Question for Ratcatcher55

[tombogan03884]

Ratcatcher, You know the crap we are being told here by the Main stream media, You have also BEEN to the Iraq area. Could you please give us an HONEST report of what the general situation is over there ?
Any one else who has been over there and knows what they are talking about is welcome to comment as well of course. 

[jnevis]

A blog that I have gone to in the past is www.michaelyon-online.com
Real deal reports

A couple of people I drill with or work with have been over there the last couple years.  They have told me that we are doing a good job but have a long way to go.  Pulling out now or even a year from now will let the entire region, not just Iraq collapse under its own weight.  You think gas is expensive now, let Iran start to take more control of the Mid East or Iraq spiral into a civil war.  The Saudis are funding both sides so they don't care.

[gunman1911]

A blog that I have gone to in the past is www.michaelyon-online.com
Real deal reports

A couple of people I drill with or work with have been over there the last couple years.  They have told me that we are doing a good job but have a long way to go.  Pulling out now or even a year from now will let the entire region, not just Iraq collapse under its own weight.  You think gas is expensive now, let Iran start to take more control of the Mid East or Iraq spiral into a civil war.  The Saudis are funding both sides so they don't care.

My friend SSG Larry McQuinston who is now serving his second tour has told me that it is a tough job but there has been a lot accomplished  and expressed that he wishes we had enough troops to secure the borders so we could concentrate more on the insurgents through out the country. I try to keep in touch with him as much as possible and will let you all know how the real fight is going over there when I hear back from him. I plan on stopping by Lt. McQuinston's ( that's Mrs.SSG McQuinston) to find out what his email address is.

P.S. He says his wife does not out rank him all the time. I guess a family that fights together stays together

[DDMac]

I wish we had enough troops to secure our own borders.
Mac.

[gunman1911]

I wish we had enough troops to secure our own borders.
Mac.

Mac I can't tell you how much I wish that we could to  as I have had to and still deal with them. Robin Williams I believe said it right " If they want to become citizens let them join the  armed forces , train them and then go to Iraq, If we catch them here illegally just send them to Iraq!" LET THEM FIGHT FOR THE COUNTRY THEY WANT TO BLEED!

[Sponsor]

[DDMac]

Don't know if it is still done, but we had about 50 Filipinos aboard our ship. 7 years of satisfactory service gained citizenship. They were not doing our shooting, but on a ship, all are equal targets. If they got us, they got us all. I was fine with that program. Let them serve, then let them in! Now THERE'S an immigration reform idea worth expanding.
Mac.

[Dougdubya]

I wish we had enough troops to secure our own borders.
Mac.

We do.  We also have enough troops to avenge a mass slaughter of Americans that occurred in September 2001.

Too bad they're not being USED FOR THAT PURPOSE.

[ratcatcher55]

Sorry but I have been in the UAE and Bahrain, not Iraq.

Folks I work with have been on active duty there but depending on where you are stationed it is very different war. In all cases it seems to be calming down and we do not seem to be seen as the bad guys by most Iraqis

I too try and keep up with Michael Yon's blog. Just got an signed copy of his latest book.

[tombogan03884]

Sorry but I have been in the UAE and Bahrain, not Iraq.

Folks I work with have been on active duty there but depending on where you are stationed it is very different war. In all cases it seems to be calming down and we do not seem to be seen as the bad guys by most Iraqis

I too try and keep up with Michael Yon's blog. Just got an signed copy of his latest book.

Thanks, I figured that if you go ANYWHERE in that part of the world you would have a truer idea of whats happening than the liberal media gives us. It seems like the only place America is seen as the bad guy is in American media. 

[ratcatcher55]

For what its worth.

I have found the folks from the UAE, Bahrain and Qatar as very friendly, well educated and generally very happy with the US policy.
I was lectured a bit by a UAE Police captain that we are don't listen to the rest of the world, but he was very polite and and had enjoyed his time in college in the US. Lot's of Europeans vacation there and I can see why. All three of these countries are tolerant of western culture. I did have a cold beer on the beach one day.

The Kuwatis are not as friendly as the little states on the Gulf. Kuwatis like the US but there is a growing feeling that they would like to know when we are going home.

The Saudis seem to think they are the chosen people and are generally disliked by everybody in the region. They are very strict with foreign nationals, do not get in trouble over there.

I did meet some Iranians in the UAE and they were polite and intelligent people. They were also probably intelligence oficers. There is lots of commerce between Iran and the other countries of the gulf.  When the US puts pressure on Iran, it makes all the Arabs very uneasy because they feel if shooting breaks out , the Gulf states will suffer attacks on US bases in their countries.

IMHO they were all happy Saddam was kicked out of Iraq but are very wary what the US is up to with nation building.

I would point out I generally am training or dealling with military, police or security folks and not your average joe on the street.  I have had some pretty hard stares from guest workers when I have been off the beaten path with officers in the field. In the UAE, 8 out of 10 folks living and working are not citizens and have very limited rights under the law. Contrary to what they want you to see, some places are very 3rd world once your away from the main roads.

Like I said take it as one persons small view of the area.