September 26, 2003
Helmet Head
What´s going on, I didn´t hear from you since Wednesday... bombs are blowing up left and right, ....what are you doing ?! I hope you stay away from wars in the future. Petra
The guys I am with got hit by four IEDs on Weds--including the one that hit an Iraqi bus--many civilians dead, four police wounded and 2 MPs wounded. An uparmored going down a busy shopping street was the target.
It moves from peaceful to extremely violent here without warning. I wouldn’t say that these guys are scared, but careful. Every time they roll down a street they see things that I don’t see--they know the danger is out there, they just don’t know where. Everytime I see a box or a can next to the road, I cringe.
I was out with the COLTs the other night when somebody opened up on us from a roof down by the mosque. Nobody freaked. They just quickly dismounted out of the high-back, took cover and then made sure everybody was OK--including me. There was a roll-call of sorts and then I heard, “Mike, you OK?”
I've come to realize that I’m not just filming these guys, I’m with them--no matter the color of my helmet. One of the interpreters told me that he was driving in a taxi the other day by the police station and saw me out on patrol. His taxi driver said that
I worked for the Mossad--which didn't exactly leave me feeling warm and fuzzy.
I sometimes think that making a documentary in Iraq is a dumb-ass idea.
