Video: Down In The Park
I’m posting this to demonstrate the changes in Ramadi that were discussed here on Saturday. This is downtown Ramadi after one year as Al Qaeda’s headquarters capital in Iraq. When I was there a year prior, all the shops you see on the main street were open, undamaged and bustling with thousands of people. No barbwire, no concrete barriers and fortifications. That street is Route Michigan, Ramadi’s main artery. Again, a year before, it was flush with automobile and foot traffic. When this was shot, it was the IED capital of the world. The Bradley in “Hurt” was blown up in front of the torn orange awning. The water in the street is not due to rain, it is because Al Qaeda blew up the pipelines. The irony here is that Al Qaeda and the local hotheads were alleging to wage a campaign to “save” the people of Ramadi from the “ravages” of the American invaders, when in fact we were doing nothing but improving the place until they decided to “save” it. You can see what their salvation looks like. Had they left us alone instead of waging an insurgency, we would’ve been gone by now and the place would look even better than it did on my first trip.
Due to our victory in Al Anbar, things have changed, as Matt Sancez’s story attests.
Be respectful of others and their opinions. Inflammatory remarks and inane leftist drivel will be deleted. It ain’t about free speech, remember you’re in a private domain. My website, my prerogative.
If you can't handle using your real email address, don't bother posting a comment.
Reminds me of what Guilliani had to do to clean up New York. It’s fun to go to New York, now.
September 17th, 2007 at 5:50 amWhat a shithole. Looks like parts of US big cities that I’ve been in…like DC after the ‘68 riots…
September 17th, 2007 at 7:27 amI knew that was yours from frame 2.
September 17th, 2007 at 7:51 amSay what you will about Rudy not being a true conservative, he gets the job done and that’s all that matters. I remember what it was like when Dinkins was (not) running the city. I didn’t think I’d see twenty.
September 17th, 2007 at 10:14 amPat:
I’ll give you more.
In my husbands first deployment to Anbar in 05, his base came under attack at least 4 times a week. He kept an ongoing journal of the attacks and most of the flights (97%)that left his base were heavily loaded with Ordinance to strike targets all over Anbar.
The group that just returned yesterday from the same base stated that the base has NOT been fired upon since Last November. The percentage of flights that leave with Ordinance went from 98% to around 4%. Tell me how that is NOT progress.
September 17th, 2007 at 10:46 amFunny to think that one day we’ll be looking back at the blown up cities of Iraq fondly.
September 17th, 2007 at 11:49 amGreat vid, I know thats a Gary Numan song but who is doing this re-make. Sounds great
September 17th, 2007 at 12:52 pm“…who is doing this re-make.”
Pretty sure it’s Foo Fighters.
September 17th, 2007 at 2:29 pm