Iraqi Man Risked All to Help Free American Soldier

Mohammed has given up the life he knew to help a woman he met only briefly. He and his family came to this Marine base with nothing but the clothes they were wearing and a blanket. But Mohammed smiled broadly and happily talked about his role. He expressed no doubts about his decision.

"She would not have lived," he said simply. "It was very important."

He knew the risks, he said. "I am afraid not for me. I am afraid about my daughter and my wife," he said, turning to them sitting quietly next to him. "Because I love much."

Mohammed wants to work with the Americans some more, maybe help them gather information elsewhere in Iraq. His wife could help treat injured soldiers, he offered. Maybe he will go to America. But eventually, he said, he wants to return home.

"In the future when Saddam Hussein is down," he said, "I will go back to Nasiriyah." He said he would not worry then about the Fedayeen. "When Saddam Hussein goes down, I'm sure they will go away."

He is another hero.

It is hard to see if this will end well for him. I had been thinking of Germany as the related case where we took down a dictator who had been in power for years. GIs weren't greeted with flowers in most places there. This was their home and we were invaders.

Iraq is worse than that because of the religious differences. Christians are distrusted because of the Crusades and our support for Israel. Our occupation is going to divide the people of Iraq and the world for years.

Maybe I am being too pessimistic. You should always be optimistic for freedom and hope.

Maybe taking out tyrants with nuclear weapons is a good role for the United States. This seems like one of our next debates. If Bush was spreading more democracy and justice at home I might trust him more spreading it to the world.

Still, right now Mohammed is a hero, Ms. Lynch is a hero and they are both safe.