Report from Iraq at TPM: "This is not Viet Nam...it's not that easy."

[milkyway]

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/

From a friend of Josh Marshall's who formerly was in military intelligence, and now is working in Iraq as a security contractor:

<snip>
The night is no longer the refuge and domain of the Americans. I have to tell you although the wide open areas of Iraq give a false sense of security. Even though much of this is unseen to most people the situation has gone from bad to really bad to unbelievably bad! Westerners are getting hit everywhere. Security companies escorting CPA, themselves and other Westerners are now on the menu for all the armed resistance groups. There was a report of a massive ambush by one security firm that tried to drive in from Amman. Reports have 25-40 gunmen opening up on them.
<snip>
General Kimmet is wrong if he thinks that he will destroy the Badr brigade or Sadr Army as a military organization because there isn't really one ... he will disperse them into small, highly armed teams of friends and ... voila! Al Qaeda-Iraq or Hezbollah-Iraq will be borne in numbers we will not be able to control. Since the ICDC seem to have run off and joined the opposition in Nasiriyah it may reflect the true loyalties of the new Iraqi army and Police. No one is going to cross their family, tribe or religious community for the Americans.

The correct answer is to back off, leave Sadr alone and start to throw lots of money into jobs projects and utilities for the south before this summer's electricity and gas shortages ... will that work? Probably not. But we have just antagonized the core of the Shiite resistance and putting them to work is better than letting them fight us 24/7. General Sanchez is right about one thing ... this is not Vietnam ... Oh no, its not that easy. I refer you to Israel humiliating defeat in Southern Lebanon by Hezbollah's armed resistance for a reference to our potential future.

[Malva Zebrina]

1. yeah, that's what we have to do

throw lots of money at them.

uh huh and meanwhile our own are out of jobs, have no health care, and the divide between the rich and the poor is widening as we speak.

Uh huh--we need to throw more money at them because of Bush's stupidity in attacking and invading this country. OUR money--not the money of those some 200 corporations that are there making bucks bigtime--such as Halliburton-=--- no it is OUR money it is WE the taxpayer's money.

I say no--get out of Iraq. I will not support this invasion and this holocaust that we have seen within the past few days.

What a screw up is this whole thing.

I want Bush out. I want a country where the people count and where the people are not governed by corporations who rule over us just so their CEO's can earn millions and millions at our expense. No, I say NO

It is time for the revolution when we allocate money to Iraq above that which is allocated to our own suffering people.

Jeesus--

[maggrwaggr]

2. gosh, you mean it's actually worse than CNN and MSNBC are showing?

I'm shocked, shocked, I tell you

[Jackpine Radical]

3. Oh, not at all. Those lieberal media aren't showing how good

it is. We have the power back on, the schools open, the hospitals full--I mean, uh, resupplied with medicine and stuff.... The Eye-Rackies just love us, dontcha know. Throwing flowers all the time, OI swear it gets almost embarrassing to have all that gratitude continuously lavished on ya.

[meow mix]

4. little king needs one of those paper Burger King crowns..

=)

[Jackpine Radical]

5. I thought about that crown too, but

I'm not the one who did the artwork. I got it from SHRED, who created the thing in response to a discussion I started about the idea on a thread a few weeks ago. If you have the photoshop skills to put one on, have at it& I'll add your credit to SHRED's.

[VolcanoJen]

6. Great Big KICK

I just finished reading this account, and it is chilling, and honest.

A must-read for those of us growing weary of the 24/7 information blackout in terms of events in Iraq.