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July 24, 2007
Humanitarian Work
Posted by Tina Grazier
He’s been called a liberal journalist but from what I’ve read so far he just does a fine job of reporting...isn't that refreshing!
Out on patrol in Northern Baghdad with a company led by Lieutenant William H. Lord of the 82nd Airborne he describes every event in clear and compelling detail. If you're interested in a first hand account of what’s happening on the ground in Iraq (as opposed to boring media spin) do yourself a favor and wander on over to Michael J. Totten’s “Middle East Journal.” His current offering, “In the Wake of the Surge” features both pictures and commentary including entry into a home from which gunfire had come earlier in the evening. I think you'll appreciate the Lieutenants exchange with the family.
After leaving the Iraqi home Totten had the following conversation with a Lieutenant Wolf, and his response to Wolf is right on the mark:
Lieutenant Wolf:
“Most of what we’re doing doesn’t get reported in the media,” he said. “We’re not fighting a war here anymore, not in this area. We’ve moved way beyond that stage. We built a soccer field for the kids, bought all kinds of equipment, bought them school books and even chalk. Soon we’re installing 1,500 solar street lamps so they have light at night and can take some of the load off the power grid. The media only covers the gruesome stuff. We go to the sheiks and say hey man, what kind of projects do you want in this area? They give us a list and we submit the paperwork. When the projects get approved, we give them the money and help them buy stuff.”
Michael Totten:
“Not everything they do is humanitarian work, unless you consider counter-terrorism humanitarian work. In my view, you should. Few Westerners think of personal security as a human right, but if you show up in Baghdad I’ll bet you will. Personal security may, in fact, be the most important human right. Without it the others mean little. People aren’t free if they have to hide in their homes from death squads and car bombs.”
These men willingly place themselves in harms way to protect and defend America but the reality is they do it so that people everywhere can feel secure in their homes and in their communities. Give them respect, unqualified support and heartfelt thanks.
Thanks also to Michael Totten for risking his life to bring this excellent reporting to the world. Great pictures too.
Posted by Post Scripts at July 24, 2007 08:37 PM