They see children playing in the streets or going to school, people filling the open-air markets and life proceeding almost as usual. They marvel at the potential of Iraq, its agricultural land, its history.
Then, of course, they swear profusely over the slow progress Iraqis seem to be making in taking control of their communities, but note that under Saddam Hussein, and even earlier, they were never allowed to.
"We all signed up in a time of war. We can't just say we don't want to do it anymore. We go out of the wire, see [al Qaeda Iraq] cut off heads and others burn down homes, and we do our best to fight it, to stop it.
