Found this yesterday and I wasn't sure if it had been posted. It
breaks my heart to see the children targeted this way.
http://michaelyon.blogspot.com/
Mosul
Major Mark Bieger found this little girl after the car bomb that
attacked our guys while kids were crowding around. The soldiers
here have been angry and sad for two days. They are angry because
the terrorists could just as easily have waited a block or two and
attacked the patrol away from the kids. Instead, the suicide bomber
drove his car and hit the Stryker when about twenty children were
jumping up and down and waving at the soldiers. Major Bieger, I had
seen him help rescue some of our guys a week earlier during another
big attack, took some of our soldiers and rushed this little girl
to our hospital. He wanted her to have American surgeons and not to
go to the Iraqi hospital. She didn't make it. I snapped this
picture when Major Bieger ran to take her away. He kept stopping to
talk with her and hug her.
The soldiers went back to that neighborhood the next day to ask
what they could do. The people were very warming and welcomed us
into their homes, and many kids were actually running up to say
hello and to ask soldiers to shake hands.
Eventually, some insurgents must have realized we were back and
started shooting at us. The American soldiers and Iraqi police
started engaging the enemy and there was a running gun battle. I
saw at least one IP who was shot, but he looked okay and actually
smiled at me despite the big bullet hole in his leg. I smiled
back.
One thing seems certain; the people in that neighborhood share our
feelings about the terrorists. We are going to go back there, and
if any terrorists come out, the soldiers hope to find them.
Everybody is still very angry that the insurgents attacked us when
the kids were around. Their day will come.
Michael Yon
