I was just hosted to a street party in honor of the Sheik who we've empowered to bring peace to our most dangerous area. Met this boy. He has no anus and is in need of a colostomy. Pretty sad. He's actually 6 years old but his growth has been stunted by his problem. We are going to try to find an agency to fund the operation if it can be done in Iraq. Sadder still is that he has been identified as having this problem before but according to my company commander on the ground his father is interested in money for his son, and not in the surgery itself.

We'll see what we can do.