BF2S Forums Iraq has had enough.

I can understand why they can't be in uniforms. It would just make it easier for AQ, which is worse than being identified as friendly by Coalition forces (imo). Messy situation down there, hopefully the good guys can pull it off.

Everyday you see on the news of "suicide bombs" on lines of people waiting to join the Police or army, who'd line up now eh?

Last edited by Mekstizzle (2007-06-01 10:29:27)

oh no! Iraq is a failure we should pull out now!!!

Great to hear the Iraqis are bringing their own fight to the insurgents.  Freedom fighters ftw.  Their courage should be commended.

I lost a few good friends this week.  To make matter worse my unit should have been rotated back to the states are year is done, now we have 90 more days and rumors of another 6 month extention.
Anyways this is from www.strykernews.com

Locals Rise Up Against al Qaeda -- at a Cost

Jun- 2-2007 » Filed Under: 3/2 SBCT

By JANE ARRAF, IraqSlogger.com

Baghdad – They were still bringing in the wounded when we arrived at the mosque in southern Amiriya Thursday morning, racing from the armored vehicles surrounded by bursts of gunfire.

An American soldier was among the casualties – killed by small arms fire. His name is being withheld. His commanders said he was an exceptional young man who re-enlisted after surviving a mortar attack that killed his roommate.

The Iraqi wounded were taken to the mosque – laid out on the teal blue carpet stained by pools of blood and littered with shards of glass from the shattered ceiling panels which had read “There is no God but God...’

One of them was Saif Mohammad Fakhry, an Iraqi cameraman with the television news agency APTN. His brother said he had gone out in the street with a gun after suspected al-Qaeda militants attacked the neighborhood.

A doctor from the U.S. Army’s Stryker brigade, sweating with heat and exertion, worked frantically to insert a chest tube in his side to try to keep his lung from collapsing. I turned away for a moment as an American medic worked on an Iraqi man who had been shot in the face. When I turned back – he had died.

The Army’s Arabic interpreter who had held Saif’s hand knelt by him to pray. Saif, 26, was the younger brother of Omar Fakhry, 33, a photojournalist for Arabic television stations and Yasser Fakhry, 31, who was also an Iraqi journalist. They shouted in grief.

[...]

I'm happy Iraqi's are finally starting to stand up and fight against Al Qaida Iraq. AQI has been here since before the fall of Saddam, The are never going to fully leave, but if more step up and show the world they have had enough of the bombings and killings , eventually we can begin to pull out of iraq.  The problem is will enough stand up, or wil they continue to sit and watch things unfold.

EDIT: The US Army "Doctor" is really a Private First Class. Not a Doctor. He is a first responder, For a field medic to successfully complete a chest tube Is outstanding.  Every day these young Privates are surprising me, and I am extremely proud of serving with each and everyone of them.  The Soldier who died name was released earlier Yesterday morning, This was his second tour, Our first tour together he was a PAC clerk, Last year he re-upped to become an infantryman. His name was SPC. Chadrick Domino.  I have never seen him without a smile on his face....even at Fort Lewis where he was often found in Mud, getting rained on while getting smoked for a practical joke he had pulled off.

Fallen Tomahawks: SSG. Bridges,SSG Leija,SGT. White,CPL Blickenstaff,CPL Cross,SPC. Dolan,SPC Blickenstaff,SPC Domino.

Last edited by CannonFodder11b (2007-06-03 03:10:07)

CannonFodder11b wrote:

Finally somewhat good news, some what bad news.

The local populous has finally had it with AQI, and Insurgents like JAM.  We are starting to see a new trend, its a good sign, Freedom Fighters are starting to appear and they are hunting down AQI.  ?Units all over baghdad have been getting calls to reinforce Freedom Fighters taking it to the enemy.  While its a step in the right direction, the sad part is, they are not in a uniform, and often times get caught up between the AQI/Insurgents and the US Forces. With no way for us to tell them apart from the enemy we cannot help but injure those trying to show us they have had enough and what they're streets safe.  If we can get them into uniform, they will be much safer, but they do not trust they're own military, or police.  Most times they will pull over a convoy and talk to the leader, and then have us follow them to a street and they will point out safe houses and other things.
I for one am glad they are finally waking up.  We cannot be everywhere all the time.  I just wish there was something we could do to mark them as friendlies...if we have them wear something , AQI will soon pick up that marking and use it to protect themselves. 

How do you feel about Freedom Fighters? Think its  a good sign? or possible trouble ahead?

It's a good sign but don't think that once they've dealt with Al Qaeda that they won't turn the weapons back around onto the US. With or without an American presence there Al Qaeda will have to be dealt with by the locals one way or the other.

Last edited by CameronPoe (2007-06-03 09:03:20)