Michael J. Totten: Send Me to Iraq

January 10, 2006

Send Me to Iraq

It’s time for me to go to Iraq.

I am not going to embed with the military. While it sounds exciting (as well as terrifying), I’m only going to be there a few weeks. War correspondence isn’t something a person does for two weeks.

Instead I’m going to the part of Iraq most journalists ignore: the North. Erbil, Sulemaniya, Dohok, and Halabja – the city near the Iranian border where Saddam Hussein massacred thousands of people with chemical weapons.

Anyone who has been to Lebanon recently knows how the “if it bleeds, it leads” style of reporting badly skews the West’s idea of what a place is actually like. Just ask my mother. She recently visited me in Beirut and could hardly believe how much nicer the city is than news reports had led her to believe. Every report of a car bomb was true. But there’s a lot more to Beirut than the car bombs.

So I’m going to plug a media hole and write about Kurdistan, the part of Iraq that is stable and prosperous at least relative to the rest of the country.

My friend Andrew Apostolou at the Brookings Institute put me in touch with Bayan Rahman, director of the Kurdistan Development Corporation and daughter of former Deputy Prime Minister of Iraqi Kurdistan Sami Abdul Rahman who was assassinated last year by an Islamist suicide bomber. She is helping me with arrangements and logistics.

She was recently interviewed on CNN about her part of the country.

PHILLIPS: Why do you think you're having more success right now than what we're seeing in Baghdad, with regard to the insurgency?
RAHMAN: Well, the reason for that is, as I said, we've had the foundations of democracy laid in Kurdistan for well over a decade when the coalition of Britain and America established a safe haven in the Kurdistan region.

With that, we've had our own elections, and we've been able to govern our own region. As part of that Democraticatization process, the Peshmerga, the Kurdistan forces, have worked hand in hand with the Kurdish public to secure the region, and this is the sort of example, the model, that we think can work for the rest of Iraq, as well as the model for democracy and commerce that we believe Kurdistan can present for the rest of Iraq.

PHILLIPS: Well, and you're promoting this through a number of new ads in this campaign. Let's take a look at this one we that found really interesting with regard to travel.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have you seen the other Iraq? It's spectacular. It's joyful. It has an experienced security force. Fewer than 200 coalition troops are stationed here. Arabs, Kurds and Westerners all vacation together. Welcome to Iraqi Kurdistan. It's been practicing democracy for over a decade. It's not a dream. It's the other Iraq.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: It's pretty slick. You look at that, you see these pictures and you do, you think, wow, when you see what's happening in Baghdad and other parts of Iraq, Tikrit and Mosul, you don't realize there is this other side to the story.

RAHMAN: Well, exactly and that's why we've called the campaign "The Other Iraq." I think viewers in America may see just from their usual TV channels that everything in Iraq is very gloomy, that all we have are insurgents and terrorist attacks.

But, in fact, there are 18 provinces in Iraq and the fighting is only in four of them. It's very tragic that we have that in Iraq, and we are taking steps to remedy that. But the fact is, the vast majority of Iraq is more safe and particularly, Kurdistan region is very safe, very stable.
And as you saw in those pictures, our region even looks different from the rest of Iraq. We have mountains, we have greenery. We're proud of that, of course. And we want people to come to our region and to see for themselves and to understand that there is this other Iraq, which is thankful for being liberated. And I would like to thank the people of America for giving us the chance to get democracy and invite them to come see for themselves and as the campaign says, to share the dream.

Here’s what I want to know: does Iraqi Kurdistan live up to the hype? Is it actually a nice place? Or is Iraqi Kurdistan a backwater that is only pleasant compared to the rest of Iraq because it isn’t a war zone? Is it culturally liberal, moderate, or traditionally Islamic? How deeply has economic globalization penetrated the place? Do people there think of themselves as Kurdish first or Iraqi first? Does their pro-American viewpoint extend to Europe and Israel? What do Iraqi Kurds think of Arabs, not just Iraqi Arabs but Arabs in other Middle East countries? Is there any hint that the Kurds are using the Americans, or is the alliance a genuine and heartfelt one? How is the economy? Is it Third World or is it at least up to Lebanon’s level? Can Kurdish leaders be openly criticized in public without fear of retribution or punishment? How free and liberated are Kurdish Iraqi women? How much traction does Islamism have in Kurdistan among the conservatives? If it really is a wonderful place, what, specifically, makes it so great?

These things are rarely, if ever, written about, so I’m going there to find out and report back.

What I need from you in return is a little help paying for my expenses. Trips from Beirut to Egypt, Cyprus, Jordan, and Turkey are cheap – at least in the off-season. Flying to Iraq and staying in hotels with solid security is expensive.

Of course I’ll make some of my money back selling stories and ad space on the blog. But I don’t know if that will be enough to cover expenses. So I need to ask you to help me out. Please, if you like what I write, click the Pay Pal button and lend me a hand. I am not independently wealthy, and I can’t do this for free.

I’m going to write down everything I see and hear in my notebook and report back as much of it as I possibly can. A summary or an overview of that part of the world isn’t sufficient. Someone needs to do no-bullshit ground-level photography and documentation. It looks like that someone will be me.

Thanks so much in advance for your help and support.

Posted by Michael J. Totten at January 10, 2006 05:52 AM

Comments

Was that first comment a joke? One can only assume it was, although it seems in incredibly bad taste.

Anyway, I look forward to seeing your reports from Iraq.

Posted by: zak at January 10, 2006 06:15 AM

The first comment was deleted, and the person who posted is now banned from even reading this blog. "Incredibly bad taste" doesn't even begin to describe it.

Posted by: Michael J. Totten at January 10, 2006 06:18 AM

The latest National Geographic just had a very interesting article about the very area you are planning to visit.

Posted by: Nick Luquire at January 10, 2006 06:24 AM

Thanks for doing what you do! I don't mean comment policing. Thanks for not just sitting in your living room in your pajamas, writing what you think. Thanks for getting out to the world and telling us what it is. Thanks for being a thoughtful ambassador. Thanks for having balls the size of light trucks. Thanks.

Posted by: Undertoad at January 10, 2006 06:26 AM

Didn't see the first post, but there are some idiots out there. Don't let the bastards get you down, as they say.

I'll look forward to reading your report and seeing your photos. I've been interested in Kurdistan as an investment possibility for some time. Hearing a lot of good things. I'll be sure to hit the Paypal button too.

Posted by: TallDave at January 10, 2006 06:37 AM

Hi Michael,

I like the spontaneity of this and hope it works out. I would take a look at what Kevin Sites reported and see if you can't give us some more depth without duplicating reporting. Perhaps you could even clarify what has already been reported by him and as it seems now in National Geographic.

I will hit the Paypal button too, but right now I'm just getting an error message.

Later,

Shawn

Posted by: Shawn in Tokyo at January 10, 2006 08:07 AM

Good luck - our company (LIkeTelevision) sent you a token of appreciation for all your work to date and for best wishes in the future.

by the way... for a terrific vintage movie on terrorism - that offers many bizarre ironies with today's conflict - watch the Battle of Algiers.
http://tesla.liketelevision.com/liketelevision/tuner.php?channel=955&format=movie&theme=guide
(it is free to watch - ad sponsored - or you can download it, for subscribers or a la carte).

Posted by: Willy at January 10, 2006 08:08 AM

MJT,

If you get a chance, please also ask people about their relationships with the Kurdish minorities in Turkey, Syria and Iran, and what they think of the situations for Kurds in those countries - especially Turkey.

I know you went to Istanbul and loved it. Quite honestly, your post made me really want to go there myself, and it's now high on my list. But the Turk/Kurd situation is, well, less than perfect.

Have a great trip - and thanks for re-opening the comments section. It was missed.

Cheers.

Posted by: SoCalJustice at January 10, 2006 08:19 AM

I was thinking about you today and how, like Bill Roggio and Michael Yon, you are a blogger who has travelled to the story but unlike them not gone to Iraq and maybe you should. Of course, those two guys are trained combat soldiers and I can see you have different skills and are serving a different market. I think your biggest asset is an open mind and the ability to just report what you see without fitting it into an agenda or applying memes like obligatory veneer. You have our trust and there is no place in greater need for reporting we can trust than Iraq right now. People are hungry for that quality and as you clearly realize there is plenty of potential material for that approach in Iraq. Great idea to go to Kurdistan! I'm looking forward to the posts and I will put something in my PayPal account so I can make a small contribution. Good for you. I have already learned a lot about Beirut, Cairo, Istanbul, and Libya from your work. I just sent your Libya article last night to a young Australian geophysicist who is looking at a 6 week posting to that country. His response to your LA Weekly article - "Great read. At least he didn't feel unsafe."

Posted by: lgude at January 10, 2006 08:28 AM

“Do people there think of themselves as Kurdish first or Iraqi first?“

This is a most important question. The Kurds seem to have it made. Do they really need the rest of Iraq? Are they being asked to act altruistically? Isn’t it perhaps more practical for them to just worry about themselves? What do they get in return for their efforts? Are they comparable to someone living in an affluent American suburb being asked to concern themselves with the plight of those living in the inner city?

Posted by: David Thomson at January 10, 2006 08:57 AM

"The Kurds seem to have it made. Do they really need the rest of Iraq? Are they being asked to act altruistically?"

In a way they do. I am a soldier who was in Iraq in 2004 and I do see the benefit of remaining part of Iraq. Eversince the fall of Baghdad, there is a whole lot more economic activities between Kurdistan and the rest of Iraq and it benefits Kurdistan the most. They will loose the benefit of free trade if they become independent.

Kurdistan is landlocked and Turkey is somewhat hostile. They need the rest of Iraq to prosper economically. The current arrangement is the best of both world. They maintain autonomy at the same time has dispproportional influence over Iraqi national politic.

Posted by: Minh-Duc at January 10, 2006 09:09 AM

I agree totally that we can trust what you report. I need to wait for my next pay check on the 20th, though, before I can hit the paypal button. I am committing to do just that.

From what I've been reading, and it hasn't been a whole lot, I'm suspecting that the Kurds want to form their own country. Whether they will or not is a whole other story. There is a woman who has a blog and has several posts on it about her visits to that area. I just can't remember the name of the blog. I have hundreds of bookmarks that are not in folders yet, so I'll keep going through them when I have a chance. I think you'd be interested. And thank you for being a brave, free voice.

Posted by: Maggie45 at January 10, 2006 09:12 AM

Hi,
When did you visit Istanbul? I am going there with my family in 7/06 and I am interested in some tips about local travel, how to dress, where to go and not go with children.
Also, I think you should leave any comment, even vile ones. Your readers can judge the value of the statements for themselves. As the saying goes, the value of free speech is that it allow you to spot the idiots faster.
Iron Mike

Posted by: iron mike at January 10, 2006 09:57 AM

David Axe, who posts at Defense Tech, is currently in Iraq's north. It's probably worth a look at his stuff before you head over.

Read his stuff at http://www.defensetech.org/archives/cat_axe_in_iraq.html

Posted by: Murdoc at January 10, 2006 10:52 AM

I appreciate your decision to not embed. The counter-insurgency operations going on are highly technical advanced military exercises. I think that for you it would be like watching innovations in abdominal surgery, perhaps very interesting, but getting over the shock of seeing guts all over the place might interfere with the narrative.

Here's hoping you can avoid the sight of displaced intestines, regardless.

Posted by: Patrick Lasswell at January 10, 2006 11:13 AM

"Is there any hint that the Kurds are using the Americans, or is the alliance a genuine and heartfelt one? "

Given the history, shouldn't the question be whether
the Americans are using the Kurds?

And now is as good a time to ask as any, I guess.
Since you supported the war, and also like to
travel, why not just enlist?

Posted by: Seth at January 10, 2006 11:52 AM

From what I can tell, northern Iraq has been a vacation spot for over 4000 years. I perceive that this has not been played up enough. You might consider asking your hosts where the royalty from the various civilizations further south stayed and why. I know, that sounds like a stupid question. If I am correct about the vacationing over the years, you can make a better case for vacationing in that area of Iraq. Plus it would give you a comparison between what the ancients did there and what can be done in the Kurdish area now.

My personal position is that we owe the Kurds at debt of honor. Protecting them from Saddam was just the downpayment. Too often in the past the U.S. has encouraged the Kurds to revolt against Baghdad and left them hanging like we did to Hungary in the 1950's. Except with the Kurds, I believe it was three times.

I apologize if I offend some of you, but I really think tourism should be promoted in the Kurdish area of Iraq. They're good folks and deserve better than they have gotten from us in the past. Our government cannot do much more, but private citizens can.

Posted by: H. Alan Montgomery at January 10, 2006 12:02 PM

Michael - You want to go to Iraq? Join the U.S. Army, like my nephew Andrew who is currently studying at AU in Beirut - I understand you two have met.

Posted by: Mary at January 10, 2006 01:18 PM

Seth wrote: "Since you supported the war, and also like to travel, why not just enlist?"

This could have been an innocent question without the first stanza. With it, sure sounds like the old tired chickenhawk slur. sigh.

If someone is interested in observing everyday life & talking to locals in a particular place or region, joining the military isn't the best way to do it. Oddly enough, they tend to send you where you're needed, not where you want to go. That's part of the deal.

I agree with HAM, we owe the Kurds as a matter of honor. Nobody should blame them for covering their bets with the U.S. - given the history, we'd be doing the same thing in their place.

Michael, good luck with the trip, have sent in our contribution.

Posted by: tagryn at January 10, 2006 01:49 PM

Michael,
I guess Lebanese reader make up a significant part of your readers and potential donors. But PayPal doesn't accept Lebanese customers for some reasons. Perhaps you can ad a link to donate through amazon honor system. I think they take a bigger chunk of the donation than paypal, but they accept all kind of cards. Anyway, here's a link.
http://s1.amazon.com/exec/varzea/subst/fx/help/payor-faq.html/104-2164025-4658348
John

Posted by: anon at January 10, 2006 02:33 PM

As a relativley new reader, I would like to commend you on your willingness to put your boots on the ground. I look forward to reading your posts from Iraq, thank you. I have sent my $ in support of your decision

Gary

Posted by: Gary at January 10, 2006 02:44 PM

I just returned from Iraq, particularily Kurdistan and Tal Afar-please, please, PLEASE tell the truth of what you see there. My time in Dahuk (or Dohok, if you prefer) left an impression on me I can never fully put into words. My own family members were shocked when I sent back pictures and stories from there. A lot of good people (American civilians and military members) are doing so much good work that is not getting recognized by the MSM.

Posted by: Sean at January 10, 2006 04:18 PM

Perhaps you could also meet up with some Kurdish bloggers, reminiscent of Big Pharoah.

Posted by: Shawn Beilfuss at January 10, 2006 04:20 PM

Michael -

Fifty heading your way on the fifteenth.

I know that you will have researched equipment requirements and done the appropriate shopping before you go.

I know that you are an experienced traveller and that you have been to exotic, and some extreme, places.

I know that you are insatiably curious and a pretty decent observer of people and details.

In my opinion, based soley on reading your articles and posts, you tend see what you expected to see in a new locale. Granted that the little discoveries you make (and share with the reader) as your time passes in the new environment make for interesting reading. And it's a natural way to behave if you are a tourist or casual observer.

Please take my fifty and do with it what you will - stock up on airport bottles, buy a towel (that most essential item), or even put it toward a kevlar vest.

All I ask is this: remember that where you are going is a battlefield. The Kurdish regions may be pastoral on a Fallujah scale, but the fact remains that this war will be won or lost on ideas. You represent at least a tactical, if not strategic, threat to the side that cuts off peoples' heads.

Do be careful.

Posted by: TmjUtah at January 10, 2006 05:43 PM

I think this is a very smart move.

Posted by: Todd Grimson at January 10, 2006 06:10 PM

Your first-hand reporting and insights are an invaluable counterpoint to daily shite presented by the MSM. Be safe and we look forward to seeing your perspective on this corner of the world. Contribution on the way.

Posted by: Steve R at January 10, 2006 06:55 PM

I hit the button myself...even though it wasn't for as much as I'd like to give.

I absolutely love reading your writings and am happy to support your endeavors. Stay safe!!!

Posted by: megs at January 10, 2006 07:23 PM

Michael,

Good luck with your trip to Kurdistan. I served with the British Army in South-Eastern Iraq in 2004, and can confirm that a lot of what goes on in country will never get covered by the press. Look forward to reading your reports.
Inshallah, have a safe tour.

Posted by: fimani-la at January 11, 2006 03:08 AM

I wish you the very best of luck and I suppose it's superfluous to ask you to take care. Still, judging by some of your previous posts (particularly re. the Hizbollah meetings), I'd say that someone up there likes you.

Have you considered publishing a collection of your recent (Middle Eastern) posts as a book?

Posted by: Steve M at January 11, 2006 04:09 AM

Great idea Michael. Always good to check things out for yourself. Why don't you suggest to your colleague Charles Johnson that he does the same? I'm sure we could find a way of sponsoring a trip over for him

Posted by: lgfwatch at January 11, 2006 04:58 AM

lgfwatch:

Got an honest question for you.

What's it like to be so obsessed?

There are people that, to say the least, bug me too. People that I consider to be hateful, for example, Justin Raimondo.

But the thought of starting "Raimondowatch" and actually reading his stuff everyday and commenting on it to the delight of an average of 0 to 3 commenters per thread sounds like a terrible way to spend one's time.

To each their own, but don't you ever worry about your obsession?

I mean this in the least confrontational way, btw. I'm honestly curious. Ever feel like expanding your horizons? Are you getting more positive feedback through emails, from people who just don't want to leave a comment?

Where's the satisfaction, if any, come from?

Posted by: SoCalJustice at January 11, 2006 06:38 AM

I should add, I think you're clearly a smart guy and I often enjoy your sense of humor.

But don't you think your obsession is holding you back from bigger and better things?

Posted by: SoCalJustice at January 11, 2006 06:43 AM

Hi Michael, I sent you an email with the site of the civilian blogger who has been to Kurdistan, and other parts of Iraq I might add.

Patrick, it was great to see you commenting. I hope you update your website soon. Hope you're doing well.

I thank everyone who is or has been in the service. You guys are the salt of the earth. However I don't think joining the Army would
allow Michael travel to, and report from the areas he and we want him to. Just because
someone is for the war doesn't mean they have
to enlist. Everyone has their niche, and
Michael has a terrific gift, and I for one am thrilled that he has chosen to use it in the way he is.

Posted by: Maggie45 at January 11, 2006 07:31 AM

You really do have a death wish, don't you Michael? ;)

Posted by: Grant McEntire at January 11, 2006 08:17 AM

Good luck Mike, and stay safe.

Gab,
Broumanna

Posted by: Gab at January 11, 2006 11:23 AM

NO THE FIRST COMMENT WAS NOT A JOKE. LISTEN CAREFULLY DICKHEAD. YOU CANNOT BAN ME FROM THIS BLOG. I'M TOO CLEVER FOR YOU. IF I WAS YOU I WILL BE A GOOD BOY AND REMOVE THE IP BAN YOU PLACED ON ME. I HAVE ACCESS TO THOUSANDS OF IP ADDRESSES AND LIKE CANCER YOU WILL NOT GET RID OF ME. I'M OFFERING YOU A CHANCE TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT AND UNBLOCK THE IP. THE BALL IS IN YOUR COURT. CHECK THIS IP OUT COMPARE IT TO YESTERDAYS IP ADDRESS. INTERESTING HUH? I'M NOT EVEN IN THE SAME CONTINENT. WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO POST FOR YOU FOR ANOTHER CONTINENT AGAIN IN EXACTELY 1 MINUTE?

Posted by: SCREW U at January 11, 2006 11:26 AM

SEE I'M BACK. I JUST TRAVELLED THOUSANDS OF MILES IN A COUPLE OF MINUTES.

THE BALL IS IN YOUR COURT. REMOVE THE IP BAN. I WILL CHECK LATER ON. IF THE BAN HAS BEEN REMOVED THEN I WILL LEAVE YOU ALONE, AND WONT COME BACK HERE AGAIN. . BUT IF THE BAN IS STILL THERE WELL ....... GOOD LUCK.

Posted by: SCREW U at January 11, 2006 11:33 AM

My, my.

The trolls are out, hm? Well, (emotionally disturbed ranting commenters aside) I'm glad that you've re-opened your comments section. It is, ah, lively.

In any event, I was under the impression that the PKK (an illegal terrorist/Kurdish liberation organization in Turkey) was playing it cool since the 2003 US invasion (after all, the Kurds are in the strongest historical position they've been in at least in the last century. Petrobucks, democracy, US arms... all they have to do is wait for Syria or Iran to implode, and move in troops to protect their kinfolk, and voila! More of them get to move from oppressed minority to the Greater Kurdista (cough cough) -ish state of Iraq). But alas, I was misinformed http://www.windsofchange.net/archives/007888.php#comments (the absence of reporting is not the reporting of absence - thanks MSM!). According to the post, the PKK is staging attacks on Turkey from northern Iraq - a bad strategic move, IMO (at least from a presumptive point of view of the elected Kurdish leadership - it may make strategic sense for the PKK). I'll be very interested in reading your observations in this regard (but do take care!), and I'm pleased to have the opportunity to support your work. Great writing!

Posted by: GeneThug at January 11, 2006 12:37 PM

I really hope you don't close the comments in response to trash like the above. That would be too much like letting them win.

Inevitably, those on the side of freedom must endure some slings and arrows from those who benefit from oppression. We can be glad it's just ignorant words and not car bombs.

Keep up the great work!

Posted by: TallDave at January 11, 2006 12:50 PM

Your writing is some of the very best in the sphere and I have really enjoyed the posts from your Middle East Odyssey. The photos also add a great touch. Can't wait for more!

Posted by: j3sdad at January 11, 2006 12:53 PM

"The vast majority of Iraq is safe"......

NOT!!! Unless you mean sparsley populated areas.

Juan Cole did a little breakdown on this, more than half of Iraq's population live in fighting zones. Baghdad which is about 6 million people makes up close to 25% of the population. Throw in other Iraq big cities and the majority of Iraqis are in fact in combat zones.

Posted by: Drydock at January 11, 2006 01:21 PM

Drydock - no contradiction there. In a country where population centers are big but few, most of the country will be comparatively sparse (& safer.) Geography vs. demography.

Cole's had a bad tendency to let ideology color his judgement from time to time, so citing him as an expert isn't without its problems, but that's a discussion for another day.

Posted by: tagryn at January 11, 2006 02:27 PM

Michael,

You're crazy man! Kurdistan is one of the most retarded place on Earth!

Posted by: V at January 11, 2006 04:13 PM

Tagryn-- In this instance Cole is shining light on the situation. The peeple who say there is "only fighting in 4 provinces" are the ones obscuring things.

Posted by: Drydock at January 12, 2006 01:40 AM

And who would these 'peeple' be, Drydock? Would they be 'peeple' like myself who did a six month tour in Basrah, and didn't get shot at once?
Oh wait, perhaps Basrah town is a 'sparsley' populated area?
Three top tips for you:
(1) Pay less attention to Juan Cole, and more attention to those of us who actually have first hand experience from Iraq.
(2) Try not to lecture those of us who either have - or are about to acquire - who've got sand between our toes.
(3) Use your time in school to learn how to spell.

Posted by: fimani-la at January 12, 2006 03:08 AM

For all posters except Drydock - spot the grammatic typo in my last.

Posted by: fimani-la at January 12, 2006 03:09 AM

I'm an anti-war libertarian who is largely a pacifist politically, but I agree that the truth is always essential. Even though I could hardly support past and present military actions in the area, I'd like to know the benefit from such activity as well as the harm. If you are promising to give your best effort to look for truth whatever you may find (a reasonable effort: we all have our biases and passions that are always vital) then I'd be glad to contribute.

Posted by: t at January 12, 2006 03:23 AM

Yep, I'm buying! Good luck, and thanks.

Posted by: Fish at January 12, 2006 04:04 AM

Fimani-la: For all posters except Drydock - spot the grammatic typo in my last.

Peeple.

Posted by: Michael J. Totten at January 12, 2006 07:51 AM

Basra is not an area Cole is concerned with. His heart lies with the Sunnis so it is the Sunni heartland of Iraq he is concerned with. And he does have a point - if we invaded Iraq to promote a model for democracy for the rest of the Arab world that model will not work unless the Sunni Arabs are fully involved in the new democratic state. Arabs are not going to be influenced by Kurds or Shia. Most Kurds and Shia already live in Turkey and Iran, countries that, for all their faults, are more democratic (yes, even Iran) than any Arab country you can name. It is a misnomer to say we are fighting Islamofascism - it is really Arab fascism. Yes, the movement recruits footsoldiers from Pakistan, Anglopakistan communities, Afghanistan or Indonesia, but the financing, the leadership and the intellectual underpinnings are all Arab. Practically every non-Arab muslim country has already moved towards some version of Democracy - Malayisa, Indonesia, Turkey, with Iran and Pakistan troubled but still arguably better off than Egypt, Syria or Saudia. If the Sunni areas of Iraq cannot be won over than we have not won a full victory.

Posted by: Vanya at January 12, 2006 08:20 AM

The intentional typo had nothing to do with grammar.

Posted by: Desmond at January 12, 2006 09:27 AM

Fimanli-- True or false, the majority of Iraqis are in a combat zone? In my opinion, Cole showed the math that this true. His other opinions and comments are irrelevant. So where is your math? Show us the math. Baghdad alone has a little under 25% of the population. So at least a quarter of the population is a combat zone. Give me a percentage that you think is correct.

PS I made a typo, I'll do ten push ups if it makes you happy.

Posted by: drydock at January 12, 2006 01:27 PM

Under Saddam the entire country was a war zone. Just ask the people digging their relatives out the of mass graves.

Posted by: TallDave at January 13, 2006 04:12 PM

Drydock, you tell me how much personal experience you have of Iraq, then you can start laying down the law about what's going on in country.
In any case, I did my time in the second largest city in Iraq. Stats aren't at my finger-tips, I'm afraid, but my personal experience of hard work on the ground suggests that I can contradict Professor Cole's armchair analysis, and it also suggests that you're a chopper.
PS: You made more than one typo. There's something called a dictionary which might help you with your literacy problems.
PPS: Michael, my own typo (as opposed to Drydock's illiterate ramblings) was 'Try not to lecture those of us who either have - or are about to acquire - WHO'VE GOT sand between our toes.' (emphasis added for my own fuck-up). My bad, but I spotted it too late.
Anyway, as we say in my country, 'Pob Hwyl' (Welsh for 'good luck'). Keep up the good work. I look forward to your Kurdistan reports. I'll try and get a donation sorted.

Posted by: fimani-la at January 14, 2006 01:02 PM

I have to admit, I don't read you much, as you're generally a little too left for me. But you're doing excellent and honest work that needs doing, so I contributed. Take care of yourself.

Posted by: DSmith at January 14, 2006 07:36 PM

Fiminila-- Well its clear I won the main argument about the majority of Iraqis bing in combat zones.

The rest of your comments we're stupid and not even worth my time to respond.

Posted by: drydock at January 15, 2006 06:08 PM

'Fiminila-- Well its clear I won the main argument about the majority of Iraqis bing in combat zones.'

Er, no it isn't. After all, 60% of Iraqis are Shia, predominantly in the South-East of the country (like Basrah, the second largest city in Iraq with a population of 2,600,000 out of a total national population of 26,074,906, so that's one tenth counted already). Add on to this the 15% of the population which is Kurdish. I leave you to do the arithmetic, assuming that your illiteracy doesn't stretch to figures as well.
Oh, and you still have spelling and grammar issues too. 'Being', not 'bing'. And its 'were' not 'we're' (as in 'we are') so describing my comments as 'stupid' is a bit rich, to say the least.
I can't help the fact that you're a stupid chopper, but you can at least ask one of your teachers in your school to talk to you about proper diction, basic maths and analytical reasoning.

Posted by: fimani-la at January 16, 2006 02:59 AM

Good luck and I look forward to reading your reports. Glad you chose not to embed which I'm sure would affect what you were allowed to report on, not to mention make your trip much more dangerous.

I didn't see the first comment, but I hope it did truly need to be deleted rather than being removed for the purpose of censorship. Reading the rest of the comments I can see that both sides appear to be here so I doubt you were censoring anything like some other blogs do.

Posted by: Thomas at January 16, 2006 09:44 AM

Ach, durn, Fimani-la got to Drydock before I could jump in.

You're right, Fimani, Shiites compose 60% of the population, but, the percentages are higher in Lebanon and Iran. However, that has nothing to do with the spreading disinformation about Iraq. I've met quite a few Kurds, and, they were all friendly and smiling whenever I saw them, and, these were in Baghdad (now replaced with Columbians in a type of rotation).

Ah...grammatical error - "who/who've" ...redundant, same sentence: "(2) Try not to lecture those of us who either have - or are about to acquire - who've got sand between our toes."

Should have read: "...to acquire - sand between our toes."

BTW, if things work out right, I'll be moving from Baghdad to Basrah in the next couple of months...wish I was headed north, to the "Democratic Republic of Kurdistan." But, the "Gates of Eden" won't be bad either.

Warsong

Posted by: Gordon DeSpain at January 16, 2006 04:52 PM

I'm still right. The majority of Iraqis are in combat zones. Whining about typos is doesn't change this fact.

Posted by: Drydock at January 18, 2006 12:27 AM

Drydock,

Fimani-La's problem with you is that you didn't come here to contribute to the discussion, you came to disrupt and argue.

Your figures may be right, but, as Fimani-la noted, the majority of the people live in large Cities, ergo, that's where the fighting will be.

That there are more Shiites outside of Iraq is irrelevant. The first Shiites I met were in Syria, rolling up the Al Furat (the Euphrates) like a tidal wave, running from S'dam (correct spelling of phonetic pronunciation), carrying their dead and wounded, and, actually selling everything they owned, including their children and wives, to survive.

If Juan Cole supports the 'radical' Sunni's, he has nothing but my contempt.

Gordon

Posted by: Warsong at January 18, 2006 02:25 PM

Good luck Michael, you're going for all the right reasons. I was embedded with the Marines last year and will soon be heading back, this time to Ramadi. Since I want to write about the troops (this time I'm going to concentrate on how well the Iraqi troops are coming along) I need to be embedded and yeah, that's dangerous. But don't fool yourself into thinking you're going to be as safe as in your bathtub. The media does exaggerate the violence but it's real and it can happen even in heavily Kurdish areas. So watch your butt and come back safe.

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