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Here's an interesting email from a Chaplain in
the Army Reserve who has been called to active duty to support our troops in
Iraq. They are Psychological Operations (PsyOps) personnel who speak
the local languages and work with the people. Thus, he has a good
perspective to what is really going on in Iraq. He writes...
Hi All,
In light of today's death toll in Al Fallujah I'd
like to offer you a different view then you may see on your tv news. First, I'm
not one that bashes the media for bias. Yes, they have a bias..don't we all..but
I'm not one that sees conspiracy. But I have noticed that deaths in Iraq get a
whole lot more attention than the good things that happen here, a whole lot more
attention. So, here's some background on Al Fallujah to keep in mind.
A) Why is it in the news almost every night?
Because it is one of the FEW places in all of Iraq where trouble exists. Iraq
has 25 million people and is the size of California. Fallujah and surrounding
towns total 500,000 people. Do the math..that's not a big percentage of Iraq.
How many people were murdered last night in L.A.? Did it make headline news? Why
not?
B) Saddam could not and did not control
Fallujah..he bought off those he could, killed those he couldn't and played all
leaders against one another. IT was and is a 'difficult' town. Nothing new about
that. What is new is that outside people have come in to stir up unrest. How
many are there...that's classified, but let me tell you this...there are more
people in the northeast Minneapolis gangs than there are causing havoc in
Fallujah...surprised?
C) Then why does it get so much coverage? Because
the major news outlets have camera crews permanently posted in Al Fallujah. So,
if you are from outside Iraq, and want to get air time for your cause, where
would you go to terrorize, bomb, mutilate and destroy? Al Fallujah.
D) Why does it seem to be getting worse? Two
answers..
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This country became a welfare state under Saddam. If you
cared about your well-fare..you towed the line or died. The state did your
thinking and your bidding...want a job..pledge allegiance to the Baath
party..want an apartment, a car, etc...show loyalty..electricity, water, sewage,
etc..was paid by the state. Go with the flow..life is good..don't and you're
dead. Now, what does that do to initiative? ...drive? ...industry? So, we come
along and lock up sugar daddy and give these people the toughest challenge in
the world..FREEDOM. You want a job..earn it! ...house? Buy it or build it!
...Security? Build a police force, army and militia and give it to yourself?
Risk your lives and earn freedom. The good news is that millions of Iraqis are
doing just that, and some pay with their lives. But many, many are struggling
with Freedom (just like East Germans, Russians, Czechs, etc...) and they want a
sugar daddy..the USA to do it all. We refuse...We don't want to be plantation
owners..we make it clear we are here to help, not own or stay..they get mad
about that, sometimes. Nonetheless, in Fallujah, the supposed hotbed of
dissident in Iraq..countless Iraqis tell our psyopers they want to cooperate
with us but are afraid the thugs will slit their throats or kill their kids. A
bad gang can do that to a neighborhood and a town..that's what is happening
here.
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We have a battle hand-off going on here. The largest in
recent American history. The army is passing the baton to the marines in this
area. There is uncertainty among the populace and misinformation being given out
by the bad guys. As a result there is insecurity and the bad guys are testing
the resolve of the Marines and indirectly you; the American people. The bad guys
are convinced that Americans have no stomach for a long haul effort here. They
want to drive us out of here and then resurrect a dictatorship of one kind or
another.
Okay, what do we do? Stay the course. The marines
will get into a battle rhythm and along with other forces and government
agencies here, they will knock out the crack houses, drive the thugs across the
border and set the conditions for the Fallujans to join the freedom parade or
rot in their lack of initiative..either way, the choice will be theirs. The
alternative? Turn tail, pull out and leave a power vacuum that will suck in all
of Iraq's neighbors and spark a civil war that could make Rwanda look like a
misdemeanor.
Hey America, don't go weak kneed on us...585 dead
American's made an investment here..that's a whole lot less than were killed on
American highways last month. Their lives are honored when we stay the course
and do the job we came to do; namely set the conditions for a new government and
empower these people to be the great nation they are capable of being.
So, when you watch the reports from Al
Fallujah..remember...there's more to the story than meets the camera's eye.
God bless,
John
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