The Press, and other random thoughts

I made a topic on a website I tend to frequent about this blog. I basically did it to get some exposure, and see what people thought of it. Was funny, one guy seemed angry that I only showed smiling faces in my pictures, and tried to say that I distort the way things are here. #1. I am not going to disrespect the dignity of other human beings by showing their charred, or bloodied remains. #2. I am not going to put pictures of terrorists that get the life kicked out of them on the web. Yes, it happens, and everyday. But I promise you, I see a hundred more smiling faces than those of despair. A German photographer is living here with us right now, he has been in Baghdad since 1 year before the war. He had a lot to say about it. He mentioned that once when Saddam was still in power, he (the photographer) took a picture of a man riding a donkey. The man chased him down, crying uncontrollably, and begging him not to publish the picture, because if Saddam saw it, the man's entire family would be killed. Saddam didn't like seeing anything in the press that made the country look third worldish, or non-modern. He said this was just one example of the tyranny that was Saddam's rule. He also said that he has been in every war-torn country on the planet, and that Iraq before the war was truly horrific. He said it was absolutely insane, the things that Saddam's men would do. In any case, this is my story about my experiences and thoughts while spending a year of my life here. I am in week two of basic training for my company of new Iraqi Army recruits. Life is really difficult for them, they don't get enough to eat, without us, they would perish of dehydration, and even those men I try to get treatment for in the hospital are turned away by their chain of command. Yet still this group of filthy, hungry, thirsty, and sick (We've had 2 cases of typhoid already) men are determined and motivated to become soldiers, and defend the newfound freedom of their homeland. I greatly admire them, and wonder what it would be like if we could get them medical, nutrition, and housing needs the basic trainees of the American Military recieve. Of course, don't think we treat them like a Drill Sgt. treats a new recruit, we handle them fairly gently, all things considered. I had wondered how many of them were possibly like terrorist spies or something, but unless they're damn good at faking, I don't think any of them are. You can tell when someone is familiar with a weapon, and these guys are about as awkward as a five year old on a bicycle. We taught some search and takedown tactics today, I'm going to put some pics of it up. They really enjoyed it, especially learning a little hand to hand combat. I just hope we aren't going to have to fight these guys in ten years, because we are doing a really good job training them!!