Monday, December 11, 2006

The Road to Fallujah

Route Mobile is a modern 6-lane highway that connects Anbar province to Baghdad.It runs past Ramadi, Falluja, and many smaller towns along its path. The infamous Abu Gahraib detention facility lies on Mobile, just past Falluja. The stretch of road between Ramadi and Falluja is bland, the road gently curving north and south. The concrete is pockmarked here and there with past IED explosions, and every so often the remains of a destroyed vehicle are scattered across the desert landscape. This is the road I often take on my way from Ramadi to Falluja, and back again. My permanent home is still in Ramadi, capital of the Anbar province, but lately I've spent a lot of time patroling the streets of Falluja and along the canals of the surrounding farmland. The city bears clear witness to the terrific battle fought here two years ago between the worst of the Anbar insurgency and the gathered soldiers and Marines. Shell and bullet holes scar the walls, and there is still rubble in the streets. However, unlike Ramadi, Falluja seems to be a fairly functional city now. The streets crowd with people, shops are open for business, and new construction dots the landscape in stark contrast to the desolate war zone that defines Ramadi.(link)
This is part of a post from a new guy on my list of reads (read the rest, it is great). His writing is like Buffalo's, through the seeming ramble, he eloquently describes a scene well enough for you to almost be there.

While Buffalo and I agree on little, I admire his style of writing. TeflonDon's politics I know nothing about, except he is serving his country in Iraq and how he feels about that. I just hope that he and the rest of the soldiers realize how greatly we appreciate the service they are doing for all of us. Read his blog, alot of great writing there and some deeply moving posts.
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Reason to fight

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Warzone

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