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Some of What I Learned in Baghdad Author: Brad Dated: Tuesday, July 19 2005 @ 01:03 AM EDT

http://voicesofsoldiers.com/article.php?story=20050719010337917

On Wednesday July 13, 2005 I had the opportunity to go out on patrol with the US Army stationed in Baghdad 3 times, including foot patrol with the New Iraqi Army. Our soldiers who are assigned to patrol duty generally go out several times a day. These patrols are regularly irregular so as to establish a presence in the area without presenting a predictable target. These are some of the things I learned while in Baghdad.

The International Zone in Baghdad is considered the “Green” Zone. Green in military terminology means that the soldiers weapon is unloaded, amber means loaded with no bullet in the chamber, and red, loaded and ready to fire. There have been very few incidences of violence in the IZ or Green Zone over the past several months. Security is strict and has been successful at keeping out the terrorist murderers. (There was an attack at the gate where I interviewed the sentries about security procedures to enter the green zone the day after I was there. In this attack one US soldier and several Iraqi citizens were killed. An Iraqi Army sentry killed a second suicide bomber before his bomb could go off. (The Iraqis and US soldiers now work side by side at these posts in preparation for turning over all security to the Iraqi Army).

While on patrol in the Red Zone the soldiers regularly hand out candy and toys to the children. They work to establish alliances with small groups of Iraqis so that on future patrols the Iraqis will be used to the soldiers presence and help to protect them. Handing out candy and toys such as soccer balls and stuffed animals also helps to keep our soldiers more humane. It brings out a very emotional side in them to see so many children, smiling and playing along side the humvees.

On all of my patrols I noted that many Iraqis in the red zone, but children in particular, waved and smiled as our troops went past. I asked one of the Iraqi interpreters whether Iraqis liked us or not. His reply was that 50% of Iraqis liked us and 50% did not like us, but 95% of all Iraqis were glad we were there and Saddam Hussein was out of power! (Recent polling of Iraqis indicates that 82% believe that things are getting better in Iraq and that they have a better future).

In every neighborhood and on busy city streets, if the humvees stop, and soldiers get out, children surround the soldiers. The children hug the soldiers and say things in accented English such as, “freedom”, “America”, “California”, “surf”, and the ever popular “f word”, which has undoubtedly been taught by to them by our thrill seeking GI’s.

It is apparent that the Iraqi children do not fear the US soldiers walking in their full military gear carrying weapons and driving armored humvees. Of course this policy of providing gifts, food and candy to children and citizens has now come under attack as making the innocent citizens the target of the Iraqi suicide bombers. While on patrol, less than one half mile from us, a murderer took advantage of this and rammed a stopped humvee, surrounded by civilians, women and children, and killed more than 20 of these innocents as well as one of the US soldiers at the humvee.

The US intelligence agents I interviewed said that we are getting much better intelligence every day about what the anti-Iraqi groups are up to and where. It is just not good enough yet to stop it. The terrorists are quite mobile and able to set up a car bomb in less than five minutes. Many of the drivers have had family members kidnapped and believe that the only way to save them is carry out this act of violence, not realizing that the family they are trying to save is probably long dead. It like the tactics of the Mob and Drug dealers in South America.

The terrorists use extreme Muslim religion to recruit new members and offer the new recruits everything from power and money to a place in heaven if they carry out these acts. Their religious anger appears to be directed upon the evil sins of the West and our women, whom they call whores. They do not want women to wear makeup or to reveal their faces or bodies and view women as chattel to be traded at will. Many of the poor and uneducated seem to be willing followers of this line of thinking. But, more and more often an increasingly hostile Iraqi population, which seeks peace, is turning in the terrorists.

The terrorists are trying hard to stop the fledgling Iraqi Army from getting started and trained. The Iraqis have recently taken most of the hits. This tactic is apparently an attempt to scare them away and to reduce their numbers. The US military is going out in fully armored humvees, while the typical Iraqi soldier is in an open bed truck, with wooden railings for protection. Yet the Iraqis indicate that they currently have many more recruits than they can train. The Iraqis I interviewed willingly joined the Army.

The Iraqi Army hires these soldiers at nearly double the previous pay of the Iraqi Army. These recruits seem to be mostly uneducated males from the country surrounding Baghdad. (I doubt that much of the Iraqi population has more than a 5th grade education). They seem thrilled by the opportunity to defend their country, but totally without skills or discipline. They show up for drills and to go on patrol late, without their weapons and with no water.

One of the Iraqi interpreters was wearing an American Flag handkerchief on his head. I asked him if this made him a target for the terrorists. He proudly pointed to the Iraqi insignia on his arm and said, “I am Iraqi. I love America.” The US soldiers I was with told me he would probably not live through the year.

I was told at the firing range that 700 new recruits would fire all day, and they would never have to change a single target. When they go on extended patrols for three to five days, the new Iraqis would give away all of their food and water to Iraqi citizens on the first day, and beg for food and water until the end of the patrol. Further, most of the equipment given to the Iraqis breaks down from a failure to maintain it properly in the heat and sand and a lack of driver training. 9 out of 9 trucks on the Iraqi base were broken and without parts.

Despite this, the Sergeant training them told me that after a year of training that these soldiers would become quite proficient. He had trained other groups who started as poorly as these in the nearly two years he had been in country. He told stories of their bravery and desire to fight for their new country. He indicated that as soon as a terrorist killed one of them that the survivors suddenly tried much harder and learned a lot faster, much the same as the US soldier.

In the old Iraqi Army, if a soldier were late or derelict in his duty, they would be severely punished, perhaps tortured or killed. In the new Iraqi Army the penalty for failing to learn the drills and skills is also death. It is just not as swift, and the enemy, instead of the soldier’s superior officer, hands out the punishment.

In my seven-day whirlwind tour of Central Command in Tampa Florida and our Forward Operating Bases in Baghdad, Iraq I was able to interview the highest officers on base and the soldiers in the field, the boots on the ground. I found that the officers at the top are quite eloquent and understand very clearly what the mission is and who the enemy is. I found the officers to be well-educated, experienced, career soldiers. Most would excel in civilian life and many could be CEO’s of any Corporation in America.

I also found that the privates and specialists were every bit as committed to the mission. Their morale was good and they feel we are winning the war. All they need is sufficient time and support for the mission and the new Iraqi Nation. Very few believed that the terrorists are winning. Most ignored entirely the politics of the war in the United States, with one exception. I heard over and over again that they are tired of hearing that people support the soldiers, but not the war. They said that they want your complete support for the mission, to turn over Iraq to the Iraqis.

Brad Maaske

Executive Producer

WMD “The Murderous Reign of Saddam Hussein”

http://www.IraqiTruthProject.com/

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He added this post shortly thereafter:

Authored by: Brad on Tuesday, July 19 2005 @ 01:30 AM EDT

I know that I am not as eloquent or as experienced as the others with whom I had the opportunity to meet and stay with on our trip. I apologize for my lack of skills to tell you all that I saw and learned. These stories are my simple explanations of the many miracles I saw while in Iraq. I have yet to fully describe the orphanage, supported by the soldiers and gifts from America, or my wifes insistance upon seeing the photos of the children in the orphanage that we adopt one of the children and bring her home.

My heart is for the humanitarian effort and the sincere hope that all of America will help these Iraqi people to know the freedom and opportunity we all enjoy in our society.

Thank God I was born in America with the freedom to present my point of view.

Brad Maaske
_________________
Tony in Boulder, Colorado

[Curtis H.]

Great story. Thanks!