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| Iraq |
| US troops remain steadfast in Iraq |
| 2006-03-20 |
| Three years to the day after they invaded Iraq , most American troops still believe in their mission but know that the general population has -- at best -- mixed feelings about their presence. Many are as keen as most Iraqis to see U.S. forces go home and, inspired by the sense they bring freedom and prosperity, regret the resentment they face among many local people. "In one town they will thank the troops for what they are doing," said Staff Sergeant Jim Mayhan, 40, a veteran of the 2003 invasion and now on his second rotation in Iraq, based at Hilla, 100 km (60 miles) south of Baghdad. "Go to another town and you get ugly stares and cultural gestures showing their displeasure." Hilla, close to the site of Babylon and capital of the province named for the ancient city, is often held up by U.S. officials as a model for the reconstruction effort in Iraq. A mainly Shi‘ite Muslim town surrounded by Sunni rural areas, it saw the bloodiest al Qaeda suicide bombing of the conflict a year ago, when 125 people were killed, and has since seen other sectarian attacks, including on its mosques. U.S. forces have withdrawn into the background, however, as newly trained Iraqi troops and police have taken over the streets. U.S. soldiers in Hilla on their second tour of duty in Iraq say the reaction of locals is better both to U.S. forces and what they are trying to accomplish than on their first tour. That is at odds with general perceptions that the welcome for Americans in 2003 was often warm from Iraqis grateful to see the end of Saddam Hussein -- even in towns like Hilla that saw significant civilian casualties -- but that disillusion has set in as U.S. forces have failed to establish security. Killings of civilians by nervous U.S. troops and widespread arrests have added to Iraqi frustrations with the occupation. The Americans too want to go home. Though contractors supply all the food and comforts of home that a soldier might need, fried chicken, ice cream and the Internet cafe are only physical reminders of what home is. Sergeant Justin Edmondson, 23, who has been in the army for five years, was typical. "Everybody wants to go home." Most U.S. soldiers believe they will leave Iraq a better place than when they arrived but complain Iraqis‘ demands on them are increasing. Those that say that the U.S. mission will not leave improvements say Iraq will be no worse off. "It will be a little bit rocky when we go," said Specialist Veronica Almanza-Briones, 21, from Chicago, a truck driver who was here in 2003 and just re-enlisted for another four years. "But with their new government, they will adjust and it will be better than it was before." Soldiers at Charlie Base in Hilla, home to the 1st Squadron, 10th Cavalry Division, point to tangible evidence of what the U.S. military has accomplished -- a new school, clinic, a bridge or road, and have figures showing a decline in rebel attacks. Many Iraqis remain unimpressed, however. At an Iraqi army base nearby, Captain Mark Kovalcik, commander of Charlie Troop, hears a list of requests from local forces including repeated questions from the Iraqi commander about lack of electricity. Power shortages, lasting much of the day, are a feature across Iraq. Kovalcik repeats the same answer to every question. There will be electricity within a month and he will only hand over cash to fix the generator if the commander supplies two bids from local contractors. Many troops are earnest in their desire to do more for the local people and worry about what lies in store once they leave. "A lot needs to be done but I don‘t know the Iraqi people are picking up on our direction," said Corporal Brian Cetrone, 27, from Randolph, Massachusetts, a substitute teacher before joining the army. "We‘re doing good things with the intention of them doing the job after we have gone home. I don‘t know that they see how good it could be." But even as troops accentuate the positive they are aware the risk of death is little less than it was three years ago during the invasion. While believing themselves well trained and equipped, with confidence in their commanders, they understand they are seen as an occupying power and vulnerable personally. More than 2,300 U.S. troops have been killed in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003. "It‘s a different kind of risk," said Edmondson. "There is less direct fire but (roadside bomb) attacks are a bigger factor." Mayhan, a 15-year veteran from Little Rock, Arkansas, exhibits a cool professionalism. Though he prefers to pass out hand-cranked radios and soccer balls, he said the war has changed from his first tour in 2003. U.S. forces now find themselves potentially caught in the middle of a sectarian civil war as Shi‘ite militias have stepped up reprisals after years of Sunni guerrilla attacks. "Everything is not so cut and dried as to who the enemy is," said Mayhan, describing the complexities of his current mission. "You have the three Ps," he said. "Be polite, be professional but be prepared to kill." |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #2 You haven't refuted him... |
| Posted by: Whumble Whater5278 2006-03-20 17:36 |
| #1 "Go to another town and you get ugly stares and cultural gestures showing their displeasure." And what happens if they do that to the insurgents? |
| Posted by: plainslow 2006-03-20 16:20 |