Mike Yon Is Back In Iraq

He has his first dispatch posted since getting back in country and is enbedded at FOB Falcon in south Baghdad and as always is a must read if you really want to understand Iraq and it's people.

At first the talk was higher level, with Gibbs explaining a few things about money hold-ups back in America due to some political issues, and how there were some issues with the Iraqi government and yada yada yada. The conversation covered a range of topics, and after some time the old Sheik saw that I was taking notes. Through Edward, he began directly addressing me. The Sheik wanted to tell the pen taking the notes that these Sunni-Shia problems did not exist before the invasion, but were created when a few traitorous Iraqis gave President Bush bad advice which the Iranians then exploited.

“The Iranians are poison to the Iraqi people,” said the old Sheik. He said he is from the Jabouri tribe, and that many Jabouri are Sunni, like him, but many others are Shia. He pointed to someone across the room and said, “That is my son-in-law, and he is Shia!” and his son-in-law smiled. I see this all over. The fabric of Iraq is finely woven and not coarse like it sometimes appears from afar. The old Sheik said that both Sunni and Shia were friends who often came to his house. They even prayed together. Most of the Shia in his neighborhood had been “cleansed” by al Qaeda, which upset the old Sunni Sheik. He wants his Shia neighbors to come back. (I had written earlier about Sunni asking for their Christian neighbors to come back only a few miles away.)

I trust Mike's reporting far more than most of the crap that comes off the wire services so read the whole thing. If your Congressman/woman is shaky on the war or even opposed to it, forward them this dispatch on why we need to keep the funds flowing. The Iraqis are extremely loyal to their friends and will be valuable allies forever as long as we don't abandon them to the horrors of the post below this one. I am glad Mike is back in Iraq so we can get some straight reporting.