Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Encounter

There was an Iraqi Kirk met on his first trip in - Kirk described him as a leader of some sort, but with the convoluted way of things over there that could have meant anything from a locally important guy to a man with three goats and an inflated sense of importance. Still, as always Kirk fell to talking.

He asked the man about his view of the American presence. The man admitted that he was fighting America, that he would continue to fight America. To what purpose, Kirk wanted to know. Do you want America to leave Iraq?

No, the man replied firmly. Oh no, if America leaves there are ten thousand Kurds to the north, and they will sweep down and they will kill us.

But you fight America.

Oh yes, the man said. We will fight, and we will lose, and then we will rebuild together.

You realize that's ridiculous, Kirk said.

Yes, he said serenely, it is stupid and many will be killed. But we are warriors. And we are stubborn bastards.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

wow. what a cool guy. misguided, but willing to admit he is a stubborn bastard.