What's the spin? There's always a story to the story, so what is it here? Does this guy work for the news agency or for the insurgents? How much does NBC pay for this dribble? Does it make news executives happy to drive people into this spun out frenzy?

Call in a air stike on the al qaida parade. They are the enemy. But instead we write a blog about it, please excuse me for feeling ill.

I can undertand technically not calling in on shite or sunni, let them have at each other. Concerning al qaida,(borrowing/updating WWII phrase)"the only good al qaida is onee's that have been eliminated".

I still remember Sept 11th. And al qaida is there now in iraq...that's all I need to justify my sons deployment.

For those who didn't know anyone killed on Sept 11th, and for those who do not have direct family in uniform and deployed. But yet complain and demand our troops pulled out of Iraq. I say to you, grow a pair.

The war that al qaida started will not end unless we defeat al qaida or they us. Our family remains and will remain steadfast to defeating al gaida no matter where nor how long it takes, knowing our own family risks.

Remember the Spirit of the Hero's of Flight 93. Hold together America, remember the statement "If they're not with us, then their against us". If you can't suit up or send a family member to boast our troop strenght, at least support the troops, and let their families have THE SAY together with our troops as to when we are finished in iraq, afganistan, or where ever we find al qaida.

George S. in Pittsburgh, and Mike B. in Fl. you guy's have my vote.....I've seen that waste land they call Iraq first hand and mike your right! Although Bush is not my hero the real heros are still in Iraq.

The average American doesn't have the discipline to go to the gym during the week, so how can we expect them to have the bravery to fight a war? They can't even fight the war with obesity at home.

Al Qaida is pleased with the results of the midterm election. I think some of my fellow countrymen are surely asking more of what their country can do for them than what they can do for their country.

Mike, calm down. WE broke it, WE own it. We don't need to burn down the Pottery Barn now that all the Pottery is broken. What needs to happen is that our leaders starting with Bush and joined by all the Republicans and Democrats in congress who did not have the spine to oppose this idiocy need to own up to it. Then we need to work with the nations in the region, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Syria, Jordon and who ever we can enlist to provide a regional peace keeping force with a stake in the outcome. Then, maybe we have the breathing room to bring our troops home. That mix of nations will insure protection for the minority Sunni and perhaps we can restore the balance of power and prevent a monolithic Shia crescent that the current administrations stupidity is about ready to create.
What has happened in Iraq was perfectly predicted by smart people. They are now extinct in this administration of clowns and Neocon nincompoops.
All of these recommendations are offered up in the Iraq Study Group report. They will be ignored by this washed up incompetent frat boy who pretends to be capable of leading us out of a paper bag. We can set back and watch the body count grow to the tune of that Lee Greenwood song, we can go shopping and turn of the TV like fearless leader wants us to or we can shout NO! in our senators and congressmen’s ears and threaten them with their jobs until they grow a spine. It is time for the adults to take control. This party is over.

Anyone here remember 9/11?? Sit and think about that for a moment before making these rediculous statements that we don't belong over in Iraq.

shites and sunnis are so divided in iraq that the situation is not going to change ,im hearing alot about VICTORY IN IRAQ thats not going to happen until the people can stop killing each other ..its much like the killings that are going on in sudan ,africa rappent vicious and quick ..security and winning the hearts of the people is the only way this is going to get any better ,,they have to learn to get along with their counterparts and not only get along but not kill each other but live side by side ,,,,and nowhere in any religon is killing justified ever..

Everyone is a little right here. Maybe we should not have invaded, but we did. Now were are there. Yes we should get out, but when? Immediately only spells disaster for the innocent and that is not what the USA is about. The guys with the guns are no better than any low life anywhere. They are only important and big because of the gun. Take that away and they return to the puny person they truly are.

So, how do we do that? I live in the Middle East and have learned and heard from locals. "Fear is Peace". We gave the Iraqis freedom. The ones with guns chose a path of destruction rather than contruction. Therefore, they have forfeited their right to exist, and forces us to do what it takes to annihilate the pests. If we choose not to this then we get out and suffer the consequences. The time to decide is now!

Well folk's its time too wake up. This is the beginning of world war3. The Islamic nazi have one goal its to control the world. So i say too the cowards in are goverment of both partys. And the grab your ankles liberals either we are going too fight too win or all is lost. I will have died fighting by the time the islamic storm troopers come too kill your family and cut your infidel head off. Its simple we destroy them or they will destroy the world.

THANK YOU MARK BUNTON CAPE CORAL FLA !!!!!!

So when do the criminal proceedings begin against the administration?

Thugs is right! Little men with big guns! These men go around with guns terrorizing citizens, asking if one is Sunni or Shia. One's belief system should not be a death sentence. I hear how if the US had not invaded Iraq none of this violence would be happening. Truth be told this kind of brutality is tribal and long festering. These thugs are nothing more than murderous bastards who do nothing in the name of God! This is not what true Islam is based on! I would not shed a tear for one of those nuts if a bomb fell on them. Shame on them! The only place they are headed for is hell!

Yes, i'm not saying my country is the best, of course! and i have to thank your company for giving me a job! Please i have nothing against americans! they're citizens just like us. it´s not my aim to create a discusion with countries, if my coments hurt somebody it was not my aim.
What i do not agree with your governments behaviour is in the fact that you believe that everybody wants to harm YOU! why you? i mean, behind this question you may see the answer. Not US people, the companies from US, cheating on american citizens, who do not know anything about this.
You might not beleive that i provide services to US citizens, so actually my work is the result of doing something that an american should do. But why me and not and american, who is a native english speaker? Because we earn 2 dollars the hour. and we are no stupids, is just that this is how most of the world works.
To claim for more salary?? Well, if we could earn more than 2 dollars, this american company moves to another place, that's how it works.
In iraq, the war which is said to be agains terrorism is in fact for getting oil. Nobody is thinking of citizens, the ones who make this wars invest a lot of money on it, and they have to earn something in return. So they archeive this by exploting oil reserves, having the monopoly. If not, why don't the US invade other countries which are not democratic? Why were there so many dictators in south america as Augusto Pinochet and in those days there were no Americans soldiers saving us and returning our democracy, no... if you study the loans given to our country during that period, you can imagine... this is all a question of money, nothing to do with US citizens which i appreciate and i'm sure you will be giving a leason to all the world when choosing your president in the following election.

Concerning the war in iraq, is just can imagine one way of making this civil war end, yet it's very dangerous and also inmoral: the atomic bomb. Ok, you may say i'm just crazy, but take it into consideration: you are not fighting against an army, your fight is agains the people. the enemy could be anywhere. I mean, you cannot pretend to win a war knocking on each house searching for a terrorist. The war proposed by iraquis is the "guerrilla"(the same strategy French used to defeat the Nazis, the idea is to hide and to make surprisive attacks. This strategy is very effective when fighting to a very powerful army, and combined with religious fanatism and civil war, the result is the chaos in iraq). So, either you leave the country to the iraquis and leave them kill each other, accepting that the Americans have done mora harm done good, leaving a country in civil war and not eliminating any terrorist, or you repeat the strategy used in Japan. Or don't you see any similarity on iraqui suicides of 2006 and Japanesse Kamikaze. I hope this is not the choice of your president, who is still beleiving in invading Iran, Siria,... what else? do you want us to give you the world?? i mean, the rest of the world may not be taking part in iraq, but we can imagine that the next one can be us.
Getting back to the point of the war in Iraq, it will be remembered as the second Vietnam, and we hope it's the last one, leave the citizens of each country decide for their own, take care of that beautiful and big country named USA, leave Iraq to their original owners.
Well, i had become a very pasionated, it's time to stop writting. I'll be ready your coments, thanks to NBC for allowing us to debate on this blog.
Last thing: my country has lots of mistakes, i accept that. I do not beleive in nationalism, this is a question of humanity as a whole. And you can understand that the relevance that my country has in the world in very little in comparisson with your country. So, it's just fine, i'm not pointing your people, i want to make this clear. I eat because of your wealth! But i still have some opinions against the politics that Bush is imposing. I accept different opinions, that's why i take place on a debate, i hope you can understand my point of view and at least can think that there's another way out of this. Stop the War.

Okay, let me get this straight- Al Qaeda terrorists parade around major cities in convoys, having 'terrorist tailgate' parties like some bad Mad-Max rerun, and we want to send more troops there?

Something is not quite right about this whole Iraq mess. Bush and his henchmen have been feeding the American public nothing but lies.

I pray that God blesses us all, no matter what country we are in. Iraq is mentioned sooo many times in the bible. It's really sad what this world is coming to. Say a prayer for the troops that shouldnt have to be there, and the innocent people who are being hurt and killed everyday. Struggling to live by their religion and dying in the process.

I think I have to agree with Mark Stenger of Green Bay, Wisconsin. We need to educate ourselves about the customs and history of the Middle East. He is right about the Sunni-Shia differences that apparently will not be healed in our lifetimes. This is not a war of economics, but is, in fact, another war of ideology....very much like the war in Vietnam. We had to destroy the Communict before the Domino's began to fall....that was the battle cry of the 1950's and 60's and 70's. Now we have to destroy the radical Islamists....why? Because they will reverse the progress of democracy in the Middle East. What progress? Those people in the Middle East have a life built around Islamic Law....the law of the Prophet Mohamed...and assumed to be the law of Allah. But as we know Allah could care less about the laws of man...that is, if he is God. God gets no enjoyment in bloodshed. That is human myth. God shows man love and mercy and forgiveness....even when we use Him as a scapegoat for all of our injustices to our fellow man. The Muslims say that Allah is merciful. Where is that mercy? Why do the Al-Queda and the rest of the extremists kill their own people, and the peoples of other countries if they sincerely believe in the true words of Allah. I can't believe any God who orders his followers to kill others, even if they do disagree with one another. So, Bush and his people failed to understand the history of that part of the world....or, they didn't care. Oil was more important. Isn't that always the case with world leaders? It's the ordinary people who must suffer for the follies of self agrandizing leaders. I am glad this Iraqi man was able to escape with his life. But taking those kind of chances is like testing the cat to see if it really does have 9 lives.

I still can't believe that in the 21st century people are saying, "Nuke a city! That's the way to go!" and "Islam is the enemy, once we kill all the Muslims there will be no war!"

Humans will always find something to fight over, whether it be resources, borders, religion, because Ahmedinejad wasn't invited to Saddam's execution, or what ever we can believe.

These same people who say that Islam needs to be gone, are the same "Americans" that live in a country that was founded on religious freedom.

If 10-15% of Chicago was rioting, would it be a viable option to nuke all of Chicago? To throw a Nuke at the middle east would do several things far more harmful than you could imagine, it would cascade into WWIII much faster than it is now.

1) Iran would have a much stronger basis for their nuclear research if we had "recently used a nuke on the Arab world". The same with Korea.

2) Every one of our Middle Eastern allies would turn against us, from inside Iraq to the Nile.

3) Russia and China would feel threatened again, leading to another massive build up of Nuclear arms.

4) Our already tarnished image would be destroyed in Europe.

We would find ourselves quite alone in a very short period of time. Please people, try to think. Nukes have no space on the world stage.

http://tlocfym.blogspot.com

A war can not be won by be politically correct. It is kill or be killed. Untie the hands of the most awesome military power on the planet and let them do what it takes to win. Get the press out of there. Start by exterminating Sadr. Tell them all to either get on the bus or get run down by the bus. These people on understand force. sad'r city can be a beautiful parking lot of this I'm sure

What a quagmire. I get in trouble with my dad on a weekly basis for telling my brother not to join the Army or Marines when he graduates this May. Thank God he is leaning toward the Coast Guard. I would be sick with worry if he was sent "over there." Richard, PLEASE be safe. Your mom must be a basket case.

"Our cameraman stringer" = OCS

OCS "kidnapped the cameraman"

OCS “Eventually, they agreed to let me go, and told me I should come with them and film the rest of their parade.

OCS “They took me in one of their cars, and drove me around the areas of Baqouba under their control. There were no police on the streets. They had just killed a policeman. His body was still in the car where they shot him."

OCS “There are no more journalists working in Baqouba,” he told me."

^lol, he confessed Richard!!

************************

BTW There are real journalists called embeds; 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division.

note: did you notice the jehadis had so much "control" they had to wear hoods to protect their ident.

~~~~~~

Richard Engel "I can understand why."

yea right Santa, come on rapporteur quit pissing down the chimney! ***OCS is a muj soul brother.***

~~~~~~~~~~~

Baqubah (Arabic: بعقوبة‎; BGN: Ba‘qūbah; also spelled Baquba and Baqouba) is the capital of Iraq's Diyala Governorate.

The city is located at 33°45′N 44°38′E, some 50 km to the northeast of Baghdad, on the Diyala River, within Iraq's so-called Sunni Triangle
http://www.173rdairborne.com/images/iraq-map-patch.jpg

Baquba emerged as the scene of some of the heaviest guerrilla activity, along with the Sunni enclaves of Fallujah, Ramadi, and Samarra. It was the site of the heaviest fighting during the June 24, 2004 insurgent offensive. Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad, led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, took responsibility for the attacks.

On June 8, 2006, Iraqi and U.S. officials confirmed that al-Zarqawi had been killed in an airstrike and subsequent raid 8 km (5 miles) north of Baquba.

The site has been inhabited continuously since pre-Islamic times as a center for agriculture and commerce. The name itself is thought to have come from the Assyrian language Baya 'quba, meaning “Yacoub's (Jacob) house.

show a little courage Richard and refute what i'm sayin if it's not the truth.

This is off the subject like MOST replies on discussion boards but I would like to point out on Sadams last letter to the Iraqi people after his death sentence was upheld.While I will NEVER support wrong from ANYONES quarter beginning with ME.Sadam is right on his assessment of hate that everyone on the entire planet should take heed.Hate does not leave space to be fair and makes you blind and closes ALL doors of thinking.Whether he practiced this or not,is not in question.A tyrant he was but he is right on hatred.To bad HE THOUGHT he practiced such but did not but he is still right.The devil himself is right sometimes-Especially when he stands before God accusing his people night and day.ALL posters,think about this.He also did not like AQuiada

I am surprised that a nation that has butchered a million of its own people and then venerated a mass murderer like Abraham Lincoln and General Sheridan and spat on just about every principle of its founding fathers should be baying for justice for an Iraqi despot.

While I appreciate the sacrifice our service men and women are doing in Iraq, I blame American politicians for what Iraq had become and the affect it has on the entire region. Allow me to give you a small fact…Last year in Israel, suicide bombers were hitting almost every week and thus killing tens of innocent civilians. After so many innocent causalities, Israel said that’s enough and ordered an air strike on a training camp in Syria. The camp was hit and destroyed. After that, things calmed down and there were no more suicide bombings in Israel for a while. American politicians need to wake up from their nap and realize who is really behind Iraq’s totally uncontrolled. They need to learn from the Israelis on how to deal with things like that quickly. They don't need to go far. Damascus is not too far away from Iraq. I garret you if a message gets delivered to Damascus in a form of air strike or two, things will calm down quickly in Iraq.

my response is that no matter what the outcome of saddam's execution or not, He did not have the guts as Hitler did to take his own life rather than put his country through the expense of trying him and even the extreme of killing how many judges before he was actually tried. Please be there to televise his hanging without a hood so everyone of the relatives that lost loved ones at his hands can see his eyes pop out of his head, then drag him through the city as they did some of our american servicemen, this would be fitting justice for the son of satan.

I am very proud of Pres. Bush!can american citizens not realize that sadam hussein was paying the families of terrorist to destroy american intrest and civilians.Do we not realize islam means to destroy our way of life.WAKE UP AMERICA! Bush has cahonnies unlike the backsliding dems who also knew saddam was a bad guy weather he had wmds or not when they voted to go to war. Bush told the USA it would be long and difficult.I guess over 50% of Americans memorie disorders.New rule for Iraq should be if brand a weapon you die.GOD bless bush and America.