posted
I've had a few people ask me questions about Iraq. I was reticent to answer them, until now, as I was still over there. But, now I'm not, and so now I will.
An example is when CStroman wrote:
quote:Please tell me, do the majority of people over there hate us and want to kill us? Some people here seem to think so.
People in Iraq are just like people in the rest of the world in many respects. They care about being safe, not going hungry or being exposed to the elements, and they want to believe that their children have a chance for a better life than they've had.
There are people there that do not like us. Some have reason, but most are partisans imported from abroad. Insofar as the coalition can continue to keep accidents to a minimum, the people of Iraq will, by and large, continue to support our presence there. However, this will not last forever. I can forsee us staying there, en force, for a couple more years. After that, when the Iraqi national security forces are stronger and better trained, we would find a bit more opposition to our presence. The Iraqis will soon learn that, unlike most others in their long past, if they want us to leave, all they have to do is ask.
As a general rule, we got along rather well with the Iraqis in our area. There are definite cultural barriers which are hard to overcome, but for every bad encounter I had with a local national, I had twenty good ones.
posted
That is about what I've heard that the media just takes what’s going on over there and skews it out of proportion. Everyone I know who has been over there has told me that 90% of the people are either glad we are there or don’t care and that the rest of them are imported from abroad.
What concerns me most is that I keep hearing that every month the number of casualties increases rather than decreases. Is this true? Are we making progress? Are we falling further back or are they simply getting more proficient at hiding and then taking lives?
I have not been impressed with the way the war has been carried out over there, and how whenever there is major resistance we seem to back out (usually because they are occupying some religious structure) and I feel that when we back out it encourages them to keep fighting and for others to join. It makes them feel like they are driving us back and that they are making a difference.
Posts: 33 | Registered: Oct 2004
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posted
Welcome home and I'd love to hear more about your experiences. I only moved the thread over here (at your prompting) so that it would have more exposure to the larger number of people who read and post on this forum.
Thanks for starting a great thread. Kristine
Posts: 780 | Registered: Jul 1999
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posted
welcome back! Could you talk more about experiences you had? You mentioned that you did have good experiences with the Iraqi people...what were some of the good interactions you had?
Posts: 1901 | Registered: May 2004
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posted
It's good to know that not everyone there hates us. I've never met you, but I'm glad you made it home safe. My best fried just completed his pre-deployment training and will be in Iraq within the next month or so. I hope all of our prayers helped you out when you were there Posts: 3003 | Registered: Oct 2004
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The hard part of that statement is defining "they." Certainly it would have to be a request from the government, not in response to polls of the Iraqi people. Hopefully the elections will go well enough that the government that results from them will be able to express the true will of the people.
quote:What concerns me most is that I keep hearing that every month the number of casualties increases rather than decreases. Is this true? Are we making progress? Are we falling further back or are they simply getting more proficient at hiding and then taking lives?
When my unit first got to Iraq, everything was calm - for about two weeks. When the soldiers we relieved left, the Anti-Iraqi Forces (AIF) decided to test us. And test they did. Generally, over the course of the last year, things improved dramatically. There were fewer attacks, and the ferocity of those attacks was much less. With Ramadan, things have heated up again, and I expect them to stay that way for a few more weeks.
That being said, we will continue to take casualties as long as we are there. Remember that we lose the majority of our soldiers to accidents, and not to hostile fire. That being said, though... My unit lost 25 soldiers last year. We have about 5,000 total soldiers, so I think our results were pretty good.
As for progress, here's the deal: Our plan is to train the Iraqi National Guard (ING) to become the new Iraqi Army. In the beginning, they will be more concerned with domestic violence (from the AIF), but as they continue to take over this role, we will be able to reduce our troop strength. The real test will come after the January elections. At any rate, the ING is not large enough to effectively secure the peace in Iraq, so we must stay until they are.
When I first got to Iraq, it was painfully obvious that the ING had a long way to go - You may remember that some of them refused to engage the AIF in Falujah some months back. Now, though, they are doing much better - so much so that at times it's as if they are a different force alltogether. They are now working as a team, and relying on the training they have been receiving from the coalition forces.
Are the AIF getting better. Yes. They are not stupid. They are highly adaptive. We are constantly have to adjust our tactics to counter theirs - but so are they. The good news is that the civilians in Iraq are becoming quite helpful in getting rid of some of these thugs.
The situation in Iraq is much like the one in Europe after WWII. We had to deal with fascist partisans in Italy and Nazi loyalists in Germany for years. Five years after the war officially ended in Europe, we still had to deal with sabatoge and such, esp. in Germany. We've only been at it for two years in Iraq. What's more, while Germany had a common culture with the Allied occupation forces, we don't have that in Iraq. It will continue to be a slow, uphill process for some years. But, to wrap this up... we are winning the peace, one day at a time.
Posts: 9 | Registered: Jul 2001
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posted
I'm not sure comparing our occupation of iraq to our occupation of germany is a valid comparison. In germany, we didn't lose a single soldier to enemy action after the surrender. There was a lot of TALK about resistance, but it never materialized.
Posts: 4112 | Registered: May 2001
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quote:Could you talk more about experiences you had? You mentioned that you did have good experiences with the Iraqi people...what were some of the good interactions you had?
The little things are what gave me hope. I worked with Iraqi soldiers every day. Some of them were not exactly what we'd call "soldiers," but all of them were making great sacrifices to work for the future of their country.
I don't think people realize just how much an Iraqi faces when he puts on a uniform, steps up to the plate, and says "Yes, I will be counted. I will be the one to make it so that the rest of my country has hope." You hear about American soldiers getting hurt, or civilians being kidnapped, but do you hear about the Iraqis? Not really.
These people risk their lives with us every day, and yet they don't sleep behind guarded walls. They go to their homes where they are targets for AIF terrorists. Some have been killed - some of their families have been targetted. And yet, they cheerfully do their duty, knowing they are working for the future of their country - the place where their children will grow up.
Every day I've worked with Iraqi civilians and military personnel. We tried (as best we could) to learn from each other. They learn English and we learn Arabic. They call us "friend," as we share a loaf of fresh bread, or some fruit for lunch. We talk about our families - our children and such. I've played soccer with their ING recruits in 140 degree heat, laughing the whole time. It's these little things that draw us together.
The bigger things don't make it to the news here either, though. The western press doesn't report about the reliable electricity and clean water that we've helped the Iraqis acquire. They don't report all the training that they are getting - training in jobs, but also in how to run a real business.
Ah, well. In the end, it really doesn't matter. I'm confident that the people in Iraq know the truth. I know the soldiers do. Eventually, when this is all said and done, history will look back on what we've done in Iraq and say we did well. The test will be in the future, how the people of Iraq raise their kids to look at the West, and in particular, the United States. I am hopeful that it will be a bright future.
Posts: 9 | Registered: Jul 2001
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quote:What more could we, as Americans civilians, do to help the situation? Either for our troops in the field or for the people of Iraq? How could we help to make this a success?
I will speak for soldiers, since I am one. The best thing you can do for soldiers is to let them know you are thinking about them, wishing them the best, praying for them, etc. If you know someone that is deployed, take the time to send them a letter. Tell them you are proud of them and that you appreciate the sacrifice they are making.
Even if you do not agree with the reasons we are in Iraq, I can tell you that it doesn't matter to the soldier. We want to know that we matter to you. Tell your soldier (and they are YOUR soldier) what is going on in your life. Give them something to connect them to life back here in America. They are away from home for a long time, and those little things do help.
If you want to send something to a soldier... well, most packages get there within two weeks, so send away. Personal hygiene items (shampoo, baby wipes, etc.) are available, but always welcome in a care package. Ask them if they have a wish list on Amazon.com - and if so, get them something from it. Beef jerky, pop tarts, cookies, kool-aid mix, candy... always welcome. Are they into ATVs or Paintball or D&D? - get them a subscription to a magazine on that topic.
Does your soldier have a wife and kids back home? Don't forget to tell those people you appreciate what THEY are sacrificing. Is it your son in Iraq? Don't neglect your daughter-in-law. Was your relationship with her on the ropes? Use this as an opportunity to mend it. Believe me, the less stress a soldier's family has, the better things will go for him.
There is also a real need for people to adopt a soldier who doesn't have anyone to write to, or get news from. Contact any of the bases and ask what units are deployed. Ask their chaplains if they have any soldiers you could "adopt" for the deployment.
How can you help the people in Iraq? Directly? I'm not too sure. I don't want to tell you bad information, but I'm sure there are organizations out there that are trying to help. I know that there is a way to give money so that children in Afganistan can get shoes (see SGTHook.com for more info - I think it's called "Project Showstring"). I'm sure there are similar things in Iraq.
Oh, there is a blog called "Road of a Nation" that is run by an Iraqi. They have a section on their forums for Iraqis to ask westerners questions and vice-versa. You could probably help there by being honest with the people asking about the West. Reassure them we care for them and don't hate them. Let them know about your daily lives. I don't know... just be honest with them. One thing I've learned is that the more open the communication is between two peoples, the less likely they are to become bitter toward eachother.
Posts: 9 | Registered: Jul 2001
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posted
That’s good to hear ephealy. Though I definitely do not agree with the reasons bush went to war I from the beginning was for it (and think it should have been done a long time ago) simply because Sadam violated his agreement with us and the weapons inspectors. Though I was behind going to war with Iraq I was never behind it because of the possible WMDs...There are so many other countries that where better candidates by bush’s definition of why he went. I am glad that we are doing what we are doing...I simply think we should have done it for the right reasons and that it shouldn’t have been done while us where fighting another war in Iraq.
Posts: 33 | Registered: Oct 2004
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