101st in Najaf amid cheers
Iraqi people give thumbs-up to American show of force
By CHANTAL ESCOTO
The Leaf-Chronicle
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John Partipilo/The Tennessean
Staff Sgt. Albert "Shaka" Wakketsi, 31, Ghana, West Africa, of 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, A Company, waves at Iraqi citizens of Najaf who lined the streets Wednesday.
John Partipilo/The Tennessean
Soldiers with 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, A Company, walk through the city of Najaf. Black smoke pours from a part of the city where Iraqi snipers were rocketed by Apache helicopters.
NAJAF, Iraq -- Cheers, waves and handclapping from local people filled the main strip of this city Wednesday as about 100 heavily armed soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division marched through to signal the city's liberation from Saddam Hussein's regime.
The march and military convoy by Company A, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment was meant to show the presence of Americans and their firepower to armed paramilitary pockets and to give local people hope that Saddam's power is nearly gone.
Soldiers said they half-expected attacks from Iraqi fighters as they moved through town, but what they received was a warm welcome and lots of smiles, with pleas that they stay for a long time.
"In the morning before we left, everybody was pretty hyped up and that we'd come into contact" with militiamen, said Sgt. Thomas Stegemann, 25, of DeSoto, Mo. "After a couple blocks the (soldiers') level of alertness kind of slid down. People that we'd pass on the road were clapping and giving us thumbs-up. It started getting hot, but when I saw a little kid clapping and an old man saying, 'Good job,' it kept me motivated."
Spc. Joshua Leath, 22, said the warm weather, combined with all his gear's weight, made for a tiresome trip, but it was worth the walk.
"It was stop-and-go, which made it a lot slower," said Leath, of Anaheim, Calif. "The reaction of the people made it look like we did liberate the city. I didn't expect it. I was looking for a firefight."
Najaf, a holy city to Shiite Muslims, has more than 500,000 inhabitants. One of its most prominent landmarks is the domed mosque where Imam Ali, the son-in-law of prophet Muhammad, is buried.
First Battalion's interpreter, Ahmed Alshammari, 28, of Kuwait, said Iraqi people he met along the way through the city said they were happy the U.S. military is here because the soldiers' arrival means Saddam will soon be gone.
But they are also leery that the Americans will come for only a short while and then leave -- as they did during the Persian Gulf War in 1991 -- letting Saddam's militia once again take hold in their city.
"When they saw U.S. troops, they had no more fear and feel confident to fight the militia," Alshammari said.
Najaf people also told him they have little or no food and water, and some are without electricity and need aid from the United States.
"They want the Americans to stay and help them," he said.
The three-mile northbound trek through town had a slow pace because the soldiers had to secure areas and root out Fedayeen fighters before passing through. The convoy they moved with was laced with vehicles toting big guns, such as .50-caliber machine guns and anti-tank weapons.
American Kiowa gunship-helicopters also circled the convoy, giving an extra eye in the sky for protection.
An Iraqi weapons cache was found on the way in a warehouse and was blown up at the city's stadium by the 326th Engineer Battalion, another Fort Campbell unit attached to the 101st.
The soldiers' hike ended at a textile factory in the northern part of the city that was nearly destroyed by U.S. bombs Saturday and had been used by Saddam's Baath Party.
First Battalion commander Lt. Col. Marcus DeOliveira said he wouldn't necessarily call the march a "liberation," but it certainly sent a positive message to the people.
One stop along the way by DeOliveira was at one of Saddam's militia camps paramilitary fighters had used to terrorize local people. The compound had been empty for a couple of days because of U.S. bombing, and the townspeople had taken out everything from steel beds and blankets to furniture and weapons.
"We went in there because we saw the vehicles and wanted to see if we could use them," said DeOliveira, who was practically mobbed by well-wishers wanting to thank him and his soldiers for coming to their city.
"It was interesting that nobody had ever gone into the compound. I think they're a little antsy about the Americans pulling out like we did before.
"Our mission now is not to do (peacekeeping), but we're still out searching for Fedayeen, militia and regular Iraqi army," he said. "There's still Baghdad to take."
Military reporter Chantal Escoto is on assignment in the Middle East. Her editors may be reached by phone at (931) 245-0282 or by e-mail at news@theleafchronicle.com.
Originally published Thursday, April 3, 2003
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