Politics As Usual
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Tom Shine covers congressional politics for ABC News.
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'I Don't Think This Place is Worth Another Soldier's Life'
October 29, 2007 8:11 AM
Joshua Partlow of the WASHINGTON POST writes that 14 months ago when the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division came to Sadiyah in southwestern Baghdad the shops were open and women and children were walking on the streets. But according to Partlow since that time 20 Soldiers have been killed, the streets of Sadiyah have become deserted, and the Iraqi National Police have become the enemy, often joining forces with shiite militiamen to "exterminate a neighborhood of middle-class Sunni families." Now as the soldiers who are left, are preparing to leave, the Post reporter says many of them are deeply discouraged by the sectarian violence and the Iraqi government's inability to handle it. When asked if the sacrifice was worth it, Sgt. Victor Alarcon told Partlow no: I DON'T THINK THIS PLACE IS WORTH ANOTHER SOLDIER'S LIFE."
Partlow says over time the neighborhood became a battleground that thousands of residents fled. "This is a dangerous place" said Capt. Lee Showman, 28, and a senior officer in the battalion. "People are killed here EVERY DAY, and you DON'T HEAR ABOUT IT. People are kidnapped here every day and you DON'T HEAR ABOUT IT."
Staff sgt. Richard McClary, 27, told Partlow that the American people don't fully realize what's going on. "They just know back there, what the HIGHER-UPS HERE TELL THEM. But the HIGHER-UPS DON'T GO ANYWHERE, and actually they only go to the SAFE PLACES, places with a little bit of gunfire. THEY DON'T EVER (expletive) SEE WHAT WE SEE ON THE GROUND."
Very candid, blunt, words that provide a little bit of a contrast from all those "feel good" stories about the surge.
October 29, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (2)
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Iraq appears to be a tale of many cities. Direct commentary from the field is always useful, and should be patched together with disparate reports from other areas. The reason we hear such varying reports is that most soldiers don't range the entire country; they are assigned to one region for their whole tour. Some areas have really turned around while others have not. The situation in Iraq is a complex tapestry. The media is either too ignorant or too complacent to report on the situation in a coherent way.
Posted by: foutsc | Oct 29, 2007 9:00:57 AM
Navy will beat Notre Dame 20-19!!!
Posted by: Roger Staubach | Oct 31, 2007 10:03:04 AM
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