Greetings from Erbil, Iraq. We continue to be guarded as there have not been any incidents here in the North, but we presume "something" is coming. The Kurds here in the North have kept a pretty tight rein on keeping insurgents out of the 3 Northern Governorates of Erbil, Dohuk and Suliaymania. I live and work most days in Erbil with a team of 8 expatriates. I also travel 2 hours plus at least once a week to Dohuk, where I am the financial adviser in charge of the electricity sector.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! I ended up driving to Kirkuk to mail home clothes and personal articles, as I anticipate my return home very soon. It was nice to pick up some items at the PX also. Accordingly, I did not send out a Week 28 Newsletter (hey, you get what you pay for!). Since then, Kirkuk has been the source of a lot of insurgent activity and a rocket and mortar target.
The business of helping rebuild the electrical infrastructure has been extremely busy with two members of our 8 man team out of country on R&R.
On my last Dohuk trip, I saw a picture of a Czechoslovakian man who the police had picked up at a car stop. He mentioned to the police officer he had just driven in from Turkey and was ready to join his Muslim brethren in killing Americans and wanted to know where should he start. The Kurds turned him over to the American military, where they found numerous maps, drawings and logistic sketches of targets.
I was so proud to see the TV coverage of Fleet Week in New York as well as the Dedication of the WWII Memorial in Washington D.C. I couldn't help but notice the writing on the side of one of the aircraft carriers in the New York harbor. It said why they were "here" and listed the deaths caused by terrorism, going back to numerous embassy bombings, the barracks in Beirut and including 9-11 and listed the number of deaths of both military and civilians. With a father who fought in WWII and arrived in France 64 days after D-Day and spent 4 years there, it is not hard to appreciate the WWII Memorial. What a fitting honor to those who fought and to those 400,000 Americans who died in the War. Yet, let us not forget, lest we repeat the mistakes of letting tyrants try to take away our freedom!
The weekend was a true source of American pride and an excellent focus of our patriotism. It is not hard to compare the vast similarities between WWII and the War on Terrorism (and the War here in Iraq). As the threat level has increased again in the U.S., most credible sources recognize the value of keeping the fight over here. No doubt, al Qida has been distracted and forced to focus its terrorist activities over here with so many western targets. I agree with President Bush, let's take the fight to the terrorists and keep the battle off our soil.
I just see the same tactics that Hitler and the Communists used throughout Europe, that are alive and well here. Isolate a target and make as big an impact as possible. Use the media and various channels to intimidate the local population. Strike where people are most vulnerable, especially hitting women and children. Continually isolate and blame (with Hitler it was Jews or Poles) anyone sympathetic to freedom or thus "the enemy". The bigger the lie (the merits of Communism or the Third Reich) such as a "holy war" or "God is with us in striking the infidel westerners" the better. Thus, here we are in Iraq, where oftentimes our soldiers feel alone or feel as though they are fighting, possibly unappreciated at home and by those they seek to liberate.
Yet, we all know, this terrorism that initially isolates and targets will continue to enlarge its audience until we are all in its net. As it seeks to mame and kill, all in the name of "Allah", we must continually battle its core beliefs. I read recently where someone stated we gain freedom on the battle field, but we give it up in the legislative and judicial process. We allow these same murdering terrorists that are here in the Middle East in our country, because we are afraid to screen them. We used to be a country known as a melting pot, now we talk about diversity...creeping dangerously close to the pluralism that Europe suffers from. We forget we are a nation on a continent that was fleeing religious oppression, yet the ACLU intimidates us from keeping a cross in our county seal (in the case of Los Angeles). Does that mean San Antonio will have to change its name because it stands for Saint Antonio?
I guess those of 1940's Europe had been free and sought out assistance in being free again. It is a shame we had to sacrifice almost all of Eastern Europe to the flawed Communist System. In some ways that is the challenge here. Although the Iraqis had been somewhat free prior to Saddam, they didn't have the taste and experience of western Europe with freedom.
I'm continually reminded of the differences in the third world countries and the developed world. Just like in India, the governmental managers (whether in the electricity sector, water, finance, etc) have buzzers or door bells to summon the refreshment person. Of course in India, the manager sat in an air-conditioned office while the lower worker's sat in stifling hot conditions outside his office. Here the manager will push his door bell, oftentimes a portable one that rings a bell outside the office or conference room, and here comes the "coffee or tea man". I know labor is so cheap over here, but it just seems so humiliating. But they do take pride in their work, in fact, in most offices, the women are at best the cleaning ladies.
Please find below some of the "more interesting" security detail reports:
200 RPGs were found in Mosul, a large find by any measure. The borders of Iraq are porous, and large quantities of weapons are known to flow in to the country from international jihadist sponsors. Also in Mosul, an insurgent was caught in the act of placing an IED by Iraqi Police. As they approached the device detonated, killing the would-be attacker.
· More weapons were found when 35 Sadrists were captured in a mosque in Kirkuk. Yet another instance of supposedly holy sites being used as safehouses by insurgents.
· There were 6 large finds in Western Iraq also, in Ramadi.
A local man in Mahmudiya is $800 richer today, after surrendering 5 152mm artillery rounds and 400 sticks of PE-4 type plastic explosive. CF are running an amnesty and reward program. There are no further details on this. One would hope that the money paid is less than the local value of the weapons, otherwise CF could be involuntarily funding the enemy
In Zubayr, South of Basra, there was a peaceful but anti-Coalition rally condemning the violation by CF of holy sites in Najaf and Karbala. Readers and viewers of most Arab media will not be aware that CF were grudgingly forced to fight at these sites by insurgents using them for shelter. Allowed to go unchecked, this could grow into a propaganda coup for the Sadrists.
The permeability of Iraq's frontier was exacerbated by the years of sanctions, during which smugglers perfected their methods. All manner of black goods are now available across the country, especially in major trading posts such as Mosul. The large RPG find yesterday is unfortunately replaceable: it's discovery will probably have only a short term impact on insurgent operations.
There may be imminent news from the Berg murder enquiry, with suggestions that he may not have been totally neutral, and that one of his attackers, now detained, is a nephew of Saddam Hussein
My departure is so imminent, that this may be may next to last email. I look forward to solidifying my travel information and letting you know the results!
As I look at the Islamic faith, which over here has grown more with the sword than with evangelism. What a contrast of Moslem fundamentalists who actually try and intimidate and kill those who don't agree with them, vs. the Christian perspective of seeking the truth, the truth that sets us free! As I have seen some of the Christian organizations over here who are seeking to build bridges, they do have an opportunity to be successful, even with a strong Moslem undercurrent that threatens them for preaching. The Islamic fundamentalists that seek to kill the "infidels" versus the Christian faith that seeks to build bridges to save the same people.
Thank you for your comments on the pictures from 2 weeks ago. It is an interesting part of the world. The landscape looks a little stark since most of the trees were cut down for fuel when Saddam disallowed fuel imports into the region over a few years.
As I grow more sympathetic to our troops, and more anxious to come home, I have really enjoyed the vintage patriotic songs. This last week I heard The Battle Hymn of the Republic:
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord, He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored, He has loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword, His truth is marching on!
I have seen Him in the watch fires of a hundred circling camps, they have bilted Him an alter in the evening dews and damps, I have read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps, His day is marching on!
Glory Glory Hallelujah, Glory Glory Hallelujah, Glory Glory Hallelujah, His truth is marching on!
I have read a fiery gospel writ in burnished rows of steel, as He dealed with my contemptors so with you my grace shall deal, that the hero borne of woman, crush the serpent with his heel, since My God is marching on!
He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat, He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat, oh be swift my soul to answer Him be jubilant my feet, Our God is marching on!
Glory Glory Hallelujah, Glory Glory Hallelujah, Glory Glory Hallelujah, His truth is marching on! His truth is marching on! |
