"BAGHDAD, Iraq - TV pictures on Saturday showed Iraqi insurgents holding a foreigner, apparently American, prisoner in a car after fighting outside Baghdad the day before, the latest in a rash of kidnappings of foreigners in Iraq (news - web sites) during this week's violence.

The prisoner, who spoke with a southern American accent and was apparently wounded in the arm, spoke to a cameraman from the back seat of a car with a masked gunman next to him, on the main highway on Baghdad's western edge where fighting took place Friday.

The footage was apparently filmed Friday. The prisoner identified himself as Thomas Hamill to the cameraman, from Australia's ABC television, and said he was part of a convoy that was attacked.

The car then drove off down the highway with him still in the back seat, passing a burning tanker truck on the road. The prisoner wore what appeared to be a light flak jacket of the sort worn by private security guards, who are often contracted to protect convoys.

Gunmen attacked a fuel convoy Friday in Abu Ghreib on the main highway outside Baghdad, setting a tanker on fire and killing one U.S. soldier and an Iraqi driver.

Insurgents elsewhere in Iraq have kidnapped three Japanese, a Canadian and an Arab from Jerusalem. Those holding the Japanese have threatened to kill them unless Tokyo withdraws its troops from Iraq by Sunday, a demand Japan's prime minister has refused.

A British citizen and two German security officials from their country's embassy in Baghdad are also missing, though it is not known if they have been kidnapped."

This is getting crazy!

To quote a famous saying: "War is Hell!"

Why did we have to do this to our children?

But, now we are in it, to paraphrase General George Patton:

It is not our job to die for our country, it is to make the other poor bast@rd die for his.

Well, my brothers and sisters in the U.S. Military, get on with your job! I want and pray for all of you to come home to your families and country.

Sadly, there is only one way that will happen now, heed the advice of General Patton.

I wish I could be with you.

Pray for them, pray for them all.

Patti

The Liberal media and Liberal Washington political machine holds President Bush back from taking this war right to these cowardly criminals. The Democrats want to pull out of Iraq and press more "sanctions" and get "permission" from a weak United Nations before we can protect our nation and go after these EVIL fanatics. I thank God Bush is in the WhiteHouse at this time in US History, granted I take issue with several of his domestic policies, but when it comes to the US FINALLY going after these people who HATE all Americians and have attacked us in our own country, Pres. Bush has shown the moral clarity and political courage to go after them !!

Searcher,

Have you known war? Nor have I, but I know those who have, I see the pain in my Father's eyes when he speaks of the Brave men he killed in WW II as a Commanding Officer of a U-Boat. I saw the pain in my God-Father's eyes when he spoke of the brave men he killed in combat against the American Eighth Air Force. I saw the pain in their eyes when they speak of their comrades who they lost during the war.

As I have seen the pain recently of a friend who has returned from Iraq, after seeing his best buddy killed. I have personally buried two friends this year that were killed in Iraq. I don't know if the pain can be seen in my eyes, but I feel it in my heart.

I have heard the screams of my mother when she has had the nightmares of the deaths of my two older sister's in the bombings of Berlin.

Mr. Bush like all politicians, on both sides of any war, involving any nation is a Coward and a Fool. He has no more morale clarity than Ben Ladin or Saddam Hussien.

Brave men and women do not send their children too their deaths in combat, they work for peace. Brave men are men of peace.

I served twenty years in the military. I served with men and women who like I were prepared to give our lives for our country, I knew no cowards or fools who wore the uniform of the United State Armed Forces, we were and are first and foremost men and women of peace, for we are the first to kill and to die.

Patti

Searcher,

I am leaving this post up, but I owe you an apology.

I wrote it in a moment of anger and pain. We have word that we have lost another friend. He was a U.S. Marine. Semper Fi, Marines.

I hurt.....that is all I can say.

Patti

Yes, I've "seen combat", yes I've been in the US Army. I was in Hondorus, Panama, and Kawait. My entire proffesional life Iv'e been directly involved in the worst of human nature. Some people what experiences that tramatize them and some deal with them better than others, to this I have no comment, as it's wasn't my point in my original post.
We obviously have very different political views on how to combat fanatic terrorist who wish all democratic free soicety (Americans being the torch bearers of it) death and destruction. These are people that you can not "talk to" or "negotiate" with. If Bush had not taking the fight to them then we would continue to have more 9/11's instead they are to busy trying to stay alive to attack our civilians. Every single person who joins the military should expect and be prepaired to face war. The reality is, between Vietnam and our problems with the Middle East in the 90s some 20 years, people used the military as a way to get college money, early retirement, training... ect never facing war and never thinking they would have to. Well, today it's different, time to do what a US Military Soldier/Marine/Sailor/Airman is trained and paid for (albiet not paid nearly enough for combat risk). I took no offense at all so no reason to apologize, I am very well read in Middle East issues and I totally agree with what Pres. Bush is doing by proactively seeking out Terrorist. They went to Spain and bombed Spanish civilians to scare Spain in removing troops and it worked (now the terrorist OWN Spain) they are now trying to scare Japan out of the Middle East by kidnapping and threatening to kill 3 of thier civilians and as of of now Japan says they will not negotiate with Terrorist "Thank God". I don't like War but It is a nessecity to protect yourself and others, to preserve freedom of individuals or to let freedom grow. Every American Soldier can leave the Middle East if they don't wish to be there, they are there by CHOICE not because politicians have made them. The vast majority beleive in what they are doing and so do I (not because I like War or death) US Military has an open policy to allow soldiers to return to the US if they object to the war, they choose to stay and I choose to support thier efforts. That's about as basic as I can put it. I'm speaking general here, not meaning to indicate you or anyone else that oppose the war don't wish the troops well!! Anyway, this poltical stuff is like debating God and relgion, it can go around and around! Sorry to hear about any ones death, I have no doubt that at this moment 1 or more soldiers I served with have died in Iraq. My brother,Cousin and a few friends may die today, if they do I will deal with the loss and still support the war against terrorist. I would dishonor them otherwise.