Wednesday, May 04, 2005
Don't Ever Doubt Why We Fight Terror
As a father and a soldier, this photo absolutely tears me apart. To the detractors of this war, don't ever say we're there for oil/money/power, etc. We're there to stop the killing and oppression of the innocent. Our enemies are terrorists, not insurgents. We continue to fight because we don't want this to continue. This is a fight for human dignity, human rights, and freedom, and soldiers like this will continue to risk their lives to stop this carnage. They do it not because they want to, but because nobody else will. This is the American Soldier.
Update: This photo was taken by Michael Yon, an inbedded reporter. Here's his blog, and here's the story behind the photo.
Mosul
Major Mark Bieger found this little girl after the car bomb that attacked our guys while kids were crowding around. The soldiers here have been angry and sad for two days. They are angry because the terrorists could just as easily have waited a block or two and attacked the patrol away from the kids. Instead, the suicide bomber drove his car and hit the Stryker when about twenty children were jumping up and down and waving at the soldiers. Major Bieger, I had seen him help rescue some of our guys a week earlier during another big attack, took some of our soldiers and rushed this little girl to our hospital. He wanted her to have American surgeons and not to go to the Iraqi hospital. She didn't make it. I snapped this picture when Major Bieger ran to take her away. He kept stopping to talk with her and hug her.
The soldiers went back to that neighborhood the next day to ask what they could do. The people were very warming and welcomed us into their homes, and many kids were actually running up to say hello and to ask soldiers to shake hands.
Eventually, some insurgents must have realized we were back and started shooting at us. The American soldiers and Iraqi police started engaging the enemy and there was a running gun battle. I saw at least one IP who was shot, but he looked okay and actually smiled at me despite the big bullet hole in his leg. I smiled back.
One thing seems certain; the people in that neighborhood share our feelings about the terrorists. We are going to go back there, and if any terrorists come out, the soldiers hope to find them. Everybody is still very angry that the insurgents attacked us when the kids were around. Their day will come.
Michael Yon
posted by El Capitan at 5:02 PM
4 Comments:
said...
This is the picture that should win a "Pulitzer"
8:02 PM said...
Over at Democratic Underground, they are saying this soldiers killed that child.
8:53 PM said...
This is why it's dangerous to surf blogs at your desk - the crying doesn't look too professional.
If anyone at Democratic Underground or elsewhere says he killed that baby, they're smoking something illegal. Despite the fact that we can't see his face, compassion and caring is etched in every line of his body.
said...
Thank you for posting this photo. I choked up when I first saw it this morning. Thank God I have not had to experience anything like this yet.
I second the nomination for the Pulitzer. As if they could even understand the anguish this causes our GI's.
Never forget who we're fighting.