Iraq Now Redux

My best mate is heading back to Iraq for another year. I am not surprised about his decision, and I think I understand some of the motivations behind it. I do hope that he is able to do some of what he hopes to, and is not disappointed by how hard - if the reports and egrams are to be believed - it is to interact with ordinary Iraqis.

Coalition forces control areas by day, but insurgents rule at night, and the people the US and UK interact with are by their nature the small elite. Ordinary Iraqis don't support the insurgency, but I am not sure that they particularly favour the coalition personel either.

If he pulls off his mission, and I hope he does, then a small part of Iraq will be a better place.