Rambling Thoughts on Current Events

Day 34
Fallujah. Japanese hostages. Just a few of the items from Iraq in the news this past day or two. It all reminds us that Iraq is a violent and lawless place. There is a huge power vacuum. What is known is that the US will not fill the power void created by the toppling of Saddam’s “government”. To think that the US would even consider governing Iraq is, in my opinion, naive. What is perceived as a wide open question right now is who will step into the void. It would appear that Mr. Sadr thinks he might be able to force his way into that position of power. And Mr. Sadr’s thought is a very logical one. It’s been done that way in Iraq and the surrounding area since anyone can remember. Mr. Sadr has raised his hand and volunteered to be the next Saddam Hussein.

On a loosely related note, the threats offered by the animals who took the three Japanese hostage strike me as interesting. It appears to be a fairly well thought out mission. Internationally, the Japanese involvement here in Iraq is seen as wobbly. The Japanese are late and reluctant comers to this war. And they make no bones about the fact that they hope to participate in this war as non-combatants. So, it is reasonable to believe that the Japanese are most likely to cave in and go home provided with the right motivation. Pretty good thinking for animals.

The motivation these animals have chosen shows them and their kind for what they are. Three Japanese civilians with absolutely no hostile intent whatever. Three civilians without means of even defending themselves let alone taking on any kind of offensive posture. The threats these animals offer up – to burn the hostages alive – is intended to terrorise not just the Japanese but the world. It is intended to make the world afraid, starting with those who they perceive to be the weakest. Clearly these animals hope to reduce the force they face by trying to crack the coalition by taking on what they perceive to be the weakest first.

I truly hope that US Forces find these pathetic animals. I truly hope that US Forces rescue the Japanese hostages in true SpecOp form. Animals such as we have here are vicious and fearful only in front of a camera when their only opponents are unarmed and terrified civilians. Typically, these same animals experience a special kind of horror when they find themselves up against trained military personnel intent on a mission. I want these animals to experience the intense, terrifying horror that they are visiting on the innocent people they are holding. I want them to know fear beyond their wildest imagination.

And what then of Fallujah? Are US Marines in Fallujah so different from those who have taken the Japanese hostages. Yes, I think they are. US Marines, all US Forces, offer no deception about who we are or what it is we do. We are the United States Military. In one form or another our job is make happen by use of whatever means necessary that which could not be made to happen by peaceful negotiation. For the most part, we are clearly marked and easily identified. For the most part, we do not hide who we are. If you attack or provoke us you should expect that we will strike back. Given that obvious fact, anyone who plans to attack us should first take inventory of the equipment and personnel we have at our disposal when we decide to strike back. We have the most formidible weapons in the world. We are the best trained military in the world. There is none better than the United States Military.

The United States Military in Fallujah has been patient. When the citizens of Fallujah used a missile to shoot down a lightly or unarmed Chinook aircraft carrying US service members headed out for much needed R&R, our response was to reroute our helicoptors so as to make such attacks more difficult or impossible. And from that day to this, the attacks have continued and increased. In my 20/20 hindsight, it is my opinion that we should have locked down Fallujah like Fort Knox on the very day that Chinook was shot down. From that day forward until the citizens of that city proved that they could be trusted with freedom, no one should have been permitted to walk out their front door without prior written approval from the US military authority in charge of the city. My own opinions notwithstanding, it should come as little surprise when after several months of kicking the giant dog the dog finally attacks.

Black Hawk helicopters are hardly surgical strike weapons. I am certain that a lot of innocents have died in Fallujah these past few days. I am glad to see that women, children and the elderly have been offered the opportunity to leave the city. I wish they’d been offered that opportunity sooner. But I am not opposed to action that the US Military has taken in Fallujah.
And yeah, I think there’s one hell of a difference between the men and women of the United States Military and the animal pack that calls itself The Mujahadeen Brigades. But that is to be expected I suppose.

I hope all the hostages are freed soon. If that’s the way the animals are going to play, I wish they would at least take us, the military members who are here and not the civilians who are in Iraq as journalist and aid workers. We signed up for this. One might say that about anyone who comes to Iraq right now is signing up for this kind of treatment. Maybe. But I think those who come here to help should be admired for their courage. The Iraqi people need help right now.

Aloha