Well, I find it has a certain ring of reality -- meaning it sounds like a letter that a Marine on the ground might well write.   The racism is pretty limited and not atypical of military men engaged in life-threatening situations. If his description of the forces in play -- media, Palestinians, Iraqis and US forces -- is correct, it certainly does sound different than CNN makes it sound. The guy sounds like a sincere if perhaps shortsighted and quite frustrated soldier would sound. That dooesn't mean he is one.

A