The Iraqi Day of Rage

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/25/AR2011022502781.html?hpid=topnews

The attached article is about the "Iraqi Day of Rage," which took place over here on the 25th of February. It was the latest set of uprisings by people in the Middle East against their governments. I think we all know the intent of such protests, which is to held their Government accountable-- a cornerstone of Democracy.

My Day of Rage experience started on the 23d, when we received a mission to go to a small US base near Tahir Square in Baghdad and enhance their force protection. The base has a sizeabe force of contracted guards from Sierra Leone, and the base is nestled within several key Iraqi ministries- Oil, Electricity, Interior, the Baghdad Police College, some Federal Police units, and an Iraqi Army Brigade. The base has no real "meat eating" units, only very high ranking advisors Colonels, high ranking civilians, and a General or two) assigned to advise each ministry. What prompted this enhanced force protection measure was its proximity to the International Zone (IZ) -- The thinking by the American headquarters unit here was that in case the huge masses of people couldn't get into the IZ, they would turn on other facilites, and eventually get to this small FOB.

The task to go came on a very short notice, and the Troop did a great job in hastily preparing to get there. Upon our air insertion, we did a site assessment and presented our recommendations to the base commander, a one star general. Upon approval with no objections, we conducted improvements, did recons and rehearsals, and waited for the attack of the zombies.

The attack, of course, never came. At best, 4,000 people showed up in Baghdad to protest the inaction of their government, about half the size of the regularly scheduled Moqtada al Sadr protest every Friday. Only after they demonstrated hostility did the Iraqi forces respond with nonlethal force: A water cannon, a few flash bangs, some tear gas. The entire event was over by 1700, and by all accounts (except for Washington Post reporter Stephanie McCrummen) Baghdad security forces did a pretty good job of handling it. The Iraqis never asked for help from us; in fact they told us to stay out of it and keep a low profile that day. We were left to "tactically gawk" as we watched the protests on various aerial surveillance feeds and on Al Jazeera. It barely made US news. Other cities had more issues in both the north and south. Northern Iraq is its own sort of ethnic powder keg that never is lacking for an excuse to exercise civil disobedience, and protests in the south were greater. Not sure of the "draconian" measures Stephanie McCrummen refers to-- after all we shot protestors at Kent State in the 70s, and one can look to the LA riots in the 90s and Katrina earlier this decade for similar techniques and procedures used to restore order by "civilized" nations. Aren't we doing the same thing in Wisconsin-- attempting to hold our government accountable?

But to quote an Iraqi Lieutenant Colonel on the night before the protests: "For the first time since 2003, I had power in my house for 24 straight hours." Amazing, the effort that comes out with threats of accountability.

It was interesting to watch: This was Democracy in action. I think the elected Iraqi leadership is learning Democracy is more than just being voted into office, and the Iraqi people are learning there has to be some civil disobedience to hold government accountable-- something they have never been able to do. Democracy isn't just voting- it also can occasionally involve riot dogs and firehoses. Had this protest taken place under Saddam, they all would have been killed.

Would the Iraqi people have been able to do this if we hadn't invaded in 2003 and toppled the Saddam tyrrany? Interesting topic worth debating.

While there was loss of life, I was encouraged by how the Iraqi Government handled the issue. The Basra Kirkuk, and Babil provincial governors resigned, the formed government understands that inactivity for 9 months is unacceptable by the people, and Maliki understands that he, too, must be held accountable.

Not sure we can bust out the MISSION ACCOMPLISHED banner yet, but in all I think this was a good sign.

Now the preparation for Arab League Summit begins...

Ron

The Arab League Summit

Much of our future concerns the upcoming Arab League Summit which is to be held here in Baghdad later in March.

The Arab League started out in March of 1945 with six countries: Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia. It has since grown to 22 nations, including the six mentioned above and also Kuwait, Yemen, Palestine, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Baharain, Oman, Morocco, Dijibouti, Mauritania, Comoros, Somalia, and Tunisia. Its goal is to "draw closer the relations between member states and coordinate collaboration between them, to safeguard independence and soverignty, and to consider in a general way the affairs and interests of Arab countries."

Read all about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_League. (Yup. Wikipedia.)

What is significant about this event is that it is going to be held here in Iraq, which highlights an important thing: Iraq is back in as a leading Arab State and the Government of Iraq stands to benefit greatly in terms of legitimacy if it goes off without a hitch.

I think another significant thing to note is that at first glance the majority of the 22 nations in the Arab League are predominatly Sunni. Should this event go well, it will potentially pull some influence from Iran, which has been garnering dominance in the region for a while. Moqtada al Sadr stands to lose some influence, a good thing in my mind.

Granted, a caveat to the Arab League is that a majority of nations in the Arab League are rioting, so that will no doubt be a challenge for all of them as they wrestle with appeasing populations while still maintaining power.

There is a lot of interest amongst the American leadership here to see how the Iraqis will handle this event. There is also something else interesting to note about the US presence here- We haven't been in Iraq for eight years; we have really been in Iraq eight times for one year at a time (except for some units who were here during the surge, which was a 15 month tour). Each tour is different, has differnt leadership who hasn't had to solve the problems of the position they are currently serving in, and each tour presents a new set of challenges that require different solutions and techniques than previous tours. It is evident that current leadership is playing a bit of catch up.

One of the other Majors in the Squadron was here the same time I was last time (this is actually his fourth tour) and we were discussing the three sets of elections Iraq had when we were here last, as well as the various pilgrimages (Arba'een, Shabaniya) and their security requirements. The Iraqis always had 'a way' for handling these events-- all of the ones we observed went off relatively hitch free during our previous tour, and for the most part they were all Iraqi solutions. They were effective. It is a bit frustrating to see the current leadership -unfamiliar with the dynamics of Baghdad and the way Iraqis execute- negatively react to these events and the way the Iraqis handle them. There is still pressure to get the Iraqis to solve the problem the American way, and anything less than that is unacceptable.

There is also frustration at the higher US levels when the Iraqis don't share their plans with the US forces, which automatically think the Iraqis are screwed up and don't have a plan because it hasn't been shared with them. Iraqis are pretty good at keeping secrets, mostly because they don't tell anyone who needs to know anything until they need to know it, which is usually at the last minute, and then a whole bunch of stuff happens all at once.

All of my skepticism aside, this Arab League Summit being held here is a big deal, and I'm excited to see how it goes.

A Plundering We Will Go...

Day by day we continue to build the Squadron in Iraq. As mentioned before, we aren't switching out with another unit, so we have to "build the airplane in flight." Also mentioned before, there are not as many units here as before, but they left a lot of useful stuff around. So as we receive our stuff from the States and we gather stuff that has been assigned to us from other bases around Iraq, opportunities arise for us to fill our shortfalls and get other stuff, and sometimes it is best to not ask where this stuff comes from.

Scouts are great at 'figuring things out.' So today we got word of an abandoned building here on the base that had some stuff in it. What began with an orderly "let's send a couple of guys over there to see what is in it" turned into a full-on Katrina-style grab-and-go by the line Troops. Furniture, office supplies, a weapons rack, some power transformers (convert Iraqi 230 to US 110)--it was all on sale, and all for the right price.

Initially it seemed right: We were 'repurposing.' This stuff had been in that building since the last unit left- months ago. Heck, we were saving the Guvmint money by not spending subsequent tax dollars on stuff that was already available. All seemed right. Sort of.

Then the MPs showed up.

I was not present for the opening of said building, nor did I visit it during its 'liberation.' But had I asked some targeted questions beforehand, all of this would have immediately been revealed as suspect, and we could have gone about a different way to make it right. The following outlines the line of questioning after the incident:

Me: Who told us about the stuff?
Staff guy: A civilian who works at Division.
Me: So who opened the door?
Other staff guy: It was open when we got there.
First staff guy: Well, it was opened for us.
Me: Did he have the key? Did he unlock the door?
Other staff guy: He opened the door...
Me: Did he use a key?
First staff guy: Uhhh, yes sir, about that-- He sorta used a knife....

After some conversations with the MPs, the FOB Mayor, the actual alleged owner (Army guy) of the building, all is fine. In fact, tomorrow the guy who did in fact "own" the building is going to take us to another one tomorrow to take a crack at that one.

"The incident" highlights an important fact: We have been here for eight years, and all of this stuff we have built up here isn't going to magically teleport itself out of theater. There are decisions being made by echeloned working groups that will determine what stays and what gets turned over to the Iraqis. Some of it the Iraqis will pay for, some of it they won't. Most of it would cost more to ship it home than it is worth, so it will get signed over to the Government of Iraq.

One thing is evident, as previously highlighted: Drive around this place for an hour and it is easy to see why the war is as expensive as it is. We did it to ourselves- I think in some ways our government felt they had to 'give the Soldier everything they need to fight the war' so they wouldn't feel guilty for having 1% of the population of the nation do the bidding for the 99% that couldn't stomach it. So units here ordered and contracted everything they needed and wanted to excess, and no one ever really told them no. I am sure KBR had their hand in it too- "you bet we can do that! Sign here and don't ask about cost!!!"

The danger of this (other than a colossal waste of money) is we have created a generation in the Army that thinks a two-man CHU, their own F150 pickup, flush toilets, gallons of contractor-supplied hot potable water, salsa night, internet on demand, and four hot meals a day is now the standard, and anything less than that they are being deprived and somehow persecuted.

Everyone wants to leave, but there is no way we can maintain this standard of living until the end. Services will have to be cut, and it is already starting, much to the dismay of some of the units that have become accustomed to their "entitlements." The way out of Iraq will likely drastically change all of those expectations.

Good times lie ahead! Stay tuned!

Ron

Apparently I am notorious

http://ronaldofarabia.blogspot.com/2009/03/five-months-soccer-fields-and-powepoint.html

So tonight I had dinner with my Squadron Commander and the Commander of the US Brigade we are going to work with/for (exact relationship TBD). His unit is responsible for about 400 square kilometers, and it includes the area I was in last time. He is partnered with the same unit I worked with about 14 months ago.

In passing, he mentioned he had a conversation with Staff Major General Ali, and the incident referenced above (the IED on the soccer field) came up... I told him that was us.

"Does he know your face?" Asked the US Brigade Commander.

"I think so, he might remember me," I said.

"He remembers the incident! Do not go down there! He's still pissed about that night!"


Heh heh.

Someting from nothing

So this week we have been trying to set the groundwork with a skeleton crew for the rest of the unit which comes soon. Typically when you "RIP in" (conduct a relief in place) you fall in on another unit's equipment and mission, and you get all their stuff. We are starting from scratch, and have had to procure pretty much everything from all over the place. We are essentially starting brand new, which is ironic, since we should be winding down. This week was filled with lots of meeting people, lots of negotiating bureaucracy, and lots of good ideas by people who don't really own us on how to employ us. And also lots of ideas from people who do own us on how to use us.

I went to a big briefing this week where the Brigade we are going to work for (even though they don't technically own us-- it's complicated) pitched its yearly "campaign" plan to the Division headquarters. It was in an opulent conference room with a giant table, fancy chairs, water and coffee on the table, and in the back were some big poofy sofas. Off to the side was a table full of lickies and chewies: Donuts, fruit, Cliff Bars, assorted sodas, and other things that make middle-aged staff officers fat. I don't think I have ever seen a higher concentration of field grade officers in one room in person. I got introduced to the Division Commander: He is a career Special Operations/Light Infantry guy who commands a light infantry Division. I tried to break his hand when I shook it, in an attempt to show Infantry machismo- a technique I learned when I was a light infantry guy. He was a bit shorter than me, but he had eyes that looked through you, and he was a skinny, scary type of fit. The Alpha Male was strong in this one. But his boots were clean and mine were muddy. I am not sure the last time he was in Iraq, but it was evident he was out of his comfort zone in this "touchy feely stability stuff" type of conflict.

The brief progressed. It had lots of fancy slides with arrows that discussed the US version of the plan (not sure if it had Iraqi buy in, but maybe that comes later), the plans to draw down and the basics of eventually leaving, measures of performance and effectiveness, more arrows, mission statements, key tasks, concepts, some more arrows, end states, and all sorts of other stuff. At one point we had three laser pointers on the screen. It was classic "good staff work."

We did get a decision on how we are going to be used, but it is nebulous at best. Lots and lots of details to be worked out, and lots more clarification needed, but the kicker is I'm not sure the Iraqis are going to go for it. Either way, it is a mission, and ends the theory that we are a force looking for a requirement. Our task is associated with the upcoming Arab League Summit which is to be held in Baghdad later next month. Having the summit here is a huge boost of confidence for the government of Iraq, and it adds credibility to its legitimacy. The Iraqi Security Forces will have to be on their toes to pull this off, and I'm not sure they want Americans meddling in their plan.

One of the guys I work with posed an interesting question today: "Is this what victory looks like?" Camp Liberty, where we are, is virtually empty. Amenities are being closed by the day, services are on the decline, and the role of US forces here is less and less every day. Some commanders are overly ambitious and look to add relevance, as this is their 'moment in the sun.' Others, because of the way we are raised, have a hard time dealing with the observation that there isn't much more operationally we can do with a force that doesn't want us here. For others, it is apparent they are a couple of years behind the times and think we can still do the same types of missions we did in 2007 and 2008, and they have different ideas on what we should be doing today. Overall, you sense a bit of frustration from a force that is used to being in charge and running the show, and now we have to come to grips with being a sideshow and making a quiet exit.

Perhaps call it victory with a small "v:" Maybe we have worked ourselves out of a job.

Disneyworld

I left Kuwait bright and early (3am) on a C-130 and arrived at the Victory Base Complex (VBC), which is a series of US bases around Baghdad International Air Port (BIAP) early yesterday morning. I came as an advanced party to set the conditions for our unit which will come later. During my last tour we would come to VBC for refitting-- they had seemingly endless hot water, good chow halls and every amenity you could ever want. I called it Disneyworld, as the place was a circus of FOBBITs (people who never leave the Forward Operating Base), contractors, rogue contracted security companies in Mad Max-style vehicles andof course, the giant logistics contractor Kellog, Brown and Root (KBR). We met the unit we will likely work for and set about the tasks for getting our unit here and lodged.

They have a FOB Mayor here. This cell's purpose is to house Soldiers and ensure facilities are up to standard. We actually bring people over here from the States who never actually see or talk to an Iraqi. The environment created is garrison-like, as if we transported Fort Hood to west Baghdad. Chow halls, gyms, rec centers, small stores of locals selling wares, and fast food joints through AAFES are in a couple of places. (NOTE: I am certain this is not the case in Afghanistan, nor is it normal for most line units.) You can go to the "non-tactical vehicle" yard and get a car/light truck to cruise around and get your business done. We would have gotten our own yesterday, but the TMP yard was closed on Sunday.

Closed on Sunday?? I thought we were deployed.

So we borrowed one from another unit until we can get one later. We went to the FOB Mayor's cell to get a place to live and some places to work, and we were issued keys to some work buildings and we signed for some CHUs (Containerized Housing Units) for myself and the guy I came with. It's really like a mobile home, except we got a "wet CHU" which means it has a real live bathroom. Apparently rank has some priviliges.

I am just in awe of a porcelin toilet I don't have to walk a hundred yards to.

It is evident why the war costs so much when you drive around this place. You can argue that nothing is too good for the Soldier, but in the past year it is evident that not all Soldiers got the same experience. Oh well.... I guess we all pick our occupations and reap the appropriate consequences.

Super Bowl: It was on at 3am, and I could have got up and gone to the DFAC (dining facility) to watch it but I didn't. Too tired, and it's just not the same as home. Maybe I'll catch the replay.

Off to go do more prep work. Hope you enjoyed the game.

Ron

Camp Buering

Camp Buering is a good-sized base in Kuwait. It is in the middle of nowhere, but on top of a lot of oil. This place wasn't around for our Intrinsic Action rotation in 1997, but this place is much nicer. We pretty much had just junk tents back then, and we had to burn our own poo. Buering is significantly better- Soldiers sleep in fortified tents with heat/AC (they can hold up to 85, so it gets a bit of a funk going), they have three giant chow halls that serve four times a day, they have a big gym, some rec centers, and we shower in trailers. Remarkably, all water (really everything) is trucked to this place daily. I am told the camp can hold up to 15,000-20,000. They do have some fast food joints, you can pay $12/week for really bad wireless internet, there is an internet cafe and some AT&T phones, and the USO has a fantastic facility here.

Plug: If you want to support the troops, then donate to the USO, the money is well spent. The USO tent here has *free* phone calls to the US, an internet cafe, TVs with sports, video games, books, games and card tournaments, and a decor that doesn't look like a tent (nice furniture, real walls, etc). They also have a cool program where you can pick out a book to read to your child and a place to record it on video, then they give you the book, the video of you reading it to your child, and an envelope to mail it home. All for free. The people who work there are always friendly, and they do a fantastic job of supporting Soldiers.

Around Buering is.....nothing. Literally. Imagine the most barren desert, this one is more barren. There are some ranges we shoot and train on, and there are bedouins and camels. And blowing trash (Kuwaiti wildlife). That's it.

Thanks for reading- see ya.
Ron

Gene Simmons Family Jewels

Forgot to mention, it seems our Squadron made another TV show.

As our main flights were leaving, Gene Simmons and his TV show descended upon our motor pool and he filmed part of an episode for his reality show there, visiting with departing Soldiers and their families.

Not sure when it will air, but it was a bit of a lift for the Troopers and their families on a less than optimal day.

Hope all's well. Take care
Ron

Giddyup

Kuwait progresses. Sleep schedule is still dorked up, I remain magically awake from about 2 to 4 am. Accomodations are fine; we have about 30 guys in our tent but it is a big tent. Food is great, they still have fountain diet coke. the fellas continue to arrive, and the training isn't bad.

A couple of small glitches so far. One, one of our planes has been significantly delayed in Maine. We have renamed this flight Oceanic 815 (shot out out "Lost") as we have not heard from them in some time. Should get another update later today.

Another tick on the adventure meter: The mission we were going to do changed, and now we have to regroup. We had planned to send all of our stuff to one particular place and assume a certain mission, now it has to quickly be redirected to another place and a much more ambiguous mission (no not Egypt or Afghanistan-- still Iraq). It will involve heading to a completely different area of Iraq far and away from the rest of the Brigade but we have to start from scratch- find a place to live, rally equipment, figure out who we work for, get linked in with new headquarters. There are not words to describe the calamity of this switch in our travel plans, but at least it is making the time go by fast.

Tomorrow is a range! Nothing like shooting for free, but the weather looks kinda scuzzy. Should be fun though.

Going north in a couple of days before everyone else. More to follow. Stay tuned!

Ron