Daily Blog (that's the goal at least...)
Thursday, January 29, 2004
The Tempo Quickens....
As the largest deployment swap of soldiers since WWII takes place, the tempo
of transition in Iraq is quickening. Right now 1st Armored Division (Germany
Based) soldiers are training 1st Cavalry Division (Texas-Based) soldiers.
Showing them the local council meetings, introducing them to sheikhs, imams, entrepreneurs. At the same time a lot of smaller FOBS (forward operating
bases) are being vacated and turned over to Iraqis, including the Iraqi
Ministries. Not only are they getting back property that belonged to the
regime, but refurbished with 1000's in repairs and additions. One FOB near
Shula District manned by the 1-325 Airborne was on a housing development for
Iraqi Military officers. Just recently the paratroopers left and families,
each owning at least one AK-47 for self protection moved in, finding all kinds
of little amenities added. As the newer units move in they'll have a smaller
footprint. You wont see many, if any tanks in Baghdad which will reduce wear
and tear on tanks, but the massive convoys of trucks rumbling across Baghdad
around April will probably do more damage to roadways. Only they wont be
transporting ammunition, they will be part of the 1st batch of construction
projects funded by the 18.7 billion (USD) Congress approved for Iraqi
Reconstruction. As we move farther away from war and have new troopers come
in, they will be held accountable to higher professional standards out on the
streets and units will focus more on Civil-Military Operations. Overseeing
town hall meetings on the new Iraqi government, funding projects that Iraqi
neighborhood advisory councils work hand in hand to accomplish. They will be
reinforcing the notion that the idea of welfare state is over, people will
have to "invest themselves in the process". As for some of the newer
soldiers, they amuse when they show up wearing wrap around dark sunglasses. We
used to wear them at first but found that you need to be able to establish eye
contact with Iraqis if you want to convey your message, whether its while
stuck in traffic or discussing issues outside the Amanat (city hall). One
newer brigade commander, a Colonel, tried to come off as real hardcore to us
and the locals. He wouldn't wave at any of the Iraqis as we gave him a
orientation ride. We get stuck in traffic over near the downtown market
district and a little girl walks up and says "I love you", amazingly
the facade broke and he cracked a smile, even mustered a "salam"
back....
Tuesday Morning, January 27, 2004
High Speed, Airborne/Ranger/SF....and a Chaplain...
Got to talk to some of the chaplains about religion and faiths in Iraq. At
first I was told that I would just be having a breakfast with them and maybe
answer any questions they had. Then the day before I was told..."no Omar
your going to be speaking to them. So I whipped up a quick briefing. I'll put
a copy of it here, let me know what you think. I'm sure it has some small
errors but I would like to put a more professional one together for the
chaplains that come with the next rotation to Baghdad in the next month, 1st
Cavalry Division out of Texas. It went well, had some intriguing questions and
then rushed to pack for my 3 day rest ticket to a hotel they set up for
soldiers in the Green Zone. Only after hitching a ride and rushing to get
there, I find out I can only stay for one night since they run in 3-4 day
cycles and I came on the wrong day. Although it was nice not listening to
planes a few hundred feet above me landing at the airport for one
night.
Tuesday Afternoon, January 27, 2004
Progress, not really
So after all that I went over to the Convention Center for the 2nd Women's meeting focusing on the Constitution. I was the only one in uniform there, the rest were Iraqi women, some USAID staff, RTI {civic education}, and some unknowns. The focus of the meeting ended up on Sharia Law. One camp was supporting it wholeheartedly, the other side was taking a complete opposite mindset asking for secularism, women's complete equality enshrined in the Constitution, and possibly minimum quotas for women in future political offices. The trouble is they both had good intentions but neither of their diametric positions will really "sell here". The first group came across as too "Americanized/Westernized" to many of even the more centrist and moderates present and the pro Sharia group came across as too intolerant to many of the Iraqis including the fairly liberal Baghdadi's present. One interesting point though was some of the most strident advocates of civil/secular law were the more conservatively dressed (i.e. wearing full hijab {veil}, they also had the most intelligent position against the imposition of Sharia citing not only Iraq's ethnic diversity (to include Christians), but the different madhabs (not just Sunni/Shia, but Hanafi {majority in Iraq}, Maleki, Shafi, Salafi further dividing the Sunni's over sensitive issues such as this).
After the meeting I talked to the "Sharia all the way" crowd to test out a suspicion of mine. I started out applauding their conviction and then lamenting the fact that sometimes the ones that want Sharia law are the same ones that forget to carry it out fully, to include the often glossed over rules in favor of women. After enough appeasement I set the trap by saying, "I would like to go to the Husayniya (Shia Mosque), where they have women doing the interpreting of the Sharia themselves (I heard its over in the Shula District)." (I said this pretending I thought they were Shia Muslim). "No, don't go there, they are Shia, do you want to meet a religious man for advice". At this point I was so disgusted, I left knowing two things. First they were hypocritical in intention, the same sub group (and not representative of Sunni's in Iraq) that wants to convince the world, the Americans, and the social activists that they were not sectarian in their interest and therefore knew what is best for Iraq is the same group that will actively admit their disregard for a major segment of their fellow population to me. Secondly, I felt without a doubt they were present only at the request of a few shallow minded male sheikhs who prodded them to go. What I don't get is how can this group of females that feels they are actively protecting their faith against the encroachment of a civil family status law (that by the way was already in effect for the most part for the last 20 years), is going to depend on males to interpret their roles according to faith. God gave them a pair of eyes, the ability to read and comprehend, so if some Shia women can engage in ijtihad (critical and scholarly analysis of issues), why can't they? My greatest argument against Sharia Law in Iraq is as follows. Say you have Sharia and the legal code says the Christians have their own courts and the Sunni and Shia Muslims get their own sharia courts. Even if the different madhab (islamic schools of thought; Hanafi/Shaafi/Salafi/Maleki for instance within the Sunni community alone) don't cause problems, then what do you do about the mixed Sunni/Shia families that are numerous especially in big cities like Baghdad. Your going to end up having the different Sharia courts fighting over the same family. What better a way to encourage a civil war? Iraq's already have had one of the most progressive examples concerning women. Pushing either Sharia or a full imitation of American expectations will cause a backlash and destroy the inherent capacity upon which Iraqi's can improve their society.
Friday, January 16, 2004
Driving around Baghdad I saw a lot of streets being torn up as inadequately small sewer lines get replaced, and not just in areas that were more supportive of the former regime. You see a lot more ICDC troops (Iraqi Civil Defense Corps) around as well, manning checkpoints, nabbing suspects in raids, and setting up cordons around suspected road side bombs. They actually seem pretty sharp, and carry an air about them that they actually care about their jobs. Its amazing how the same young men you wanted to cast off as hard headed and lost can change just by giving them a job, a decent salary, some training, and a modicum of respect. Most of the ICDC serve in areas on purpose close to where they live. This is done so they have a vested interest in protecting their neighborhoods. A lot of projects that have good intentions will not survive here if people are not invested in the project and feel an incumbent responsibility in it. People would show their discontent by sheer negligence and occasional vandalism of public property and spaces because it was the only form of expression left against a totalitarian regime. Companies in the states would probably donate thousands of computers to schools here, but they know the next day most of them would be stolen, so you have to find Iraqi run community groups that have a purely philanthropic interest in the welfare of their respective communities. Usually the only ones that fit that description are the women's groups (secular and religious, multi faith and single issue focused)
Tuesday, January 13, 2004
Exercises in silliness
Went to a discussion on Women's Issues at the Convention Center today. The
crowd was mostly Iraqi women, most over 30 ranging from Iraqi Christians, to
Sunnis, to Shia women in black cloaks. The rest included a reporter from
Iraqiya TV, me, my commander, and some old men sitting in the back. I really
like talking to the older men here in Iraq. I think they are more moderate and
sensible because they remember Baghdad before Saddam and its heyday as a sort
of slightly less hip pre civil war Beirut. Plus they don't really care where
your from or your faith, and will tell you things like "we Iraqis at
heart love to have fun, our religion is private, and our public side is
nationalist.
Anyways the forum leader opened the floor to issues that women's groups were
facing, and I thought to myself well I'm sure they are going to discuss real
hearty issues like the Sharia Law decision, health issues, civic education,
the use of quotas to ensure a number of women are elected, and so on. Instead
the conversation delved into the inane and silly. The big issue was
citizenship. If a "ajnabi" or foreign male married a Iraqi female
would he acquire Iraqi citizenship. I was in disbelief, I turned to the
reporter, my commander, and the old men and stated how silly this was. Of all
the multitude of problems in Iraq women were facing, THIS was their biggest
worry? Now there were a few unmentioned sub contexts to the issue. The big
fear, and remember Iraq is a nation where fear has pervaded and warped this
society, was that Israelis were going to just leave everything behind and come
marry Iraqi Muslim woman and begin settling the land of Abraham (originally
from Ur, Iraq). I'm sorry but give me a break. The other worry was that the
rule requiring non Muslim males to convert in order to marry a Muslim female
would be dropped. Ironically not only is this basically going to be upheld,
but the Governing Council is accepting the use of Sharia religious law. Some
of the Iraqi bloggers have posted some great discussions on why they disagree
with the decision. I would have to say though the best part of the discussion
is when someone made some sectarian sunni shia remark, the entire group
basically said give me a break. I couldn't help but blurt out " lets just
become sufi and get over it". A few people in back looked at me with
puzzlement, I think more so because I was in uniform, and the reporter along
with the old men found it hilarious...."
Monday, January 12, 2004
Where's the party at..
Driving back from CPA we came upon a traffic jam. I saw people running
around on the side median and my first thought was an attack had taken place,
yet I heard no gunfire and saw no smoke, or even other military in the area.
As we crept closer we came upon an impromptu wedding caravan stopped on the
side of the road with a couple Iraqis dancing to Kadhem Saher. I looked over
and yelled congratulations, the groom realized I was Arab and started yelling
"now we can get married, thank you". Now since I didn't get them any
presents I'm only guessing there was probably some restriction on them getting
married over Baath party rules. It seems Mondays are the days for weddings
around here since we passed two other caravans just on the way to the airport.
After I left I showed a DVD to some of the soldiers in our convoy, it was
about the Rebuilding of Iraq. I setup my laptop on the hood of my humvee and a
little Iraqi girl selling candies came by and then called over some other
Iraqis. They were like mesmerized just seeing scenes from the Kurdish areas to
the ports in Umm Qasr, but when it showed the mass graves every one of them
had tears in their eyes. They asked me to play it again, and by that time I
had 30 Iraqis standing in front of my humvee watching this 7 minute video of
their country over and over till the battery died. I still don't understand why
the kids first guess of where I'm from is Egypt. I know its a big country and
all but threes a few more nations out there. They laugh if I say Yemeni,
though.
Monday, January 5, 2004
What you don't see...
Watching TV news about Iraq your usually subjected to three main themes:
raids, soldiers standing around a street, and aftermath of a car bomb or
roadside explosion. What you don't see is manuever commander (someone in
charge of an area) of units running tankers in front of others in line for
fuel at refineries so they can get more supplies for their respective
neighborhoods. You don't see captains normally trained to drive the most
advanced tanks in the world pulling over a trash truck to see if it really is
being used to clean up trash in the neighborhood he's working in. You don't
see a Major normally assigned to a Cavalry Regiment giving a presentation on
how hes working to move internal refugees out of buildings to be handed over
to Iraqi ministries with slide graphics that consist mostly of pictures of
Iraqi kids. Normally his graphics would be infantry formations or flanking
moves, instead theres a picture of him giving a male sheikh the traditional
arab customary kiss on the cheek. Briefings that would normally be preceded by
a call to attention as the commander walks in are sometimes replaced with the
Iraqi translator giving his/her "5 arabic phrases to learn today"
lesson. I dont think they could ever really make a good American movie about
Iraq because so much here isn't black and white (good vs. evil) like American
movies tend to portray; its infinite
shades of gray, where so many decent and honorable Iraqis are paralyzed by
fear and too many of the corrupt minority fashion themselves as sheep's in
wolf's clothing.
Friday, January 2, 2004
Just another day..
Today as I drove around the Airport and over to the Green Zone downtown I
pondered some of the little things that have changed since I've been here.
When we first got to Baghdad I was sleeping in Terminal B of the Airport on
the baggage conveyor belt. Taking showers on the aircraft ramps, practicing
Close Quarter Combat in the scrap Iraqi Airways Tupolev and chasing my laundry
down the runway when a blackhawk helicopter landed close by. The airport hadnt
really been used much after the 91 war and still felt like it was stuck in
some quasi French/Intercontinental 70's time warp. The terminal had been
trashed , aircraft wreckage littered the
runways, the duty free shop was looted, and the basements were flooded with
sewage. Now the terminals been cleaned up and the airports unofficially open
for business. Everyday there are more and more Iraqis working at the airport
and there's been thousands spent renovating Iraqi airways buildings that will
be turned over to the Iraqis in June. One of our teams cleaned up the area
around the main mosque for airport employees (non muslims arent allowed to
enter it). Apparently some Iraqi Airways planes are still in airports in
places like Pakistan/Libya/Iran, left there since the initial UN sanctions,
and Iraqi Civil Aviation officials are fighting to get them back since they
are the rightful property of the Iraqis. I hope they get all the money in
Syrian banks, add that to the money released by the UN the other day and thats
a lot of reconstruction money that will be a little better spent (thank you
congress for imposing oversight over wasteful contractors).
I remember kicking it once with some Iraqi Americans who would
toast "Next year in Baghdad" and then break down in tears because
they couldnt return to see their families, many of them being political asylum
refugees. Now they will.
Thursday, January 1, 2004
Came across word that CPA (in its infinite ineptitude) is placing restrictions similar to those found in most US cities on demonstrations. Just another example of how counter productive CPA, aka, Can't Produce Anything, can be. The last protest I had read about was one that happened after an Iraqi street vendor was killed by a bomb planted for the Americans, the crowd gathered around, got pissed, and started chanting no to terrorism. Arabiya TV put its usual slant on it, but nonetheless this policy like countless other ones will probably be rescinded once they realize how misguided it is and even if it isn't, won't matter after CPA dissolves in a few months. I really like walking around CPA and asking civilians in some offices what they do only to find they aren't always sure themselves. The military working there actually have some focus and goals (i.e like the Task Forces and groups working on Gas and Power issues).
Wednesday, December 31, 2003
My wish list for Iraq in the New Year
1. No power or water shortages.
2. A functioning court system that people actually trust.
3. All countries that Iraq owes money to (mostly to buy wasted soviet-era
weapons) to forgive that debt, especially the Saudis and Kuwaitis since they
used Iraq to fight Iran on their behalf (1980-88).
4. Iraq to serve as a mediator and go between to encourage to US-Iran
cooperation (and inshallah a peaceful democratic revolution in that country).
5. A complete rejection of sectarian politics dividing people, especially along Shia-Sunni
lines (COME on people its un-Islamic, backwards, and kind of like shooting
yourself in the foot.)
6. Maybe a Iraqi version of the TV show "COPS", and a ton of hidden
camera investigations exposing corrupt officials (hint hint Mr. Rumsfeld,
they'll start watching that instead of Al-Jazeera).
7. Starbucks-Baghdad
8. More people involved in the democratic process, taking civic ownership in
their communities (never expect the government to do everything for you, it
becomes easy for things to get twisted).
9. A free press where Arab intellectuals can come and discuss reform,
religious scholars can engage in ijtihad (critical thinking that usually leads
to moderation). This along with a stable
democracy, even with its struggles, scares all the dictators in the Mid East
more than anything. The thought of their own people saying screw this, I want
my opinion counted and to be treated with dignity, scares them almost as much
as a cruise missile.
10. Truth and Reconciliation Commissions (i.e. South Africa) to address the
past AND move past it.
Tuesday, December 27, 2003
Over tea with the elderly woman working at the Khadamiya (Baghdad-North along Tigris) District Advisory Council, I asked their opinion about a couple women's issues. First I asked if they felt the Americans were attempting to change women and make them "Americanized" or just to help them. 9 of the 11 responded they felt just to help and made comments about the improvements to the hospitals (Sheik Zayed and Yarmouk, that our public health team got to work on). When I asked the 2 holdouts for their opinion they pointed to the raids done looking for weapons (not just one or two rifles) and fighters. At that point I walked into the hallway and brought in one of the females in our unit and pointed out that she had herself gone out, at their request, with the military police/Iraqi police, usually around 4am to be present to search females since the males (Iraqi and American) were forbidden to search females. One of them changed her mind, so I then mentioned how at one council meeting where their was resistance to electing females, a American female officer, shrewdly mentioned how she had read in Islamic history that the wife of the Prophet and his daughter were very engaged in political discussions and even led men into battle in one instance, so the argument some of the men were making didnt make sense. The real reason though in that case was the men werent really against having women on the council but they were scared of having their corruption exposed by a female. This same group liked to bug me about how they deserved official cars as part time council members. I mentioned a few other examples of us upholding a religious law forbidding PDAs (public displays of affection) in Karbala and the remaining holdout remarked "ok, if the woman is respectable and holds herself well then I agree she can participate."
The next question I had was what kind of government they wanted for a new Iraq, a American model, Turkish, or British (with its parliamentary system), or possibly something like Lebanon (a parliament but where the seats for President and Prime Minister and seats in parliament are designated along Sunni/Shia/Christian lines to ensure a balance of power). The response I got from three women that spoke up I didnt expect at all. "Maybe we should have an American. They would not have any loyalty to one group and we are too tired from too many wars, just give us fair government." This wasn't quite the answer I hoped for so I asked what about someone that is from a mixed family, to which they were fairly enthusiastic in agreement. Iraq, it has a long way to go.
Sunday, December 28, 2003
Gas lines seemed a bit shorter today, still ridiculously long though. Everyone shares the blame for it though. Halliburton for not getting the refineries up to standard fast enough and then price gouging the military. Smugglers stealing oil and charging ridiculous markups for gas, and most importantly the insurgents. One Iraqi at the convention center (where CPA has briefings) told me rumor on the street was the attackers were justifying harming Iraqi people by claiming they were blowing up pipelines going to Israel. Only one problem the pipeline that used to run to Haifa 40+ years ago is ruined. Now if the US is really "stealing oil" to give to Israelis why would it be importing oil from Turkey, Kuwait, and now Iran and why would insurgents be blowing up pipelines coming from refineries in the North and South INTO Baghdad? The fuel situation is a prime example of how devastated Iraqi society has become. People fear that the next day there wont be any fuel, just like they might fear civil war or revolution, and start hoarding fuel or constantly keeping their tanks full and getting back in line all the time which only adds to the fuel lines. When a people have little faith in their government or its stability they are reluctant to focus on improving civil society and corrupt practices become necessary to ensure survival. Its interesting how more Iraqis go to the fuel stations guarded by Americans , apparently they have more trust in the lines and fuel quality, and not being gouged when we are in charge.
On the brighter side got to see some women's
groups working with CPA on starting women's centers throughout Iraq.
Another focus is going to be on getting more women to run for elections on the
national level and the neighborhood/district advisory councils the military
has helped form in just about every village in Iraq. There's also a need for
books (Arabic preferred) to place in libraries in these women's centers (help
would be appreciated.). Also got some huge boxes of supplies donated by
Americans back home to give out to Iraqi children. While I was happy to see
everything I noticed none of the food products included pork or anything that
might be deemed offensive, except I did find a bunch of toy guns. Sorry guys
Iraqi kids ABSOLUTELY do not need to be carrying around toy guns, send them
toothpaste or toothbrushes instead. Thanks anyways.