If It Bleeds, It Leads

The title is a well-established media standard that those of us in Southern California often hear trumpeted on local news telecasts to the exclusion of thoughtful dialogue or investigative reporting. So, we'll hear about the latest car chase, child abuse, road rage while the station is on 'Storm Watch' for the expected half inch of rain or stories of 'Firestorms' with the first 3000 acre fire. It is therefore not unexpected that nearly all the stories coming out of Iraq are of the latest car bomb, suicide bomber or latest American casualty.

I don't mean to minimize any casualty that occurs there for the loss for the father, mother, or sibling of the deceased is immense and a heartbreak, but on a global scale we often miss the bigger picture. This e-mail from an Army captain in Iraq was posted on www.hughhewitt.com and I thought it helps balance the deaths and injuries that often attract our attention (I've edited it slightly by eliminating a few paragraphs).

" Dear friends,
In the wake of all the unbelievable things that are being said about this war right now in the media, I thought that I might pass along a couple of things that won't make it to the news.

First, I would like to remind you all about the actual size of this country. It is roughly the size of California. Baghdad is the biggest city with a population of about 6 million, so it is a little bit bigger than Los Angeles. The reason why I tell you that is because the media is leading you all to believe that this entire country is "tumbling into complete chaos." Please don't believe that! What is happening in Baghdad and parts of Fallujah and Sammarah (A combined total population of 7 million) does not reflect what is being done around the whole country.

What is happening in Baghdad does not reflect what is happening in Southern Iraq where the UK brigade are continuing to "win the hearts and minds" of the people in Al Basrah and Al Hillah. Or ask my friend Jake who is stationed near An Nasiriyah. In one of his emails to me, he sent me a picture of him riding on a camel and this statement, "Here's me doing some crazy stuff with some of the locals. They are great people and so friendly. 90% of this country are people like these who simply want a safe country to live in. "

You see, the violence that is reported in and around the largest city in this country overshadows the incredible things that are being done by the Republic of Korea Army in the northern town of Irbil. Does anybody out there know that currently Iraq is the 2nd most heavily mined country in the world and that there are over 130 demining projects going on in the border towns between Iraq and Iran? Do the reporters do stories about the half a million tons of captured enemy ammunition that we have destroyed, never to be put into the hands of evil men again? Or the thousands of minefields that are being cleared everyday so little children in cities like Irbil, Kirkuk, and Halabjah can play and run in the fields with no fear of accidentally stepping on a mine ?

I still believe, with all my heart, that the majority of people here want us here. They may feel like we are occupiers, but they also understand it is necessary for the time being . I guess I don't know how else to say it. It's just frustrating because I'm the one over here. I see the work that we are doing. I listen to the daily operations briefs. I read the intel summaries. And I can say as a former history major who studied all of the major wars we have fought in, this is not another Vietnam. Even though I am just a Captain on a Corps level staff, you have to take my word on that.

But let me get back to the original reason of why I am writing you.

Last night at Bible Study, many of my friends were praising the Lord for some "near misses." There was my dear friend Erika , a signal officer for one of the military intelligence battalions on post. She shared that their sister battalion had made the decision to drive to the qualification range about ten miles from base. Well, in light of the insurgent activity that has happened in the last week, you can probably uses what happened. Their convoy was attacked with an IED and small arms. Through tears of joy, she told us about her friend who was the convoy commander. The explosion from the IED sent shrapnel through their vehicle. One piece went right past his head so close that he heard the whistling of it in his ear. It dug three inches into the back of the vehicle. Miraculously, no one was hurt.

But my favorite story to tell you is the one that Natalie shared. She told us about a convoy that was traveling in Baghdad yesterday and it was hit by an IED. Unfortunately, one of the vehicles was so close to the seat of the explosion that it injured two of the soldiers in the vehicle. A Mercedes who had passed the convoy, saw the explosion in his rear view mirror and turned around to double back. When he got there, he got out of his car to help. The soldiers, all pulling security now as the medic tried to tend to the wounded, pointed their weapons at him, unsure of his intentions. The Iraqi man put up his hands and said in broken English, "I'm here to help!" He pointed to his cell phone in his hand. "Please tell me who I should call for help." The soldiers lowered their weapons and gave him the number to call. In the meantime, another vehicle came up behind the convoy. An Iraqi man ran over to the exploded vehicle where the soldier lay on the ground. With his hands raised as well, he told them, "I am a doctor, please let me help." With tears in her eyes, Natalie told us that he probably saved that soldier's life.

My friends, I know that there are evil people over here. Zarqawi and his men seem to have this country in a terror that is something out of a B-rate horror movie, complete with machetes and beheadings. But they are a minority that knows how to play to the media! And these evil people don't simply target the military. Were they to do so, I might have a little respect for them as they would consider themselves Freedom Fighters attempting to fight their formidable foe. But they don't care who they fight or who they kill. They lash out at anyone who does not believe the way they do - to include innocent Muslims.

I stand with my Commander-in-Chief and say that we should stay the course. The only exit strategy we should have is one where Iraq is a free, democratic, self-governing country in good relations with its neighbors, and its citizens enjoy the freedom of traveling the highways free of exploding cars, and devoid of terrorists who have come to see Iraq as their playground.

Thank you all again for your continued prayers and encouraging responses. Whenever I get down, I think about all of you, and I'm proud to be here serving for you. May God continue to bless our great nation, and may He give you peace.

Your faithful soldier in the Lord,

Don "