We don't often hear from Our Fighting Men -- we suspect that they have better things to do, and that they're getting more and better porn elsewhere. And, what do you know, it's true. Wonkette's Forward Operating Base Operative recently wrote in with a handy tip from a veteran bad-guy catcher:

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You wanna know how we can tell we have found an insurgent safehouse? Porn. Yep-good ol' decadently-Western porn. Sometimes porn and beer. Naked chicks, Tuborg Gold, Lebanese rap music, and some IED-making materials makes for a rockin' Friday night in Mosul. The seedy underside of global jihad is revealed for you.

Normally, we'd consider all of these good signs. Things are so topsy-turvy in Iraq! Indeed, as FOBO reminds us:

[Journalists who cover Iraq] come with their own prejudices and bias, just like we do. Most are smart, funny people (except the Europeans, of course) I guess what SEC Rumsfeld might need to realize is that it takes about six months here to figure out what really happening here; I mean good six months...not a four day visit every six months. You can't get that insight from watching FOX NEWS, CNN, CSPAN, or by reading policy studies from the Brookings Institution on the Metro.

Reading policy studies from the Brookings Institution while being shot at, however, starts to get you there.

FOBO's full letter after the jump. NOTE: We have a policy of sending free Wonkette swag to operatives in war zones (Conde Nast does not count), and this letter was in response to that offer.

Of course a Wonkette t-shirt would be funny; This war, like most, is chock-full of irony. I'm starting to think irony was invented here. I'll need an XXXL so I can wear it over my body armor on patrol (not really).

Our preparation for the election is in full swing. We started enforcing a "no roll" restriction" in Mosul. Basically, no civilian traffic; period. Might be worth a try in DC...I'll put a call into Mayor Williams office. The Iraqis will walk to the polling sites. Cuts down on the drive by shootings and suicide bombers. The Iraqi Army and Police really are out front this time (no, really!), guarding polling sites and distributing balloting material. It's weird lecturing Iraqis about election procedures; after our nation's fine display of the democratic process in Florida a few years back.

As far as the SECDEFs comments-I don't think anybody really "has it right" here. We are simply trying maintain a strategy that beats the insurgents, supports the Iraqi political process, and allows us to do good deeds so Iraqi people trust us. We host journalists all the time. They come with their own prejudices and bias, just like we do. Most are smart, funny people (except the Europeans, of course) I guess what SEC Rumsfeld might need to realize is that it takes about six months here to figure out what really happening here; I mean good six months...not a four day visit every six months. You can't get that insight from watching FOX NEWS, CNN, CSPAN, or by reading policy studies from the Brookings Institution on the Metro.

Here's irony for you-you wanna know how we can tell we have found an insurgent safehouse? Porn. Yep-good ol' decadently-Western porn. Sometimes porn and beer. Naked chicks, Tuborg Gold, Lebanese rap music, and some IED-making materials makes for a rockin' Friday night in Mosul. The seedy underside of global jihad is revealed for you.

Be well,