Olympic Coverage - "Take Cover!"
Iraq was up one to nothing. The Iraqi soccer team was battling Australia in Olympic Soccer. That single score in the third quarter by Emad Mohammed was enough to cause a stirring of people in the streets. Iraqi’s listening to the game on the radio or watching it on their new satellite TV dishes decided that it was time to celebrate. And when the game ended and that score hadn’t changed it caused a riot.
People went out into the streets by the hundreds and began to sing and dance in jubilation – waving the new Iraqi flag above their heads. Many more decided to celebrate with their AK-47’s. They loaded their weapons and took to the streets, firing into the air as they danced about. These people were definitely happy about their soccer team’s play.
Lying in their bunks Stryker Soldier’s heard the beginning of the celebratory fire. One, two, three rapid shots. Four, now five, six shots. Losing count at 75 and the gunfire continued. Loudspeakers on the mosque towers that usually are used for calls to prayer now boomed out with music and celebratory shouts. The celebration continued on into the night. It’s hard to sleep with all the noise but what is most difficult is trying to sleep when spent AK rounds ping off the roof of your sleeping hut like so much hail. The danger is real, all too real. He sat in the doorway of his hut with his buddy and watched rounds strike and some go through the roofs of the buildings around them. As each round would strike a roof it would send a puff of Iraqi dust up from the point of impact. One Stryker Soldier, a friend of his, woke up to a hole in the roof over his bed and a spent bullet lay next to him on his bunk.
And not to miss out on an opportunity to inflict a few American casualties a group of insurgents used the activity of the night to send a few mortar rounds over the wall into the FOB as well. That action brought a Stryker reaction which meant sending the on alert Stryker patrols into the crowded streets in search of the “Olympic attackers”. Streets crowded with innocent civilians providing cover and escape for the mortar teams that attacked the FOB.
All he could say was that he’s thankful Paraguay ended Iraq’s quest for Olympic Gold. He doesn’t think he’d like too many more nights of Iraqi celebration.
People went out into the streets by the hundreds and began to sing and dance in jubilation – waving the new Iraqi flag above their heads. Many more decided to celebrate with their AK-47’s. They loaded their weapons and took to the streets, firing into the air as they danced about. These people were definitely happy about their soccer team’s play.
Lying in their bunks Stryker Soldier’s heard the beginning of the celebratory fire. One, two, three rapid shots. Four, now five, six shots. Losing count at 75 and the gunfire continued. Loudspeakers on the mosque towers that usually are used for calls to prayer now boomed out with music and celebratory shouts. The celebration continued on into the night. It’s hard to sleep with all the noise but what is most difficult is trying to sleep when spent AK rounds ping off the roof of your sleeping hut like so much hail. The danger is real, all too real. He sat in the doorway of his hut with his buddy and watched rounds strike and some go through the roofs of the buildings around them. As each round would strike a roof it would send a puff of Iraqi dust up from the point of impact. One Stryker Soldier, a friend of his, woke up to a hole in the roof over his bed and a spent bullet lay next to him on his bunk.
And not to miss out on an opportunity to inflict a few American casualties a group of insurgents used the activity of the night to send a few mortar rounds over the wall into the FOB as well. That action brought a Stryker reaction which meant sending the on alert Stryker patrols into the crowded streets in search of the “Olympic attackers”. Streets crowded with innocent civilians providing cover and escape for the mortar teams that attacked the FOB.
All he could say was that he’s thankful Paraguay ended Iraq’s quest for Olympic Gold. He doesn’t think he’d like too many more nights of Iraqi celebration.
posted by deesci | 7:06 PM
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