Iraqi Views.

According to 2Slick , Eric Simon's Desert Sky will be featured on FOX's Dayside with Linda Vester on Monday 1pm eastern time. It is a documentary told by the soldiers themselves about a year in the life of the world's largest Air Assault Helicopter Brigade.

I'm betting the film rocks.

2Slick also has more info on a new book coming out, IRAQ: PROVIDING HOPE written by Eric Holmes which are personal stories from 50 people actively involved in freeing and rebuilding a new Iraq. (2slick is in it!)
Please contact Timberwolf Press for more information and to pre-order.
Call office toll free to order: 888-808-0912 Or email information to: sales@timberwolfpress.com

And to round off a complete hat tip post to 2slick, here is an Iraqi blogger with a little Thanksgiving post of his own.

Reading a bit more on his blog I noticed he had this to say on Nov. 16th:

" the chief editor of an Arabic newspaper located in London, widely read in Arab world, recounted an incident which happened to him with one of the editors in the newspaper. He said that a picture, shows an American soldier speaking to an Iraqi girl, was to be published with an article. A comment which says (An American soldier instructing an Iraqi girl) was to be under the picture. What happened, the junior editor changed it to (An American soldier hitting on an Iraqi girl). Such comment stimulates a very conservative religious society as the one in Iraq.Now, what happened yesterday of showing an American soldier shooting an injured man in Fallujah will be the tambourine on which Aljazeera and Arabic media will play on for a long time."

It seems this Iraqi understands the damage of perception to us (the U.S.) and our soldiers when a story is "spun" in such a way to make us look bad. Perhaps Kevin Sites should read this guy's blog.

He goes on to say:

"The crimes of breaking into hospitals, snatching injured Iraqi policemen and soldiers, cutting them into pieces by the insurgents are not criticized by Aljazeera. "......The crimes committed by Saddam’s closest assistants against the Iraqi people, many are filmed, had never been spoken about. No one dared to raise a voice to demand a trail because of fear. And the same fear is used nowadays by the insurgents to keep mouths shut."

I think it is time for a 'fair and balanced' answer to Aljazeera.

What is the Arabic word for Fox?

Patti Davis and the long embarrassment....

Patti Davis, Ronald Reagan's daughter, has written a book about her father's descent into Alzheimer's disease called "The Long Goodbye." Patti spent her life embarrassing her father and doing a lot of whining. First with a "fictional" book about a daughter whose father was President and a cold aloof mother. She then posed for Playboy in 1994. Later writing another book involving S & M sexual activities. She was just a real class act all around.

Here she talks about her book. Making money off her father's memory is no surprise to me. It doesn't even surprise me that she even speaks for him in death, obviously injecting her own political feelings into what she 'thinks' he would have done or said in the present political climate. Here's a bit:

Point Loma, CA: Do you think the current president's vision for America is similar to your father's?

Patti Davis: I do not believe my father would have taken us into Iraq, nor do I think he would have alienated so much of the world. I believe, if he had been in office when 9/11 happened, Osama bin Laden would not still be walking around and sending out broadcasts via television.

She might be right about the bin Laden thing, but I don't think the left she loves would have liked the way he would have done it.

Orlando, Fl: ....Do you believe your father would have conducted a pre-emptive strike against Iraq, both in Desert Storm and now as the present administration has done?

Patti Davis: I think my father would have handled things very differently if he had been in office. I think he would have responded to 9/11 in an appropriate way by going after the group who carried out the attack. I'm saddened by what this administration has done.

Umm....Perhaps someone should tell Patti that Bush did go after the group (the Taliban) who carried out the attack. We went in Afghanistan and kicked their ass, killing off most and destroying their base and organization. And just as a little side thing, Bush also freed the afghan people from tyranny and allowed them to have free elections for the first time. I think Reagan would have loved that from the bottom of his freedom loving heart.
Patti, being the feminist that she is, might also kinda like the fact that girls are allowed to go to school and work now, and even have the right now not to be murdered if they choose the wrong boyfriend.
Because you know, I was really saddened by the brutality, murder, and discrimination that the Taliban had done.

Crofton, MD: Hi Patti: You've always been one of my favorite writers. Did your father ever voice an opinion regarding stem-cell research?

Patti Davis: Unfortunately, by the time stem-cell research became part of our vocabulary, my father was too ill to understand it. I think he would be very proud of my mother's work for this cause.

Everything that Ronald Reagan every wrote or said on the subject of embryos and the sanctity of life says he would have been against embryonic stem cell research, but for adult stem cell research. But, she doesn't say that he would have been for it at least, she only says that he would be proud of her mother, which of course, he would have. I think he would have supported Nancy in all things.

Gautier, MS: What type of relationship do you and your mother have with Michael? He seemed so alone at the funeral.

Patti Davis: Our family has pulled together and bonded through my father's illness and passing.

This was a good dodge. Michael, who is a outspoken Christian, could not be more different from Patty and Ron. The one thing they do seem to have in common now is the love and respect they have for their father. Patty spoke a bit about how her father would have hated how divided the country was. Does she really believe that that we would be less divided with Ronald Reagan in office? Reagan's political policies and vision makes George W. Bush look like a liberal. Does she think the democrats would embrace a Ronald Reagan? Or even tolerate one? It was the force of Reagan's conservative vision that began the head spinning hatred the left has for conservatism.

This post probably seems harsh. Patty's book, as I understand it, is a beautiful tribute to her father. But that does not give her the right to put words in her father's mouth. Especially about political decisions being made now. And I admit to always having felt sickened by how she humiliated her parents who had such class. As you have read recently here how I felt about my father, I just can't not wrap my mind around doing something so embarrassing to him, especially in such a public way. We all make mistakes, but most of us do not intentionally open family wounds in public, and do it in such a way that seems determined to make our family look hypocritical.
I did read Patti's first book. It seemed to me that Nancy was not a nuturing mother to say the least. This seemed to be where the deep problems that Patti has dealt with her whole life come from. Everything I have read in interviews with her seem to say the same thing. If writing this book helps her and her family become closer, then that is fine. But I just wish she would not speak for her father.
His whole life speaks for itself and it is loud and wonderful enough for all us to understand everything that he was and all that he gave us.

Dean and the DNC.

Eleanor Clift wonders if Howard Dean can save the democrats by heading up the DNC:

"Dean is essentially a New Democrat who happened to be against the war. Signing legislation legalizing civil unions is the only outsized liberal thing he did, and he did it reluctantly in a compromise forced by court action. Only a few staffers were present at the signing ceremony, and photographers were banned."

He just "happened to be against the war." Like it was an accident. I tripped and fell and discovered I was against the war!
And by golly, they made him sign that leftie civil union thing! And then after they got through practically forcing him to, he signed it real secret like, so it really doesn't count. He didn't even let them take pictures! So I guess if you don't let them take pictures of you signing leftie legislation it makes you more centrist?

Clift goes on to say:

"Deciding to lead the party would probably take Dean out of the running for the ’08 nomination. Maybe that’s why the Clintons are quietly pulling for Dean. He would be one less party favorite for Hillary to dispose of."

Dispose of? I don't know about you, but that kinda gave me the creeps for some reason.

I just got this e-mail and I am wondering how many STUPID people will respond to this. I like the part where she says she found my e-mail by searching the internet. I guess she googled "honest foreigner" and my name popped up!!!!!
Never trust someone who wishes to never "look for money" again in her life. Working usually works better than looking for it, but thats just my opinion.
If I am reading this correctly she says her father died in a plane crash, but that she is his first wife.....? OK, well thats just gross.
So anyway if any of you want 20% of nothng, have at it.





Please Reply Back to this e-mail address if you are intrested to help me. steph111@inbox.lv or mailbox@apollo.lv or you can also call me 234-1-4342415

Good Day,I hope this email meets you well, my late father Left with me US$10 Million Dollars, I need an honest foreigner who will assist me to invest this money so that I We never look for Money again in my life, I am only 20yrs old,I will like to invest these funds in any profitable investment that you know in your country.If you need to know my late father, he is the Late Minister of sports of Nigeria in West Africa who died on the 4th ofMay 2002 in a plane Crash.I am his First wife first born in the family I got your email contact while searching on the Internet, Will you help me? With your effort and assistance and advice, I will gladly give you 20% Of the total amount, since you will be the one in Charge and in control, because I am young and do not have so much experience in this type of thing so whatever you decide I will do. Please also leave your private phone and fax number Where I can reach you thanks and remain blessed.I look forward to hearing from you through my private email address below for more detailssteph111@inbox.lv or you can call me on my direct mobile phone 234-1-4342415Yours truly,STEPHEN ISHAYA

My house is clean, the groceries bought, the guest room ready. I'm all ready for Thanksgiving and it is only Tuesday!! YAY ME! So I am posting on the lighter side of life today.

If I had a real life I would want some of these and any sparkle shown here. (especially the shoes!) I will take this purse. (notice it is 'inspired' so I am not that bad). And This blue coat.

Continuing in the realm of unreality, I did an unusual thing last night. I actually watched some late night tv. I switched between Leno and Letterman and they were pretty funny. Letterman had actor Colin Farrell on and if there is a better looking man on this planet I am not aware of it. That is until....He opened his mouth. He just babbled and twitched. I just wanted to shout "just shutup and let me look at you!" Is this how you men feel about Anna Nicole Smith? (the new skinny one)

It just so happened that I had just seen "The Recruit" starring Colin Farrell and Al Pacino and Farrell is a very very good actor, Al Pacino is just incredible and Farrell held his own, so he must be pretty good. Like with most actors I will take the picture over the person anytime.

I hear Farrell is excellent in "Alexander The Great," but I also heard it is like a historical gay porn flick, so I guess I will be missing it because if there is anything worse than watching a great looking man babbling and twitching, it is watching a great looking man kissing another man.

Fred Hale dies at 113, he became Guinness' oldest known driver. But he hung up his car keys at 108, annoyed by too many slow drivers. (Heh.)

I keep thinking they could have come up with a better name for this item.

Someone might think about getting Jeff from Protein Wisdom this for the Holidays.

This is suppose to wake you up if you are the kind that doesn't wake up with your alarm clock.... who are they kidding?

If we only had a drink to keep us from this. But the label is interesting.

The Writ of Wisdom has another "We are Sorry Pic" that is too funny. I can't pick a caption I like the most. You pick.



I'll end with a used before quote of the day. It may become my signature quote:

"I was going to change the world, but I couldn't find a babysitter."

Reporting on War.

Belmont Club has this regarding the NBC reporter on the story and filming of the Marine who killed a wounded insurgent in a mosque:

"Although Kevin Sites' weblog posting can be read, at one level, as a defense of a journalist's duty to report what he sees, it is now being used to convey the impression that a Marine now under investigation is guilty of shooting an inoffensive and wounded man. Sites himself does not say the Marine is guilty: he carefully avoids that; but was well aware that a journalist's story could easily be put to uses beyond his control. Describing his own video, Sites said:"

"We all knew it was a complicated story, and if not handled responsibly, could have the potential to further inflame the volatile region. I offered to hold the tape until they had time to look into incident and begin an investigation -- providing me with information that would fill in some of the blanks. ...
I knew NBC would be responsible with the footage. But there were complications. We were part of a video "pool" in Falluja, and that obligated us to share all of our footage with other networks. I had no idea how our other "pool" partners might use the footage. I considered not feeding the tape to the pool -- or even, for a moment, destroying it. But that thought created the same pit in my stomach that witnessing the shooting had. It felt wrong. Hiding this wouldn't make it go away. There were other people in that room. What happened in that mosque would eventually come out. I would be faced with the fact that I had betrayed truth as well as a life supposedly spent in pursuit of it.
When NBC aired the story 48-hours later, we did so in a way that attempted to highlight every possible mitigating issue for that marines actions. We wanted viewers to have a very clear understanding of the circumstances surrounding the fighting on that frontline. Many of our colleagues were just as responsible. Other foreign networks made different decisions, and because of that, I have become the conflicted conduit who has brought this to the world."

Sites also says this:

"During the course of these events, there was plenty of mitigating circumstances like the ones just mentioned and which I reported in my story. The Marine who fired the shot had reportedly been shot in the face himself the day before. I'm also well aware from many years as a war reporter that there have been times, especially in this conflict, when dead and wounded insurgents have been booby-trapped, even supposedly including an incident that happened just a block away from the mosque in which one Marine was killed and five others wounded. Again, a detail that was clearly stated in my television report. ..."

This is what I am not getting. Yes, I understand why he didn't destroy it. That would have been wrong. The Marines themselves would have wanted to look at it, but couldn't he have used it without feeding it to the video pool knowing how it could be used against us? He uses the word "obligated." What does that mean? Was he under contract? Or was it more of a unwritten courtesy? Would he have been fired had he not shared it? This is important to know. It would tell me a little more of his motivation. It is very exciting for a reporter to have a "prize" piece of video. They get a lot of attention with it being aired everywhere with all video feeds. Did that maybe go into his decision?

Just asking.


Darrin Mortenson of the North County Times in defending Site's reporting tells of time in Fallujah where he witnessed a Marine shoot an unharmed Iraqi talking on his cell phone. He reported the incident to the Marines, but he goes on to say:

"It was instructive: What we had witnessed and documented was how the insurgency grows -- something the military and folks at home seemed very uncomfortable hearing about."

This is problem here to me. Does anyone else see it? This reporter Mortenson is certainly putting himself in the place of being all knowing here, isn't he? Did it ever occur to him that the Marine might have known something the reporter didn't? Perhaps being told that cell phones were being used to activate bombs at our forces? ( a not uncommon occurrence), perhaps even notified that that was exactly what this man was doing? I am just speculating here. For all I know the Marine could very well have shot this man against all engagement rules, but this reporter is assuming the worst, why? And why does he feel that he is instructing us and the marines on how the insurgency grows? Did he not think the Marines had a clue about anything going on there? It sure seems like it to me. Perhaps the military wasn't uncomfortable hearing about it, maybe they just disagreed and had intelligence saying otherwise.

Just wondering.

Do you see what I am saying here? On his website Sites says that "the wounded man made no sudden movements before the Marine opened fire on him. ... "

Perhaps it never occurred to Sites that in the sentence where he says "the wounded man made no sudden movements," he should have added...."That I saw."
Is it possible that the Marine, who I am imagining had a laser beam focus on the guy, could have seen movement?

My point is that as we know the Marines will investigate and the Marine in question will either be found guilty of ignoring rules of engagement or he will be justified. But these reporters seem to have a sense of being the ones who really know what is going on in this situations. They report as if they are above the fray.
I think it is fair to say that if one has never been a Marine, then one can never really know the knowledge, training, and expertise that goes into being one.

It is not the filming of the incident that is making people so mad. It is the arrogance of the reporting behind it and either the reporter's seemingly ignorance of Marine training, or just not caring that he knows little about that training. It is the fact that this is war and awful mistakes happen, but one should not use those mistakes, if that is what they are, to further one's career, if that is what he is doing.

Just speculating.

UPDATE: This from CentCom . The incident occurred yesterday afternoon. Wonder if anyone was filming it???

Check out this oh so cool military photo essay from USA Today. h/t INDC Journal.

And while we are thinking about it. Lets really support our troops. Here's a site that lets you know all the ways you can. h/t Mudville.

The most excellent Belmont Club brings us this:

One of the situational dangers of the battlefield was illustrated by the death of a California Marine. The Mercury News reports:
Marine Lance Cpl. Jeramy Ailes, 22, of Gilroy was killed Monday in Al-Fallujah by small arms fire. "They had finished mopping up in Fallujah and they went back to double-check on some insurgents. From what we gathered, somebody playing possum jumped up and shot him,'' said his father, Joel Ailes, who learned of his death Monday evening. "It's extremely hard."
... His first time in Iraq, Jeramy Ailes gave $10 to each child he came across because he knew it would feed their families for 30 days. This time, he asked his family to mail as many soccer balls as they could. His family sent 300 balls, and Jeramy Ailes' platoon handed them out to children.
Joel Ailes warmly remembered the last conversation he had with his son last month, in which Jeramy Ailes recounted how he had come across a large man walking with a 12-year-old girl carrying a huge bale of straw on her back. His son, who spoke and read Arabic, exchanged words with the man. And, for the next seven miles, his son carried the girl on his back and the man carried the bales of straw. "That was my son," Joel Ailes said.

That was his son.


Then the first comment by "Kenny" really says what everyone should be thinking.

Comments:
"well I guess it's better to die a hero that he is...than to shoot the iraqi playing dead and be termed a war criminal "

Then the AP gives us this:

"In Fallujah, where U.S. Marines and soldiers are still battling pockets of resistance, insurgents waved a white flag of surrender before opening fire on U.S. troops and causing casualties, Marine spokesman 1st Lt. Lyle Gilbert said Saturday without elaborating."

These guys wave a white flag and then open fire. And we are suppose to worry about a young soldier shooting an insurgent that was faking dead? I think our soldiers know which rules of engagement these guys use.....NO RULES. NO, I am not saying we throw out our strict rules at all. But when fighting an enemy like this, I think taking into account that they pose a danger until they are safely captured and tied up or until they are DEAD is something I don't mind our soldiers understanding and acting upon.
h/t to BigDogshouse for throwing me the big lines to catch. If you are a smart single 20-30 something female hottie, you might want to check out his website. So I can give him some big lines to catch. 3 words ladies....he can cook.


Now, if you haven't been here all weekend. Please scroll down and read my Thanksgiving and Protesting posts. They are personal and I would like all who come here to read them.

Thanks!