The Insurgent and the Soldier

Bear tries to keep thoughts of mortality at bay, not an easy thing to do when comrades are dying daily: 16 U.S. soldiers in Fallujah perished last week when a Chinook helicopter carrying them was shot down by what American military officials believe was a surface-to-air missile; six more soldiers died last Friday when their Black Hawk helicopter was brought down, apparently by a rocket-propelled grenade; an additional 10 soldiers died in other attacks over the course of the week. "It's not all-consuming," says Bear of his fears. "I don't sit on my bed for 12 hours and pray." But like his enemy Ahmed, Bear asks God for help before every operation as he stands with his buddies to listen to the commander's orders and spit chewing tobacco into the dust. "You say a little prayer and ask that your family is taken care of if something happens," says Bear. "You say, 'Lord, you took care of me before. Take care of me now.'"

Despite the risks, Bear doesn't second-guess his mission. "Why do I think that I'm here? The answer is, to help the Iraqi people," says Bear. "I don't believe that we're part of any rogue U.S. government plot to take all the oil. We don't want to turn this into a little America. We just want to help people." Bear says he wants to "make sure Iraqi kids have some of the opportunities my kids have." The walls of his quarters are decorated with drawings from his two children back home in Fort Bragg, N.C.

Ahmed sees things differently. The Americans' purpose, he believes, is to subjugate Iraq. The father of five says he fights for his country first and his children second. "If I haven't a country, how can I have children?" he asks. Ahmed says he remains loyal to Saddam Hussein, who he believes will one day lead Iraq again. "We do not hate the American people. We hate their government," he says. "So we ask, 'Why send your sons to us so that we can kill them?' During the struggle I may live or I may die. But even if I do die, there are plenty of others who will follow me, and they will keep fighting until the last American has left Iraq." The months ahead will decide whose vision will prevail.