A US soldier stands guard as Iraqi children play - pics

[Kadie]

A US soldier stands guard as Iraqi children play outside a medical centre run by US military medics in Baghdad's Sadr City. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has called for patience as the Iraq war entered its fifth year, vowing that a peaceful, civil society eventually would prevail there.(AFP/Wissam Al-Okaili)


German TV and USA Today has shown that Iraqis are increasingly pessimistic about the future, four years after ouster of Saddam Hussein -- and fewer than one in five have faith in the US-led coalition.(AFP/Ali Al-Saadi)


An Iraqi complains about insurgent activities to a US soldier in Baghdad's Sheikh Ali neighbourhood. A series of coordinated car bombs and mortar attacks have killed 15 people and wounded dozens more in the ethnically-volatile Iraqi oil hub of Kirkuk.(AFP/Patrick Baz)


Iraqi kids stand by a US soldier on a patrol in the Shiite enclave of Sadr City in Baghdad, Monday, March 19, 2007. U.S. soldiers have been patrolling the Shiite militia stronghold since March 4 under a deal which allowed them to enter the area without resistance.(AP Photo/Adil al-Khazali)


Iraqi kid squats by a US soldier on a patrol in the Shiite enclave of Sadr City in Baghdad, Monday, March 19, 2007. U.S. soldiers have been patrolling the Shiite militia stronghold since March 4 under a deal which allowed them to enter the area without resistance.(AP Photo/Adil al-Khazali)


Iraqi girl looks at a US soldier on a patrol in the Shiite enclave of Sadr City in Baghdad, Monday, March 19, 2007. U.S. soldiers have been patrolling the Shiite militia stronghold since March 4 under a deal which allowed them to enter the area without resistance.(AP Photo/Adil al-Khazali)

Iraqis give US thumbs down, four years after war: poll
2 hours, 55 minutes ago


LONDON (AFP) - Iraqis are increasingly pessimistic about the future, four years after ouster of Saddam Hussein -- and fewer than one in five have faith in the US-led coalition, a poll showed Monday.

The survey, contrasting with a survey two years ago, indicated that barely a quarter -- 26 percent -- feel safe in their own neighbourhoods as the anniversary of the US-led invasion is marked this week.

Only 18 percent of those polled have confidence in the United States and the US-led coalition troops, while some 78 percent opposed the presence of coalition forces and 69 percent said it worsened the security situation.

Faith in the new Iraqi government was a little better, although hardly overwhelming: 53 percent were dissatisfied with the performance of the Iraqi government.

more...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070319/wl_afp/iraqbritainuslife_070319110131;_ylt=ApqukWTWMZ2LjY2dkqfOr9MFO7gF

[Dhalgren]

1. In the third picture, is that a US troop wearing a ski-mask or is it an Iraqi?

If it is an Iraqi, why are they afraid to show their faces if the security "surge" is working? If it is an American, wtf?

[MedleyMisty]

2. In The Tale of the Deserter

Joshua Key talks about a young girl (around 7 or 8, I think) who lived near the hospital he guarded. He gave her two MREs a day. One day, as she was running across the yard to the fence to meet him, someone blew her head off. He didn't see who it was, but he said it sounded like an American gun, not an Iraqi AK-47, and that the only people with guns in the area that he could see were Americans.

[Buzz Clik]

3. So, this is what they mean by "The surge is working."

We now have more children in Baghdad understanding the nightmare of being occupied by a foreign force that is trying to keep them from being blown to bits as a result of the civil war we put in motion.

Hooray for the good guys.

[Supersedeas]

4. the unending warzone