The Big Election

Today I witnessed history as Iraq had its parliamentary elections. Things went well. A large majority came out to vote in our area, and the Iraqi Army and police forces put forth a great effort in providing security for the people.




Above: Me and one of my interpreters as we tour polling sites with the Iraqi Army (don't ask about the cones on the antennas, I don't get it either).


Supposedly even Sunnis got the message this time, and they turned out in big numbers-- Last time they abstained from voting in the face of threats from tribal leaders and post-Saddam holdovers. As a result, last time they were left out, and this time they seemed to have learned their lesson.


Our day started early. The Brigade Commander I advise told me yesterday he wanted to get an early start on visiting the polling sites (46 total in his area) so we agreed to begin at 6am. My team arrived outside the headquarters, and in typical fashion, he wasn't ready. We waited. At 7:30am, the Commander emerged all Fidel Castro-style, and the traveling circus of his trucks (he rolls with a big entourage) and our big dumb MRAP trucks (see the previous video below) went zooming all over the three towns and rural areas that are in our area. Voting was slow at the start, but soon people with purple index fingers, a sign that they had voted, were more and more common. We visited a Sunni Sheik, and on the way out our big dumb truck pulled down a power line. Oops. (Believe it-- this is common for us.)


As the day went on, the atmosphere was festive. People seemed to feel like they were in charge of their own future, even though they could not drive anywhere due to the heightened security. They walked to the polling sites to cast their vote. Imagine what the voter turnout would have been in America if people had to walk to the polls on November 4th...


In our area nothing bad happened today. No found or blown IEDs, no dead guys, no indirect fire attacks, no suicide bombs, no suicide car bombs. Just a nice sunny day in Iraq, and a bunch of people out voting. In a sense it was anti-climactic. I really expected something to go wrong. Perhaps it will as they transport the ballot boxes to Baghdad, but the folks of Iraq already tasted victory in this election, regardless of who they voted for. I seriously doubt this will get me or anyone else home faster, but it was a good sign.


There are still a lot of unknowns. The consequence of freedom is that being in charge of your own future carries responsibility, and I'm not sure Iraqis have yet to really experience or realize that. I think even we forget that sometimes, and instead rely on others to fix our own problems. Time will tell to see how they deal with Democracy. More importantly, time will tell how the rest of the world (particularly the Arab world, and even more particularly, Iran) deal with Iraqi Democracy.


Today was a good day. Hope you had a good day too.

Ron

I Hate This Truck

The much anticipated video of our stoopid truck stuck in medical waste, sewage, and miscellaneous muck.

This was about two and a half hours of fun.

Voting Q and A

Sorry no post for a while, been busy.

This link is a good summary of what the elections mean for Iraq. I agree with most of it. The pre-voting went fine; lots of purple fingers around the Brigade.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28878556/

Stay tuned: Upcoming entries include the story of me sticking my MRAP (truck) up to the axles in mud mixed (I need to get the video-- of course there was a camera present) with discarded medical waste and trash, and another entry about a beverage we are not supposed to talk about not having here in Iraq during the Super Bowl....

Hope you are well-- take care.
Ron

The Fight of the Sheik

This is a big week for Iraq. On 31 January, Iraqis will go to the polls for the National Provincial elections.

It is interesting to see the coverage on Iraqi TV and to see the security preparations being undertaken. For the most part, the Iraqi Army and Security Forces understand the task, and they are accomplishing their mission with a great effort. There is a lot of oversight, but it is like a kid learning to riding a bike without training wheels... US forces are holding the seat and running alongside, and we are about to let go.

The other interesting part is to see the conflict generated by a Democratic Government, particularly with the local Sheiks. For thousands of years the Tribal Sheik held power and governed the region, but now with the advent of this new Democracy thing, the people are going elsewhere (viable political candidates) to get representation. Many sheiks are running for office on all kinds of political party tickets, which gets crazy. There are well over 30 different parties here. Kinda makes makes you appreciate that polarized American system. Give them time, it will smooth out.

But the bigger message is the relevancy of the Sheik... This is an interesting change to the culture. Some see it as a good thing, others not so much.

Sorry, no pics for a while. I broke my camera, but I ordered a new one. Got me an Olympus 1050. Seems the Sony Cybershot couldn't hang. Suck it, Sony-- your camera is crap, it didn't last a year. This one is supposedly waterproof/shockproof/bombproof/dustproof.

We'll see about that....

Take care-
Ron

Out and about

Went stomping around in an area to the east of Yusifiya today. Interesting to note this area has some historical significance. It is near a town called Sippar, which was an ancient Sumarian and later Babylonian city on the banks of the Tigres River. Sippar is also apparently mentioned in the Old Testament. We weren’t there for a historical visit, however, we were there to get some bad guys and capture some blow-up stuff. It used to be an Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) stronghold, but things have improved. Now it is just a mostly Sunni area that is subjected to AQI pressures from time to time.

It’s worth noting that the historical significance of the place is lost on the Iraqis, as they now use it for Mortar practice.

Frustrations this week: With the forthcoming election, the US is having a hard time letting the IA be responsible for security. We are jamming some western planning and security techniques down their throat, and I’m not sure it’s the right thing to do. The election will happen in its own Iraqi way, and I predict it will largely be uneventful. Some days the IA does amazing things, and they come up with innovative solutions to problems. Other days, they sit back and let the US solve the problems for them, and they take a passive stance. Why should they care—the US will just fix the problem for them anyway.

We are in a sense afraid to let them fail, and by doing so, we prevent their independence.

Just one guy’s opinion. Thanks for reading.
Right to left: Me and CPT Mowfak, one of the S3s, and MAJ Hassan, the Brigade commo guy
Ron

Patience and baby steps

"It is difficult to keep quiet when everything is being done wrong. But the less you lose your temper, the greater the advantage. Also then you will not go mad yourself."
--Lawrence of Arabia

This pretty much sums up the week. I have been trying to get the Brigade to conduct a staff meeting to present information to the commander in order to help him make informed decisions, as opposed to decisions made on a whim. Last week, we did one for the staff, sort of a show of 'what right looks like,' but I feared it was an American solution, filled with Powerpoint slides and a Led Zepplin Laser Light Show, imposed upon an Iraqi problem. Nevertheless, I continued to engage my counterpart, and I talked the meeting up throughout the week as a good way for him to help see himself and his organization. He tacitly agreed to do it.

The meeting was scheduled for Saturday evening at 8:00. At 7:50 my team and I walked into the room where they usually hold meetings, and there were 1-2 lower ranking IA guys watching soccer (Saudi Arabia vs Oman; Oman won). No computer set up, no projector anywhere in sight. No other officers. We waited. More officers ambled in, fairly aimlessly, and milling about. At exactly 8:00, the Brigade Commander came in to find 2/3 of the staff there, no computer and no projector.

I don't speak Arabic; I know a few phrases, and I can pick up on a few words as they are being spoken, but last night I didn't need to know the language to understand how pissed the Brigade Commander was, upon finding the brief not ready. A flurry of activity ensued, the Brigade Commander began chain smoking, and suddenly a computer and a projector appeared. The IA Lieutenant Colonel asked to use our computer, as his "no work." We troubleshot it, and after plugging it in, it worked fine. They couldn't get the right slides to come up; we noodled around the Arabic version of Powerpoint and got them going.

Next came the slide shows; most sections had them, but none were standardized. Powerpoint or computer skills in general are not a honed skill in the Iraqi Army. But they muddled through it. My guys were in the back, listening to the briefs via two of our interpreters, cringing, but in a strange, goofy, awkward by American standards Iraqi kind of way, they made it happen. The Brigade Commander was engaged, asking questions, chain smoking some more, and providing direction as it went on. Overall, it was a success, he saw the utility of having a meeting to help him see himself.

It was an uncomfortable experience for me. By American standards, it was a complete train wreck, and I didn't want to see them fail in front of their commander. Throughout, I was climbing up the back of my chair with my butt cheeks. It was all I could do to not jump in and try to fix the problems. Afterwards I equated it to a moment I experienced when my daughter was playing soccer ona rec team, and I was "That Dad" screaming from the sidelines, overpowering the coach, and pretty much messing up the whole game by giving directions to my daughter as opposed to her listening to the coach and letting the game unfold. If we ever want to go home, we have to let them take the helm, and we have to let them fail.

The next one is scheduled for next Saturday at 7:00.

Insh'allah.

Hope you are well, and thanks for reading.
Ron

Three months

Holy crap, ten days into 2009 already.

We are two and a half months into Iraq, and six months into separation from family (and all good things Texas). I am starting to notice that I am missing things. Like beer. My boat. Our house. The more I think about it, though, it’s not just the beer I miss, but more the context in which I used to enjoy it: With friends at a party. I miss it in my driveway unloading the truck after an entire weekend at a softball park watching Hailey play. With the boat, I don’t just miss the boat—I miss our ‘floating living room’ on the lake with family and friends. With the house (well, ok- I do miss hot water; that’s always enjoyed in a context-free setting), I miss coming home to it and getting ambushed by two big dogs who love you unconditionally. I miss hearing about my wife’s day and comparing the madness of Corporate America to the Madness of the US Army. I miss the smell of home, the ‘howdy’ of the neighbors, the look of a freshly mowed lawn (especially when I didn’t do it), and the manual labor involved in washing a car and admiring the finished product. I miss tucking in Sluggo, and realizing that this ritual is fleeting and it will be expiring soon, as she is getting older, and getting tucked in by Dad will no longer be cool.

Lots of people keep asking ‘what can we send?’ Truthfully, anything sent is appreciated, as it indicates the sender took time to think of us and appreciate us. But no offense, I hate to be honest-- It won’t match up to what I have at home. I suppose it’s not supposed to. So if you decide to send something, take a moment and think about what you have in your families and appreciate them and the traditional contexts in which you enjoy them. And thanks for thinking of us.

Completely random unrelated note: On a whim during a PX run to the big Disneyworld-like base north of here, I bought the Scarlett Johannson CD. Thought I’d diversify. Thought I’d try something new. It was a big mistake. Huge. It’s absolute crap, I have no idea what she was thinking. She should stick to looking attractive, because her music is horrible.

It's raining now, and the whole compound is turning to a gooey mud. Joy.

Hope you are well, and thanks for reading. Take care.

Ron

Correction

Whoops! Ashura commemorates the death of the Imam Hussein, who was the Grandson of Mohammed. Sunnis believe the fourth Imam (can't remember his name) is the true prophet of Islam, but Shiites believe that Hussein is the rightful heir.

This dispute originates back in 680 and they have been fighting ever since.

Watching Oklahoma and Florida. It's 5 am.

Yes, we have no life.

Hope you are well. Take care.
Ron

Ashura

Today in the Islamic world is the holiday of Ashura. Putting it rather simply, it is sort of like Easter: It is the day that Mohammed died while fighting a great, heroic battle. To prepare, some muslims make the pilgrimage to Karbala, where the battle took place (I think I have this right). Along the way, the people open up their homes to them. They stay and eat, all in the nature of unified religion and good will to their fellow brother. It is part celebration and part humanitarian, and part mourning. One thing I have been impressed with in this part of the world is, believe it or not, they are very hospitable. In the outings I have been on, some of the people have absolutely nothing. But a cup of Chai comes out of nowhere, and they trip over themselves to bring it to you along with a comfortable place to sit and visit.

This holiday is also a bit of a test. Our Iraqi Brigade has worked hard to maintain security for the events, and we have had a few bumps, but for the most part, so far they have done a good job. Iraq is still dangerous, but it is nothing compared to 2006 and 2007. The New Year has brought some security challenges for the Iraqis, but they seem to be handling them pretty well. In some ways they are very good, and there is potential.

But they are an Army (and a country) in between generations. Last night I had a very good conversation with my Brigade Commander over how sometimes they get stuck doing things "the Saddam way" instead of the new ways. I told him we do the same things-- look at our prosecution of the war from 2004 to about 2006... We were stuck in the mindset that this was not an insurgency, and we tried to fight it like the old school linear Army. I told him about 'greybeards,' the old guard who sticks around and expects things to be done the old ways for the sake of tradition. He agreed. Sometimes we say we want change, but change is occasionally uncomfortable and frustrating.

Hope you are well, and thanks for reading.

Ron