Live from the battle field

[Asian]

Got this e-mail from my friend Pauline in Nasiriyah (2 hrs up the road from my location) yesterday. I was due to go up there for a week leaving the day before yesterday but the transport was called of last minute. Crazy stuff, thought some of you might like to hear a real account of whats going on here. It's a bit crazy but hopefully settling down a bit now! llifes become a bit difficult, or rather work has as I can't get out of this camp and iraqi's can't get in, most of my contractors are still working away OK but new projects are suffering but we're getting by. It's not really as bad as it seems as life does go on and things are still going on just a bit of a nusance more than anything. Any way here you go;


Nasiriyah has been quite interesting these past few
days. Most of the time we potter around wearing
helmets and vests, which is really rather boring.

This morning at app. 05:00 the italians moved into
town to retake the three bridges occupied by al-Sadr.
There is still fighting going on with at least 4
mortars being heard - presumable they're having a go
at some of the occupied buildings around the bridges.
Small arms fire to the north as well where Italian SF
is moving on the Northern bridge.

We spent yesterdeay getting ready for the worst:
building sandbag walls everywhere, getting weapons and
ammo ready, stocking up on water etc. (and pondering a
last orgie, though that didn't come to much..). We
received a platoon worth of reinforcement from the
italians about 05:30 along with much needed extra
supplies of ammo and additional weapons.

The Italians took a casualty as they were ambushed on
one of the bridges with RPG's [rocket propelled grenade]. A number of dead IZ's
are reported from Nasitiyah incl. strange reports of a
vehicle with ten dead IZs, 2 dead women and two police
officers shot dead in their car.

This morning at 06:00 we were engaged by SAF from a
truck and responded in kind. 2 IZ [iraqi police] dead and 1 wounded.
The press is reporting 2 civilians killed in
cross-fire which is a load of bollocks - they were
dressed in balck and fired at us.

Right now, I can still hear mortars from downtown but
all seems quiet in this area.

Had some interesting reactions from local COP,
Governor etc., which I will tell you about when I get
back.

As you may know (maybe I even wrote it to John
yesterday?), some of us were offered (or ordered) to
evac on heli yesterday around 17:00. As we heard heavy
cal firing from North-West where the HLZ [helicopter landing zone] was scheduled
and the HLZ could not be recce'd (AND because, much as
I love helis, they seemed like a VERY bad place to be
right now), most of us declined and the operation was cancelled.

I have total confidence in the CRG [our security group "controlled risk group] and Triple Canopy [another security group]
guys here (20 altogether) as well as the Italian
Marines that reinforced us this morning (more sharp
than the rest). I think we are much better of staying
than trying our luck on the roads.

Anyway, have cigarets enough for another 2 days of
siege. Also, have made approximately 700 sandwhiches
in total and countless cups of "brew" since this
morning, so I am not bored yet. Got a proper vest from
CRG, which is excellent except for the fact that it is
now killing my back - must be at least 12 kg heavy.


and one from Jay at the same location;


The town has been in a heavy gun battle with mortar and RPG fire since 4 this morning. Naturally in our well protected and secure compound we have been sleeping lots. At 5 we were huddled under door frames as the security took to the hesco wall to launch our Alamo – f[oo]cking loud and
f[oo]cking heavy (with 50mm on the roof) gun fire taking out a vehicle with gun men coming our way. Town still going – lots dead by now (Im guessing)…all very sad.


Live from the battle field

[Joykok]

Fook!