I got an email from an old Navy friend today.... we were on a carrier from '82 to '84. Thought I'd pass along an excerpt:

Kuwait and Iraq are very colorless places. When you are out driving, there is NO vegetation. The drivers are insane! If you can afford a car here you can drive. VERY AGGRESSIVE drivers. Additionally, you have to be vigilant of camels and goats crossing the motorways. Heard shooting while up in Iraq , but nothing close to us. You keep your head on a swivel at all times though. It'* funny when we see reports on CNN and FOX that the people don't want us here. Everywhere we went the people expressed there gratitude for there new found freedoms.

I'm sure not every one there is glad of the US presence... on the other hand I'm also sure that the real picture is quite different than what we get fed every day. Like everything else the truth is somewhere in between.

He'* right about the "scenery" there. Saudi/Kuwait/Iraq might just be even more boring than driving through Kansas....

It'* always good to hear from the troops over there, though. Whatever their opinion, it'* better than hearing nothing but bad stuff on the news...

actually kansas is prettier. I could post some pics whe i get home if you all want.

yeah i would much rather look at corn than sand

In fairness to the media, the news is primarily used for detailing information on bad events. It'* more important to let people know that we lost a soldier in Iraq than it is to hear we gave some kids some water.

My friend in the army came back from 2 tours in Iraq with mixed feelings, some liked the presence, others did not. The freedom is definitely promising for the people, the fact is that it'* a long ways off for them so it'* hard to justify suffering for something the majority of the population may never see in their lifetime.