Friday, November 28, 2003
Al Jazeera Hits on an Ugly Truth
Here’s what happens when units pick a first-class idiot to escort reporters around.
I wish I could say that Al-Jazeera had totally invented the story, here. I wish I could report to you that the reporter had found a couple of soldiers who were totally unrepresentative of the reality on the ground, and twisted their comments out of context.
The reality, though, is that I run into that kind of idiocy on a daily basis. Especially since the official word came out that our December go-home date was rescinded and we’d have to remain until spring. Morale sank faster than a Day-Glo U-boat around then, and many troops were almost homicidal towards, well, towards anyone they thought was responsible for keeping them here.
I even heard one private saying someone was liable to shoot the battalion commander. I ripped his ass. I didn’t think anyone was going to do that, but I was very nervous that the boys would take out their rage on innocent Iraqis.
Morale recovered somewhat as the guys adjusted to the bad news. And to my knowledge, there haven’t been any questionable shootings involving our troops since then. But thanks to an increase in the number of IEDs, a bunch of wounded comrades, and a stone cold, quiet rage at having to be here for a full year in the first place, for a significant number of our infantry troops, the hostility towards anything Haji is palpable and venomous.
Here’s a conversation I had with a soldier just today:
I was visiting some of my troops in a compound on the other side of town for Thanksgiving, and spent the night out there. While I was walking the perimeter this morning and chatting with the guys, I noticed we had a detainee in the holding cell.
The guard was from another company, but I stopped in around lunchtime and asked what he was in for.
“Picked him up late last night in front of the police station. He was carrying a pair of wirecutters and some electrical tape.”
“Ok. So has your CO determined what he’s going to do with him yet? Is he going to hand him over to the Iraqi police?”
“Don’t know yet, sir. From what I understand, he’s actually the generator mechanic at the police station.”
“Ok, well, that might explain the wire cutters and the electrical tape. Did he get breakfast this morning? Actually, it’s lunchtime. Have we offered any food?”
“Nah. He can f***ing starve for all I care.”
“Well, you don’t even think he’s guilty of anything.”
“They’re all guilty of something, LT.”
I wish I could say that Al-Jazeera had totally invented the story, here. I wish I could report to you that the reporter had found a couple of soldiers who were totally unrepresentative of the reality on the ground, and twisted their comments out of context.
The reality, though, is that I run into that kind of idiocy on a daily basis. Especially since the official word came out that our December go-home date was rescinded and we’d have to remain until spring. Morale sank faster than a Day-Glo U-boat around then, and many troops were almost homicidal towards, well, towards anyone they thought was responsible for keeping them here.
I even heard one private saying someone was liable to shoot the battalion commander. I ripped his ass. I didn’t think anyone was going to do that, but I was very nervous that the boys would take out their rage on innocent Iraqis.
Morale recovered somewhat as the guys adjusted to the bad news. And to my knowledge, there haven’t been any questionable shootings involving our troops since then. But thanks to an increase in the number of IEDs, a bunch of wounded comrades, and a stone cold, quiet rage at having to be here for a full year in the first place, for a significant number of our infantry troops, the hostility towards anything Haji is palpable and venomous.
Here’s a conversation I had with a soldier just today:
I was visiting some of my troops in a compound on the other side of town for Thanksgiving, and spent the night out there. While I was walking the perimeter this morning and chatting with the guys, I noticed we had a detainee in the holding cell.
The guard was from another company, but I stopped in around lunchtime and asked what he was in for.
“Picked him up late last night in front of the police station. He was carrying a pair of wirecutters and some electrical tape.”
“Ok. So has your CO determined what he’s going to do with him yet? Is he going to hand him over to the Iraqi police?”
“Don’t know yet, sir. From what I understand, he’s actually the generator mechanic at the police station.”
“Ok, well, that might explain the wire cutters and the electrical tape. Did he get breakfast this morning? Actually, it’s lunchtime. Have we offered any food?”
“Nah. He can f***ing starve for all I care.”
“Well, you don’t even think he’s guilty of anything.”
“They’re all guilty of something, LT.”
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