July, 2008 Dear Mom and Margot, I have just taken off from Baghdad (successfully) after five days traveling throughout Iraq. I met with senior Iraqi officials, farmers, shop keepers, managers of state owned businesses, provincial officials, American advisors and senior army personnel. I just spent two hours with General Petraeus. Barak will be here next week and I suspect that my briefing was a dry run for his visit. I don't know what Barack's impressions will be, but here are mine. I would caution that 5 days does not make me an expert. Since that never stopped me before, here are some of my thoughts: 1. The US Military. The men and women of the American armed forces are very, very impressive. Any organization, private or public craves for what these guys have. There is a notion that we are soft and will run when the going gets tough. Certainly a democracy has the question of political will, but in terms of our army, to the contrary, like the Roman Centurions, these guys are professionals. They are focused, they are engaged and they are deadly serious about their mission. Interestingly, the army may have a better handle on the politics of Iraq than the State Department. The army is in the streets all day, everyday. They are interacting with Iraqis at all levels. What was also quite interesting was that while the soldiers are young, virile and well armed, as they interact with Iraqis, they are respectful, many have learned some local vocabulary and mannerisms that make the locals more comfortable as our men go by. It makes you proud to walk in their midst when you think of the maturity and finesse that it takes to be 25 years old, carrying weapons and equipment that make you near invincible and at the same time retaining your humility and respect for others. These guys are awesome. 2. Context. What we are doing is as important as it gets. This isn't only about Iraq and Saddam; this is about regional (and perhaps global) stability and