B36 News - 12 September 2006

As I watched the various specials about the 9-11 attacks yesterday, I was suprised at how much of an impact those images still have on me, and I'm very glad that they do. I watched replays of the planes smashing into the towers, people jumping to escape the fire, people running from the falling debris, people dying. Innocent people.

After a while I couldn't watch any more, but I made myself. I got angry all over again. I could feel my chest tightening up with a desire for vengence, for justice. I wanted to make things right, to make my friends and family safe again. Then I heard an explosion in the distance (probably an IED) and was reminded that I am.

The terrorists want to see America weak, broken, afraid. They will not see that day. The harder they hit us, the stronger and more determined we get. We will only run to engage the enemy. We will only hide to ambush the terrorists. We will only fall to our knees to take steady aim at the bad guys.

We will drive on and we will win.

Safe Pilgrimage
Here's one that I bet you didn't hear about. Between 8 & 9 September, more than four million Shiite pilgrims celebrated the birth of the 12th Imam in Karbala in Baghdad. Yep, a religiously motivated public gathering in Baghdad with security provided by the ISF and guess what? You didn't hear about it. You may be asking yourself, "Why is this a big deal?" If you are, pick up the mouse and smack yourself in the forhead right now.

Four million Shiite pilgrims participated in Baghdad in a public religious event under security provided by ISF with zero significant attacks. This is a significant example of the progress of security situation in Baghdad.

Operations Roll-up
The following is an operational roll-up of actions against bad guys from the last several days:

• 5 IED makers, 1 kidnapper & 1 sniper captured
• 1 captured and 2 wounded after failed SVBIED attack
• 1 killed and 1 wounded while planting an IED
• 20 captured and 1 large cache found after searching a truck
• 5 ran off and 1 captured attempting to ambush a patrol w/ an RPG

Iraqis Stepping Up
Residents of a neighborhood in Baghdad have begun to help secure their part of the city. Rather than picking up weapons and forming militias as has been seen in other areas, residents of the Mansour neighborhood have been tipping off the ISF when they suspect terrorist activity thanks to a concerted effort by the Iraqi commander to build relationships with the locals. Additionally, residents are ignoring terrorist threats and going about their daily lives. Going to the markets, repairing roads, cleaning up the streets, rebuilding - they're driving on.

Iraq the Model
Iraq the Model is a blog that I read that is written by Omar and Mohammed, two Iraqi brothers living here in Baghdad. I really appreciate how they take an honest and critical perspective on events, placing criticism where they see it's due regardless of politics or favoritism.

Recently I've noticed that a lot of their posts have been aimed at the American public in an attempt to explain their (our) situation to them (us). Try this on for size:

This is our war first, it's our war as citizens of this region to preserve our humanity so as not to turn into violent, death-spreading mutants.
It's the war of those of us who believe in rewriting history and breaking away from its chains and it's the war of those who look forward to liberating their minds from the dominance of totalitarian interpretations of religion, and it's your war too.

Your duty is to help save us from being smashed between the hammer of dictators and the anvil of religion so that we can take our natural place and play a positive role in this life.
And it's also your battle to stop the murderers from acquiring deadly power so that we can be sure what happened in 9/11, or something much worse, does not happen again.

I'd suggest you read the whole thing.