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thedrifter
08-02-06, 02:18 PM
'Bastards' keep insurgents out, Iraqi safe

There are many things that go bump in the night in Iraq.

So when the bad guys bump, the "Bastards" bump back.

The "Betio Bastards" with Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment are keeping insurgents out and Iraqis safe by patrolling the streets day or night.

"It gives insurgents less freedom to terrorize innocent people," said Sgt. Mark S. Barnes, a section leader with Combined Anti-Armor Team Platoon, Weapons Company.

The 25-year-old from Paulding, Ohio, said Marines' being here creates a greater sense of security. It reassures the local citizens that Marines are here watching out for their safety.

The local Iraqis have well-founded concerns. They worry about random mortar attacks and murder-and-intimidation attacks by insurgents. Improvised explosive devices are planted on roadways used by not just Marines, but also by ordinary Iraqis going about their daily business.

Marines do it "so Iraqis can live normal lives and so they don't have to worry about running inside their houses thinking that insurgents are going to blow them up with an IED," Barnes explained.

Marines keep the insurgents off balance through foot and vehicle patrols, random identification checks and vehicle control points. Marines here will stop at nothing to deter insurgent activity.

And for what Barnes can see, Iraqis are responding well.

"Us being here really makes them feel at ease," Barnes said. "Some of them will wave, kids wave and some adults just look, but most of them are still 'on the fence.'"

Many adults are still concerned about publicly showing cooperation with Marines or any indication among large groups of Iraqis that they support Marines. Privately, they speak to Marines through interpreters.

Marines focus on cultivating their knowledge of who is "pro" and who is "anti" when it comes to their mission in the Iraqi neighborhoods. They also note those fence-sitters, who make up a large portion of the population. It's those fence-sitters, Barnes explained, whom they want to talk to when they patrol. They want them to understand why Marines are in their villages and what they hope to accomplish alongside the Iraqi Police and Iraqi Army.

Source: U.S. Marines

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Ellie