Category: Books

Book About British & Australian Forces During the Korean War Translated Into Korean

| July 14, 2015

A ROK Drop favorite Andrew Salmon recently had his great book about the British and Australian forces that served in the Korean War translated into Korean:

British Ambassador Charles Hay welcomed the release of the Korean translation of “Scorched Earth, Black Snow: Britain and Australia in the Korean War, 1950” on Friday at the British Embassy in Jung District, central Seoul, expressing optimism that the book will help boost public awareness here and in the United Kingdom of a battle he suggests is being forgotten.

“When we look back over the relationship of the U.K. and Korea since the establishment of diplomatic relations, one of the most important events is the U.K. contribution in the [1950-53] Korean War,” said Hay.

“Unfortunately, as global history developed, the Korean War tends to be largely overlooked in the U.K.,” continued Hay, adding that the phenomenon seems “very strange” to witness from a country where it is deemed such an important part of history.

Hay, who served for five years in the British Army, commended the author of the 735-page book for bringing the war “alive” through personal interviews with British and Australian soldiers who took part in the three-year battle, saying the record of those memories seemed to have “captured the reality.”  [Joong Ang Ilbo]

You can read the rest at the link, but if you haven’t already I highly recommend reading Scorched Earth, Black Snow: Britain and Australia in the Korean War, 1950. It is great that Korean readers will now have an opportunity to learn more about the British and Australians that fought in the Korean War like I did.

ROK Drop Book Review: The Cleanest Race by B.R. Myers

| November 3, 2011

I get asked quite often by people not familiar with North Korea what book I would recommend they read to become more familiar with the country?  I have always believed that , “The Two Koreas” by Don Oberdorfer is the best book to read for those wanting to learn about the contemporary history of the Korean peninsula.  However, after reading “The Two Koreas” I would highly recommend for those wanting to get a deeper understanding of North Korea to then read, “The Cleanest Race” by B.R. Myers.

This book I believe is currently the best read about North Korea simply because of the analysis done by Myers in regards to interpreting North Korean propaganda that has provided a whole new perspective on why the country behaves the way it does.  Something else I liked about the book was that it was a quick read.  Unlike other books about North Korea that can be quite an effort to read due to the huge amount of information cited, Myers’ book to me appeared to be written to where the author figured that people reading his book have already read up quite a bit on North Korea so he doesn’t add a whole bunch of additional pages to his book rehashing in depth North Korean history.  Instead Myers keeps the book centered around his analysis of North Korean propaganda that explains why the regime behaves the way it does.

Myers makes it quite evident early in the book that he despises the left and right ideological battles that often encompass debates about North Korea.  Myers believes that people fall back on these ideological biases to explain North Korea simply because so few analysts can understand Korean to be able to read relevant official texts put out by the regime.  I think Myers does have a valid point here that many people who do opine about North Korea do not have the language skills that he has used to develop his views on the North Korean regime.  I don’t think that not being able to speak Korean completely invalidates someone’s opinion, but I do think it enhances the creditability of the viewpoint of someone who does have a deep understanding of the Korean language.

Image of B.R. Myers from the Korea Herald.

That is why I think that Myers’ viewpoint that North Korea is not a hard line Stalinist or Communist government should be taken very seriously.  By the way I don’t believe North Korea is a Stalinist or Communist state either, I have viewed it more of a Soprano State.  Anyway instead of using these common terms to describe the government in North Korea, Myers instead believes that the country is a military dominated society led by a racist and maternal regime.  Myers’ then goes on to provide example after example of North Korean propaganda and other anecdotes that show how the regime brainwashes its people to believe that the:

“Korean people are too pure blooded and therefore too virtuous, to survive in this evil world without a great parental leader. “

That parental leader was at first Kim Il-sung and after his death in 1994 his son Kim Jong-il began to fill that same role.  Myers even goes on to write about how the North Korean regime’s racist propaganda efforts are actually very similar to those of the old Imperial Japanese government that once colonized the Korean peninsula.  As much as the North Koreans proclaim to hate the Imperial Japanese they have in fact perfected their racist policies.  The bottom line is that outside observers need to realize that the North Korean regime uses paranoid race based nationalism to guide their policy decisions.  When looking at North Korea in this context then much of their belligerent actions makes sense.

Something else Myers comments on in the book are that he believes the North Korean refugees in China are “economic migrants” because half of them voluntarily return to North Korea.  I disagree with this because the North Koreans he is referring to I don’t believe should be considered under the term refugee.  That is because it is well known that many North Koreans shuttle back and forth across the border due to the poor economic and food situation in North Korea.  The term refugee should apply to those who want to defect to South Korea or some other nation like the US.  He also claims that the rest of the refugees that do defect remain admirers of the Cult of Kim.  This is not true of all refugees that come to South Korea, though there has been plenty of refugees who have said that due to the brainwashing they have received their entire lives it is hard to let go of the Cult of Kim especially when they hear someone criticizing Kim Il-sung.  I guess it would be like hearing someone criticize George Washington with facts that you believe to be untrue simply because of what you have been taught about the man your whole life.  I think the fact that North Koreans are often treated as second class citizens in South Korea and are not accustomed to a capitalist system that rewards hard work may cause some of the refugees to long for their home land as well.

Though I disagree with him on the refugee issue, I do agree with him on another major point in the book that the North Korean regime does not fear an external attack more than an internal legitimacy crisis.  Myers points out that many foreign observers read the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) and assume it mirrors what the North Korean propaganda outlet is putting out to its domestic audience.  Instead here is how Myers says KCNA presents itself in Korean:

“……the DPRK presents itself to the outside world as a misunderstood country seeking integration into the international community, it presents itself to its own citizens as a rogue state that breaks agreements with impunity, dictates conditions to groveling U.N. officials, and keeps its enemies in constant fear of ballistic retribution.  Generally speaking the following rule of thumb applies: the less accessible a propaganda outlet is to the outside world, the blunter and more belligerent it will be in its expression of the racist orthodoxy.”

This fear of an internal legitimacy crisis is why I have long supported that South Korea and the US should fight an information war within North Korea by using defector radio broadcasts and smuggling in subversive media such as Korean dramas into the country to erode the Cult of Kim.  This eroding of the racist and paternalistic ideology of the Cult of Kim is why the regime has so strongly responded to the propaganda balloon launches by North Korean refugee groups within South Korea.

Like I mentioned earlier in this posting I highly recommend that everyone who has basic knowledge about Korea pick up and read this book.  I would not recommend this to be the first book someone reads about Korea because I really think to appreciate this book readers need to have some background in Korean contemporary history.  Once readers have that background, this book is definitely an eye-opening and informative read that will leave people interested in North Korea with a much better understanding of why the regime acts the way it does.

I’ve read his book and it was an eye-opening experience. I agree with your that North Korea is neither Stalinist nor Communist. It’s a kleptocracy. Murder, corruption, and theft…every one from the highest ranking official down to the lowly army private are complicit.

Ya know what… Koreans have never had a nuclear weapon. North Koreans are Koreans too … if they develop ICBM pointed right at Tokyo, Washington DC,& Beijing, Moscow then wouldn’t that make NK / SK an inpregnable fortress? ^^

Thanks for the review, going to pick this one up.

Yes, excellent book and he’s an excellent speaker if you get a chance to see his lecture in person. I too think he’s got nK pegged better than any of the other well-known nK experts though it is interesting to see him and Andrei Lankov debate.

@1 – That is why I consider North Korea to be a Soprano State considering all their criminal enterprises they are engaged in. After reading Myers I now think of it more as a Soprano State supported by a race based ideology that backs the Cult of Kim which helps keep the status quo iin place for the regime elite.

@3 – Definitely pick this book up and it is available on Kindle which is how I read the book.

@4 – If I ever had the opportunity Myers does seem like a very interesting person to listen to. A debate between him and Lankov would be very interesting but I think they would actually be in agreement on most NK issues.

I’ve read this book and think Myers makes some great points. I think he disregards some factors too much such as the role of Confucianism and Kim Il Sung’s use of Protestant Christian themes. That said, his theories make a lot of sense. Personally I think we always get the stinky end of the stick when dealing with DPRK because we operate under the “Communist Oligarcy” template with these guys when it is only partially relevant!

I also enjoyed his dis-assembly of the Korean nation myth. I’ve used the knowledge gained here a couple times to shut down the “we’re a 5,000 year old country” claptrap. You want to look back to Tongun and Old Chosun? Well, I’ll just have to counter that with Pericles and Athens !

I have not read the book so the review by GI Korea is excellent and appreciated.
I could not help but think of the rise of similar race themes in the PRC’s internal propaganda. It would be interesting to see a similar analysis of China’s domestic targeted news and information. In China’s case it takes on a much bigger scope, involving far flung islands and people of Chinese “blood” born in other countries. One has to wonder if China did not learn some lessons from DPRK propaganda, considering the PRC’s history of leaving the international camp, following the break with the USSR and China’s ongoing need to mold a domestic and even off shore population in the free information age.

Joshua Key is a Fraud and a Liar and I Have the Facts to Prove It

| February 8, 2009

I appreciate all the links and interest my posting on Joshua Key has created because I believe it is important that the lies he is continuing to repeat are exposed.

US Army deserter Joshua Key in need of a serious hair cut and shower.

Something else I found interesting is that someone has posted over at Joshua Key’s Wikipedia page that the ROK Drop is involved in a “controversy”.  Get this the controversy is that I stated that Joshua Key was the first deserter to go to Canada since the Vietnam War when in fact two other deserters Jeremy Hinzman and Brandon Hughey went to Canada before him.  I should have been more clear, Key is the first deserter to actually have served in Iraq to seek refuge in Canada.

What you see at Wikipedia is the usual tactic of many people of the far left, they try to twist one sentence to discount everything else that was in my posting about Joshua Key.  Notice they cannot dispute the facts so they try to change the subject.

It is hard to take people like this seriously especially when they write songs like this, The Ballad of Joshua Key:

It is just me or did this guy cover every lefty cliche’ imaginable?

Anyway when I originally wrote the Joshua Key posting I had not read the book and just based the posting off of radio interviews Key did and book excerpts available on the Internet.  I have since read his entire book and the holes in Key’s story are only greater after doing so.  I was just going to let the first posting I did be the final word on what I think about Key, but since Key’s buddies updating his Wikipedia page want people to believe there is some controversy going on, then lets start a controversy; namely one where Key can explain all these facts I’m about to lay out after reading Key’s book.

Fact #1:  Cow Tipping is Impossible

The lies start out early in Key’s book when he is describing his childhood.  On page 25 he talks about how he and his friends would go cow tipping when cows go to sleep standing up. He says the cows would fall over like “bowling pins”.  I grew up in the country with cows in a field behind my house.  Cows do not sleep standing up and cow tipping is an urban legend.  Go to YouTube and find a successful cow tipping.  If it could be done it would be all over YouTube.  Key is lying because there is absolutely no way he was knocking over cows like bowling pins.

If you don’t believe me go try it yourself and film it.  So since he is clearly lying about this it puts into question everything else he describes about this childhood in Oklahoma.

Fact #2:  Timothy McVeigh was Not a Gunnery Sergeant

On page 30 of the book key claims that Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh was a Gunnery Sergeant in the US Army 1st Infantry Division.  McVeigh was not a Gunnery Sergeant because there is no Gunnery Sergeant rank in the US Army.  This book is so sloppily written that the writer Lawrence Hill couldn’t even bother to do a simple Internet check to figure out that McVeigh was a Sergeant in the Army.

It also further shows the incompetence and stupidity of Joshua Key that he didn’t even recognize there wasn’t a Gunnery Sergeant rank despite having once served in the Army.  There are only Gunnery Sergeants in the Marine Corps.

Fact #3:  Key’s Recruiting Claims Are Full of Falsehoods

Towards the beginning of Key’s book he states that his recruiter’s name was a Staff Sergeant Van Houten.  On Army Knowledge Online everyone in the military has an account that can be looked up.  Even people who have retired or left the Army can still be looked up on the system.  So I looked up Sergeant Van Houten on AKO and guess what, there is no Sergeant Van Houten, there is not even one Van Houten of any rank in the Army.

Key also says a government employee by the name of Daniel Russell also worked at the recruiting station.  However, there are no government employees by the name of Daniel Russell on AKO.  There are three contractors, but none of them working for recruiting.

In the opening chapters of the book Key goes on and on repeating every left wing talking point about recruiters praying on poor people and minorities even though as statistics show this is not true.

Key also claims on page 44 that the recruiting building he was in had a poster that said that “Desertion in the time of war means death by firing squad” and that he had to sign a document saying he understood that poster.  This sounds like utter BS to me because I have never seen such a poster and I signed no such document when I joined the Army and I know of no one else who had as well.  So considering Key has an imaginary recruiter this sounds like an imaginary poster and document as well.  Has anyone else seen such a poster and document?

If you listen to this Canadian radio interview with Key he claims 99% of the soldiers in his unit were recruited because they were poor and had no other options in life, but to join the Army.  For you all in the military reading this, did 99% of the people in your unit join up because they were poor and had no other options?  Of course not and the statistics show this.

If you look at this graph that displays recruiting numbers from the Pentagon the highest number of people in the military are from  the middle class.  A very small number of recruits are considered poor and their total number is below the national average for 18-24 year old recruits.  The upper middle class and even the wealthy are at or above their percentage of population for 18-24 years old.  Once again Key is full of crap.

Finally Key claims that his recruiter told him that he would go to a unit that would never deploy or see combat.  If you can believe this Key joined the Army after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and thought he would never have to go to war.  The guy is an idiot if he thinks he would never have to face the possibility of going into combat after 9/11.  He is even more of an idiot that he thought he would never have to go to combat when he voluntarily chose to become a combat engineer.  You would think the word “combat” would have tipped him off.  Furthermore the secondary military occupational specialty of a combat engineer is an infantrymen!

In this Canadian radio interview Key also claims that being stationed in CONUS means you do not have to deploy.  That is not what CONUS means.  CONUS means Continental United States compared to OCONUS which means Outside the Continental United States.  CONUS simply means you are stationed in the mainland US.  It has nothing to do with whether you are deployable or not and Key had to know this unless he is that incompetent.

He additionally says in the interview that 47 Army recruiters went AWOL two months before his interview which is another lie.  In fact 37 members of Army Recruiting Command went AWOL between 2002-2005.  Army Recruiting Command is not all recruiters.  It is a huge organization that has all the elements of a typical Army command to include supply sergeants, personnel clerks, mechanics, chaplains, etc. that could have gone AWOL.  Plus 37 people going AWOL in four years in a unit composed of five brigades isn’t unusual.  Plus many times when people go AWOL they come back.  Key is once again not telling the truth.

Key is clearly both an idiot and a liar.

Fact #4:  Rent in the Military is Free

On page 42 of his book Key claims the military lied to him saying that rent in the Army is free, but when he joined he later found out that they docked $700 a month from his paycheck for rent.  What Key doesn’t tell you is that Basic Allowance for Housing is added to a servicemembers paycheck to pay for housing. I have long chronicled here on the ROK Drop the various people getting arrested for BAH fraud because they were falsely claiming BAH for a city their spouse did not live in.

That $700 coming out of his paycheck every month is from his BAH to pay for his on post housing.  Key is either so dumb he doesn’t know what pay he is getting in his paycheck or he is lying.  Either option doesn’t look favorably upon him.

Fact #5:  You Don’t Receive 8 Shots of Anthrax at One Time

Key on page 43 of his book claims the military gave him 8 anthrax shots at one time.  First of all you do not receive 8 anthrax shots at one time.  In fact only six anthrax shots are given over an 18 month period:

Although many servicemembers experience temporary pain or soreness at the injection site, most individuals experience no significant reaction. The anthrax vaccine series consists of six shots: the initial, then at two and four weeks, then again at six, 12, and 18 months. Following the initial six-shot series, members only require annual boosters. No shots are ever repeated in the series, rather members will receive the next shot they are due based on the last shot they received in the series.   [Osan AB]

This is a straight up lie that cannot be explained away.  However, Key’s lie is even greater because the military was not issuing anthrax injections at the time he claims he received 8 anthrax shots.

1998 — Defense Department starts a program of inoculating troops with the anthrax vaccine.

June 2001 — Inoculating troops temporarily suspended because of a lack of anthrax vaccine when the manufacturer, BioPort, changed its manufacturing process without approval by the Food and Drug Administration.

June 2002 — Defense Department resumes inoculating troops after FDA approves vaccine and manufacturing process, lifting the temporary suspension from a year earlier.  [Stars & Stripes]

Key says the injections took place prior to him signing his Army contract on April 13, 2002.  However, in June, 2001 the Pentagon stopped issuing anthrax shots and did not start issuing them again until June, 2002, which is after the time that Key said he was given 8 anthrax shots.   Key is a total liar on this claim.

Fact #6:  Basic Training is not 17 Weeks Long

On page 47 Joshua Key claims that he was not able to call his family for 17 weeks.  Phone calls during basic training are a privledge but generally soldiers can call their families more then once during basic training.  However, in Key’s case he must of went to some super special long boot camp because I have never heard of a 17 week long basic training.  In fact basic training at Ft. Leonard Wood where Key received his training is only 9 weeks long.

In the book he also states that drill sergeants regularly cursed at him and told him that Muslims were terrorists and sand niggers.  They also recruited Key to regularly beat other recruits.  By regulation drill sergeants are not allowed to curse at recruits, make derogatory statements, or beat other recruits.  Considering all of Key’s other lies in the book I find these claims unlikely.

Fact #7:  Key Changes Story on Wanting to Fight in Iraq

In the book on page 57 Key says:

As I’ve stated, I thought it was better for me to help stomp out terrorism and defend America then to leave the job to my own children.

However, in this socialist newsletter Key writes he had a different reason for going to fight in Iraq:

I called Brandi: “I’ve been fooled!” After several months of training I was re-assigned to Fort Carson, Colorado, to the 43rd Company of Combat Engineers. Brandi came to live on the base with the kids. And, in the fall of 2002, the rumurs about Baghdad began. Everything was done from the perspective of fighting in the desert, against Iraqi troops. The war games became more intense. Whole regiments were kept on stand-by. Be ready to leave from one day to the next, we were told. And myself, I kept on believing, clinging to their promises. I couldn’t believe they’d lie to me. I wanted to put the question to an officer, but I was made to understand that I should keep quiet if I didn’t want my family to suffer. I was trapped.

So in his book he was more then happy to go fight Saddam and then in an interview he only went to combat because he was trapped and didn’t want his family to suffer.  So which is it?

Fact #8:  Highly Unlikely Key was Limited to One MRE and One Liter of Water a Day in Kuwait

On page 59 Key claims that his unit was given only one MRE and one liter of water a day while in Kuwait.  This sounds highly bogus because when I was in Kuwait we had more food and water then we needed because of the contractors that cooked up food for all the servicemembers in these huge circus tents.  In fact we regularly had steak and lobster in Kuwait.  In Kuwait the only time we ate MRE’s is if we had to go out to the range.  If you didn’t watch yourself you could put on wait while in Kuwait.

Key also claims he had to steal water from other units so his unit would have water to drink.  So even if Key’s story is true he admits to being a thief which according to the book isn’t the first time he admits to being a thief because regularly in the book he describes stealing money and jewelery from the Iraqis.

Fact #9:  Highly Unlikely that Under 24 Hours After Being in Iraq Key’s Unit Was Conducting Raids

On page 69 Key claims that under 24 hours after being in Iraq his unit was conducting raids, bashing in civilians, and arresting people for no reason.  Think about this his unit used flat bed trucks to go from Kuwait all the way to Ramadi which would take many hours to complete such a convoy and then download all their equipment.  So after doing such a long movement the first thing the unit would do is go raid houses?!!!  It doesn’t make any sense at all considering they hadn’t even set up a unit area yet.

He also claims that every night they would raid up to four houses and arrest all men over five feet tall.  I don’t know of any company sized element in Iraq that would raid up to four houses every night, especially an Engineer unit.  Once again it sounds like utter BS

Fact #10: There is no M-16 Grenade Launcher

On page 131 Key claims a member of his unit tried to commit suicide with an M-16 Grenade launcher which there is no such thing.  There is an M203 grenade launcher however.

Key said that the soldier shot himself in the ankle with a grenade that didn’t go off.  Anyone with basic training on an M203 knows that a grenade from the M203 has an arming distance. Why would a soldier try to kill himself with a grenade he knows cannot go off?

Fact #11:  You Cannot Take Half Pay for Three or Six Months

On page 133 of his book, Key claims a soldier was docked half his pay for three months for asking a visiting colonel a question about why he did not have Interceptor body armor.  First of all any JAG would have an easy time defending any soldier given non-judicial punishment for simply asking a question.  Secondly Key’s commanding officer cannot legally give such a punishment.

Here is what company commanders are authorized to give as non-judicial punishment otherwise known as an Article 15:

  • Restriction to specific limits (normally work, barracks, place of worship, mess hall, and medical facilities) for not more than 14 days
  • Extra duties, including fatigue or other duties, for not more than 14 days
  • Restriction with extra duties for not more than 14 days
  • Correctional Custody for not more than 7 days (only if accused is in the grades E-3 and below)
  • Forfeiture of 7 days pay
  • Reduction by one grade, if original rank in promotion authority of imposing officer. Not imposable on E-6 or above for USMC, or E-7 or above for other services
  • Confinement on diminished rations for not more than 3 days (USN and USMC E-3 and below only, and only when embarked on a vessel)
  • Admonition or reprimand, either written or verbal.

Here is the punishment the battalion commander can hand out under a Article 15 offense:

  • Restriction to specific limits (normally place of duty, barracks, place of worship, mess hall, and medical facilities) for not more than 60 days
  • Extra duties, including fatigue or other duties, for not more than 45 days
  • Restriction with extra duties for not more than 45 days
  • Correctional Custody for not more than 30 days (only if accused is in the grades E-3 and below)
  • Forfeiture of one half of base pay for two months
  • Reduction by one (NCO below E-6 in USMC or E-7 otherwise) or more (sub-NCO) grades.
  • Confinement on diminished rations for not more than 3 days (USN and USMC E-3 and below only, and only when embarked on a vessel)
  • Admonition or reprimand, either written or verbal.

No where in there does it say a soldier can lose half his pay for 3 months. Additionally Key cannot even keep his lies straight because in this Canadian radio interview Key says this soldier lost half his pay for 6 months!  So which lie is it?

It is pretty hard to keep all your lies straight, huh Joshua Key?

Fact #12:  You Cannot Get an Article 15 for Crying

On page 148 Key claims an officer from another unit threatened to tell his unit officers that he saw him crying which would lead to him getting an Article 15 and loss of pay.  He evens says the officer gave him a written reprimand.  I have never seen an officer in another unit give a written reprimand to a solider he doesn’t know in an entirely different unit.  It makes no sense because that officer is not his chain of command thus rendering anything he wrote utterly pointless because he has no UCMJ authority.   Plus once again a JAG lawyer would have a field day defending any soldier given an Article 15 for crying.  Finally Key if received a written reprimand, where is it?  What is the guys name because he doesn’t disclose it in the book.

Fact #13:  Avengers Do Not Have Two .50 Cals on Them

On page 169 Key makes the claim that an anti-aircraft humvee, which is an air defense artillery Avenger, used its two mounted .50 cals to kill some civilian crossing into Iraq from Syria by firing hundreds of round at him.

First of all an Avenger only has one mounted .50 cal which is mounted below one of its two stinger missile pods which you can see above.  The .50 cal only holds 200-250 rounds and could not have possibly fired the “hundreds” of rounds that Key claims.

Fact #14:  Key Provides No Evidence to Support his Massacre Claims

At various points in the book Key makes claims about US soldier committing massacres such as on page 81-82 he claims in Fallujah that members of the 82nd Airborne massacred about a dozen civilians for no reason.  He claims on page 106 that members of the Florida National Guard were playing a “twisted game of soccer” with the heads of civilians that they had beheaded.

However, in this video interview of Key, the claim is made that they were the heads of decapitated Iraqi soldiers while in the book they were the heads of civilians that were decapitated by M-16 fire from US soldiers:

Once again it is hard to keep all the lies straight I guess.

He also makes multiple claims about randomly shooting cars while on patrol and makes the outrageous claim that one one of his sergeants used a .50 cal to ignite a trail of gasoline on the road from a car they had shot at and the spark of the .50 cal round ignited the trail of gasoline which caught up to the car and blew up its fuel tank.  I want to see Mythbusters try and prove this Hollywood Rambo story.

He even says they used captured Mercedes to go and conduct raids with.  When I was in Iraq the only servicemembers I saw conducting operations in civilian vehicles was US Army Special Forces soldiers.  Not once did I see regular Army soldiers regularly conducting raids using civilian vehicles like Key claims.  How many of these vehicle would you need to put a platoon of engineers in with all their equipment to conduct a raid?  You would need a huge convoy of civilian vehicles not to mention the extra exposure to IED’s in an unarmored civilian vehicle.  I do not find this claim credible.

The one common thread in all of these incredible stories is that he provides no proof.  How come no one is his unit has come forward to support his claims?  On his webpage and on his Wikipedia page there are no attributions from anyone that served with Key that can verify all his stories. We are left to take Joshua Key’s word that all these wild stories happened as claimed.  However, as I have already shown Joshua Key is a proven liar.

Conclusion

Key has plenty of other stories in the book to include female lieutenants that would go on the prowl asking privates for sex to entrap them and give them punishment, medics not helping wounded Iraqi civilians, soldiers raping Iraqi women left and right, Abu Graib style abuse of prisoners, and get this even soldeers trying to bring ears back with them to the US.  He even says one guy tried to bring a severed arm back with them. When he went AWOL his stories of government agents stalking him was really quite comical considering the Army allows civilian law enforcement to turn in deserters when they are picked up for routine traffic stops.  I wonder if he saw black helicopters looking for him as well?

The bottom line is that any leftist talking point you can think of, Key includes it in his book in order to reinforce all the left wing stereotypes about the military.  So there are plenty of references to My Lai, poverty draft, killing kids, etc, etc.  This book is nothing but pure propaganda.  For those of us who have served in Iraq, Key’s claims are entirely unbelievable and actually quite comical.  If what Key claims is true and he is facing deportation from Canada, then why isn’t he lining up members of his prior unit to testify in his defense?

I think everyone gets the point by now that Joshua Key is a liar and an absolute disgrace not that people on the far left care.  Key is simply a tool for these people to bash the US military with and Key is more then willing to play long because the livelihood of his family in Canada is dependent on him telling his tall tales.  That is why you have all these journalists and radio hosts giving him softball interviews in order to tell his lies.

Key is also part of the leftist attempt to create a perception of discontent within the ranks like the leftist plants from Amnesty International tried to create before the 2006 Congressional elections. This group just happened to be backed with a media campaign led by the biggest liberal public relations firm, Fenton Communications. (You need to read my prior postings here and here to understand what I’m talking about.)

These people are just as disgraceful as Key for spreading blatant propaganda.  I am willing to bet that many people on the far left believe that even if Key and his cohorts are lying, the ends justifies the means.  That is why despite all the evidence to the contrary these people will not denounce liars like Joshua Key. That is why you don’t see anyone in the media trying to locate members of Key’s former unit to interview them to corroborate his stories.  How hard could arranging such an interview be?

The US government needs to bring Key back from Canada and court martial him. I want Key to try and explain the various lies I have uncovered.  Could you imagine what lies an investigator interviewing all the members of his unit could uncover much less what I have disclosed?  He should be deported and be given a fair trial where we can all see if his lies stand up in court.  After seeing what I already have uncovered about Key is it any wonder he has no interest in seeing if his claims would hold up in a court martial and instead prefers to hide in Canada?  Canadians deserve better then to have frauds like Key living in their country.  Hopefully the Canadian courts do the right thing and deport Key back to the US where he would have to take responsibility for substantiating all the tall tales he has told.

Hows that for some “controversy”?

ROK Drop Book Review: Seasons in the Kingdom

| May 28, 2008

There are very few countries that have had as many things happen to it in such a short time then Korea.  The nation in just the past 55 years since the end of the Korean War has faced communist insurgencies, coups, break neck economic development, assassinations, economic collapse, as well as a successful democracy movement.  Throughout all these years American servicemembers rotating for mostly one year tours on the peninsula have bared witness to all the set backs and accomplishments of the Republic of Korea.

Despite this constant presence of the American military in Korean society, very little has been written about the GI experience in Korea.  This is what makes Tim Norris’s book, Seasons in the Kingdom such a unique addition to the growing number of Korea related books.  Norris’s book is a historical work of fiction that follows the life of a US Army soldier who was drafted into the Army and instead of being sent to Vietnam was sent to South Korea to complete a tour of duty on the peninsula between 1973-1974.


1964 picture of ASCOM City.

The soldier, Mike is given orders to work as a guard at the 8th Army Confinement Facility, which at that time was located on the outskirts of Incheon in an area known as ASCOM (Army Support Command).  ASCOM was the US military’s main logistical support hub at the time and the only remnants of it that remains today is Camp Market.  The story initially develops by following Mike’s interactions with fellow soldiers in the barracks before getting into the meat of the story, which is his life in the “ville” which are the small camptowns located outside US military installations in Korea.


1968 image of a ville outside a US military camp.

For those that have served on the Korean peninsula during or near this time frame; this book should really bring back memories of what it was like back then as Norris explains in great detail, not only what the life of a GI was like in the ville, but the girls working there as well.  Norris does a great job describing the girls working in these clubs by really bringing home to the reader that these girls were more than just prostitutes, but people who also had hopes and dreams before being shackled by the club system.


1968 photo of US military barracks bunk.

In order to describe the life of the numerous Korean prostitutes working in the GI camptowns, Norris has Mike meet the beautiful Songhi.  Songhi’s life like many in Korea was filled with bitter disappointment and strife after she was locked into the club system by a scheming ajumma when she was forced to quit college due to her father not having enough money to pay for her education and Songhi’s younger brother as well.  Songhi like many girls working in the ville dream of marrying a GI in order to escape the club system that has trapped her and to bring her a better life in America.

The rest of the story develops as Mike eventually purchases Songhi from the club ajumma to become what was known back then as a “yobo”.  The yobo system no longer exists today, but back then GIs could purchase girls from the clubs, set them up in a small apartment, and that woman would effectively be their girlfriend for the entire year they were in Korea.  Being a yobo was highly sought after by the club girls because it meant they no longer had to prostitute themselves in the club anymore and increased their chances of marrying a GI.


1968 photograph of a Korean girl outside a US military club in Korea.


Sign posted on base in 1968 warning soldiers of club girls with STDs.

As their relationship develops both Songhi and Mike have unrealistic expectations of each other, but neither seems to realize it until Songhi becomes pregnant with Mike’s baby.  The book concludes with Mike completing his tour of duty in Korea and having to come face to face with what kind of life and future he wanted to have with Songhi.

The story is compelling, but the real reason why I recommend people should read this book is not for the story, but to get a better understanding of the conditions servicemembers serving in Korea during this time frame experienced.  This book makes clear the latent racism and the huge drug problem that plagued the US military in the 1970s.  The drug problem in the ranks was so bad that soldiers were arrested for using their M-16s to murder Korean drug dealers when drug deals went bad.  In fact two soldiers were so high on drugs that they took their weapons and had a stand off on Seoul Tower with the Korean police before finally giving themselves up.

The book also describes how some guards used to beat black prisoners and how some clubs became segregated by race as well. The racism was just between white and black soldiers but many soldiers also directed their racism and frustrations at the Koreans as well.  Even in the 1970’s “gook” was still a common term for a Korean.


1969 picture of Korean women in Seoul.

Likewise the Koreans themselves were very racist.  The prostitutes in the ville were considered the bottom of society and often insulted in the streets for associating with GIs, especially black GIs.  Children of these women often had no other options in Korean society other than becoming workers in the camp system themselves.


1968 image of a village woman.

In many aspects the US military’s behaviour back then was less then admirable and it is easy to see why many 386 generation Koreans still hold negative stereotypes of the US military based off their experiences from growing up during this time frame.  Like the incredible progress Korea has made over the years, US military has come a long way as well and this book is a welcome reminder of that.  Hopefully one day the ville system still in place today will be the last reminder of this time.

____________________________________________________

Note: More reviews of the book can be read here and Seasons in the Kingdom is available on Amazon for those interested in purchasing the book.

That Mishelov site is great for pictures of that time period.

A wall with Korean whores names with STD’s. It seems as if Korea was one big whore house then.

I guess with all the red light dist, room salons, business clubs, da bang’s (coffee shops), booking clubs (sure is a long list and there is more LOL)in Korea these days, things sure have changed and sure have stayed the same.

It is a great site for pictures especially high quality color pictures of that time period.

[…] GIKorea at ROKDrop.com reminds us that the US forces in Korea have come a long way since 1974 as well. May 26, 2008 […]

Thanks for the great review of my novel, Seasons in the Kingdom. I appreciate it and all that you do.
Best,
Tim at nandupress!

[…] from reader’s of this novel, many by Korean Service Veterans & others. ROK Drop Review. Go here to read review at ROK Drop, which includes other links for Korea and Korean Veterans. This is the most recent review, but be […]

I was stationed on a missile tact side in south korea in the year 1970, while there i caught Tuberculosis and had to be flown back to the states to be treated for my ten remaining month in the service and was given a early release in feb 3 1972, my memory of the place is not so good , i nearly died over their with active Tuberculosis , and still suffer with breathing problems assocated with my old Tuberculosis, I think if i had not had relationships with the korean woman my health and life would have been of a better quality..but i was young and stupid like all young people back then, and i never knew the risk that i was taking back them as far as my health was conserned, I have never read the book about korea, maybe i will in the future ..good day stanley Ray Mcqueen

Tim no problem it was a great book and I enjoyed reading it.

Stanley sorry to hear about the TB. Korea has come a long ways since then but it is still not uncommon to hear about people getting diagnosed with TB unfortunately. I do recommend you check out the book since you were stationed in Korea back then. You would probably enjoy it.

I visited Ascom City on my recent trip to Korea. Amazingly parts of Sin-Chon, my village, and Cherry Hill are still there. Photos to follow soon on my website. I visited the house where I lived and walked some of those alleyways. The rice fields around our compound are now all apartments blocks that loom over the remaining parts of the old villages. Will update when photos are available.

Best,

Tim Norris

I have just posted images of Sinchon, Cherry Hill, and the village nearby. These images are from my recent trip, but they alleyways are still there from my time in Korea. I also have a few comparative shots of the village from then and now.

Best, and more to come.

Tim

I was on the DMZ in ’67-’68 and I can tell you it was all business when we were on the zone, very serious stuff. There was a huge difference between being stationed on the DMZ and near Seoul. I only made it to Seoul once and it was only about 35 miles away. The life in the ‘ville was probably the same except for the racism, as far as I knew all races coexisted very well. I had a number of black friends, although we didn’t have too many black guys in my infantry unit, perhaps more were stationed down south. The Koreans were still very much appreciative of what we did for them during the Korean War although many GI’s were jerks to the Korean people.

I will buy the book and thanks for writing of your experiences.

I enjoyed reading your book Tim.

As I worked for the NCO Club Admin office I seen a lot of the interaction between the Korean women and the GI’s as you spoke of in your book.

I spent a few days at the Ascom City base just prior to my departure from Korea.

I really enjoyed the Korean language cross refrence in your glossary. I liked the Military Language and Bamboo English too.

I look forward to seeing your recent pictures of Korea.

Paul in Tampa

Tim, great photos of the old ville. I liked your before and after shots that show how much the area has changed.

I’m glad you enjoyed your return trip to Korea.

Sounds like me…I ordered the book…I’m sure it will be a great read and a real memory jogger. I was there in the late 50s and 1969-70.

I was in the 249th 1968-1969

If you will tell me how I will send you a picture.

Paul, be sure to check out my website at http://www.nandupress.com.
thanks tim

Tim

Thank you for helping Ronnie Partin and I to get in touch with each other after over 35 years, since being in the 249th together in 1968.

I was fresh out of basic training in 1979 assigned to the 249th MP Det Confinement Facility. As soon as I reported to the First Sergent he had me, himself and two of my buddies breaking the ice up in the duck pond. I knew this place was wieird. After my tour I releized how much I missed it. No I did’t have a YOBO I was still playing the bars and saving money instead one sucking me dry. We only had one attempt escape.

Steve,

I’d like to hear from you. You would probably down at Camp Humphreys. I remember when we moved the stockade down there in ’75. It was a big deal to move into modern facilities. I have many posted pics and more coming of the 249th at Ascom City. Any photos or stories please send them my way.

Best,

Tim Norris

Steve,

website is http://www.nandupress.com.
Thanks. Tim

Tim,

I have no pic’s I was just 17 and too excited leaving home for the first time, my one year flew by fast. We had a pretty good softball team and that duck pond we had came in handy in the summer months. By the way chickens can swim. The problem with the pond was the ducks and chickens kept missing, we thought it was the KATUSA. found out it was the perimiter guards that stayed in our compound, TASTY If you have pics of the Humphry’s 249th mp could you send them at steven.gunn@kbr.com I’m presently a civilian in IRAQ for DOD.

Hi Tim,

I have just ordered the book! I was one of the few civilian women who followed my husband to South Korea.

05/69-09/70. We lived in the village of Bupyong Dong about a 15 minute walk from the post. We took many pictures as we spent a lot of time at the craft shop on the base. We did the developing ourselves. It sure was an interesting time. We have a lot of stories! I was fortunate to secure a job at the 121st evacuation hospital and witnessed the Pueblo crew arriving. I have often wondered how the area is now. Anxious to read the book.

Jennifer, glad to hear from you. You can contact me direct at nandupress.com…I have my email addresses there. Best to you. Interested in pictures of the village when you have the time to share. Tim Norris

Jennifer,

Thanks for commenting and I would be interested in seeing any photos you may have as well. If you want you can post them over at the ROK Drop Forums to share with everyone:

http://rokdrop.com/forums/

Where is the lovely song you had on your site “arirang”.

tim,

i have many photos of ascom and the guys

in my unit,the 728th MP, company A.

i was stationed there from january 1968 to

may 1969.

have not read your book but plan to do so.

gerry landrum

Gerry,

Thanks for your comments. You may want to check out my website where I have some excellent donated photos to look at. Look forward to hearing from you.

Best,

Tim

tim i was in the 249th mp 1969-1970 i was the only one that was in the stockade, tdy and perment party all in 18 months

Gerry,

Just wanted to check to see if you received your book?

Best, Tim

Charles,

Glad you have made contact…check out my website http://www.nandupress.com for photos and other information about 249th MP Detachment…best, tim

Tim

I just came back from Korea, I went in October 2009 returned to America November 2009. I did not go back to where the old 249th was when I served there in 1968-1969,the ASCOM Area, but much has changed and become very modernised, I spent one month in down town Soul Korea on my last trip to Korea in 2009.

Landrum, I was assigned to A Co. 728th MPs November 15, 1970 for about 3 months before being transferred to Yongsan. I never really knew what the hell the post’s name was. Did you know Daniel Dwyer, Joins, or Roy Areana?

Oh! believe me when I say C Co. lived on a condemmed ROK Marine compound it wasn’t better then A Co. barracks. Yongsan Compound was nice but the MPs didn’t live there, we were half way between Yongsan and the Han River, right by the bus station.

I was assigned to A co. 728th MP Co. February 1968 to May 1969. Co. C 728th Mp Bn 1969 to 1971. 1975 Camp Market. 2ND infantry div MP Camp Pelham, PDSK 1978 Wanshmnee Security for the Norther Operations district for the pipeline. A total of 8 years in Korea.

I’d like to comment on Dave L’s statement:

“although many GI’s were jerks to the Korean people.”

John Duncan, director of UCLA Center for Korean Studies, made a similar statement. His first contact with Korea was, you guessed it, via US Army.

“He (John Duncan) also recalled that during his Army stint he was repulsed by the behavior of many fellow G.I.’s towards South Korean employees and locals they came in contact with near the demilitarized zone.”

Here’s the link:
http://www.international.ucla.edu/korea/news/arti…

I was stationed at camp Wentzel for a short time in 70. Was a section sgt with a 4 duece mortar platoon 2nd/9th/HqHq. I remember life being quite grand there, modern facilities and all. I remember Spoonbill Bridge as a pontoon structure close by on the river. I also remember my first of many visits to the vil. We soon packed up everything, turned the camp over to the Korean Army and moved down the river just north of Libby Bridge. Our platoon however was stationed several miles away from the main camp out closer to the MDL. Our little camp was knowns as RC#10. It was quite primative but we had alot of freedom there and took turns with long stays in Souel, ChangPaRi and I believe PoeWaNe, parden my spellings. It was an interesting experience at RC#10, to be caressed to sleep each night by the loud Speakers on the north side of the fence. I recall a huge hard drug problem in at the main camp but our tight little group preferred beer and pot. I also recall our platoon being all white or asian. But I had several black friends I had made prior to our separation from the rest of the Company and I often joined them in the village. One night all hell broke loose and two of my black friends came into the club where I was, grabbed me saying nothing and slipped me down a dark ally and they told me to get the hell out of there. The next day I learned that there had been a big clash between black and white soldiers with serious injuries. The girls were my fondest memories as they by the most part were attractive and very pleasant ladies. I had a yobo for most of the time I was there and she was beautiful and very smart. The guys I hung out with were polite and always helpful to the Koren people. Needless to say I enjoyed my stay in Korea and have very fond memories of the Korean People and especially the home rice and the kimchi.

I was at Greaves and Liberty Bell… what camp was north of Libby? I remember RC#4 and Camp Pelham in Sonju-ri, but north of the river, when I was there in the 80’s, we only had Greaves, Liberty Bell and Bonifas (plus tent city).

Found your blog on AskJeeves, great information, but the site looks awkward in doing my browser setup, but will work fine in IE. choose figure.

I read this book and am kind of torn over hit. The story of Mark and Songhi is magnificent and they way he brings the juicy girls into three dimensions is simply wonderful. But the editing was horrible! And I am not referring to a misspelled word here in there. Repeat sentences and even whole paragraphs one after the other is just a total no go!

One minor point. I found Songhi’s background story to be a tad distracting. Yeah, I know you can find club girls in similar situations. But come on, did she have to be a drop out from an elite university?

Was stationed at Taegu with the 503 MP Det. After ASCOM started to close we be came A Co 728th MP Bn, had alot of MP’s from ASCOM. We were split up between Pusan Taegu and Waegwan. I ended up at Camp Carroll in Waegwan with many of the MP’s from ASCOM. Went there the first time to escort three GI’s to the stockade after the Taegu riots.

Chris in Dallas: I agree. I haven’t been able to finish it yet because of the editing and some of the writing. I can’t understand why broken English was used to portray a conversation between two Koreans (presumably speaking Korean). I thought it somewhat demeaning. Also, some of the prose used to describe various scenes was waaaay too wordy. But, I will finish it for no other reason than the story line.

I WAS STATIONED WITH 121ST. EVACUATION HOSPITAL IN ASCOM CITY, FROM NOVEMBER 1960 – FEBRUARY 1962. I WAS A MEDIC WITH THIS HOSPITAL. THE LONGEST TIME I EVER HAD OFF IN ALL THOSE MONTHS THERE WAS 3 DAYS. MY RNR WAS CANCELLED BECAUSE OF WHO KNOWS WHY! THEN I WAS EXTENTED BY UNCLE SAM FOR 3 ADDITIONAL MONTHS. I CAME HOME ON THE USS GAFFEY. AFTER SERVING THERE I WAS STATIONED UPSTATE NEW YORK, WHERE I BECAME ILL AND WAS GIVEN A MEDICAL RETIREMENT FROM THE ARMY.
ALBERT PACELLO

My New Book Read

| August 16, 2007

I recently began reading a book that people have been telling me for quite some time that I really need to read and it is even on the official US Army reading list.  For various reasons I kept passing on reading the book, but now I’m glad I finally decided to read this book.  This book was written in 1959 and it is amazing how many of the themes of the book fit in with contemporary attitudes today.  Take this passage for example:

Click here to read the rest of this entry

An Oldy But Goody Book Read

| August 14, 2007

I recently began reading a book that people have been telling me for quite some time that I really need to read and it is even on the official US Army reading list. I’m glad I finally decided to start reading this book. This book was written in 1959 and it amazing how many of the themes of the book fit in with contemporary attitudes today. Take this passage for example:

I didn’t say anything. None of it was news to me; I’d thought about it. Father stood up and put a hand on my shoulder. “Son, don’t think I don’t sympathize with you; I do. But look at the real facts. If there were a war, I’d be the first to cheer you on – and to put the business on a war footing. But there isn’t, and praise God there never will be again. We’ve outgrown wars. This planet is now peaceful and happy and we enjoy good enough relations with other planets. So what is this so-called “Federal Service”? Parasitism, pure and simple. A functionless organ, utterly obsitism, pure and simple. A functionless organ, utterly obsolete, living on the taxpayers. A decidely expensive way for inferior people who otherwise would be unemployed to live at public expense for a term of years, then give themselves airs for the rest of their lives. Is that what you want to do?

Reading that passage brought back memories of what my guidance counselor in high school told me about how I was wasting my time joining the military. I was much too smart for it. The wall fell, the Cold War is over, and the military is being cut and really not needed.

Than also compare this passage to the attitude today pushed by some on the left that the army is filled with low life, uneducated, criminals.  This author was writing about this same perception from the 1950’s as well.  It is interesting to read about the perceptions of the military that existed in the 1950’s that the author framed his science fiction story around.

So does anyone know what book I’m talking about?

The Broken Window Theory

| May 21, 2007

Richardson over at DPRK Studies has a great write up about former US Ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton’s new book “Surrender Is Not an Option: Defending America at the U.N. and Abroad”.  Here is the money quote from the write up:

First, the timetable of the Feb. 13 agreement is already shredded. President Bush said at the time of the deal: “Those who say that the North Koreans have got to prove themselves by actually following through on the deal are right, and I’m one.” Assistant Secretary of State Chris Hill, the deal’s U.S. architect and chief negotiator, said: “We need to avoid above all missing deadlines. It’s like a broken-window theory: one window is unrepaired, and before you know it you’ll have a lot of broken windows and nobody cares.”

Those statements were correct when made, and they are correct today. Sadly, however, they no longer seem to be “operative.”

Second, by making secret side deals with North Korea, the State Department has left itself vulnerable to future renegotiation efforts. This is the North’s classic style: Negotiate hard to reach an agreement, sign it, and then start renegotiating, not to mention violating the deal at will. America’s serial concessions on BDA simply confirm to Pyongyang that State is well into the “save the deal” mode, which bodes well for future North Korean efforts to recast it.

Bolton as usual is absolutely correct because North Korea is a broken window that no one cars about now.  The last part about negotiating could fit the South Korean government as well where the US continuously gets double crossed on agreements with the ROK government.

Make sure to go read the rest of the posting it is a good read.

ROK Drop Book Review: Warlord By Illario Pantano

| October 17, 2006

With all the news of prisoner abuse and killing of innocent civilians in Iraq this book, Warlord is a welcome dose of perspective to the media hype that surrounds these incidents.  The book is written by a former Marine lieutenant Ilario Pantano who was a prior service, enlisted Marine who served in the first Gulf War before getting out of the Marines to go to college and work for Goldmans Sachs.  He was working in New York near the World Trade Center when 9/11 happened.  Witnessing those events in New York motivated him to reenter the Marines at the age of 31 and try to make it through Officer Candidate School.  He was one of the top OCS graduates and he entered into the Marine Corps Infantry branch and deployed to Iraq in March 2004.

While serving in Iraq as an infantry platoon leader, LT Pantano was accused of killing two Iraqi civilians by an NCO is his platoon he had demoted from squad leader to radio man due to being incompetent.  This demotion essentially ended the NCO’s career thus he was determined to take LT Pantano down as well and the New York Times was more then willing to help him.  The book goes through how all the events happened that caused this lieutenant to face the death penalty for defending himself from insurgents trying to kill him, due to a disgruntled NCO, the liberal media looking to score political points against the Bush administration, and the Marine Corps looking to possibly sacrifice this one lieutenant in order to get the Corps out of the headlines.  It took support from his family, some dedicated lawyers, veterans groups rallying behind him, and bloggers to expose the lies brought against him by the NCO and the media.

After reading this book you will definitely think twice about believing any of the allegations coming out of Iraq against our soldiers and Marines from the media.  A must read for anyone interested in seeing a glimpse of the real situation in Iraq from the perspective of this one US Marine.

No True Glory

| March 2, 2006

I picked up the book No True Glory by Bing West last weekend and I just couldn’t put this book down and finished reading it in three days. The book documents in great detail the battle for the Iraqi city of Fallujah from when the American forces first entered the city in 2003, through the first invasion of the city in April 2004, and concluding with the 2nd invasion of Fallujah in November 2004.

Though when I was in Iraq I never went to Fallujah, the city still holds some personal feelings for me because one of my squad leaders from my first tour in Korea was killed in action serving in this city.

The book begins by explaining the challenges the 3rd ID, the 3rd ACR, and 82nd Airborne had in the initial occupation of the city followed by the US Marine Corps. Shortly after the Marine Corps arrived the 4 American security contractors were ambushed in the city, killed, burned, and hung up over the Euphrates River Bridge for Al Jazeera to show to a world wide audience.

The politicians in Washington including the President were eager for an attack to avenge the contractors deaths even though the Marines on the ground were against a full fledge assault because of the fear of collateral damage alienating the local population. Politics won out and the Marines assaulted the city even though they did not want to.

The Marines methodically assaulted the city block by block but the fighting in the city drew extensive media coverage led by Al Jazeera which greatly over inflated civilian death totals and the amount of destruction in the city. The western press would just repeat Al Jazeera’s claim since they were the only media in the city thus causing the claim of massive civilian casualties to become a fact in many people’s minds.

The Iraqi politicians eager to win favor with the Iraqi public as they lobbied for government positions condemned the attack thus protecting the same terrorists who’s sworn goal was to destroy the fledgling government they represented. English Prime Minister Tony Blair battered by sagging public opinion in the UK also pushed President Bush to end the attack and with the Abu Graib crisis ready to explode President Bush halted the attack and the terrorists proclaimed victory though the Marines were only two days from taking the city and destroying the terrorist’s sanctuary.

The Zarquawi cell Al Qaida terrorists than began to use the city to send death squads and suicide bombers to ravage the country over the coming months. Not to mention the beheading of many foreigners such as Nick Berg and the Korean business intepreter. Nothing would be done to stop the terrorists once and for all until after the US presidential election and the formation of the Iraqi government.

In November 2004 the second assault on Fallujah began because no one had any political office to lose. The Marines proceeded to secure the city quicker than anyone expected without objections from the same politicians that stopped them before. However, this invasion would cost more in US and Iraqi lives, plus the destruction was much more extensive than the damage incurred from the first invasion due to the terrorists having more time to dig in and turn many of the homes into bunker complexes rigged with booby traps.

Upon the securing of the city, torture rooms including the film studio where Nick Berg and the Korean interpreter were beheaded by Zarquawi were uncovered. Plus all the mosques and schools were used as ammunition depots and headquarters buildings for the terrorists. However, none of this was focused on by media because of the shooting of a wounded terrorist by a US Marine who thought the guy was faking his injuries. Of course little if any mention in the media of the fact that this Marine had soldiers killed in his unit by terrorists using the same tactic of faking injuries.

The Marines’ successful assault on the city removed Fallujah from the headlines and killed hundreds of these terrorists even though Zarquawi was able to escape.

Here is a passage in the book that best explains what was happening in Fallujah before the November 2004 assault that liberated the city from the jihadists. For those that have been to Iraq can tell you, the majority of these insurgents are not freedom fighters or holy warriors but common criminals:

The regiment’s intelligence officer, Maj. Bellon, had contempt for the imamas advocating Islamic fundamentalism. “Wahhabism itself ins’t the motivating force in Fallujah. The imams use the mosques to gain control over ignorant people. They preach hate, and that’s not a religion,” he said. “I keep the book on these guys. Most of them are criminals. They own the real estate, they send out thugs to shake down the truck drivers doing the run to Jordan, they fence the stolen cars and organize the kidnappings. They get a cut of every hijacked truck. They could teach Al Capone how to extort a city. They use young gullible jihadists as their pawns. Don’t think of them as clerics. Think terms of a mafia don. They stand there in a religious costume , because that is exactly what it is, and inspect the latest haul before saying afternoon prayers.”

The movie rights for this book have in fact been sold to Universal Studios so expect a movie to come out eventually based on this book. If you really want an inside look at what is happening in Iraq plus see the heroism of the soldiers and Marines in Iraq based around the battle for Fallujah that you never hear about in the mainstream, than check out this book.