Mahmudiyah is the heart of the fabled “Triangle of Death.” I visited there yesterday and spent most of the day at Forward Operating Base Mahmudiyah South. Pictured here is one of the men who makes his living working with the new Iraqi Army.
They were taking over the base and assuming authority for security in this south Baghdad suburb.
I don’t know what he was trying to say, but he certainly didn’t mind having his picture taken. What this man must have been through in his life, I can only imagine from the worn lines etched into his face.
The Iraqis I met yesterday were sharp, disciplined and dedicated. You have to be to make it in Iraq. I spoke to an Egyptian translator in uniform who is upset about the Lebanon/Israel conflict. I spoke to Iraqis who have lost loved ones in Baghdad recently to terrorist bombs. I spoke to others who said their relatives have fled the country. They are all concerned that it will take a long time for things to get better.
They may be right. If we leave too early, things will get much, much worse. There are 1,000 tiny Saddams waiting for an opportunity.