September 18, 2007
Anbar Awakens Part II: Hell is Over
This is the second in a two-part series. Read Part One, The Battle of Ramadi, here.
RAMADI, IRAQ – In early 2007 Ramadi, the capital of Iraq’s Anbar Province, was one of the most violent war-torn cities on Earth. By late spring it was the safest major city in Iraq outside Kurdistan.
Abu Musab Al Zarqawi’s Al Qaeda in Iraq had seized control with the tacit blessing of many local civilians and leaders because they promised to fight the Americans. But Al Qaeda’s rule of Ramadi was vicious and cruel. They turned out not to be liberators at all, but the Taliban of Mesopotamia.
Al Qaeda met resistance, after a time, from the Iraqis and responded with a horrific murder and intimidation campaign against even children. The Sunni Arabs of Ramadi then rejected Al Qaeda so utterly they forged an alliance with the previously detested United States Army and Marine Corps and purged the terrorists from their lands.
Combat operations are finished in Ramadi. The American military now acts as a peacekeeping force to protect the city from those who recently lost it and wish to return.
It is not, however, completely secured yet.
“Al Qaeda lost their capital,” Major Lee Peters said, “and the one city that was called the worst in the world. It was their Stalingrad. And they want to come back.”
In July and again in August they did try to retake it and lost pitched battles on the shores of Lake Habbaniya and Donkey Island just on the outskirts. They destroyed a bridge over the Euphrates River leading into the city with a dump truck bomb. Four other bridges in Anbar Province were also destroyed in acts of revenge in the countryside by those who no longer have refuge in cities. And just last week Sheikh Sattar Abu Risha, the leader of the indigenous Anbar Salvation Council that declared Al Qaeda the enemy, was assassinated by a roadside bomb near his house.
That murder can’t undo the changes in the hearts and minds of the locals. If anything, assassinating a well-respected leader who is widely seen as a savior will only further harden Anbaris against the rough men who would rule them.
“All the tribes agreed to fight al Qaeda until the last child in Anbar,” the Sheikh’s brother Ahmed told a Reuters reporter.
Whether Anbar Province is freshly christened pro-American ground or whether the newly founded Iraqi-American alliance is merely temporary and tactical is hard to say. Whatever the case, the region is no longer a breeding ground for violent anti-American and anti-Iraqi forces.
“As of July 30,” Major Peters said in early August, “we’ve have 81 days in the city with zero attacks since March 31.”
“We’ve had only one attack in our area of operations in the past couple of months,” said Captain Jay McGee at the Blue Diamond base. He was referring to the Jazeera area immediately north of the city and including the suburbs. “And we haven’t had a single car bomb in our area since February.”
Violence has declined so sharply in Ramadi that few journalists bother to visit these days. It’s “boring,” most say, and it’s hard to get a story out there – especially for daily news reporters who need fresh scoops every day. Unlike most journalists, I am not a slave to the daily news grind and took the time to embed with the Army and Marines in late summer.
When the Army Soldiers at Blue Diamond took me along on their missions I could see why so many reporters write off Ramadi as a place where nothing happens: I was sent along in a convoy of Humvees to the outskirts of the city in a palm grove to attend an adult literacy class for women.
The class was cancelled at the last minute, though, so our trip to the palm grove was actually pointless. But Iraqis descended on us from their countryside houses and kept us busy happily socializing for hours.
Experiences like this are now typical for the infantrymen of the United States military, but extraordinary for a civilian like me who isn’t accustomed to casually hanging out with Arabs in Iraq’s notorious Sunni Triangle.
I was greeted by friendly Iraqis in the streets of Baghdad every day, but the atmosphere in Ramadi was different. I am not exaggerating in the least when I describe their attitude toward Americans as euphoric.
Grown Iraqi men hugged American Soldiers and Marines.
Young men wanted me to take their pictures with their arms around American Soldiers and Marines. The Americans seemed slightly bored with the idea, but the Iraqis were enthusiastic.
Children hugged State Department civilian reconstruction team leader Donna Carter.
Ramadi has changed so drastically from the terrorist-infested pit that it was as recently as April 2007 that I could hardly believe what I saw was real. The sheer joy on the faces of these Iraqis was unmistakable. They weren’t sullen in the least, and it was pretty obvious that they were not just pretending to be friendly or going through the hospitality motions.
“It was nothing we did,” said Marine Lieutenant Colonel Drew Crane who was visiting for the day from Fallujah. “The people here just couldn’t take it anymore.”
What he said next surprised me even more than what I was seeing.
“You know what I like most about this place?” he said.
“What’s that?” I said.
“We don’t need to wear body armor or helmets,” he said.
I was poleaxed. Without even realizing it, I had taken off my body armor and helmet. I took my gear off as casually as I do when I take it off after returning to the safety of the base after patrolling. We were not in the safety of the base and the wire. We were safe because we were in Ramadi.
Only then did I notice that Lieutenant Colonel Crane was no longer wearing his helmet. Neither were most of the others.
I saw no violence in Baghdad, but I would never have taken off my body armor and helmet outside the wire. I certainly wouldn’t have done it casually without noticing it. If I had I would have been sternly upbraided for reckless behavior by every Soldier anywhere near me.
But in Ramadi the Marines are seriously considering dropping the helmet and body armor requirements because the low level of danger makes the gear no longer worth it. Protective gear doesn’t look intimidating, exactly, but it is hard to socialize properly with Iraqis while wearing it. It creates a feeling of distrust and distance.
When we got back in the Humvees I was required to don my helmet again in case we hit a bump in the road.
Bumps in the road are now officially seen as more hazardous than insurgents and terrorists in Ramadi. (There is a lot of hard metal inside a Humvee that you can bang your head up against.) I have my doubts about the relative dangers of each in the real world. Ramadi isn’t totally safe yet. But this kind of juxtaposition is absurdly unthinkable in Baghdad.
The Iraqis of Anbar Province turned against Al Qaeda and sided with the Americans in large part because Al Qaeda proved to be far more vicious than advertised. But it’s also because sustained contact with the American military – even in an explosively violent combat zone –convinced these Iraqis that Americans are very different people from what they had been led to believe. They finally figured out that the Americans truly want to help and are not there to oppress them or steal from them. And the Americans slowly learned how Iraqi culture works and how to blend in rather than barge in.
“We hand out care packages from the U.S. to Iraqis now that the area has been cleared of terrorists,” one Marine told me. “When we tell them that some of these packages aren’t from the military or the government, that they were donated by average American citizens in places like Kansas, people choke up and sometimes even cry. They just can’t comprehend it. It is so different from the lies they were told about us and how we’re supposed to be evil.”
The literacy class for women and girls may have been cancelled, but the local would-be students wanted me to take pictures of them at their desks. So the classroom was opened and they sat in their seats for staged photos. We had no language in common. It was just obvious, from their beckoning hand gestures, what they wanted me to do. They seemed to be proud that they were learning to read, and that women and girls were allowed to be schooled again now that Al Qaeda is gone.
Earlier this year these very same people would have treated me as an enemy to my face had I shown up. Al Qaeda is gravely mistaken if they believe they can flip Ramadi back into their column by assassinating Sheikh Sattar Abu Risha.
Shortly before Sheikh Sattar was killed near his home he explained the Anbari point of view to Fouad Ajami, the Johns Hopkins University professor from South Lebanon.
“Our American friends had not understood us when they came,” he said. “They were proud, stubborn people and so were we. They worked with the opportunists, now they have turned to the tribes, and this is as it should be. The tribes hate religious parties and religious fakers.”
“Old school methods defeat insurgencies,” Captain McGee said, “not brute force or technology. The key is to kill existing terrorists and prevent additional recruitment. Al Qaeda must have a safe haven or they will barely be able to operate.”
That doesn’t mean they can’t operate at all, but it does mean they can’t control territory, work out in the open, or oppress others from above. They are hunted now and must spend an enormous amount of energy avoiding detection instead of stirring up trouble. The former would-be “liberators” have become hated fiends who lurk in the shadows and lash out in rage at the society that has rejected them. Victory for them, in this place, is all but impossible now.
“Having the Arabic press note that AQI [Al Qaeda in Iraq] is rejected by Sunni Arab Iraqis is better than any message we could ever put out,” Major Lee Peters said.
It is not reasonable to expect violence in Ramadi to wind down to absolute zero before the rest of Iraq is secured. But the city has been successfully transformed from a war zone to a place that, like Beirut and Jerusalem, suffers acts of terrorism of the kind the world is long used to. The hokey phrase “war on terrorism” just fails to describe what happened before, when a city of 450,000 people was chewed to pieces by an army of hundreds of sadists and killers, where every single day was September 11.
Surveying the destruction was distressing, especially after meeting some of the children who survived the experience.
Terrorism is emphatically not what it used to be. We all knew that, of course, when hijacked plans were used to destroy skyscrapers in New York. Previously, terrorism was what the Irish Republican Army did. Many innocents were murdered in Britain, but Northern Irish separatists never made a crater out of a city of nearly half a million people. Nor did they even want to. Hamas and Islamic Jihad have murdered hundreds of Israeli civilians in restaurants and coffee shops and probably would do to Tel Aviv what Al Qaeda did to Ramadi if they could. But they can’t and likely never will be able to do so.
Al Qaeda may be a relatively small part of the “insurgency” in Iraq, but their destructive power nearly reached that of a state for a while, at least in this area. I don’t know of any place in Iraq that has suffered this much violence since Saddam Hussein’s genocidal Anfal Campaign against Kurds. Baghdad is nowhere near as torn up as Ramadi.
The city is still in terrible shape, but its regeneration is unmistakable.
“How safe is it here, really?” I asked Major Peters. “What if I rented a house here for a month and lived alone without any protection? What would happen to me?”
“You could rent a house here for a while,” he said, “and be okay without bodyguards, but I wouldn’t stay too long. Something might happen to you eventually. Remember AQI wants to retake the city. They might eventually find you.”
I asked Captain McGee the same question. I have no plans to do this. The question is purely theoretical.
“You would probably be okay downtown,” he said, “but you would definitely be fine just north of town. If you tried that in February you would not have lasted four hours.”
“You trust the locals that much?” I said.
“I do,” he said.
“The only people I trust with my life in this country are the Kurds,” I said.
“I trust these people almost as much,” he said. “Are they petty? Yes. Are they tribal? Yes. Are they Arabs?” He rolled his eyes. “Yes. Do they believe in conspiracy theories? Yes. But they have their act together now.”
I patrolled Market Street downtown with Sergeant Hicks and Lieutenant Markham. Kids loudly cheered as we drove past. Some children ran all the way up to the Humvees and knocked on the doors, beckoning us to get out.
When we did dismount our Humvees every civilian on the street except vendors dropped what they were doing and came forward to greet us.
I photographed a freshly painted cell phone store that looked new.
“That’s when you know life is coming back to normal,” Sergeant Hicks said, “when they open a cell phone shop.”
“It’s amazing for us to see people out on that street buying and selling things,” Captain Phil Messer said to me later. “That never happened for the first months we were out here. Literally zero businesses were open. People were scared shitless of Al Qaeda. If you pissed them off they would show up at your house in the middle of the night, rape your women in front of you, kill your sons, and say you will not help the Americans. Huge numbers of these people just fled to Syria.”
I saw young Iraqi men picking up trash that had been dumped all over the city when there was no garbage collection during the fighting.
“This cleanup operation is a big deal for counterinsurgency,” Sergeant Hicks said. “We’re helping them organize it, and it shows Al Qaeda that the people are with us now. They would have been killed if they tried this before.”
Iraqi children may know only a handful of words in English, but mister and picture are two of them. Every kid in Iraq demands to be photographed. I heard “Mister, Mister, Picture Picture!” literally hundreds of times whenever I stepped into the streets of Ramadi. Some kids would say “Mister, Mister, Picture, Picture,” dozens of times all by themselves.
I saw so many pictures of crazed Iraqis wearing ski masks and carrying rocket launchers and Kalashnikovs before I went to Baghdad and Ramadi that I slowly started to think, against my better judgment, that such people are typical. I never once saw anyone like that. They are around, obviously, but they are not in any way typical.
These are the typical faces I saw in Iraq.
They are the ones I now think of when trying to figure out what the United States should do in Iraq. They are the ones who will have to suffer the consequences the longest.
Some of the Soldiers started handing out candy to children. Mass pandemonium broke out.
Iraqi kids will shove and even punch each other to get a piece of candy. The Soldiers should probably hand this stuff out a little more orderly.
The kids are cute, but their aggressiveness is a little distressing.
“One thing these people really understand,” a Soldier sadly told me by way of explanation, “is pain.”
Back at the Joint Security Station – a large rented house where Iraqi and American Soldiers live side by side and keep tabs on a small piece of the city – the Iraqis taught Arabic to the Americans. The Americans taught English to the Iraqis. The Iraqis gently helped the Americans with their Arabic accents and used basic books as learning tools where words were spelled out in both Arabic and Latin alphabets. The Soldiers and Marines were learning basic Arabic, what you would expect to learn in an Arabic 101 class at most. The Iraqis were a little bit farther along in their English, but not much.
The Iraqis made tea for Americans. The Americans made coffee for Iraqis.
I could see that these men (and they were all men) felt genuine affection for each other. The Soldiers and Marines clearly thought of me, a fellow American, as more of an outsider than the Iraqi Army Soldiers who also were there. They ate, slept, worked, fought, bled, and died next to each other in the heat of battle against those who had earlier taken over the city. My status as a fellow American seemed to count for less with the Soldiers and Marines than the trauma they shared with their Iraqi counterparts.
I did not hold it against them.
“We Americans and Iraqis have been through hell together here,” said Captain McGee.
When I visited the police station in Mushadah just north of Baghdad, where American Military Police are training the Iraqi Police, most Americans saw the Iraqis as lazy, corrupt, and contemptible. In Mushadah the Americans seemed to relish the opportunity to complain about the Iraqis to me, a fellow American, whom they clearly felt they had much more in common with. They were sure I would sympathize with their complaints, and they were right. It does not bode well for the future in Baghdad. Anbar Province really is different, and it’s not just because Al Qaeda has been driven out.
The Iraqi Army Soldiers in Ramadi were also much more friendly with me than were their counterparts in Baghdad, who politely said hello to me but never, not once, said anything else.
I started to prepare an MRE (Meal Ready to Eat) for myself – Chicken Tetrazzini, which somehow tastes the least processed of all the MRE options – and flipped through an old issue of Air and Space magazine that Lieutenant Hightower had fished out of his desk for me.
“No, no, no, no, no, no, no,” an Iraqi Soldier said to me when he saw what I was doing. “You eat Iraqi food,” he said. “MRE food no good.”
“It’s fine,” I said. “I don’t mind.”
“No!” he said. “We give you Iraqi food. Come with me.”
An Iraqi cook had prepared a delicious meal of barbecued chicken and rice with a spicy red sauce I had never eaten before. The Iraqi was right. It was much better than MRE food.
“We have one Iraqi lieutenant here who speaks pretty good English,” Marine Lieutenant Jonathan Welch told me. “You should talk to him. He has a sarcastic sense of humor and a really interesting point of view.”
“That would be terrific,” I said. “Can you introduce me to him?”
He went to find the lieutenant, but came back with bad news.
“He won’t talk to you,” he said. “Apparently some reporters recently spent a few days with him and his men. They wrote an agenda-driven story with a few quotes yanked out of context. He said the story was a total lie and that he refuses to have anything to do with the media.”
I heard complaints of that sort about the media every day from American Soldiers and Marines, but this was the first time I had heard it, albeit indirectly, from an Arab Iraqi.
Lieutenant Welch didn’t mind talking to me, though. None of the Americans refused to talk to me even if they were suspicious of journalists.
What did he think of the Iraqi Army and Police in Anbar Province? I hadn’t heard any complaints yet, not from one single person.
“The Iraqi Army here is very good,” he said. “One of the best battalions in Iraq.”
“Have they been infiltrated?” I said. “I went to a police station in the Baghdad area and was told that perhaps half of them work with Al Qaeda.”
“They’re not infiltrated here,” he said. “Most of the Iraqi Soldiers here are Shias.” Al Qaeda is exclusively Sunni and views Shias as infidels worthy only of slaughter. “They are Muslims, but very secular in their outlook. They are no more religious than Sunday Catholics. The Shias in the army work very well with the Sunnis in the army here. There isn’t any friction at all. It’s sort of like when the U.S. Army integrated black and white Americans. It breaks down bigotry. The Shia Soldiers helped rescue Sunni civilians from Sunni terrorists and reduced sectarian tensions on both sides.”
“Why is the Iraqi Army here in so much better shape than in Baghdad?” I said.
“One reason,” he said, “is because most of these people have been in the army longer. They were among the first to sign up. They have more experience, and the bad ones have been weeded out.”
“Are they competent?” I said.
“Do you mean are they tactically proficient?” he said.
I nodded.
“Fairly,” he said. “There are coordination issues at the battalion level, but otherwise they’re pretty good. The Iraqi Army and the Iraqi Police are actually one of the most encouraging things I have seen here. Some of these people were paid for the first time only yesterday.” He said this in August. “They are incredibly dedicated.”
Like everyone else I talked to, he was frankly stunned by the changes he has seen in Ramadi.
“This place has made an amazing turnaround,” he said. “Everyone knew about Ramadi. It was another Fallujah, but it was worse than Fallujah. I did not want to come here. I was supposed to have an easy deployment in Karbala. Most guys coming out here were looking forward to combat. Not me. I had already done it. If you told me a few months ago what it would be like now I wouldn’t believe it. A little while ago we went to a soccer game. Lieutenant Tierney put it together. They have sixteen soccer teams now. We bought them uniforms, balls, water for the field, everything. They had a huge opening ceremony. Hundreds of people were there. It was incredible. Just incredible. It was a real storybook turnaround. This is why we fight. This is why what we do is worth doing. This is what makes the sacrifices, like Lieutenant Hightower having metal enter his body, worthwhile.”
Lieutenant Hightower was standing right next to us when Lieutenant Welch said that. He was hit with an IED a few months ago. Pieces of shrapnel tore up his leg. He nodded at what Lieutenant Welch said, agreeing that getting “blown up,” as Welch put it, was worth it.
“That is the most encouraging thing,” he said, “seeing American Soldiers at soccer games at a stadium that recently was used as a graveyard.”
“We’re learning to use local conflict resolution strategies,” said Colonel John Charlton. “Living with Iraqis every day helps us understand local culture. We’ve actually become attached to these people on a personal level. We feel responsible for their safety. We’re concerned about what will happen to our Iraqi friends if we don’t succeed in this country.”
I heard quite a number of Soldiers and Marines express the same sentiment. Whether it’s true or it isn’t, and whether it’s supposed to be this way or not, sometimes I sensed they feel like they’re fighting for Iraqis more than they feel they are fighting for Americans.
“We play soccer with the Iraqis,” Captain McGee said. “They always win. We taught them American football, though, and we always beat them at that. They can’t even throw the ball right.”
“All the mosques now have pro-US messages now,” Major Peters said. “They used to be anti-American, in part because AQI barged in and told them to broadcast anti-Americanism or die.”
“We have excellent relationships with every imam and every mosque in the city,” Colonel Charlton said. “Terrific relations. There are no negative comments about the coalition in mosques whatsoever. Previously there was. Partly because they hated us for a while, and also because AQI said to broadcast anti-American messages or they would be killed.”
“We get positive atmospherics from the locals,” Captain McGee said. “They say We feel really safe with you out here. We want to make sure they never think of us as an oppressor.”
If that ever happens (again), the Americans in Ramadi will be in deep trouble. They should count themselves lucky so far.
“We still haven’t seen a re-emergence of nationalist cells even four months after defeating Al Qaeda,” he continued. “That’s because we’re helping with projects and humanitarian aid.”
“Who exactly do you mean when you say nationalist cells?” I said.
“Baathists,” he said, “and a myriad of small Sunni rejectionist groups who wanted to eject coalition forces but did not harm Iraqis. They could have chosen to come back, but so far they haven’t. Partly, I think, it’s because personal contact with Iraqis over time has disproved the conspiracy theories about how we’re supposedly here to steal oil and women.”
Half the world seems to believe Americans invaded Iraq for the oil. I hadn’t heard about Americans supposedly invading Iraq to steal women, but it makes sense now that I’ve heard it. Many Iraqis compare the American invasion of Iraq, fairly or not, to the far nastier Mongol invasion of Iraq in the 13th Century. That was the chief point of reference for many of the nation’s Arabs (but not Kurds) when the Americans first showed up.
Other strange conspiracy theories abound. I never saw an American wearing a red beret, but apparently some Iraqis believe red berets are dyed in human blood. Perhaps the most amusing theory, which I know many Iraqis believe to this day, is that American Soldiers and Marines have what they call “cold pills” so they can’t feel the blistering heat of the summer.
“I demand cold pills!” an Iraqi officer said when he barged into the office of Colonel John Steele at Camp Taji.
“Listen,” the colonel said to the Iraqi and pointed at his own forehead. “You see these beads of sweat on my forehead that are running down toward my nose? That’s because I feel just as hot as you do.”
One American soldier told me about a time he was having tea in a friendly Iraqi civilian’s house.
“It’s hot today,” said the Iraqi, “but at least you have your air conditioner on.”
“What do you mean?” said the Soldier.
“Your air conditioner,” the Iraqi said and pointed at the Soldier’s bulky body armor.
The Soldier laughed out loud.
“That’s body armor,” he said. “Not an air conditioner!”
“Come on,” the Iraqi said. “We all know those are air conditioners.”
The Soldier took off his body armor and handed it to the Iraqi. “Here,” he said. “Put it on and see for yourself.”
The Iraqi donned the armor and suddenly felt even hotter.
“Hmm,” he said. “It is pretty hot. But I’m sure it will get cold after a while.”
Ramadi was eviscerated by war. It is still an emergency room case by the standards of the West, but it slowly recovering now that it’s safe to rebuild.
“Electricity and water are major priorities,” Colonel Charlton said. “Right now they have electricity for eight hours a day.” Recently they had zero. “It’s better now because the insurgents aren’t sabotaging the power grid. The electricity and sewer workers are working the hardest. They have a sewer system here, but it was broken by IEDs planted under the roads. Restoring basic services is a priority because it provides stability. The lack of services made people unhappy and exploitable.”
“AQI destroyed the cell phone tower and TV station,” Major Peters said, “but we put the tower back up.” I was able to make phone calls to the United States from Ramadi without even replacing my SIM card with an Iraqi card, but the system is still unreliable, and only around a third of my calls were ever connected.
“You see all these people working on the side of the road?” Captain Phil Messer said. “You would not have seen that even four months ago. It was absolutely unheard of.”
13 million dollars have been spent by the American military on rubble removal alone.
“Female Army Soldiers are working on women’s outreach programs,” said Major Peters.
“We’re like the Peace Corps with muscles here,” one Solider told me. That seems about right. And they’ve cleared a relatively safe space for civilian aid workers to move in and help, too.
“Each member of the municipal government has a partner with civilian reconstruction teams who specialize in various areas,” Colonel Charlton said. “At first judges and lawyers were afraid to even meet with us. They had to meet with us in secret. Military lawyers are being sent in to help now, and also civilian experts. They had no place for criminal trials, but we’re helping them build that now. There is also quite a bit of progress toward implementing the Rule of Law. The Iraqi Police were arresting people and no one really knew why or had documentation. People started just getting warehoused. We’re training them on proper police procedures and documentation, and showing them how to build case files. They all attend a detainee handling course to ensure against prisoner abuse.”
I don’t know what the population of Ramadi is now. It was around 450,000 people before the war, and it sharply declined during the fighting when so many fled. But the population is growing again, partly because many Sunnis are moving there from Baghdad, and also because many who left are returning.
“Every couple of days now people come home,” Captain Messer, referring to the small part of the city he’s responsible for. “They swing by the station and tell us they’re moving back and ask if it’s okay if they return to their houses. Of course it’s okay. They don’t have to ask that. But they don’t know. We tell them welcome home, welcome back to the neighborhood. And they always invite us over for dinner.”
Ramadi, and Anbar Province in general, still have serious problems.
“We still have to worry about potential destabilizing factors in the future,” Colonel Charlton said. “Reconstruction delays, economic stagnation, the isolation of Anbar by the government. Any of these things could happen. The central government needs to come out here and create some good faith.”
“They are pretty strongly against the government here,” Captain McGee said. “But last I heard that wasn’t any kind of a crime. Half of America opposes our own government, so…so what?”
The biggest problem, of course, is that Al Qaeda isn’t dead yet. Last week’s assassination of Anbar Awakening movement leader Sheikh Sattar Abu Risha is only the most recent grim reminder that Ramadi is still a part of Iraq.
“AQ will try to re-take the city,” Colonel Charlton said. “I am certain of it. They’ve already tried. They came in from Samarra, swung around, and approached from the south through the desert.” They did the same thing again even more recently. “It was an attack planned at the AQ national level and it erupted in a day-long fire fight. The whole province is a major failure and defeat for Al Qaeda. They need to ‘fix’ this, so to speak.”
The city, and the rest of Anbar Province will continue to suffer the tragic consequences of its geography even if it manages to repair its politics and its culture. Will another insurgency erupt? Will the Sunnis of Anbar declare war on the Shias in Baghdad? Well I don’t know, this is Iraq. But whatever happens, and whether it’s good news or bad, never again will Al Qaeda find a warm home here.
Post-script: Please support independent journalism. Traveling to and working in Iraq is expensive. I can’t publish dispatches on this Web site for free without substantial reader donations, so I'll appreciate it if you pitch in what you can. Blog Patron allows you to make recurring monthly payments, and even small donations will be extraordinarily helpful so I can continue this project.
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Posted by Michael J. Totten at September 18, 2007 01:31 AMA fantastic piece once again, Michael. Thank you so much for reporting the truth and risking your life in the process.
I've posted about your piece informing my readers.
thanks again
John
InfidelsAreCool.com
Definitely the most encouraging piece of news I've seen from Iraq in quite some time. Do you think that in order to replicate the success you've witnessed in Ramadi elsewhere in Iraq, it will require the current troop levels to be maintained indefinitely and possibly a significant expansion of the U.S. Army to facilitate this?
Posted by: EmbersFire at September 18, 2007 03:23 AMMichael,
What can I say but WONDERUL, WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL ! I shall make sure all my friends and relatives read it, as it is almost like a rare gem that must be seen to be truly appreciated :-)
Last week Hillary sealed her fate (as BIGGEST LOSER in 2008) by essentially calling the honorable General Petraeus a liar. Do you believe that!! Why isn't she posting comments here ? She is already trying to switch peoples' attention from her disgraceful comments to General Petraeus to her new healthcare plan... which she may herself need VERY SOON as she already looks haggard and worn out by her campaigning. TOO UNHEALTHY TO EVEN THINK OF BEING PRESIDENT. Her and her EQUALLY UNHEALTHY husband will NEVER HAVE THEIR DYNASTY IN THIS DEMOCRACY. The American people will not allow it, and EVERY one of my friends and relatives (and I've polled about 20) does NOT plan to vote for Hillary - case closed!
AND NOW, back to my point (sorry about going off on that tangent)....
Because of work by people like you and our fine military, we must continue down this long road to helping these wonderful, long suffering people finally flourish and enjoy their freedom!
Stay safe my friend.
Sincerely,
Ed
Love the bit about "cold pills."
BTW Mike you're sounding more and more like a military type yourself, captitalizing "soldier" ;-)
Posted by: Edgar at September 18, 2007 06:26 AMYOUR ARTICLE IS THE TYPE OF INTROSPECTIVE OBJECTIVE, "JUST THE FACTS" THE REST OF THE MEDIA OBSCURES WITH THEIR BIAS. GOOD SHOW.
Posted by: GARY SNYDER at September 18, 2007 06:39 AMIt sadly reminds me of some of the wonderful things we did with the Vietnamese. We can only hope the trust and frienships spread. God bless you and your work.
Posted by: Michael C Moehlenkamp at September 18, 2007 06:46 AMGreat reporting! The other media like TV and newspapers just don't do excellent reporting like this anymore. It is amazing that a single person is able to out-report entire organizations like the New York Times.
I have donated in the past, and will do so again. Good job.
Reading your article reminds me of a splinter. Pain is necessary because it warns of danger and impending catastrophe. Pity the leper. Who doesn't enjoy the feeling of pain ebbing away? The memory of how it felt compared to how it feels now is euphoric. You can almost feel the pain of Ramadi subside as the residents recover from the removal of Al Qaeda's 'splinter'. Other cities and countries aren't so fortunate. Thanks for the unobstructed view.
Posted by: CCC at September 18, 2007 07:26 AMWow. Michael, that was one of the greatest articles I have ever read. Thank you so much. Keep this up and you will begin to give Michael Yon a run for his money. Thanks for all you do.
Posted by: Cincy at September 18, 2007 07:31 AMExcellent reporting, especially the much needed comparisons with the Kurds. Who knows, there might even come a day when a significant minority of Westerners not only know who the Kurds are, but have an idea that if over 7 million Iraqis can live in peace there might be hope for the rest.
You have some wonderful photos of the kids. Looking at them you just know that their parents have to be pretty decent people that we should be able to find a sustainable common ground with.
Take care.
Posted by: H. Short at September 18, 2007 07:38 AMMichael,
This was a great piece with a wonderful blend of humor, realism, and clear writing about how things are on the ground. I'm particularly interested in this quote:
“It was nothing we did,” said Marine Lieutenant Colonel Drew Crane who was visiting for the day from Fallujah. “The people here just couldn’t take it anymore.”
I think this Lieutenant Colonel just about said it best in regards to Iraq. Iraq will become the nation it needs to become not because of anything we do, but because of what they will do. Iraq will go in the direction its people choose it to go, whether back to dictatorships or democracy, or theocracy.
I think it is about time we let Iraq alone.
Posted by: Dan at September 18, 2007 07:42 AMDan: I think it is about time we let Iraq alone.
It's about time that thugs, dictators and international terrorist organizations left Iraq alone, too.
I'm sure we'll be happy to leave once they do.
Posted by: Edgar at September 18, 2007 07:58 AMOutstanding read! Thank you for taking the time and risk to report the real deal.
Posted by: Mark at September 18, 2007 08:03 AMMy heart swells.
Thank you for bringing this to us.
Posted by: Creamy Goodness at September 18, 2007 08:11 AMI believe there are only 3 REAL reporters in Iraq right now.
You are one of them.
Keep up the excellent work and stay safe.
Cheers,
knewshound
http://www.knewshound.blogspot.com/
Posted by: knewshound at September 18, 2007 08:25 AMDan: I think it is about time we let Iraq alone.
As a fence-sitting skeptic, I can't go with you on that one, certainly not for Anbar in light of this article and other recent reports in harmony with it. We are obviously doing far more good than harm in Ramadi. There are many chapters yet to be written, but we must press our advantage while we have it. Regardless of who gets credit for the changes that have taken place, we are well-positioned to help consolidate them.
Posted by: Creamy Goodness at September 18, 2007 08:42 AMWonderful piece Micheal. It got me wondering, how is Al Jazeera reporting this? If at all. Once again, thanks.
Posted by: Kevin at September 18, 2007 08:49 AMOh yes. Wonder how this private security mess will affect things? If the US government plays it right they will allow the Iraqi's to take action against the company first. Talk about a goodwill gesture. Your thoughts please.
Posted by: Kevin at September 18, 2007 08:51 AMMichael,
In america we have reached an incredibly sad state of affairs with the mainstream media. They were the very people that tried to teach us not to trust the Nixon's of the world in the sixties and now they have become worse than any corrupt politician.
People like you have to be heard and supported in order for there to ever be a change in the ridiculous crap we see on an every day basis. Thank you for your commitment and risks you have taken to bring a small part of the truth to this side of the ocean.
Iraq and the worldwide fight against AQ are complicated problems, but your reporting demonstrates that commitment and perseverance do pay off.
Thanks
Gary
Trackbacked by The Thunder Run - Web Reconnaissance for 09/18/2007
A short recon of what’s out there that might draw your attention, updated throughout the day...so check back often.
Great reporting.
Why is it that we can't get this type of journalism across the board?
How could we start a, say, Adopt an Iraqi family in Anbar program, for instance. We could send items, direct to military people on duty with the names of Iraqis on packages, for delivery. Perhaps it would be a way to show that Americans hope and pray for their peace as well. I would be willing to get the ball rolling.
Barry
I write a weekly column of conservative views and information in Red Bluff, CA, and often devote space to the suppport of the war, "the rest of the story". I will use, w/attribution, as much as I have space for, because it is so much more worth reading than anything I can write. With the web address at the end, hopefully there will be some more traffic from our "red county" readers, maybe some financial support, too. Sadly, the lack of interest in covering progress and victories by US military and Iraqis has been the norm; Totten, Yon, Roggio have all, through the net, done well to counter that.
Posted by: Don Polson at September 18, 2007 09:40 AMGary Howorka: [The media] were the very people that tried to teach us not to trust the Nixon's of the world in the sixties and now they have become worse than any corrupt politician.
They used to be a lot worse:
As Martin Lee and Norman Solomon noted in their 1990 book Unreliable Sources, Hearst "routinely invented sensational stories, faked interviews, ran phony pictures and distorted real events."
We should always read all reports with a skeptical eye, including MJT's. I am certain he would not object. He's knows that if he pulls anything egregious in the age of the internet he's gonna get nailed, and occasional tough but civil interrogation about his biases makes him a better reporter and serves to clarify his work.
Posted by: Creamy Goodness at September 18, 2007 10:06 AMI was in tears from your report. Thank you for showing the good that is happening in Iraq. You're right, your independence allows you to cover such stories, which need to be told.
Posted by: Linda at September 18, 2007 10:07 AMWhat an excellent, encouraging article, and the pictures really do speak a thousand words. If it weren't for you and a few other independent journalists, no one in America would know anything about Iraq except the daily body count of American dead, or the news ALERT when some bloody violence happens, and the mainstream journalists descend on it like vultures. I have yet to see any coverage of happy people in Iraq on my television. All I hear is that the situation is hopeless, the Iraqis all hate us, and the sooner we all leave, the better. Oh, and there was never any point in going to Iraq but to ensure a supply of oil. Maybe you should ping Alan Greenspan to this article, along with all the members of Congress.
Posted by: David M at September 18, 2007 10:13 AMThanks for bringing some good news MJT!
So how are the folks in Anbar looking at the Central government etc? Getting the Sunni to boot out AQI is great, but what about reconciliation with the rest of the nation? Or would more Sunni prefer to split the country back apart? did you talk to anyone about options they see for the future?
Posted by: Ratatosk at September 18, 2007 10:31 AMThanks for bringing some good news MJT!
So how are the folks in Anbar looking at the Central government etc? Getting the Sunni to boot out AQI is great, but what about reconciliation with the rest of the nation? Or would more people in prefer to split the country back apart? Did they have other ideas? Did you talk to anyone about options they see for the future?
Thanks again for all the great reporting :)
Posted by: Ratatosk at September 18, 2007 10:40 AMWith a courageous son who's stationed at Camp Taji, it was wonderful to reconfirm what he has been saying about the improving conditions and how grateful the Iraqis are toward Americans. Thank you for your insight....if only our politicians could report the goods news to America. Thanks for your dedication to bringing the truth to us. Proud mom of Spc. Corey Blatchford, USArmy
Posted by: Doris Blatchford at September 18, 2007 10:42 AMThanks for a great article. Keep up the good work.
Ken
Posted by: Ken at September 18, 2007 10:45 AMRatatosk,
To quote Andrew Sullivan (who has been a useful war skeptic of late), "the vast majority [of Iraqis] want Iraq to remain as one country. They just differ over who should run it."
Reconciliation is going to be tough and there are not any direct, immediate reasons for optimism. But it looks to me like Anbar is worth staying in for its own sake. The possibility exists that we will overstay our welcome, but it's also possible that a critical transformation is taking place. Even if Iraq falls apart later, today's changes may be lasting.
Posted by: Creamy Goodness at September 18, 2007 10:56 AMGood stuff Mr. Totten. I was a military interrogator in Ramadi last year. I talked to hundreds of locals, some were truly evil bastards, but most were intimidated rabbits and more or less innocent. It would infuriate me to no end that these rabbits refused to fight back and take Ramadi from AQIZ. Once it was obvious that these folks were not going to help us fight AQIZ, I would tell them how things could be without Saddam and without the terrorists. I hope a few of them listened and played a part in getting a better life for themselves. The revitalization of Ramadi truly makes what I did worth every minute of aggravation I had. As many others have said, thanks for getting real news like this to Americans.
Posted by: Jay at September 18, 2007 11:09 AMBeautiful article - gives me hope. Thank you so much.
Posted by: Joan at September 18, 2007 11:16 AMCreamy,
I don't think the Kurds want Iraq to remain one unit.
Posted by: Edgar at September 18, 2007 11:21 AMMichael,
Thank you for a great article. It is what is; just great reporting. You put the information out there and let the reader make up their own mind. It's something that I greatly appreciate. If only the lamestream media could just do the same and report. Keep up the great work.
Leave it to Dan and other people that think the same way; the "surge" is working well it's time to go home. LOL American soldiers and Marines are "defeating" the terrorist lies about our soldiers, Marines and they didn't have to use a gun. You'd figure that liberals around the US would be jumping for joy. Except, they couldn't abandon those kids you took pictures of fast enough. If anything we should be surging more, hell take out the Big Red 1 in Bosnia and stick them in Iraq. We have finally reached a tipping point in Iraq and the Democrat leadership want to destroy the goodwork our servicemen and women have fought and bled for. Talk about ASS-Backwards.
Posted by: Pete Dawg at September 18, 2007 11:24 AMMJT: The one question I have about this article is this....Do you have any sense of what the Anbarites (Anbarians?) know / think about what the Kurdish areas are like?
Your portrayal of the Kurds makes it seem like there situation should be the goal of these folks, but is it? Or when they speak of Kurds is it all anti-sectarian / ethnic conflict?
I guess I want to know it they are jealous of the Kurds or if they think that they can achieve the same?
Posted by: AlanC at September 18, 2007 11:25 AMWould this have been possible without the cruelty of AQ occurring first?
Posted by: exhelodrvr at September 18, 2007 12:13 PMEdgar,
You're right, and in fact, I misinterpreted Sullivan — apologies, and thanks for the nudge. He was referring to Sunnis:
92 percent of Sunni Arab Iraqis see attacks on US forces as acceptable, compared with 50 percent of the Shia. I don't see progress in these self-reported findings. Worse: the vast majority want Iraq to remain as one country. They just differ over who should run it.
The poll Sullivan references was jointly sponsored by ABC, the BBC, and NHK. The full ABC article has links to a complete pdf report with charts and the questionaire (translated into English, of course) and a sidebar explaining the poll methodology.
The "92 percent" number Sullivan quotes was in response to this question:
Do you think that...[read item] is an acceptable or unacceptable activity by al Qaeda in Iraq?
a. Attacks on US and coalition forces
I'm having some difficulty resolving the dissonance between that statistic and MJT's report.
Posted by: Creamy Goodness at September 18, 2007 12:33 PMMr. Totten:
Please consider removing this from your wonderful article:
“I trust these people almost as much,” he said. “Are they petty? Yes. Are they tribal? Yes. Are they Arabs?” He rolled his eyes. “Yes. Do they believe in conspiracy theories? Yes. But they have their act together now.”
I suspect it could be considered a disrespectful comment by an American soldier and thereby endanger that soldier.
Thank you.
Posted by: cliff Thier at September 18, 2007 12:35 PMPete,
they didn't have to use a gun. You'd figure that liberals around the US would be jumping for joy. Except, they couldn't abandon those kids you took pictures of fast enough.
Um, perhaps you didn't read the article well. The Sunnis in Ramadi didn't turn on Al-Qaeda because of us. They did so because Al-Qaeda pressed their hand too hard. So if it wasn't because of us, what the hell are we doing there?
Furthermore, I'm quite happy that Sunnis and Americans are hugging and not fighting. I'm quite pleased with what has happened in Anbar. But again, WE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT! The good Lieutenant Colonel said so himself, and he's on the ground in Ramadi.
In fact, the events of Anbar this past year signals to me that a withdrawal of American troops will NOT lead to a widening conflict.
Posted by: Dan at September 18, 2007 01:05 PMcliff: I suspect it could be considered a disrespectful comment by an American soldier and thereby endanger that soldier.
I don't think the Iraqis get that pissed off when American soldiers call them "petty."
But it probably does piss them off when American soldiers invade their country and shoot them with machine guns.
Hey, come to think of it, there are people called "insurgents" that already got pissed off because of that. This soldier has been endangered for quite some time. And since he can't call the police, the poor guy has to carry a gun around for self-defense!
This is an outrage! Give him a new name and put him into the goddamn witness protection program IMMEDIATELY!
Posted by: Edgar at September 18, 2007 01:12 PMBBC News: French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner has again raised the spectre of a conflict with Tehran, warning the world "to prepare for the worst... and the worst means war".
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6998118.stm
Oh no!!!! Not Ze French.... Let's throw in the towel now, not. Mr. Kouchner’s world class brown-nosing of the current US administration aside, the prospect of facing French military power projection as well as American really isn’t giving any of us in Tehran additional sleepless nights. In fact, any alliance with France surely makes a US victory LESS likely...
Putting geopolitics, "Axis of Evil," "Marg bar Amrika" and whatever Mr. Ahmednejad thinks of Israel today to one side for a minute, I firmly believe there are some things Americans and Iranians can all agree on: namely that the French are crap – at both war fighting and pop music.
Le Microrapteur is interested in what exactly posters here think the CESMs might bring to the US order of battle in Kouchner’s putative "war with Iran?"
Et Voila!! Regardez mes braves… This is Le Microrapteur’s list:
1. An oldie, but a goodie: Paris could raise their national security alert status from "Run" to "Hide" -- leaving the tactical leeway to ramp up to "Surrender" or even "Collaborate," if things get really nasty...
2. Sending an expeditionary type force from the sunlit uplands of Christendom to the black heart of the Dar al Islam. In this instance bussing a crew of CRS riot cops (excuez moi, Knights Templars) from central Paris, across the Peripherique ring roads and into the concrete sprawl of Paris’ not-so-gay suburban housing projects in order to batter a few Renault torching Maghrebi "gangbangeurs” (ah…Saracens) could fit Kouchner’s bill.
3. Vote in large numbers for the racist anti-Muslim, anti-Semitic proto-fascist Front National of Jean Marie Le Pen. Oh… they do that anyway, do they? Even in peacetime? Ok…nice people… onwards.
4. Aha…Perhaps the frogs will bomb us Iroonis to death with their world famous Armee de L’air? It’s the world’s oldest airforce (apparently) founded in 1909… pulverised by the Luftwaffe in 1940 and they've never looked back. Ooooh La La... excuzez moi while I pissez dans mon pants… the French Airforce are coming. Mon Dieu, non…
Look, American combat aircraft are cool. Everyone knows they are the best. Tom Cruise and Richard Gere wouldn’t “fly” them in the movies if they were second rate would they? Paramount and the Scientologists wouldn’t let them. And American jets are called things like “Nighthawk,” “Fighting Falcon” and “Eagle.” These are Deadly Birds of Prey. This is Cool.
The main French warplane is called the "Mirage." A Mirage is an optical illusion common in desert conditions whereby something appears to exist, until you get up close, at which point it vanishes into thin air…. Plus ca Change...
5. Mon Dieu…. Perhaps they’ll hit us wiz ze Special Forces? Les Commandos… Zut Alors! Unfortunately, Frenchmen are not hard. They are soft. If I’m not mistaken, the toughest regiment La France possesses is called "The Foreign Legion," thus named precisely because it is composed of people who are NOT French -- in fact, nowadays they are mainly Serbian war criminals on the lam. Not bad when it comes to shooting up West African child soldiers, but I don’t fancy Paris’ Slivovic swilling Chetniks’ chances in Iran’s salt deserts. And anyway, our Persian women are too good looking for them to want to fight us.
But this is where it gets nasty, I’m afraid.
6. What if the French use their Doomsday Weapons? Not nukes, silly… La Musique. Might not La belle France assault Iranian troop formations with a shocking and awesome rolling barrage of dire French Europop, played at unbearable volumes... Like Noriega in Panama but worse. Coz it’s French pop music. The worst music in the world.
Good Lord it might just work! We martyrdom crazed Shia loons may yet face being crooned into submission….
This is serious. It's dangerous stuff, French Pop Music. Comparable - I would argue - to most WMD... Indeed, according to Wikipedia, French Popular Musique (“Le Pop”) is so inhumane and repellent that – officially at least - no other country maintains any stockpiles of this odious material whatsoever.
It is outlawed under the terms of the 3rd Geneva Convention on Basic Human Taste, The Oslo Common Sense Accords and of course the NPT (Normal Pop Treaty). However, French popular music has not officially been used as a weapon in combat or counter-insurgency operations by Paris since the notorious "Charles Aznavour gramophone -- Berber donkey riots” in the Oran Casbah, during the vicious struggle against the Algerian Independence movement back in the 1960s.
Nevertheless, France insists on retaining an independent - non NATO - rubbish pop music stockpile as a detterent, the so-called "Force de Crappe."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/aznavour-oran/donkey-gonads-atrocity/07091720STR.asp
Janes Defence Weekly have reported that in 1983 President Mitterend sent a complete K-Tel “Best of Johnny Hallyday" double box set CD to Saddam Hussein as a birthday gift during the Iran-Iraq war, but that this was never actually deployed in combat. Subsequent searches by UNSCOM inspectors prior to the 1990-91 Gulf War for an alleged Iraqi Mobile Rolleur-Discotheque programme proved inconclusive.
http://janesdefenceweekly.co.uk/hallyday-iran/iraq11231
According to uncorroborated reports from Iraqi dissidents, the Hallyday disc was in fact appropriated by none other than Uday Hussein himself. He is said to have used it during casual, family-oriented weekend-break torture sessions of Kurdish intellectuals at his summer Necrodrome in Kirkurk. Uday apparently claimed the double album had a "happy, catchy beat: nice for raping..."
http://amnestyinternational.co.uk/Iraq-Uday/Hallyday15626sqa
Uday’s fondness for “les chansons Francaise” is of course famously backed up by the testimony of PUK Kurdish activist and former prisoner, Kofte Doner-Shashlik, who in 1995 told Human Rights Watch he had been repeatedly exposed to track 7, disc 2 (Hallyday’s Francophone cover of “Da Do Ron Ron”) on loop for a 24 hour period. He finally managed to chew both his own ears off, rather than continue listening. This physically impossible act of self mutilation so delighted Uday Hussein that he granted the man an immediate pardon. Shashlik’s story inspired the 1996 straight-to-video movie “Hallydays in Hell” starring one time Jedi, Mark Hamill as Uday Hussein. It was a project Hamill himself credited with keeping the shredded remnants of his acting career in the doldrums for a further decade.
http://HRW.reports/Iraq/Shashlik/Shit-music-torture.1997/Frenchcrap.
http://hallydaysinhell-the-movie.com
Guys and Dolls... please THINK about this before rushing headlong into a needless and bloody military adventure whilst allied with France… Why not rush headlong into a needless and bloody military adventure on your own. It’s safer.
Look, in the very worst case scenario, all the Iranian government probably wants to do is take over the whole world and rule it with an iron fist forever.
I ask you, is that really so bad compared to the very real risk of American troops getting friendly-fired by, say, Vanessa Paradis' "Joe Le Taxi" played indiscriminately at 50,000 Watts...? Because if the French use their music as a tactical battlefield weapon that is what will happen. Ask yourselves, is freedom and prosperity really worth it? Picture this: a battleground – red and brown – somewhere near Abadan:
-Jeezus H… Sarge, What the F*** happened to Specialist Monterres?
-Damn it all, Kaplowski. Back blast from a LAW created a shock wave... one of Monterres' $42,000 Carbon-Kevlar-Goretex mesh Haliburton earplugs flew out just as we were taking that Persian ridge... Unfortunately this was the exact moment our “allies” in the 2nd Battalion Vichy Weaseleur Dragoons decided to play… uh... 'That Song...'
- The…. Not the cab driver one? Holy Shi’ite. Poor Monty. Another goddam fuckin' "Bleu on Bleu..."
- Damn straight, soldier. Monterres was exposed to weapons grade “Le Pop” for over 13 seconds. I put him out of his misery as humanely as I could in the circumstances.
- You… sawed his head off with a Leatherman tool?!
- War is Hell kid. But French music is worse. And the sawing noise – coupled with Monterres’ pitiful screams – helped drown that shit out. Believe me, it’s what he would have wanted.
US Military psychologists also warn that any sudden contact of American troops with dreadful French popular music could lead to chronic and widespread PTSD - Post Traumatic Song Disorder. Army medics note that – unlike in WW2 - the vast bulk of today’s US forces are only familiar with good music and will be wholly unprepared for the aural-psychological battering prolonged battlefield exposure to crappy French tunes represents.
“It’s really a hangover from Vietnam. That’s when American music really started to rock. The 60’s, you know. And these guys serving today, they grew up with a whole range of great stuff from Johnny Cash through Eminem to The Ramones, James Brown to Tupac’” said Dr. Tammy Mowton.
“You can’t expect them to go out there under fire, to kill, to be killed, to destroy shit, to eat shit – I mean MREs, to defend nascent democracy, guard playgrounds and through happy coincidence also inadvertently secure cheap energy supplies for the US economy, all the while confronting Islamo-fascist terrorists in their own swampy breeding grounds - whilst trying to remember eachother’s combat nick-names under fire…. And on top of it all, we expact them to listen to Jean Michel fucking Jarre and come back in a healthy frame of mind? These boys are only human. Everyone has their limits.”
The French Ministry of Defence are quick to point out that Jean Michel Jarre (formerly Jean-Michel Jarre) dropped the hyphen from his stage name back in 1991, coincidentally just after Operation Desert Storm. But according to Dr Mowton, this is completely irrelevant.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Michel_Jarre
On top of this, were the French to use Euro-pop music in anger during any conflict with Iran, there is the very real danger of proliferation and a twisted regional electro-synth chanson based arms race.
If you Americans go to war alongside France and the Saudis see just how deadly French pop-tastic synth-rock can be in a combat situation, they’ll want their own collection. Then it’ll be the Syrians, then the Iraqis, followed in short order by Egypt, Pakistan, Libya, Lebanon, Turkey, Yemen and so on… no doubt if Iran survives the audio onslaught, the first thing on the regime’s wish list will be a double “A” side Maurice Chevalier 12”.
Sans doubte Paris will be more than happy to fuel this madness, but is pandering to the short-sighted avarice of France’s Musical-Industrial complex really the way to guarantee regional stability in the Persian Gulf?
Microrapteur thinks not.
You see, the problem is countries in the Middle East don’t understand the logic or culture of deterrent. Ask any Western statesman, military general or even Hi-Fi owner and they’ll tell you all about the MAD doctrine. This works on a balance of Terror: ie. You would have to be fucking MAD to even consider listening to French pop music in the first place, let alone playing it at volume. Because if you did, your enemy/neighbour might get MAD themselves, dig out an even worse French album and play it back even louder. And that would be… Terrible.
The Middle Eastern mentality is different. We are mad already. Once “Le Chat Musiquale Quittez Le Sac,” frankly it’s game over. End-ex. Your whole American way of life could be threatened.
Or perhaps it already is….
A recent policy study commissioned by the Washington based neo-conservative think-tank the PNAC (Prog-rock and Nice American Country) entitled “Oh My God, Bill! Hordes of Killer Sand-Niggers are Coming Over The Hill to Eat our Children, or Maybe Do Something Even Worse: A Strategic Response” suggests it may already be too late.
http://PNAC.com/omgbhsncoheocomdsew/report/2007/Froggi/11200sql
The report’s authors, J David Schlepper III and Dr. Uzi Phudnik cite intelligence sources linked to Paris-based freedom loving neo-Stalinist Iranian dissident group, The Democratic Popular Front for the Eternal Glory of Maximum Leader Maryam Rajavi, who claim Iran may already possess significant stockpiles of near weapons-grade Frankish pop music.
“The regime in Tehran has long wanted to acquire a viable “Le Pop” capability and worryingly, we think they have succeeded,” Dr. Phudnik said.
“According to our sources, Iranian government scientists have managed to do this by scouring the international black market for the necessary pre-cursors and then reverse engineering them. Basically, Tehran has stockpiled vast quantities of Celine Dion albums under the noses of both the UN inspectors and international community. ”
While not technically French per se, Ms. Dion is a Francophone Quebecoise and many analysts argue that most, if not all, of her songs contain significant quantities of “Merde,” the crucial raw material used to produce French popular music.
“The Iranians have acquired literally tens of thousands of Celine Dion albums using clandestine procurement methods such as e-bay, yard sales, dime stores and going through people’s garbage. We believe they may have managed to separate enough “Merde” to manufacture at least five crude tactical French “Le-Pop” MP-3s.” Dr. Phudnik added.
David Schlepper agrees.
“We totally reject Tehran’s claims that their Dion CDs are for peaceful purposes. President Ahmedinajad’s recent speech claiming Celine Dion was ‘OK music to drive to, I suppose: da da daa daa… once more /open door/I know my heart go on and on and on…la la la… death to the Jews…’ simply does not stand up to scrutiny. Anyone who has witnessed Tehran traffic at first hand knows that Hard-Core Polish Blitzkrieg Techno is far more suitable for the lethal conditions on most Iranian roads,”
“But the real nightmare scenario would occur if the Mullahs were to load one of these songs onto, say, an iPod Nano and give it to a crazed death loving terrorist Jihadi. This crazed death loving terrorist Jihadi could then smuggle the iPod into an American city by disguising it as an innocuous every day object, such as an iPod… and potentially he’d be able to play a French song on US soil through those neat little speakers you can get.”
And according to PNAC, it gets worse:
“We already know a lot of Black Muslims out there are Black – and as if that wasn’t bad enough, most if not all, are Muslim. What if the terrorist hooked up with a sleeper cell of ‘Brothers’ with access to a sound system in da Hood? We’ve all seen MTV Base, need I go on? Imagine the devastating effects on, say, downtown Cleveland if terrorists hooked up an Iranian “Doomsday” iPod up to a 5,000 Watt Bustin’ Sounds style turbo rig and let fly with that Froggie ‘Je t’adore, mon amour’ faux guitar synth crap?”
But PNAC’s fears are as nothing compared to lurid reports coming from the office of the US Vice President himself.
“According to our sources the Iranians might even have acquired a real, live French peasant style Accordion. Certainly that is their aim,” Mr. Cheney told a recent meeting of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Cheney claimed the Accordion may have originally been a gift given by the Elysee Palace to Kazakhstan’s Premier Nazarbayev to congratulate him on winning 99.7% of the popular vote in the 2002 elections. The Iranians, Cheney believes, have paid as much as $40 billion for the device, but were as yet “unsure how to play the damn thing.”
But critics in Iran dismiss such allegations - especially the unsubstantiated accordion story - as politically inspired scaremongering.
“Both the PNAC and Dick Cheney are following a Zionist agenda,” said Iranian deputy Minister for Culture, Sports and Open Toed Footwear, Hassan al-Ghuna.
“The position of the Iranian government is very clear: we signed the NPT because we like nice music. We prefer to see a Middle East completely free from shitty French music, and indeed free of all rubbish Euro-pop derivatives. But this must be consistent. It has not escaped our notice that the Zionist entity has a thriving crappy domestic pop music scene.”
Al-Ghunna cited the band Teapacks and Dana International as prime examples that Israel was trying to maintain a qualitative, monopolistic edge and sought to dominate the region with crappy home-grown French-style Eurotrash bands.
The Iranians argue Israel receives regular large scale support - to ensure its Euro-pop music scene remains worryingly sub-standard - by being unfairly granted annual admission to join the dire Eurovision Song Contest.
“This is unjust. Israel is not even in Europe,” said Al-Ghunna
“If the Jews want to compete in Eurovision so much they should all move back there,” he added.
Iranian analysts have noted with concern that the Teapacks song “Push the Button” - which Tehran believes refers to Ehud Olmert loading a Vanessa Paradis album into a massive CD deck aimed at the Muslim world, and then pressing play - is partly sung in French.
“Not only that, but Teapacks’ keyboard player Noam Yankelevich, also plays… an Accordion!” Al Ghunna exclaimed.
“This is a very difficult instrument to play, not that we've ever tried, but if that Zionist one isn’t bloody well French, then I don’t know what is. And this is scientific fact – a real Accordion – it’s there in the photos of Yankelevich. Look, real, real… not one of Cheney’s lies. Check the link. It’s a real one this time!”
http://www.yle.fi/eurovision/main.php?2596
Dark Days indeed mes amis….
Of course, I, Microrapteur, doubt the French would dare use their apocalyptic music in a war with Iran. As I have outlined, the risks to global stability are simply too great. Plus I reckon, they’d be too scared, comme toujours.
And remember, people, we in Iran may have weaponised Dion….
So, what could our Fromage Munching Simian Submissive chums do to help guarantee you Yanks a memorable military victory if points 1 – 6 outlined above don’t deliver?
Ah easy…. If all else fails…
7. Get the odious Thierry Meysann to write a best-selling book about how, despite all evidence to the contrary, the French actually fought in the war and won.
- Another Day of Life - Don't Bomb Iran -
Posted by: Le Microrapteur at September 18, 2007 01:19 PMMicroraptor is a macro-spammer.
Posted by: Edgar at September 18, 2007 01:21 PMGreat job, as always. I try to get this out to as many people as I possibly can; please tell the servicemen you meet over there that more people are praying for them than are praying against them.
TWH
Posted by: tom at September 18, 2007 01:30 PMI was stationed in the Al Anbar province during the height of its violence. When I first arrived we were mortared every night, hit 2 IEDS, and lost a friend to a sniper. By the end of my tour we were no longer mortared. Talks/planning of civilian infrastructure were taking place. It's good to hear the fruits of our labor along with the efforts of the Iraqi people are starting to show. Thanks for the report
Posted by: Chuck at September 18, 2007 01:31 PMexhelodrvr: Would this have been possible without the cruelty of AQ occurring first?
Not according to the Army and Marines in Anbar.
Make no mistake, fixing Baghdad is going to be a lot harder.
Posted by: Michael J. Totten at September 18, 2007 01:35 PMFYI.
Israelis were flying Mirages during 6-day war of 1967.
Posted by: leo at September 18, 2007 01:38 PMGreat reportage, Mr. Totten.
Pics of kids are simply amazing. Choked me up...in a good way.
Pic of men who asked you to sit and have tea: Except for them sitting in the street, has the same look and feel of Avenue A between 13th and 14th here in NYC's East Village.
Will you get a chance to meet Sattar's brother Ahmed?
***
"We thank everyone [in the United States] who is sending their sons here. I'd like to let them know their sons in Anbar are in the safest place they ever could be." (Shaykh Sattar, July 30, 2007, in an interview with WaPo's Ann Scott Tyson)
"Although they killed Sattar, there are a million Sattars in Anbar" (Sattar's brother Ahmed, Friday, September 14, 2007, after burying Sattar and succeeding him as head of Anbar Salvation Council)
Posted by: robert stevens at September 18, 2007 01:39 PMI suspect it could be considered a disrespectful comment by an American soldier and thereby endanger that soldier.
No.
Posted by: Michael J. Totten at September 18, 2007 01:41 PMfabulous report, personal in feel and sweeping in scope. thank you.
Posted by: Huan Vu at September 18, 2007 01:50 PMThank you for all the work and sacrifices you have made in order to bring America this unabashed and honest look at what is really happening in Iraq. It is probably the most important and needed gift any citizen could provide their country. As valued as those who also risk their lives to defend it, you have risked yours to tell the story of these brave people fighting al-Qaeda.
My thanks to you sir, AJStrata
Posted by: AJStrata at September 18, 2007 01:50 PMDan said I'm quite pleased with what has happened in Anbar. But again, WE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT!.
Dan, I happen to agree with your point that it took the Iraqis to finally stand up for themselves for this type of environment to exist, but clearly you have not read most of MJT's recent posts, nor are you apparently familiar with the changes in tactics that are frequently discussed in detail on this site.
It was precisely because of the security afforded to this community that they were able to repel the insurgency responsible for the raping in killing MJT details in his missive. They were simply not capable of doing it without the US' assistance.
At any rate, the one theme I continue to find most compelling in MJT's posts is the one of education and awareness. I found this to be the case when I was there. Communication counters ignorance and bigotry. This war is no different than our society here at home with respect to this issue.
All it takes is for people (even of contrary views) to start talking, and to begin to truly understand what they initially assume are contrary views. The body armor cooling story still cracks me up.
Great work, Michael! Thank you.
Posted by: Rob at September 18, 2007 01:51 PMMy son while in Iraq as an Army sniper serving two 12 month long tours told all of us at home each time that the locals want us there and go out of there way to show it. While he was stationed near Al Asad he told us the locals would give them home grown veggies and soda pop. In turn my son would hand out pens and pencils and paper to the kids. He once broke up a fight between a bunch of kids fighting over a pencil. He then asked us to send what we could so he could distribute the supplies. The Iraqis where my son was denounce the actions of those who have chosen their country as a staging ground against the USA. All of the pictures in this story show the real thing over there. These are families with kids just like us here at home. All they want is to live in peace.
Posted by: Bob Lamb at September 18, 2007 01:56 PMMichael - excellent and interesting reporting. I took a long break from reading your (and all other) blogs for about 6 months or so (a career change took up most of my time) and I began reading your blog again right after you returned from Iraq. As you know I donated to you several times last year and I was hoping that your new career would have continued success. IMHO your writing has improved and your articles have more substance to them than before.
As for the comments - dogma still prevails as the same people tend to make the same statements ad nauseum to convince themselves that their beliefs are correct, although there are many who have interesting ideas and opinions too - nice to see that Tosk is commenting again. I spent quite a bit of time working on my own dogma and questioning everything I believe thanks to him. Strange how most everything we all believe today will be considered to be quite incorrect 100 years from now, just as so many things that people thought what was considered to be "true" 100 years ago we think is very incorrect today.
Very nice to hear some good news out of Iraq, maybe there's a chance for success after all - we can hope anyway. Very interesting to read about the complexities and tribal/cultural differences that make up Iraq - makes it very difficult to generalize about what's going on or what should be going on there and have it be meaningful. Keep up the excellent, objective, and unconventional reporting. I'll be donating again soon to your endeavors.
Posted by: markytom at September 18, 2007 02:04 PMexhelodrvr: Would this have been possible without the cruelty of AQ occurring first?
Ditto MT: No.
Nor would it have been possible without the work of Col. Sean MacFarland, the late Capt. Travis Patriquin and the Ready First Brigade. MacFarland was given free hand in Ramadi by superiors after Anbar was considered all but lost.
Great interview with MacFarland on NPR on Friday. Listen here.
Says Macfarland of learning of Sattar's assassination: I felt like I lost a member of my Brigade.
Posted by: robert stevens at September 18, 2007 02:08 PMDan:
Your inference that events in Anbar indicate that a precipitous U.S. withdrawl from Iraq will not lead to widening conflict is illogical.
Per Michael's article, U.S. troops are still in Anbar and have respulsed 2 separate efforts to retake the city by AQI forces. Judging by the gratitude of the Iraqis Michael met, the Anbaris do not think U.S. troops are overplaying their hand, overstaying their welcome, or have become superfluous to their security.
While I do not doubt that the majority want the U.S. presence to be as brief as possible, it does not appear that they want them to leave now. I suspect it will take a fairly significant period of calm before Anbaris feel secure enough to press for the inevitable U.S. withdrawl.
Posted by: Mark-In-Chi-Town at September 18, 2007 02:16 PMOne last thing. This is an absolute must-read: "Anatomy of a Tribal Revolt" by Dave Kilcullen, Small Wars Journal, August 29, 2007
Posted by: robert stevens at September 18, 2007 02:22 PMexhelodrvr: Would this have been possible without the cruelty of AQ occurring first?
Not according to the Army and Marines in Anbar.
Exactly! Al Qaeda's brand of 'chemotherapy' was deadlier to the host than to the disease (U.S.) it was intended to fight, and the patient finally got wise to it. A popular Arab adage is, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." Just because a common enemy was neutralized doesn't negate that we're still enemies on another level.
Posted by: CCC at September 18, 2007 02:41 PMDan:
It is quite clear to anyone not bent with an agenda, that the reason these good people were able to resist the terrorists was because of the military. If our forces were not there to help the folks with security and provide muscle when needed, any resistance would be met with murder and chaos. The locals had no way to protect themselves or be safe in resistance. None of this would have taken place without the cooperation of both parties. You have a clear bias against our military being able to make a difference for the better. The tribal leaders have all been quite clear. They needed the help of our soldiers, and turned to them in their time of need. Our soldiers needed their help as well. No war is ever perfect, and not having to go to war is even better. Al-Qaeda want's this area back badly, and I find it hard to believe that you would be blind to the fact that if we left them before that threat is gone and before their own troops can effectively protect them, there would be unimaginable evil brought to the doorsteps of those who are trying to rebuild a peaceful life.
Our troops, along with the good people of this city had everything to do with it.
If it will help you to see this clearly, just pretend there is a Democrat in the White House. That seems to be the deciding factor with the left as far as the military in concerned.
Dan,
I've read quite a few of your posts, and as much as I would like to disagree with you on all of them, as an Iraq war vet I cannot. I've been there and seen just how difficult the situation is. But there seems to be one unmistakable point that you have overlooked. Yes, you are right, the turnaround in Ramadi did not happen because of the Americans, it happened because of the Iraqis changing their minds. We cannot deny however, that it could not have happened WITHOUT American support. They have the will, we have the firepower. Did you see the picture for part 1? The Iraqi spear with the American muscle behind it? This turnaround has occurred because the Iraqis and American forces are working TOGETHER. This is not the time to pull our forces out, not when the Iraqis need our help so badly. If we pull out now, AQI comes back and brutalizes these people all over again. Can you imagine the retribution AQI will take on the people of Ramadi and Anbar pronvince for working so closely with the Americans? If we left, within 60 days there probably wouldn't be much left there aside from rape rooms and mass graves.
Posted by: Will at September 18, 2007 03:19 PMDan- Are you even reading and understanding what I'm writing or are you trying to provoke me on purpose? Michael has been reporting on the surge and the effects especially in Anbar Province. You can't even deny that the reports have been positive, so now you resort to insulting our troops and claim they weren't the reason for the turn around. Horse$hit. AQI were squeezing them too hard because they were being the A-holes they really are.
Now, I don't know why the Sunni's didn't initially believe the Americans were the good guys. They seemed to make the right choice when given all the information. So, they aren't necessarily dumb. Maybe, they were brainwashed by Saddam's regime. Maybe, they believed Al-Jezeera's lies about our soldiers. Or maybe they believed the American left (Kerry: Americans terrorizing Iraqis in the middle of the night. Murtha: the Marines were "cold blooded killers". Durbin: comparing our soldiers to Nazis. and so forth...).
Reading Michael's article I do know that the people he's visited;
1. They are grateful the Americans were there.
2. They feel safe because they are there. Something that wouldn't have happened without the surge.
3. A lot of misconceptions are being righted by the Americans presence. The Ramadi residents are learning that the Americans aren't the bad guys.
4. More needs to be done to secure what has been achieved.
You liberals love saying that we need allies. Well, here's our chance. We have a population that basically allied with our enemy and thought the worst of our troops. In my opinion this goodwill can go a long way not just in Iraq, but around the middle east. And you think because they turned our way for the "wrong reason" or the surge is working for the "wrong reason" the best thing to do is abandon them? Where's the freakin logic in doing that?
Posted by: Pete Dawg at September 18, 2007 03:24 PMMichael - Thanks for the insightful report. This is good news - proof that we are learning to fight an insurgency.
I guess that the basis of most counterterrorism operations is to see what works in one area, make that area into a safe or green (?) zone, then use that as an example for other areas. Most Iraqis have been opposed to terrorist organizations for a long time. (There were all of those anti-terrorism protests that the media ignored.) Hopefully, there are many areas in the country that will be willing to work with us, now that we've proven that we can do it.
It's not surprising that the villagers turned against al Qaeda. I don't think our presence inspired al Qaeda to be any crueler than usual. The violence sounds pretty standard for these hate-based supremacist groups. They're doing similar things in Thailand. I'm surprised it took so long for someone to hit back.
But the fact that we were there to help them rebuild is what will make the difference. People who had previously relied on tribal alliances for security can see the benefits that come from working with a large nation-state. If we do this right, that realization may be the thing that keeps Iraq from descending into a Talibanesque feudal state - another 'perfect Islamic state'(as Osama once called Afghanistan)
Another cultural exchange idea - we send toys and money, and they send recipes (especially for the lime chicken and the red sauce)
Posted by: mary at September 18, 2007 03:33 PMGreat reporting as usual
More good news
I just read over at Captains Quarters that Rueters is reporting the hospital beds in Baghdad are largely empty as well as the morgues. Both were overflowing with dead and wounded not to long ago.
Robert:
You are correct the Kilcullen article is crucial reading for anyone attempting to stay informed about Iraq. He writes without any apparent spin about the credit Iraqis deserve for the tribal revolt and the revolt's posible long term dangers. The most suprising thing he mentions is the amount of support the central government has been giving to the "Sunni" tribal forces leading the revolt. Thanks, for the link.
Posted by: Mark-In-Chi-Town at September 18, 2007 03:44 PMall these hipocrties and bullshits.what about gaza and westbank.who kill all those palestinian ? aqi ? muslim will never ever forget.
Posted by: distoten at September 18, 2007 03:48 PM"“It was nothing we did,” said Marine Lieutenant Colonel Drew Crane who was visiting for the day from Fallujah. “The people here just couldn’t take it anymore.”"
I think he's just being modest. He knows the Iraq's couldn't have done it without American support just as we couldn't have done it without the Iraqi's turning against al Q.
Yet another wonderful job, Michael. Thank you.
Posted by: Greg at September 18, 2007 04:20 PMGreat reporting... Awesome news! Thnx for it!
Posted by: winston at September 18, 2007 04:44 PM“You know what I like most about this place?” he said.
“What’s that?” I said.
“We don’t need to wear body armor or helmets,” he said.
I could not have been more surprised had you said that their rifles had been replaced with pellet guns. Wow.
Excellent job as always Michael.
Posted by: Hollowpoint at September 18, 2007 04:48 PMThank you for your story. I happened across this while trying to gather as much information as I can trying to become a more informed parent of a soldier first time deployed to Iraq 14 days ago.
I find it somewhat reassuring that we are making some positive difference's when the majority of what we see and hear is negitive. I will make this a regular stop from now on. Thank you again for your frank reporting and view.
How many americans did these tribes killed in the past 4 years while they were allies of Al-Quaida ??
Are you sure they love us and not our money ??
Are there any guarantees that they will never turn their guns on us again ??
In Vietnam, the old counterinsurgency was "Search, find and destroy he enemy", now in Anbar it is : "Search, find and bribe the old enemy into not killing you anymore"
ahh, progress is priceless, what a kodak moment !!
How many americans did these tribes killed in the past 4 years while they were allies of Al-Quaida ??
Are you sure they love us and not our money ??
Are there any guarantees that they will never turn their guns on us again ??
In Vietnam, the old counterinsurgency was "Search, find and destroy he enemy", now in Anbar it is : "Search, find and bribe the old enemy into not killing you anymore"
ahh, progress is priceless, what a kodak moment !!
is this article telling you all what you want to hear? is sounds like a classic puff piece. where is the analysis? why is everything so much better now? the implication is that the locals are fed up with al qaeda, so that they ran them out. things can never be this simple. i've spent time in the middle east, and allegiances shift with the cash in the wind. i wouldn't be surprised to find out that the local "sheiks", are positioned at the end of a u.s. generated cash flow, and that these tribal leaders are running things in the province. which could mean that they control what happens to al qaeda in the area. which could also mean that they are in effect al qaeda.
Posted by: kenneth at September 18, 2007 05:43 PMGreat article. This is textbook counterinsurgency -- what happens when you push past the tipping point. Anbar shows the way ahead for all the other communities willing to stand up for themselves and take local responsibility.
For our part, I think we've lost a lot of the organizational hubris and well-meaning stupidity that characterized the first few years of the campaign. Between our newfound acceptance that we don't have all the answers, and the locals' willingness to take a chance on working with us, I think this is the key to Iraq.
Question is, can the Anbar model be replicated elsewhere, before the naysayers finally declare defeat and pull us back?
Posted by: Sherisse Kyle at September 18, 2007 05:46 PMAnother superb report! Thank you for bringing us such heartening news. God bless our troops and the Iraqi people. And you, Michael. I'll hit the tip jar on my way out.
Posted by: Kyda Sylvester at September 18, 2007 05:52 PMPerhaps the IAF were also flying mirages during the 2006 war with Hizbollah? This may explain the disproportionate civlian casualties on the Lebanese side. Maybe the Israeli ground forces were French as well?
Posted by: Roy at September 18, 2007 05:58 PMI enjoyed the article and comments very much until the name calling buy the Bush supporters began.
Does everything have to be politicized?
James: I understand that some people are not true allies and only love us for whatever reason, be it money or security or whatever.
However, clearly in Anbar province they have learned that we are not the enemy. We are not there to kill them or rape them or steal from them. They are beginning to trust us, and they welcome our muscle once they trust us.
The worst thing we could do is to leave them now, leaving them for Al Qaeda to sweep back in and punish them for collaborating with us. We would be leaving them as sheep for the wolves.
And if we leave them now, they will hate us.
Posted by: David M at September 18, 2007 06:03 PMKenneth: You sound like a child who didn't get what he wanted for Christmas. What's the matter? Can't you accept that possibly our national sacrifice has actually accomplished some good for the Iraqi people, and they are grateful? Do you really think every Iraqi only cares who hands him some money? These people have been terrorized, first by Saddam and the Baathists, and then by Al Qaeda. I'm not talking about Abu Ghraib panties on their heads, I'm talking about beheading and rape and blowing things up. They have lived in HELL. Now, they have 16 soccer teams and cell phone stores and hope. HOPE. Maybe they can actually take a walk down the street and visit their neighbors without fearing for snipers or car bombers. I'd say that kind of change would make them like us. Maybe just a little. No more having family members dragged out of the house at night and beheaded or shot. We don't do those things. And the Anbar people are hoping we will stay and keep the bad people out so life can get back to normal. If we leave them now, Al Qaeda will come back with a vengeance, and there will be no more soccer games, and payback will be hell. Should we just leave them now?
Posted by: David M at September 18, 2007 06:18 PMWell done Michael!
May the peace of Ramadi spread as wildflowers across the countryside.
Posted by: Jim at September 18, 2007 06:22 PMSo then when do we actually withdraw?
Things go badly? We can't possibly withdraw, because they'll get worse.
Things go well? We can't possibly withdraw, because they'll get worse.
At what point do we actually let Iraqis decide their own future on their own without American crutches?
Posted by: Dan at September 18, 2007 06:33 PMMichael, this is wonderful, detailed news. I'm gratified by the toughness and kindness of our brave American troops in Iraq. I've posted your report with excerpts on my blog, "TheLeftIsEvil," a Townhall.com blog.
Great work!
Posted by: Sally Morem at September 18, 2007 06:36 PMIt's not only about what US forces did but what they stopped doing. Once, thanks to Petraeus, the US forces switched tactics, the percieved difference between AQI and the US forces widened.
COIN is politics with guns. Once the US "party" made themselves a much better proposition than the AQI "party", the voters (local Iraqis) switched sides.
Great reporting.
Posted by: Mr Jones at September 18, 2007 06:39 PMI believe Donna Carter is a friend from way back. In Jacksonville Beach. If so, I'd love for her to contact me. I hope she sees this. I hope it's she!
Posted by: Joan of Argghh! at September 18, 2007 06:45 PMI believe Donna Carter is a friend from way back. In Jacksonville Beach. If so, I'd love for her to contact me. I hope she sees this. I hope it's she!
Posted by: Joan of Argghh! at September 18, 2007 06:47 PMDan,
Probably about the same amount of time it took for us to leave Germany. In other words we'll be dead before the U.S. leaves Iraq.
Posted by: joefrommass at September 18, 2007 06:47 PMWell, it seems modern counterinsurgencies don't have a very good track record.
Posted by: Dan at September 18, 2007 06:47 PMThanks for reporting this, Michael. It's a hopeful story. I have to remind myself that it's just a few data points out of a larger picture, but I hope it indicates a trend that will continue.
Out of curiousity, are there any NGOs operating in Anbar province, helping with reconstruction? Such as the actual Peace Corps, or H4H, etc?
Posted by: Andrew Snelling at September 18, 2007 06:48 PMI agree with most everyone here, another great article! Look forward to a Fallujah article now... :)
BTW, don't know if anyone else mentioned this, a small mistake:
“Fairly,” he said. “There are coordination issues at the battalion level, but otherwise they’re pretty good. The Iraqi Army and the Iraqi Police are actually on of the most encouraging things I have seen here. Some of these people were paid for the first time only yesterday.” He said this in August. “They are incredibly dedicated.”
I think you meant "...are actually one of the most..."
Posted by: Randy at September 18, 2007 07:03 PMKenneth,
Here are your answers:
"is this article telling you all what you want to hear?"
Since he doesn't write for a traditional media outlet, the benefits he would gain for being biased are small. New York Times reporters have to be liberal because that is what their readers expect. Since Michael doesn't have subscribers with a year's subscription, what is the point? If he goes to Iraq and writes a lot of bad news the state of his website doesn't change at all; anyone for or against the war can read this blog.
"is sounds like a classic puff piece. where is the analysis?"
So if he reports what he sees and it is positive and you want it to be negative then it is a puff piece. But if he adds his analysis (opinion really) then others will call him biased. Can you see the problem here? By the way, if the news is negative but you want it to be positive then you call it a hack job, right Kenneth?
"why is everything so much better now?"
From the article, Abu Musab Al Zarqawi’s Al Qaeda in Iraq had seized control with the tacit blessing of many local civilians and leaders because they promised to fight the Americans. But Al Qaeda’s rule of Ramadi was vicious and cruel....The Sunni Arabs of Ramadi then rejected Al Qaeda so utterly they forged an alliance with the previously detested United States Army and Marine Corps and purged the terrorists from their lands.
"the implication is that the locals are fed up with al qaeda, so that they ran them out."
It is not an implication, it is stated clearly in the piece.
"things can never be this simple. i've spent time in the middle east, and allegiances shift with the cash in the wind. i wouldn't be surprised to find out that the local "sheiks", are positioned at the end of a u.s. generated cash flow, and that these tribal leaders are running things in the province. which could mean that they control what happens to al qaeda in the area. which could also mean that they are in effect al qaeda."
Is this the kind of analysis you expect?! After reading Mr. Totten's work for a while, I know that this kind of bush-league, conspiracy stuff doesn't get posted. By the way, why is it easier to believe that the US is "in effect al qaeda" than to believe that a bunch of tribespeople didn't want to get their heads chopped off so they switched sides and sided with the people that would protect them?
This article goes a long way to show how diplomacy is far more successful than force. Living and working alongside them, toward common positive goals for their nation, can be done without being a soldier. It is time to scale back our military presence, and increase our diplomatic presence, and let the Iraqi people dete