Beards
Marcus recounts, “Each one of us had grown a beard in order to look more like Afghan fighters. It was important for us to appear non-military, to not stand out in a crowd. Despite this, I can guarantee you that if three SEALs were put in a crowded airport, I would spot them all, just by their bearing, their confidence, their obvious discipline, the way they walk.” The beards enable the SEALs to blend with the non-military population. Accordingly, they would not be suspected in the course of pursuing the extremists.
Paradise
Marcus explains, "Despite all our efforts, the suicide bombers just continued, young Iraqis convinced by the teachings of the extremist ayatollahs that the murder of their perceived enemies would open the gateway to paradise for them- that the three trumpets would sound and they would cross the bridge into the arms of Allah and everlasting happiness." Paradise is used to condition the followers so that they will embrace the extremism for they regard it as a pathway to utopia which paradise epitomizes.
Liberals
Marcus recounts, “The first murmurings from the liberal part of the U.S.A that we were somehow in the wrong, brutal killers, bullying other countries; that we who put our lives on the line for our nation at the behest of our government should somehow be charged with murder for shooting the enemy.” The liberals are critical of the war in Iraq and they do not endorse it for they deem the U.S.A government to be the aggressor. The liberals’ stand is demoralizing to SEAL agents like Marcus because they feel that their actions of confronting enemies (who propagate terror) are unacknowledged at home.
Battlefield
Marcus states, “And that’s (Washington, D.C) a very long way from the battlefield, where a sniper’s bullet can blast your head, where the slightest mistake can cost your life, where you need to kill your enemy before he kills you.” The battlefield presents the risk of death for the SEAL officers. Bullets are omnipresent there for the only business which transpires is combat. The guarantee of being alive after the combat is minimal because the enemy has plans and strategies to exterminate their opponents.
‘Human Rights’
Marcus explains, "That situation might look simple in Washington, where the human rights of terrorists are often given high priority." The liberals' insistence on according the terrorists 'human rights' is ironic because the terrorists engage in actions which infringe upon their victims' right to existence. If the terrorists respected 'human rights' (which they vehemently demand) they would not terrorize others.
