I just got done with "Ulchi Focus Lens", its the big exercise we have on the Korean Penninsula. For me it meant I got to spend a lot of downtime (12 hours a day) in from of a terminal with loads of government resources on it. One of the best was a compilation of traslated transcripts from all the Iraqi newspapers. Those, from inside Iraq, those that are based in London, Yemen, Quatar, then other arab media sources like ANN and Al Jazera. With analysis on what news organisation the story came from, who owns it, where its based, overall media bias, distribution etc. All for the sole purpose of getting an accurate monitor of what is being said about us.

It was pretty good. The truth is that Iraq is a country filled with people just like you and me. They are apprehensive about underground terror groups attacking us, they ar eworried about Iranians trying to smuggle thier oil and incite problems, and yet excited about the scale of reconstruction going on about thier country. Excited about the new iraqi dinar, bridges being reopened, resotring the flow of traffic, new government agencies constantly popping up and providing services, the United States lead in the way, immediately giving repirations for what damages it can. And putting things back the way they should be.

The most negative media for us out there is our own, and you people who scour the headlines for anything negative to smear your country with. It makes me sick.

It just confirms how mislead and brainwashed some of you people are, not by some grand conspiracy but by yourselves. You have someone you don't like (Bush) and you want to pin everything bad you possibly can on him. I undestand, looking back, I did the very same thing with Clinton. And every nagative aspect of this war you focus on with a lens, and don't let up. Do it to yourselves all you want, but leave the rest of us out of it.