What I Saw In Iraq

[Terri]

By Michelle Malkin
January 17, 2007

Last week, I embedded with U.S. Army troops at Forward Operating Base Justice in northern Baghdad. Outside the wire, we toured the slums and met with neighborhood leaders inching toward self-sufficiency in al Salam. We sipped chai with a sheikh who condemned terrorists on all sides. We watched residents bicker over a civil affairs blanket drop in Khadamiyah. We sat with slimy Mahdi Army apologists in Hurriya. We stopped by a Sunni insurgent enclave, which soldiers I patrolled with dubbed a "sniperville," in al Adil.

There's nothing glamorous or romantic about these missions. No one will make a movie about our men and women in uniform engaged in the tedious, painstaking business of moving Iraq toward stability and governability. But if the war is to be won -- if security is to be established and the foundations of a civil society bolstered -- this is ground zero. The troops I met ask only three things of their fellow Americans back home: time, patience and understanding of the enormous complexities on the ground.

More

[Charie]

I wish some lower level people could go over there without the entourage, stay a couple of weeks and report back to the president.

It's all well and good that everyone seems to be putting Iraq on their itinerary (the Iraqi souvenir business must be booming) but they always go with so much fanfare and entourages that they can accomplish practically nothing.

[Lady Navy Vet]

Michelle's commentary is clear evidence that journalist can(with proper precautions) safely travel outside of the "green zone" to report on the war. It is refreshing to read about efforts that are working in Iraq, as opposed to the constant drone of doom and gloom that is reported(or should I say commentated) 24/7 by the MSNM.
Lady Navy Vet

[Luckyme]

It's refreshing to get an honest assessment of the conditions in Iraq. Something we should, but don't get from the msm.

[Charie]

Hi Lady Navy Vet. Welcome to This is a wonderful site for conservatives and those who love our country and our mililtary who keep us from harm from our country's enemies. Thank you for your service. It's much appreciated by us.

Come visit us in the Precinct. It's where we let our hair down and have cyber and goodies.

P.S. I sent the e-mail of the pictures of our military playing, helping and nursing Iraqi children to my only super liberal friend who I had a falling out with about a year ago and even he has forwarded the e-mail and asked for prayers for them.