Hillah, Iraq.

We were out on an administrative mission when I saw something interesting. We don’t go tearing through town like we used to. While this behavior is perfectly legal under the terms of the cease fire, it only serves to irritate the locals if done indiscriminately. We are not afraid to stand by our rights, but things in town have simmered down enough that the locals know they are supposed to let convoys by, and we don’t bother them if they oblige us by doing so.

As we threaded our way through town in a purposeful but not destructive manner, I noticed a parked car that had those stickers that look like bullet holes through metal. I have seen these all over in the States, and I thought their popularity here somewhat amusing. Upon closer inspection, I realized that they were actually real bullet holes, making an interesting statement on automotive perils in Iraq.

Normally, I refrain from commenting on the larger, abstract issues of the war, as that is not the purpose of my writings. While I have my own opinions and theories on the purpose, progress, and ethics of the war, I chose to relate the trigger level life of combatants. I am sure you can load up on big picture stuff on your own.

But recently I saw a mud hut with a satellite dish, which I feel really epitomizes the dichotomy of the Iraqi people. Islam is an amazingly conservative religion, and Iraqis are, generally speaking, a profoundly religious people. The separation of church and state is unimaginable for many. The satellite dish on a mud hut symbolizes the two opposing forces pulling this country: Seventh Century fundamental religious tenets diametrically opposed to Twenty First Century Western abstractions such as liberty and country. I hope that the Iraqis are able to draw up a Constitution, and able to hold on to the freedoms they grant themselves. Given the Iraqis love of argument and politics, one would think that representative government would be second only to soccer as a popular spectator sport.