from a local young man...
We've really
started
> to
> > > turn over some of the responsibility to the Iraqi forces here. I know
I
> > > told you a little bit about it earlier, but now we're really starting
to
> > see
> > > it.
> > > The problem is that we have to take them to and from the
> objectives.
> > > They have trucks, but they don't go anywhere without an escort. So
> > > basically we end up making the trip but don't get any of the action.
> But
> > > the good part is that getting them to be responsible for themselves is
> > > really what we have to do to be able to come home. They are still
> pretty
> > > dangerous to be around, but we just step aside and let them handle
> > > themselves. I've found that they're always tardy, and keep us waiting
> all
> > > the time, but hopefully that will get better. Its been raining again,
> and
> > I
> > > saw something that just made me laugh the other day. A bunch of the
> Kurds
> > > were wearing ponchos out in the rain. It might not seem out of the
> > > ordinary, but what is he going to do when he has to reload his rifle?
> > He's
> > > going to have to try to get under that thing, and when you're in a
hurry
> > to
> > > get ammo that's the last thing you want to have to mess with. We just
> sit
> > > back and laugh at some of the things these guys do. Last night we
were
> > > patrolling for curfew enforcement, and stopped a car in this tight
> little
> > > neighborhood. The driver gets out of the car with his hands up,
> obviously
> > > scared out of his mind. Which is a good thing, and normal. The ones
> you
> > > have to worry about are the ones that aren't scared. But the poor guy
> had
> > > little kids with him, and the Kurds were all yanking them out of the
car
> > at
> > > gunpoint. At that point we intervened, because the poor kids were
> > > horrified. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not a big fan of any of these
> > people
> > > over here, and anyone violating the curfew should be searched, but
there
> > is
> > > a fine line between roughing up a troublemaker, and understanding that
> > some
> > > people just have to break curfew for one reason or another. These
were
> > just
> > > little kids, ya know? These guys are on a real power trip. Generally
> > > someone like that we disable their car and throw them in the Stryker.
> We
> > > won't detain them unless they've done something wrong, but usually
we'll
> > > drive them all the way across the city and throw them out. I know it
> > sounds
> > > pretty mean, but its at night that they plant the bombs and set up
> > ambushes,
> > > so I don't feel the least bit bad. But we couldn't do that to these
> poor
> > > crying little girls, so we let them on their way.
> > > A pretty big weapons cache was found yesterday. It was the
fabled
> > trap
> > > door under the rug thing like you see in the movies. Some guys from A
> co.
> > > were searching a house and heard a creek in the floor. They turned
over
> a
> > > rug and sure enough, there was a door. They found RPGs, mortars,
> AK-47s,
> > > ammo, money, and recruiting CDs. Plus they detained three guys that
had
> > > been launching mortars at us. Not a bad days work.
.....
We've really
started
> to
> > > turn over some of the responsibility to the Iraqi forces here. I know
I
> > > told you a little bit about it earlier, but now we're really starting
to
> > see
> > > it.
> > > The problem is that we have to take them to and from the
> objectives.
> > > They have trucks, but they don't go anywhere without an escort. So
> > > basically we end up making the trip but don't get any of the action.
> But
> > > the good part is that getting them to be responsible for themselves is
> > > really what we have to do to be able to come home. They are still
> pretty
> > > dangerous to be around, but we just step aside and let them handle
> > > themselves. I've found that they're always tardy, and keep us waiting
> all
> > > the time, but hopefully that will get better. Its been raining again,
> and
> > I
> > > saw something that just made me laugh the other day. A bunch of the
> Kurds
> > > were wearing ponchos out in the rain. It might not seem out of the
> > > ordinary, but what is he going to do when he has to reload his rifle?
> > He's
> > > going to have to try to get under that thing, and when you're in a
hurry
> > to
> > > get ammo that's the last thing you want to have to mess with. We just
> sit
> > > back and laugh at some of the things these guys do. Last night we
were
> > > patrolling for curfew enforcement, and stopped a car in this tight
> little
> > > neighborhood. The driver gets out of the car with his hands up,
> obviously
> > > scared out of his mind. Which is a good thing, and normal. The ones
> you
> > > have to worry about are the ones that aren't scared. But the poor guy
> had
> > > little kids with him, and the Kurds were all yanking them out of the
car
> > at
> > > gunpoint. At that point we intervened, because the poor kids were
> > > horrified. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not a big fan of any of these
> > people
> > > over here, and anyone violating the curfew should be searched, but
there
> > is
> > > a fine line between roughing up a troublemaker, and understanding that
> > some
> > > people just have to break curfew for one reason or another. These
were
> > just
> > > little kids, ya know? These guys are on a real power trip. Generally
> > > someone like that we disable their car and throw them in the Stryker.
> We
> > > won't detain them unless they've done something wrong, but usually
we'll
> > > drive them all the way across the city and throw them out. I know it
> > sounds
> > > pretty mean, but its at night that they plant the bombs and set up
> > ambushes,
> > > so I don't feel the least bit bad. But we couldn't do that to these
> poor
> > > crying little girls, so we let them on their way.
> > > A pretty big weapons cache was found yesterday. It was the
fabled
> > trap
> > > door under the rug thing like you see in the movies. Some guys from A
> co.
> > > were searching a house and heard a creek in the floor. They turned
over
> a
> > > rug and sure enough, there was a door. They found RPGs, mortars,
> AK-47s,
> > > ammo, money, and recruiting CDs. Plus they detained three guys that
had
> > > been launching mortars at us. Not a bad days work.
.....
