Our unsung heroes

[SpeedRacer 1]

Here is something my father sent me. This just goes to show what kind of shit our military has to deal with sometimes, and how they deal with it professionally (& too often thanklessly):
Subject: Fw: FW: Marines in Action at Bahrain Embassy riot
Date: Wed, May 1, 2002, 8:38 PM
This is a good after action SITREP from one of the Marine Guards that defended our embassy so well during the recent protests and mob attacks in Bahrain earlier this month. For any of you non-Marines reading this and not already knowing this fact, please remember, the mission of the small Marine Security Guard Detachment assigned to each of our United States embassies overseas, is to hold the rioting crowds off long enough for the host government to show up in force and handle things their way. The typical Rules of Engagement for these Marines usually only allow them to use tear gas and rifle butts, ...very seldom, if ever, are they authorized the use of live fire.

-----Original Message----- Hello Everyone, Just to let you know the Embassy in Bahrain was attacked yesterday at 4:00 p.m. The five Marine Security Guards (MSGs) and the two Regional Security Officers (RSO's)were the only ones protecting the Embassy. The Embassy was closed so luckily we only had to protect ourselves and the Embassy compound from destruction. The protest was a pro-Palestinian rally that started a few miles from the embassy and became fueled for violence as radical Muslim groups took charge and led the march on the embassy at 3:30 p.m. The march was between 2600 and 3000 protestors, but we do not have an exact count because it just happened several hours ago. The protestors were throwing rocks, sticks and fire bombs at the embassy. Between 20 and 30 protestors climbed the wall and started setting the cars, trucks and embassy on fire. When the protestors climbed the walls, the 5 Marines were authorized to use necessary force (but only tear gas and using our weapons as clubs). We shot tear gas into the crowd of about 3000 people to try and turn them away from the compound. Then they continued with the destruction of our pov's and satellite communication equipment, all of which was outside the embassy but inside the compound wall. Since by 4:10 p.m. no firefighters had arrived yet, three Marines, me included, had to leave the embassy under covering fire of the Marines with gas on the third floor to go to the back of the compound to put out the fires ourselves. We sustained minor injuries from the protestors attacking us with rocks and clubs as we chased them out of the compound and back over the walls using the force of our rifle butts, while the remaining Marine put out the fires to the best of his ability. After the fires were secured the Marines pulled back into the embassy and continued to fire tear gas to force the protestors back onto the highway behind the embassy. The protests were mainly secured by 7:00 p.m. and the investigation was in full swing by this time as well. The Marines stayed at the embassy for security throughout the night and will continue to do so today. The host government was embarassed that they could not control its own people and that their riot control police proved to be no match for this number of protestors. The King of Bahrain instructed the Ministry of Interior to fix the problem before dawn, so that minimal damage would be seen this morning. When the Marines were told at 6:00 a.m. this morning we could leave to go get some sleep, we drove past the outside of the embassy and were amazed. The grafitti had been painted over, the guard shacks that had been burned were replaced, the fire bomb burns on the wall had been painted over, the thousand's of rocks that had been thrown were swept away, and the barbed wire that surround the embassy the previous day was gone. Other than the total destruction of all government property inside the compound it looked to anyone passing by, that nothing had really happened. The host government represenatives called the Ambassador last night and told him they would replace everything that was destroyed and that cost was not an issue. The Kingdom of Bahrain is so worried and concerned about their own safety that it will do anything in its power to preserve its relationship with us even in the shadow of ignorance of it's own people. The entire fight was caught on video because we saw the Al Jazerra News choppers over our heads the whole time. The video may or may not be released because it will be handled the same way the Daniel Pearl murder was handled, since the government will try and pressure what is released and given the fact that the news agency that filmed the riot yesterday is the same one that had the Daniel Pearl murder on tape. This is the story of what took place on April 5th 2002 in Manama, Bahrain at
3:30 p.m., regardless of what you see or hear. Before I leave and go treat my scrapes and cuts and then go to bed for about 12 hours, I would like to say that the two RSO's and five Marines kept the Embassy from burning to an embarassing pile of United States image, and successfully held off and injured any one that intended to come take our pride from us. Did I mention the riot was around 3,000 people? Just wanted to make sure anyone out there who thought the Marines who guard the embassies were just pretty boys in fancy uniforms, does not have that idea in their heads anymore. Well, ladies and gentlemen, I am off to bed because I am dead tired, but it was worth it because I had the time of my life yesterday, by far the most fun I have ever had. And one more thing, the American flag is still flying as high and bright as it was before the riot and the protestors' flags are lying on the ground covered in mud. Matthew Lee Brooks Marine Security Guard MSG DET Manama, Bahrain USMC

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Speed Racer
"Fill your hand, you son-of-a-bitch!"

[indyz 1]

I have a tendancy to take these sort of things with a boulder-size grain of salt, but it looks like there actually was a riot outside the US Embassy in Bahrain last month, although it doesn't mention that the Marines were involved, or that anybody even got over the wall. As always, look at the evidence and make up your own mind.
The CNN piece:

Quote

MANAMA, Bahrain (CNN) -- Police in Bahrain clashed Friday with thousands of demonstrators who had gathered outside the U.S. Embassy to protest U.S. and Israeli actions in the Mideast.
The pro-Palestinian protests was one of scores in cities around the globe, from Amman, Jordan, to Tunis, Tunisia, to New York City.
The Bahrain demonstrators assembled around 3 p.m. (7 a.m. EST), and listened to speakers condemn both countries for not acting more decisively to halt the violence in the region, Interior Minister Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa said.
"Unfortunately, some of those went out of line and not as was planned as they get very close to the embassy," he said. A melee ensued, with demonstrators throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at the embassy.
Demonstration organizers and police "tried to keep things under control and then they dealt with them with tear gas," he said.

There were no immediate reports of injuries in Bahrain, which is headquarters to the U.S. Navy's Fifth fleet.

--
Brian

[SpeedRacer 1]

found this....enjoy!
Speed Racer
"Fill your hand, you son-of-a-bitch!"

[SpeedRacer 1]

well Indyz, I think this one is real, actually.
Speed Racer
"Fill your hand, you son-of-a-bitch!"

[kmcguffee 0]

Well Bryan, the military is involved in a lot of small police type actions that the media does not deem newsworthy. These police actions are not so small when you are one of the participants. I can give you more than a few from Saudi Arabia that you never heard of, are not classified, and I was personally involved in if you would like. The soldiers deployed overseas are in a constant state of high stress due to these types of threats.
I'm all in favor of keeping dangerous weapons out of the hands of fools. Let's start with typewriters.

[indyz 1]

I never said that the email wasn't real. There are obviously some elements of truth and beyond that I don't want to speculate. However, there have been dozens of emails of this type, especially since September 11th, and quite a few of them have turned out to be partially or totally fabricated.
Call me a cynic, but I have a hard time believing most of the things I read on the Internet unless I can verify it for myself.
--
Brian