From Iraq, Hugh sends these...
Former petrol station attendant Riath Hussein, with his daughters Noor, aged 5 (left) and Rana aged 6, at their home in Hillah, central Iraq. In April 2003, driving through Hillah, Riath and his brother Faris came across an American military chekpoint. They misunderstood instructions to stop. The Americans opened fire. Faris was killed and Riath was blinded in both eyes. "When the Americans first came to Hillah," he said, "I cheered and welcomed them I did not expect them to shoot me".
Hakima Mohammed, also from Hillah, with a photograph of her son Thama Nema Sarhan, an Iraqi army officer who died in a battle with US forces. When I wondered who she blamed for the death of her son, she asked if it was 'safe to tell the truth'. Reassured that it was, she then said - in a crescendo of grief, "I blame Saddam Hussein, Saddam Hussein, Saddam Hussein".
A Baghdad family using the shade of their home to shelter from 38 deg Centigrade heat (100 F) after a power cut stopped their ceiling fan.
Voters being searched before going into a polling station in Baghdad, on January 30th 2005. I didn't photograph what they could see behind me: Iraqi police clearing a street full of human remains after a suicide bomber detonated his explosives.
An early voter filling in his ballot form in Muthanna, a mixed district in central Baghdad, on polling day, January 30th 2005.
A US tank, with an insensitive message, during the security clampdown for the election in Baghdad in January 2005. "You'll have to forgive a bit of cavalry swagger," one US officer commented.
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As always, wonderful photos from Hugh with very moving stories attached. I do hope he's taking care in Baghdad. I was asked the other day why I was sitting in my car after arriving at a friend's house - the answer - listening to a report by Hugh!
Hugh Sykes has blossomed over the years into a sensitive, incisive reporter who allows the real story to tell itself.
He has a gift for pictures and captions that would shame many of his TV colleagues.
Take great care, Hughie. There are those I'm sure who would rather you stayed at home and took up fancy knitting...
Fifi
Sombre photos from Hugh. It's hard to see many benefits from the invasion, or the new "democracy" for these people. As always, it's the family pictures & stories that are so unbearably moving. Thank you Hugh for the wonderful insights you give us in your reports into the lives the Iraquis are living at the moment. Do take care, won't you.
My dream interview would be Hugh talking to Tony Blair, or George W about what he has seen & heard in Iraq. Somehow I doubt it will ever happen.
Hugh -
Thank you. And take care, we need to keep hold of people like you!! I'm not sure if the Iraqi people realise how much concern is felt for them by ordinary bods. It breaks my heart to see the damage done; and, from what is being reported, I'm not sure what good has/will come of this 'action'.
Thank you, Hugh, for sharing your pictures with us, and thank you Eddie for posting them.
Again, he has allowed the innocent to bear witness to the impact of this terrible war upon their everyday lives, and to the struggle of hope against the awful reality of the present.
Thank you. These people need a voice, and you are helping to give it to them. We hear you, we hear them and we sympathise. I just wish I didn't keep feeling that somebody, without my consent, immersed my hands in their blood.
The picture of the tank immediately brought to my mind the images from Apocalpyse Now - the helicopters, the Wagner, the cowboy hat and boots, the swagger. No doubt much of this is the bravado of young men in a very dangerous place, but it is totally inappropriate and deeply insensitive towards the civilians who have no power or say in what is happening to them and their families. I do wish the Americans would exert a bit more discipline over their men.
At the very time when Britain's Armed Forces are involved in two active, volatile and highly-dangerous theatres of war, last month the House of Commons Defence Committee expressed concern about the low level of Government spending on defence research.
I think inadequate investment in this vital area is symptomatic of the chronic self-deception which lies behind the Government's commitment of British forces in Iraq and Afghanistan while failing to provide them with the back-up and equipment they need to be effective.
Pharaoh made himself unpopular by ordering the children of Israel to make bricks without straw, but Tony Blair and his Ministers seem to expect Britain's military to execute a much harder feat: it must perform extremely onerous tasks with too few personnel and inadequate material. The problems for the Army as it attempts to pacify Southern Iraq and crush the Taliban are immediate and obvious, but we now know the Royal Navy is also being challenged.
No-one need think that the war on terror has diminished the Navy's importance to the security of the United Kingdom. Naval power was crucial, is crucial and will remain crucial, yet the Government is reducing the fleet's strength while failing to order long-awaited new aircraft carriers.
Nine years ago, small-scale cuts were accepted by the admirals because they were promised two 65,000-tonne supercarriers. They remain no more than a glint in their eyes. Meanwhile, failure to invest in defence research is predicted to allow China to have equipped its armed forces to the same standard as the UK's by 2020. Yet in 2001 it was rated as being 12 years behind.
Thank you Hugh for your reports and photographs from Baghdad. As always, they are a powerful and moving account of what life is like in Iraq.
It is heartbreaking to see the harm our military intervention has caused the Iraqi people.
Please take care.
Otter
I guess Soldiers will be soldiers, politicians will always be politicians, idiots will be idiots, murderers will be murderers, but then a victim will always be a victim. Thanks Hugh... always a star.
And again, Hugh, thanks for the pictures and the words that go with them. Never fails to catch the meaning of the moment and a timely reminder of what life must be like for thousands of people who, for want of a different time and place, are exactly like us.
Take care Hugh. I'm looking forward to more of your excellent reporting.
Hugh,
I can't add to what has been said above, except to confirm your worth.
Salaam/Shalom/Shanthi/Dorood/Peace
ed
Big Sis (5) "Thank you. These people need a voice, and you are helping to give it to them. We hear you, we hear them and we sympathise. I just wish I didn't keep feeling that somebody, without my consent, immersed my hands in their blood."
Couldn't put it so well myself.
Did Freud intervene to make my Apocalypse come across as a wee e(o)mission?
Tragic stories - Thanks Hugh.
For those that haven't seen Fifi's site yet, the front page has a very emotive video.
Like Ed I cannot possibly add to what has already been said - I simply don't have the words. All I can do is concur with what has been said already. Take care and be safe. We all wish you well in doing the fantastic job that you do
Fiona x
Given the time these wonderful pictures have taken to percolate through the ether, should I be expecting a photo of an Iraqi Weapon of Mass Destruction any day now?
Yes Hugh do take care, we don't want to lose you, for many reasons.
I just wonder if you ever tell any of these people that you meet how horrified so many of us are by what has happened to them, and how we didn't want there to be a war in the first place.
Why do we have to allow for a bit of swagger? I don't see why we should. Plus, is it not possible for soldiers manning check points to learn a few basic phrases, such as 'stop' in the local lingo? Does it not occur to anyone in charge that ordinary Iraquis just might not be fluent in American?
I don't know whether to cry or shout, but the sad fact is neither will change things one iota.
鈥淥ne ought never to turn one鈥檚 back on a threatened danger and try to run away from it. If you do that, you will double the danger. But if you meet it promptly and without flinching, you will reduce the danger by half.鈥
- Winston Churchill
"The quickest way to end a war is to lose it."
- George Orwell
I just want to add my good wishes to the many that have been extended to Hugh.
I am most moved by Hugh's humanity, such as when hearing about a ''simple man'' who had been killed, and thinking to ask the name of that man. Important details like that, and like the poignant photographs, are the best way to impress on everyone that the Iraqis are individuals - parents, children, neighbours, friends and colleagues - just like us.
I feel sure that where ever Hugh has reported from, he has left a lasting impression on the people he has met, because of dedication to shared human experience.
Take care, Hugh
Dozy: I'm a bit confused by your quotes, assuming you are intending them to be relevant to the Iraq situation.
I'm not sure (from our/the US perspective) there was a threatened danger, and the military action certainly didn't half any such danger. And as to Orwell's quote, are you saying the war is ended?
Perhaps Dozy means we would be losing the war if we left Iraq now as a means of bringing the conflict to a close.
Admin: I don't see how Dozy's quotes can be interpreted in the way you suggest, but if that was what he meant, I cannot disagree.
If you would, please permit me, an American, to comment on some of these points. First , yes we have made some mistakes in Iraq. Sadly we had a Sec Def who simply did not understand ground combat and believed he was much smarter than he actually was. The Iraq OPLAN was great up to the consolidation phase and there it fell apart due to very poor planning and failure to anticipate the worst case scenario. We failed to provide enough combat power to control the terrain we occupied and as a result, control was lost. A brand new Second Lieutenant in my army could see that. Mr Bremmer was also a bit of a disappointment and was clearly in over his head. The firing of the entire Iraqi army was a bone headed mistake. We have yet to recover from that blunder. I have not served in Iraq yet but have served in Afghanistan. I have lost friends in both places. A lot of US and British lives have been invested in Iraq. To cut and run before the task is complete is hateful and disrespectful to the soldiers that have been lost. I do not know how the English people feel about the men and women who serve in the British military, but in the US we are still in good standing. The job must be completed before we leave and yes, it is going to take time. I am truely sorry that many people in England hate us now, I am hopeful that fences can be mended and we can continue our support for each other.
Thank you for your time
ranger508: I hope you come back to read the replies from this website.
Speaking personally, I wouldn't assume that the actions of your government is entirely representative of its people, just as I know the actions of my government do not represent myself or many, many other British citizens.
As to the tactical errors to which you've referred, as a military person you are far better placed to comment on these than a civilian like myself. I am well aware that there has been great loss of life amongst the American military, more so than amongst our own. I mourn the loss of anyone, but I would respectfully point out that the military losses from both sides pale into insignificance when compared to the loss of civilian life. Iraqi civilians, too, have had little or no choice in whether they were placed in a 'theatre of war'. I do not, by this, mean that their lives were of greater, or lesser, worth, but the point is still worth bearing in mind in commenting on this matter.
There may be Britons who hate American soldiers, I cannot say. I am not one. But I can say this: I do not agree with the premise upon which this war was conducted; I hold our two governments accountable for them, but as a British citizen, I recognise that I am, by association, somehow also a party to this dreadful mess. And I am appalled.
What difference will it make one way or the other to the dead soldiers, Ranger, whatever we do now? They're dead. They're not going to come back to life no matter how many Iraqis get killed.
What difference will it make one way or the other to the dead soldiers, Ranger, whatever we do now? They're dead. They're not going to come back to life no matter how many Iraqis get killed.
Powerful photos from Hugh. Here is some equally powerful first-hand footage from the streets of Baghdad:
Ranger - I echo and agree with everything which Big Sister has said above.
I'd also like to add that, with reference to:
I am truely sorry that many people in England hate us now
I, for one do not hate you or any other Americans. I know that you and your colleagues and the British and other forces are trying to do a good job, and I don't blame 'Americans' for the mess. I do blame our leaders for getting us into this mess. And I don't understand how they imagine they can solve the problem with force.
I'd like to add my agreement to what Big Sis & Gossip Mistress have said above. I certainly do not hate the American people, nor do I hate the US of A as a country. I hate what those in charge have done by drawing us into a situation from which any way out appears fraught with dangers for the people "on the ground" both miltary and civilian.
Ranger -
I concur with all the points above. It reminds me of same of the flak that Anti War prostestors were subject to; Anti War does not equate to Anti Troop. Nor does Anti Bush equate to Anti American. Our leaders have misrepresented us on so many fronts (no pun intended).
I hope you return safely from your current/future tours.
Ranger (22) Thank you for giving us another perspective on the situation. I likewise grieve for all the deaths, and the manner of their dying, but I feel that the sooner we can leave the Iraqi people to run their own affairs, then the better it will be.
Now, how on earth are all parties going to agree on the conditions to be met before they can all say the job is completed? Is that not also something the Iraqis alone should decide?
Yes Ranger I think most of us on this blog are in the same position; we dont hate Americans whether they are civilians or soldiers; although my feelings for those Americans in power who refused to hand over the cockpit video of some of your colleagues killing british personnel in error border on the violent, if only because of frustration. I think you wouldn't be surprised that a lot of British people find that incomprehensible and hurtful, since we are supposed to be your allies and yet we are treated with such contempt in this matter.
However we do not blame armed service personnel of either the UK or the USA for the mess in Iraq, we blame our leaders and I for one blame my leader more because he didn;t HAVE to turn himself into a lapdog of the American administration, he just chose to do it.
Do keep coming back to theblog though; we have one or two americans and it's always good to gain another perspective.
All,
I would like to thank you for your responses. It is heartening to know that certain media reports we see here and the bleating of our glorious Hollywood elite about how everyone hates the US isn鈥檛 quite accurate. We seem to be in agreement on Iraq. It is a difficult issue that clearly must be resolved but must be resolved on our terms, not the insurgents. Iraq has become too political which has prevented accurate and rational discussion on finding the correct solution. I watch the 大象传媒 every now and then and I note you are dealing with the same problem with your politicians. God bless them one and all, if our respective politicians could put their inflated egos aside for a while I am sure this could be resolved. I think we could have finished up Iraq last year and possibly two years ago had we not fouled up the consolidation phase. As I said before, we are now paying for poor planning. The loss of civilian life is regrettable, but I trust everyone knows that we do not purposely target civilians. Sadly there are people in my country who believe we do. As I learned in Afghanistan, the people are happy we came to help them, but look forward to the day we leave. I am sure the good people of Iraq have the same attitude. I guess it goes back to the comment Sec of State Powell made before the war, 鈥淚f we break it (Iraq), we own it鈥. Looks like he may have been the smartest guy in the administration. Wish they would have listened to him more closely. Again, thank you for your very kind responses and comments. It is nice to see we actually do share similar views
Ian, I understand your point. However, the sacrifice made by our soldiers (US and Brit) must have meaning. We can't just squander their lives and then decide the situation is too difficult to resolve and pack it in. There must be more for their sacrifice then having their names carved into a wall in some corner of Washington DC or London. Our respective nations are not accustomed to losing, we don't make this type of investment in lives then just roll over and quit. 67 years ago your nation stood alone against the Germans. I am sure Mr Churchill could have negotiated favorable terms that would have allowed England to end it. But you chose not to roll over and quit like the French, you chose to continue the fight. You had already invested too many lives in the matter. It's not in your national character to quit, nor is it in ours. We probably got that from you. It will cost some more lives, but if we can resolve this and make Iraq a better place that will help stabilize the region then our soldier's sacrifice will not be in vain. Those that have been lost there deserve that. I don鈥檛 know if I explained myself well enough here but thanks for your response.
What's the difference between Vietnam and Iraq?
GEORGE BUSH HAD A PLAN TO GET OUT OF VIETNAM.
Come on Lee, you have to do better then that, that one is so old. Don't you have any better material than that?
I still can't get over the war in iraq - where are the WMD'S? Why did we go along with the americans? Its been such a wast in so many ways.
This is Hugh in Baghdad.
Ranger508's comments chime with my experience embedded with US battalions here last year - officers and soldiers cursing the 'blunders and bone-headed mistakes of Donald Rumsfeld and Paul Bremer.'
A senior officer told me the Americans already had an office for the reconstruction of Germany, in Washington, in 1941.
And when I asked a staff sergeant why he'd re-enlisted to go back to Iraq, he said: "We went there and broke a lot of stuff - we can't leave without fixing it or we'll be the laughing stock of the world".
If you'd like to meet for an interview in the US one day, Ranger508, please email me: Hugh.Sykes@bbc.co.uk
Ranger508: I鈥檓 afraid I cannot agree with you in principle about the sacrifice of life. It doesn鈥檛 make sense logically to maintain a conflict on the basis of giving meaning to the loss of life sustained to date. Please don鈥檛 misunderstand me: I appreciate that people who have lost colleagues or family members in a war understandably don鈥檛 want to feel that lives were lost 鈥榠n vain鈥.
Likewise, it is not logical to draw parallels between the circumstances of WW2 and those of the conflict in Iraq. There is nothing to suggest that Iraq under Sadaam presented a direct threat to the liberty of either America or Great Britain in the way that Germany under Hitler patently did. Iraq was not pursuing a policy of expansion, and even if it had, it鈥檚 area of influence was very remote from us.
There were many things about Sadaam鈥檚 regime that were to be deplored, but there are many other regimes around the world which are as bad or worse. But the pretext for the invasion of Iraq was, in any event, that he refused to disarm (i.e. the WMD issue) conflated with a suggestion that he was allied to America鈥檚 terrorist foes (to quote Mr. Bush). The WMD issue was based on false intelligence, largely provided by Iraqis with an agenda to remove Sadaam; the 鈥榯errorist foes鈥 鈥 construed as Al Qaeda 鈥 have been shown to have no truck with Sadaam. Ergo, the two stated bases for invasion were false. Sadaam (for who I have zero admiration) was, perhaps, misguided to refuse permission to the weapons inspectors 鈥 but, in some ways, his stance was understandable. To put it another way, imagine the situation if, say, Australia insisted that inspectors came into the US to check to see if America had complied with an instruction to rid itself of nuclear weapons 鈥 Do you honestly think your President wouldn鈥檛 respond something along the lines of 鈥榠t鈥檚 none of your damned business鈥? There is great sensitivity in many parts of the world to the imperious and imperialist way that the US can sometimes impose its will upon others.
But, ranger508, let鈥檚 be plain about this: we all know that the real issue with regard to Iraq was the economic imperative of trying to ensure that its huge oil reserves would remain available to the West. Sadaam was, I think we鈥檇 all agree, unpredictable in some of his actions. That did create a degree of instability in the region, and it was enough to make the West jittery. He was also capable of extreme cruelty. These are real issues, but they apply 鈥 as I鈥檝e said earlier 鈥 to many other national leaders. We don鈥檛 intervene in every case, but they don鈥檛 have oil reserves. National self interest is always going to be at the heart of interventions like that in Iraq.
You鈥檝e talked about trying to make Iraq a better place. Nobody could wish otherwise. The problem is that we aren鈥檛 achieving this. And, yes, stable regions are always more desirable. But this is not OUR region. We have got to get over this imperialist habit of thinking that we can walk into any region in the world and take charge. What we can do is offer help, not conditional help, but help such as expertise, neutrality, or whatever, available to all countries, to assist towards a regional peace. We must stop singling out particular countries who come to be perceived as favourites. Above all, we have got to stop acting in an imperialist way.
You鈥檒l have gathered from this that I feel pretty gloomy about what we can do now to help Iraq. I don鈥檛 feel we should walk away from the mess we鈥檝e helped create, but I don鈥檛 think we should impose anything on them. We must do what THEY want now.
And still, the running sore that is the European colony in the Middle East, imposed against the will of the entire neighbourhood and our continued unconditional support thereof, remains in the unspoken, unaddressed background.
In sadness,
ed
22/03/2007 at 15:51:10 GMT
Big Sister,
I understand your points and can not argue with your logic. Your points are well taken and are backed up with reason, rather than emotion. I understand your logic on loss of life. Being in the military I have a much different perspective. The specter of Viet Nam still haunts this nation and army. I was not in Viet Nam but my brother was. We lost over 10,000 men for nothing and left Viet Nam in a mess. The fear of that happening again in Iraq is very much on our minds. Granted there isn't an exact parallel between WW II and Iraq, the stakes were much higher in WW II. But again from my perspective, neither of us is accustomed to rolling over and quitting. I honestly believe that trait is in both our national characters and neither can accept losing our people for nothing. As for the intel, that justified going to war, there is no doubt it was seriously flawed. But I can not bring myself to believe that Mr Bush and Mr Blair purposely manipulated the intel in some conspiracy to provoke war. We still have conspiracy nuts here that claim President Roosevelt maneuvered the Japanese into attacking us so we could get into WW II. What really irks me is our Congress, which voted to authorize military action, now claim they were misled and lied to. Congressmen have the right and obligation to question information they receive. They could have easily demanded more debate and taken the time to properly analyze the intel. Not sure if you had the same problem with your MPs. So now Iraq is a political hammer many of our politicians are using to beat the President with. I do not believe we have been very well served by our elected officials. Big Sister, thanks again for your points and your perspective. I appreciate you taking time to respond to my post.
Take care
Ranger,
Have you seen Hugh's invitation in message 37 above?
I hope you do get the opportunity to speak with him. Meanwhile, here's a wee .
ed
23/03/2007 at 13:22:49 GMT
ranger508: I lived briefly in New England, and have a number of American friends across the Pond. I know how the sore of Vietnam runs deep - a friend of mine ran a not-for-profit transport scheme based in Boston to provide mobility for Vets, and we had many discussions about the senseless loss of life and the hardships endured by Vets from that conflict. I know that, for a very long time, they had great difficulties within their own community who, understandably perhaps, wanted to forget the action in the Far East, and therefore appeared to ignore the Vets. It was a hard battle to overcome that attitude, and it has clearly tainted the American psyche. The action in Iraq has, I know, brought back many painful memories.
So, what I'm saying now is that I have a great deal of sympathy for the serving troops and for their families. It is extremely interesting being able to debate this with you as I know you can give a first hand perspective, while mine is taken from the comfort of my home, well away from the military theatre. None of my family, thankfully, is in the army, although the nephews of my oldest friend are all serving soldiers in the British army, and the sons of another very old friend, now living in California, would be eligible if there was a call up in the States.
Strangely, I agree with you over the intelligence to a great degree in that I think Bush wanted to believe it - but for pragmatic reasons. I don't think he personally fabricated it, although I think there were those in your government - as well as in our government - who may well have 'tweaked' the facts to fit the needs.
Now, this may come across as European cynicism, but I think there is a very strong connection between the backgrounds of many postholders in the Bush administration, including the President himself, and the fact that war was declared upon Iraq. I doubt if I need to elaborate upon that with you. However, I don't think it is a point that we can put aside as I think it is what made the difference, from the US Government perspective, in the choice over whether or not to invade.
It really is interesting to compare these thoughts. If you have a blog that I/other bloggers could visit, would you be prepared to post the link here?
In the event we don't communicate again, may I wish you well. And, if you are a serving soldier, I wish you and your colleagues safekeeping.
Sis and Ranger,
From the Founding Fathers:
"If tyranny and oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of
fighting a foreign enemy." --James Madison
"There was never a good war or a bad peace." ~ Benjamin Franklin
"War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts and taxes; and armies
and debts and taxes are the known instruments for bringing the many under
the domination of the few." ~ James Madison
xx
ed
I hope that Hugh will write a book one day of his experiences in Iraq, China, Syria etc as he writes so beautifully you really feel as you were there. He has such a thoughtful sympathetic way with the people he interviews. Many others could learn a lot by listening to him but his style is unique and cannot be copied.
There's more Hugh reports on the World Service if you go to their page there's a link to more up to date reports there, different to the PM ones look uo 16/3 and 23/3.
Take care Hugh and I hope to that people there know that people here do care about what goes on. Marches etc here get a tiny bit on the news so I wonder how much they get on Iraqi news & papers ?
Christina
South London
Thanks to Hugh.
It makes me think of the family I lived next door to in Baghdad. I felt sick at the time of the first Iraq war. There is no possibility that they will have escaped tragedy. I also think of the surviving daughter of the Iraqi Christian family who have been family friends since before I was born. If you don't think it's too twee, I'd ask you to ask your own god(s) to keep them in their care.
And to think that it was always my ambition to go back to Iraq.
Frances O (45) That is an ambition worth hanging on to. I hope sincerely that however long it takes, you will go back one day.
Thank you Hugh, for bringing to the forefront the humanity of life. People are not numbers or statistics or casualties but brothers and sisters, husbands and fathers, mothers and daughters.
Sometimes, viewed through a tv, an SLR or a telescopic lens, we can lose sight of that.
nikki noodle
for the attention of RANGER508 !!
=========================
As an American soldier you are sworn to obey your C in C and I do understand that but your current C in C is wrong about Iraq and Iran and Afghanistan and the middle east in general.
It seems to me that you forget how many people you kill and you only mention the losses of your own side and its as if 1 American life is worth 1000 of your so-called enemies and you ruthlessly kill civilians and don`t even bother to count them. Just imagine if this was happening in your own country ??? I know , you can`t can you? It is inconceivable. You , we, have invaded Afghanistan in rewsponse to 9/11 BUt there were no Afgfhanis on those planes, out of the 19 terrorists on the planes 15 were Saudis, 2 were yemenis and 2 were Egyptians. Pakistan is its neighbour and is run by a general and dictator but he is one of your closest allies in your war on terror??? why have you not attacked saudi Arabia in retribution? you mentioned the losses suffered in vietnam by your troops but you didn`t mention that the vietnamese lost at least 20 times more, mostly civillians, and they were in their own back yard trying to survive. what had they ever done to the usa to deserve your attacks? same in iraq , ok they did invade kuwait over oil money and debts from their war against iran but you were on their side in that conflict ( Iran i mean ) and Bush senior only responded when Thatcher pointed out that Saddam was a bad man !!!
I do like Americans and there is much that is great about your countrybut not your neo con leaders . this side of the pond it felt so much safer when Bill Clinton was president.
We just do not understand , most of us BRits, why TOny Blair has followed Bush so blindly and I can only hope that one day he will pay for his crass mistakes.
despite this harang about your country I wish you well and hope this madness ends A S A P !!!!!
ranger 508.
war is just politics by another means and the sacifices involved are just a plain waste of life.sorry guy.