Communicating from Iraq.

[TNDemo]

We just met a guy whose son-in-law is in Iraq and has been there for a year already. He said when he first went that he was able to e-mail and make phone calls. For quite awhile now he is no longer able to e-mail at all and can have a 20 second phone call every two weeks. It is just enough to say "I'm okay, I love you and the kids." He has a job there that should not keep him away from means of communication. Has anybody else heard that the communication is being shut down or is it just this guy?

[nashville_brook]

1. he sounds more like a hostage than a soldier.

sorry i don't have any useful info -- but jeez, 20 seconds! my god.

fits with this song getting heavy rotation in my car:

What are we gonna do now?!...
Taking off his turban, they said is this man a Jew?
'Cos they're working for the clampdown
They put up a poster saying we earn more than you!
When we're working for the clampdown
We will teach our twisted speech
To the young believers
We will train our blue-eyed man
To be you believers
The judge said five-to-ten but I say double that again
I'm not working for the clampdown
No man born with a living soul
Can be working for the clampdown
Kick over the wall, cause governments to fall
How can you refuse it?
Let fury have the hour, anger can be power
D'you know that you can use it?
The voices in your head are calling
Stop wasting your time there's nothing coming
Only a fool would think someone could save you
The men at the factory are old and cunning
You don't owe nothing, so boy get runnin'
It's the best years of your life they want to steal
You grow up and you calm down
You're working for the clampdown
You start wearing blue and brown
And working for the clampdown
So you got someone to boss around
It makes you feel big now
You drift until you brutalise
Make your first kill now
In these days of evil presidentes , , ,
Working for the clampdown
But lately one or two has fully paid their due
For working for the clampdown
But ha! Gitalong! Gitalong!
And I've given away no secrets. Who's barmy now?

[Robbien]

2. My nephew came back two weeks ago

He was able to email and call, not frequently but not that restricted. He was stationed in Baghdad.

I wonder if any of the guy's communications problems are related to the general deterioration of electricity and phonelines all over Iraq. He may be stationed in an area which has very low access.

[nashville_brook]

3. check out this month's esquire

The Making of the Twenty-First-Century Soldier (Part1)

In which a dope-smoking, valet-parking skateboarder living at home makes his way into the infantry, and into Iraq

http://www.esquire.com/features/articles/2005/050325_mfe_colby_1.html


you friend's son-in-law could be doing "sensitive" stuff, or the military could be clamping down on communication as a means of reality control. things seem to get worse every day.

[leftchick]

4. Do you know where he is stationed?

A hot spot like Ramadi, Fallujah or Mosul are probably being clamped down hard. They don't want the bad stuff getting out.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

5. Are there wi-fi hotspots?

He could get a PDA (iPaq, Palm, etc) with Wi-Fi support and e-mail from that, provided the service is available. I'm assuming it may be, as it's a lot cheaper to run wi-fi than real cables, especially if you move around a lot.