"A Plan to Kill Everyone"

"FALLUJAH — A sign on the door leading out of India Company’s Combat Operations Center says 'Have a Plan to Kill Everyone You Meet.' For a fraction of second I thought it might be some kind of joke. But I was with the Marine Corps in Fallujah, and it wasn’t a joke."

That's how today's post starts in "Michael J. Totten's Middle East Journal."

The sign is an indication of two things:

1. Falluujah isn't as rough as it used to be, but it's a place where complacency kills.
2. The diplomatic corps and the Marine Corps have very different job descriptions.

Michael Totten is an embedded reporter in Iraq. I've intended to link to his blog for some time now, and his January 2, 2008, post was an excellent opportunity.

Aside from first-hand personal observations about his experiences in Iraq, Mr. Totten posts photos. I appreciate seeing a side of Iraq that the new doesn't generally cover: streets without burning cars, people who haven't been shot recently. He doesn't paint a rosy picture, but I think we're getting a more complete, and maybe more accurate, look at Iraq than many traditional news outlets offer.