Greetings All:
Well, I thought I'd write just one more time. This time I think I'm leaving to go back to the States for a short R&R and some training. I've just learned I have a contact to make while back in the States and my boss told me there may be more. I'm not going to fight that as it will extend my time back in the States before I return to Iraq.
It is unbelievable how hard it is to get out of here. I'll depart tonight and can't leave Kuwait until Friday. It will be a full night of travel.
People ask me if we are doing any good over here. I have to say that we are but that burning desire for freedom needs to be instilled in more of the Iraqis. We had occasion to seize some rifles this week and as we were putting them in storage, a couple of the young Iraqi men that work at the palace wanted to see what we had. I told them that they should each have one to help fight the insurgents. A couple of the fellows sort of reeled back with a look of fear. I gave them a short lecture that all Iraqis need to stand up against these insurgents or they will be living in slavery for the rest of their lives. Even though most are Muslims, they do not accept what the insurgency advocates. I think they've been told what to do for so long, it will take awhile for them to break out of that mold. The other factor is that there are some Iraqi politicians that would just as well take a side line and let the United States do everything. That just can't happen. They will have to stand on their own or they will face their own consequences. The Kurds appear to demonstrate that they can do it. Time will tell.
Speaking of rifles, the weapons we seized are the ultimate in combat rifles. Don't get me wrong, I like my M-4 but these are Sig Sauer Rifles that are the standard issue for the Swiss Army. I mean when you look at the workmanship and the versatility of these rifles, they are just heads and shoulders above the rest. They even have an adjustable gas port so that in extreme cold weather or in extreme dirty conditions, the gas chamber can be adjusted to keep the weapon firing. Naturally everyone wants to turn in the M-4's and carry these. Unfortunately, they are evidence. The reason they are evidence is that they were brought into the country illegally and were not issued to whom they were supposed to be directed. Unfortunately, these rifles are not allowed into the US. They are the Mercedes Benz of weapons. The rifles were acquired here for about $900 each. They were banned from the US in about 1986. The pre ban rifles in the US are going for about $8,000 each.
Well, we are holding on with the choir but we are losing faster than we are gaining. Our flutist and our last guitar player are departing for home. We have two piano players and that's it. Hopefully we can get some more volunteers.
Father Dennis was really funny this morning. We had an attack and so no one was allowed to leave their present premises. I was in the palace getting coffee as was Father. There were several people who wanted breakfast but we were banned from leaving. However, another person comes over and says they are letting people out the front door to smoke. So Father says Good, if I can't eat, I'll smoke. He turns and heads out the door. Before that, he said coming over to the palace, a group of new comers were heading to a bunker and almost ran him over. Typically here, there's is usually only one round of incoming at a time. The technology is so good that with a second round, the military is able to pin point the exact location and the chopper is on them before they can do anything and the bad guys end up getting whacked.
In that we have everybody in country again with SIGIR Investigations, we decided to take a group picture which I am attaching. We took quite a few of these but one seemed to turn out better. One of our new agents was having trouble with sending the picture to a group e mail address. I was trying to help him and I almost hit the send button for the global address. There was a comment in the email to the effect that here was SIGIR Delta Force. I'm sure there would have been plenty of people here that may not be too amused including the 44 generals, the ambassadors, and our own Inspector General. However, you have to look at it on the bright side. What are they going to do to us ----- send us to Baghdad?
I was thinking of a few things that I am going to have to adjust to when I return to the States. At church, the altar servers, lectors, eucharist ministers, and choir won't be armed. There won't be M-16 and SAWS in the pews. At the YMCA, there won't be a sign that says you must have your weapon and identification with you at all times. Do not leave them unattended. I will be able to brush my teeth with tap water. I'll actually get cold water from the tap with maybe some water pressure above the trickle mark. The Humvees I see won't be the military version with gun turrets and .30 & .50 cal machine guns on top. The SUV's won't be up armored with some full of holes. There won't be tanks at either end of the bridges and I'll be able to drive by myself in day time and at night. I'll have to be sure not to finish eating, get up, and throw my silverware and plates in the garbage. I'll have to pay for gasoline rather than just showing some body an authorization card. And I'll have to pump the gas myself. I won't need to go through two check points and show identification when going to the gym. And I won't be wearing a firearm 24-7. Actually I would prefer to keep it with me until I've cleared Iraq but the Kuwaitis take a dim view of that so I can't leave it there. The military will accept firearms at Ali Al Salem air base but only for military.
I hope to see some of you upon my return. For those that I won't see, please know you're in my thoughts and prayers. Take care and keep our soldiers and our fellow citizens in the South in your prayers as well. Bob
AL QAQQA, Iraq --- The earth-shattering story published by the New York Times a week before the 2004 Presidential election about the tons of missing explosives at Al Qaqqa has still not been found since the election. The New York Times defended the timing of the news release, claiming it was of such an important nature that it could not wait until after the election. Since then, the story has gone missing, and the world is worried about the story of the missing explosives. In order to find this missing story, The New York Times announced it is hiring OJ Simpson to search for the story.
