i finished reading the short story "Escape from Saddam" and thought that this was another great short story that the group picked out for us to read. i like the stories that are real and very descriptive, because it is something that you remember, its not fake or put on its real and is happening. They also make you think. i thought that it was sad how the main character did not want to be in the army but had no choice. he had been called for duty in the army and if he did not join the army then he would be labeled as a deserter. how sad, to not have a choice of your life. when the uncle Saad described what would happen if you did not join the army i was scared for him and the families.

" If any of my colleagues were caught deserting during the Iran Iraqi war they were shot in front of their relative and the families had to pay for the ammunition. they were told it was their fault their sons were being execute because they had allowed their children to grow up into opponents of the regime. "

How sad that the family would have to watch their child die.

Another part in the story that i had to think about was when it said " The officers could not have cared less about our mental education it was our physical education with which they were most concern.

when the main character had to crawl under the barbed wire in 60 seconds while an officer was firing a a machine gun, i would panic. when the main character did this in 68 seconds and the officer wanted him to follow him, i thought that he did a good job for his first time, i had no idea that the officer was mad. then when i read how he beat him up and then said " Next time i tell you to do something in 60 seconds do it in 60 seconds, understood" i was angry and wanted to beat the officer up :)/

What a great family (Army) if their clothes became dirty they were hosed down and then had to wear their wet uniforms.