Thanks. We know it is a girl and I know where I will be when she is a tennager and dating… On the front porch waiting…….

A book you should look at. It is also from a USAF officer on what was found in Iraq.

“Weapons of mass Destruction Found” by (Maj) Bryan Russell (NBC Officer, USAF)

“I am currently in the USA and may actually witness the full pregnancy of my 3rd (and last) child.”

MAZEL TOV! and Best wishes! Hopefully you will soon be able to spend not only more quality but also more quantity time with your family.

P.s., there’s a fellow in my Synagogue who’s an intelligence officer (USAF) who was involved in WMD inspections and so we asked him if there were any in Iraq. Roughly translated, he said “Oh, yeah!”

And, as to the Arabs hating the Persians, I’ve heard that there’s no love lost the other way either.

“Ironically I think I am in more danger at home than I am in Baghdad.”

LOL! My dad was with the 1st Marines at Guadalcanal. He told me once that after he came back to the States, when he and my Mom lived in Philadelphia for a while, there were areas you just didn’t go into, especially at night, even with backup.

Do not worry about criticism. We call these “After Action Reports” (AARs) and are far harder on ourselves. As it is, more and more Iraqis (esp Shia) are seeing Sadr as a Persian puppet. His scrunched up face also earned him the label of “Downs Sydrome Boy” among Iraqis.

Sistani’s continued marginalizing of Sadr and the fact Sadr is more aligned with Persian Shia than Arabic Shia is the wedge most likey to split Sadr from the herd. The more Iran is seen as the force behind dead Arab Iraqis (which is the truth), the more Sadr’s and others like him will be seen as traitors to the Arabic Shia and all Iraqis (Arabs really do not like Persians). A “Shia Awakening” would crush him as the “Sunni Awakening” crushed AQs long presence in Iraq.

Yonason,

I am currently in the USA and may actually witness the full pregnancy of my 3rd (and last) child. My first child thought I lived in the computer as he saw me on a web cam more than in real life. I do, however, get to remain in contact with people in Iraq and Afghanistan quite often as my assignment directly supports them. The fact the media thinks it can get away with making up stories while US Soldiers are able to instantly refute them still astounds me. This is unlike Vietnam where it took months until the Soldiers could write back about a false story.

Ironically I think I am in more danger at home than I am in Baghdad. At least there I was armed and could count on others to help if need be.

Glad to hear the military is at least trying to do it’s job, even if the State Dept won’t let it. As to making him a martyr, they would forget him. Looking at how much other trash has been taken out, and how negatively it effected their efforts, it doesn’t seem likely he would have been different, especially since he’s causing so much pain to the Iraqis he prowls among. And, since he was actually physically going to Iran to facilitate Iranian involvement, then if he was critical to that effort, his loss would be a tremendous boon to our efforts that would probably far outway any tears shed by his minions. But what do I know.

Regards, and thanks for doing such a great job over there! Keep up the great work!

Please do not take my comments as being in any way critical of what you guys have done, and continue to do, over there.

I realize that there are lots of other behind the scenes, between the lines issues that go into decisions like this.

I am spouting of with the benefit of both hindsight and distance.

Too bad Mookie couldn’t have disappeared into the night so that only those who need to know would really know where he went.

The military asked the question a while ago also. We debated it at CGSC (Command and General Staff College) in 2006 even. Though I doubt I can find the actual document as to why he is alive and not taken out with the rest of the trash, I would have to point to the fact diplomats wanting him not made into a martyr and when Sistani rebuked him, the State Dept hoped Sadr would fade away.

Villages may fade away in the desert, but madmen do not. Especially madmen supported by a neighboring country (Iran).

The DOS did not understand the culture and Iran’s early involvement. Some would say they still do not. The US Military was playing catch up with tactics in this culture while dealing with massive “lawfare” (like a VERY restrictive ROE) and failed to capitalize on its many successes early on (at least we learned). Hindsight being what it is, Sadr should have been puppy chow on day 1. The lawyers and diplomats being what they are, we still would not have taken him out even with this knowledge.

Needless to say, this is a acidic topic between combat arms guys and the JAG/diplomatic types.

“Mookie should have had a bullet in his head the first time he tangled with us.”

Or, as I’ve been asking since the first time he tried the old hudna-redux ploy, after breaking his first, “Why is that scumbag still alive?”

Unfortunately, I also get the feeling that it will be very costly for all involved.

Mookie should have had a bullet in his head the first time he tangled with us.

I get that feeling at least three times a week.

Tom