmet and motorcycle boots for when he gets the chance to ride that motorbike his officer purchased from a Hajji a while back. Rest assured honey, all your toys are on their way. Just remember, you're lucky you have an unemployed Executive Assistant for a wife.
In regards to the recent bombings, and the safety of the troops, for the most part, it's the outsiders pouring in across the borders that they have to worry about. About ninety percent of Iraqis indeed go about their normal daily business just as they always have before. The recent bombings in Iraq are almost certainly generated from foreigners pouring in from Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Iran. Big surprise there. For the time being, the borders are too porous and we definitely need to find a way to secure them.
Chromey will finally gets his stitches out today.* He says his wrist is doing just fine now. And after that, it's off to the Laundromat. He may actually have some photos uploaded for me very shortly!!! Check back soon to find out.
I mentioned to Chromey that I saw Weird Al in concert the other night. He just about died when I told him. Turns out that just about all the guys out their love Weird Al, and they all have his new CD (Poodle Hat). This is my third time I've seem him live. Yes, I am a total nutball. He had a lot of interesting costume changes, and some really funny moments on stage. One minute he's Fat Al, the next he's Slim Shady Al, and then next he's Jedi Al. Wouldn't it be nice if Weird Al could do a USO tour? Certainly the guys and gals in uniform could use some much needed laughs and hardcore polka mixes.
In the meantime, there have been no U.S. casualties in Iraq for an entire week. The Ukraine, Spain, Hungary, Honduras, Kazakhstan, El Salvador, Lithuania, Romania, Nicaragua, the Philippines, Thailand, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Latvia and the Dominican Republic, are just a few more countries contributing troops in Iraq.
We are fast approaching the second anniversary of 9-11. Since that tragic day, the US has freed two nations, weaken Al-Qeada & the Taliban, allowed Afghan women to remove their burqas, put Saddam & Osama on the run (for now), taken out Uday & Qusay, and captured or killed 41 out the 'Iraq's 55 most wanted' deck of cards. Yeah, we still have a big to-do list. So what. It's only been 24 months since the twin towers came down. We're still working on things. We may not have gotten Osama or Saddam yet, but personally, I believe that will come in time. What will you be doing this 9-11?
http://www.chromedomezone.com/
SEPT 1, 2003
Chrome Dome is back from his latest mission, and has just checked in from Tallil.
Apart from dealing with the occasional broken down truck or vehicle, things for him have been mostly non-eventful. He could only guess that locals have grown more cautious, or respectful of the MP's presence in the area. Military Police are a force not to be messed with. *Chromey had a little accident with his Gerber tool while he was away though. No, not the baby food. It happened while he was working on a truck. He slipped and cut himself deep in his wrist and had to get 5 stitches. He's fine now. (Please don't hurt yourself again honey, or I'll have to confiscate any and all sharp objects in your possession.) In the meantime, engineers have been slowly working on fixing the roads and adding gravel to keep the dust down. Lines for the showers have gotten really long, so Chromey's been putting his baby wipes to good use. You can never have too many baby wipes. Ever.
*** http://www.chromedomezone.com/archives.htm
|
Chief Wiggles-Straight from Iraq ~ The Online Journal of Chief Wiggles |
Freedom Fighter gets job, Around Baghdad Saturday, September 13, 2003 As we travel down life's bumpy road, thank goodness for times when the pounding ceases, the road seems to smooth out for even a split second, and we know that it is all worth it. It is those moments of great joy that gives us the hope to go on, as we anticipate the next smooth section of the journey. Amidst all the pain and suffering of life we are fortunate enough to be able to experience a few seconds of inner joy and happiness along the way, a moment of peace and tranquility on our journey, such as the laugh of a baby, the sound of children playing, the inner feeling of a sincere compliment, or words of appreciation. I had one of those moments today when I heard news that filled my soul with the buzz of such happiness. You might recall the down and dejected Iraqi Freedom Fighter, who I had helped get a job. Well on the day he was supposed to show up to begin his training, he obviously got confused and went to the wrong gate to meet his contact. When I had heard he didn't show I was so disappointed, knowing how depressed he was going to be as a result. I felt his pain as I empathetically listened to the story. He was seen at the other gate by one of our Lieutenants on his appointment day, but that was the last word I heard about it. I was hoping he would show up at the front gate one day to inquire about my whereabouts, but after all this time had passed I had given up hope, until today. I can't tell you how buzzed I was to hear such great news. It makes everything worth it when things work out for the better, the way they are supposed to. In many cases we never hear the final results, only hoping things were completed as planned. Yesterday I had the opportunity to tour around Baghdad with a couple of Colonels wanting to scope out certain areas of the city. I never miss a chance to take a break from the grueling schedule of interviewing sources, to tool around the city in a couple of SUV's checking things out. This time we were in inconspicuous white Land Cruisers, as opposed to our military HMMV's, our normal means of transportation. Of course we have our weapons and even our larger crew served weapons, just in case we run into a bad situation. As you can imagine there is a certain unpredictability about driving around Baghdad. With the summer heat now subsiding, a cool breeze blowing outside and our AC on in the car, it was the perfect day for a tour of the city. Even in the heat of the afternoon, it was totally comfortable in our SUV. We traveled through neighborhoods of homes and children playing, crowded business districts, open swamp meet like markets, by Mosques and other religious buildings, and various other types of surroundings that you can imagine. We drove in and out of traffic jams and crowds of people, around demonstrations and other gatherings. We drove by areas where you can find just about anything you want, especially items stolen from the previous regime. We stopped at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier built to remember the soldiers lost during the Iran/Iraq war, where over a million people were killed. We walked around its top stairs and down inside its belly to see all the casket like containers, which at one time had the remains of soldiers, now emptied by looters that came through right after the war. We also went over to what was Kusai's Palace where he kept his lions. On the grounds of the palace there is a cage, back where the large Jacuzzi is, where there is a lion, two lionesses, and their 6 cubs. Knowing that the adult lions had been fed humans in the past, we decided not to get too close to them, opting to play with the cubs instead, who licked our fingers through the chain link fence. The lions all looked well fed, so I wasn't too concerned, and healthy, as if even now they are being cared for. They are beautiful creatures, powerful with a certain majestic nature. This is one place I will be sure to return just to watch the lion cubs play with each other. We even stopped to take a few pictures at the national parade field with the huge hands holding crossed swords molded after Saddam's own hands, with sword blades made from melted weapons left after the Iranian war. I will try to down load the pictures to my web site in the next day or so. It was a great afternoon seeing the diversity of life, the disparity of how people live and work, and Baghdad in all its glory and all its poverty.
~~~
Of special concern, Chief is asking for our help in contacting officials in the DoD who can help with his "Generals":
I would like to thank all of you who have responded to my request for prayers and letters for the Generals incarcerated at a camp in southern Iraq. They have been there since the first day of the war now well over 5 months. I recently spoke with the leader of the generals, informing me that they are very tired from this terrible ordeal and we are losing their support, being discouraged by the way they have been treated after following our advice to lay down their weapons and surrender. In their minds they would have been better off had they just ran to their homes like the other 9,000 plus brigadier generals in the Iraqi military. They regret having trusted us enough to turn over their bases, their ships and aircraft, and their men, in hopes that we would reward them for doing so. They just want to see their families and do their part in reconstructing their country. The meeting was held on Friday, the general's issue was discussed and it was turned over to his staff for a decision. At this point we just need everyone that can to write the Secretary of Defense's staff, requesting this issue be resolved, especially now that they have a job waiting for them the minute they are released. You might be wondering why I care so much about these men. If you have been reading all of my journal entries you probably have a better understanding of this but let me say a few things to clear the water. Prior to coming to the palace a month or so ago, I lived at the EPW camp in southern Iraqi with these men for about 3 months, interacting with them on a daily basis. I spoke with them day in and day out, sitting with them in their tents, eating their food, talking with them in groups and one on one, meeting their families, and seeing them in their highest and lowest moments. I have personally questioned each and every one of them extensively. For the most part these men have been waiting for our arrival since 1991, hoping we would come to release them from the chains of Saddam Hussein. Yes they are career military men but not hand picked by Saddam, but just a handful of some 10,000 Brigadier Generals who just happened to chose the military as their livelihood, over the years having moved up the ranks like anyone else. Many of these men had been retired, only to find themselves activated before the war. Many were in the Navy and Air Force, not highly regarded or trusted by Saddam. Many were sent to the southern part of Iraq to serve out the remainder of their terms, having fallen out of favor or by choosing not to participate with the doings of their leader. None of these men were serving in the Republican Guards or the Special Republican Guards, where allegiance to Saddam is required. As some might suggest this is not a case of the "Stockholm Syndrome", where the captor begins to like or side with his prisoner. This is a matter of knowing deep in my heart that these men, for the most part, are good – honorable – upstanding- men, desiring to do what is right for their country, having understood the freedom we were bringing them. These are highly educated men, with special skills and abilities, prime candidates for positions in the new government and the new military. Men that I have grown to respect and admire, hoping that they would be allowed to participate in this reconstructing process. Hope that helps in understanding my obsession for their release. ~~~
How Chief came to know these Generals:
July 26, 2003: ~ As of recent I have been reading a number of disturbing articles from Amnesty International and the Red Cross lambasting our soldiers for mishandling Iraqi prisoners. They are accusing the US of perhaps mistreating, even actions bordering on torturing of Iraqi detainees. Here is a statement right out of one of those articles.
"Detainees continue to report suffering extreme heat while housed in tents, insufficient water, inadequate washing facilities, open trenches for toilets, no change of clothes, even after two months' detention," Amnesty said. Amnesty staff heard complaints that included prolonged sleep deprivation and detainees being forced to stay in painful positions or wear hoods over their heads for long periods. In that I am an Intelligence officer, senior interrogation chief and have now worked in two different internment facilities in two wars, I can speak from a position of authority about this subject. I am very perturbed about these allegations attacking our efforts to provide the best possible treatment and conditions for these detainees, while still trying to get the information out of them that would save lives and prevent further acts of violence against other human beings. I cannot speak for other facilities throughout the country but as far as this location is concerned these allegations are totally false. We have had up to 8,000 prisoners here at one time, now our numbers are down around 1,000. If you were to be able to read the entire circumstances of the sited events, you would know there is no truth to these vicious rumors. Yes they live in extremely hot conditions, where the mean temperature inside the tent is over 120 degrees. Well welcome to our world. Hello, we live in there country right along side them.... |
''Good night. Pray for all of us here. We need it.
Write Donald Rumsfeld too about the generals getting released. Thanks!!!!!''
http://chiefwiggles.blog-city.com/
CENTCOM has a few changes to make on their card deck, I think. Both SOD Rumsfeld and Pres. Bush mentioned 41 last week, I think, so 41 it officially is - for now.
#45 on CENTCOM's website wasn't listed in the top 55 in an earlier deck. One report from Iraq said this character was killed. A few 'captured' I think we released to trail, but have 'em in sight.
We won't know until those running the war choose to let us know, which is o.k. by me.
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