Damn

This is already a couple of days old, but I had to put a bit of it here. Christopher Allbritton is back in Iraq and doing some first-class reporting.

BAGHDAD — The blast came at 8:20 a.m. Tuesday morning. A car bomb exploded about 100m from my hotel. The sound of the explosion and the concussion wave buckled and rattled the windows of the Internet cafe where I was doing some last minute email before S., my driver, was to pick me up at 8:30. The bomb was at the front door of the al-Karma hotel next door to mine, and shattered the guardhouse that S. and I drive through several times a day. But this morning, S., who is usually a few minutes early, and his sleek, black BMW were nowhere to be found.

Four people were injured and one boy, Ali Abbas, an 11-year-old kid who worked at the Fils Take Away restaurant selling cigarettes and chattering with anyone who would listen, died. He had brought me water on my first night in Baghdad.

I read Christopher's dispatch immediately after I'd read (in horror and sympathy) the interview with Staff Sgt. Jimmy Massey that had run in the Sacramento Bee on my birthday, not two weeks ago. Rough stuff. I feel for Massey, his comrades in arms, and I feel for the Iraqis. I always try to keep up with Faiza and her family, as well as the Baghdad Burning blogger to keep a human (but nonmilitary) perspective on the ground. The interview with Staff Sgt. Massey added yet another set of eyes, though not one I'd care to have to look through. He is a man dealing with a lot of pain and anguish, and I wish him well. My heart goes out. He is though, a strong and brave man, setting a fine example. He'll be fine.

I want to help people. I felt strongly about it. I had to say something. When I was sent back to stateside, I went in front of the sergeant major. He's in charge of 3,500-plus Marines. "Sir," I told him, "I don't want your money. I don't want your benefits. What you did was wrong."

It was just a personal conviction with me.I've had an impeccable career. I chose to get out. And you know who I blame? I blame the president of the U.S. It's not the grunt. I blame the president because he said they had weapons of mass destruction. It was a lie.