The Humwees go through mud and water from sewage, thrash and car-wrecks
lie along the road. 161st Infantry Company has it´s operationarea south of
Baghdad and performs daily several patrols here. They belong to the
"National Guard", US reserve troops and back home awaits them ordinary
jobs. They are heavily armed.
In Shaeyah village they stop for a quick chat with the locals about the
security situation. The soldiers routinely take up positions during the
talk but this village has always had a good cooperation with the american
troops often visiting them.
Lt Bryan Suites, National Guard, 1st Cavalry 161st Infantry Company
-These people here, before they wanted anything, they would give us the
location of bombs and IED:s (Improvised Explosive Device - roadside bombs)
and ambushes and they were'nt doing it to try to gain our favour, they
were doing it because they don't like explosions on the road and they
don't want us to think they are bad guys.
Security ordinarily is well here in Shaeyah but the villagers were a few
days ago threathened by another American unit which had found a IED along
the road further down. The villagers complain over the maltreatment and
Liutenant Suites promises to investigate who they were.
The village is poor, neglected during Saddam´s regime and the
infrastructure badly needs improvments. The American troop's efforts
during almost two years to enhance electricity, water and sewage systems
have made the Iraqis here look more positively towards the ockupation.
Sgt Paul Stanek, National Guard, 1st Cavalry 161st Infantry division
-They identify our vehicles with people that are coming to help and
reconstruct their neighbourhoods. We have done a lot of work and spent
millions of dollars down in that area, so I feel really safe.
The units go a little bit further to Jisr Diala, a city along the main
road into Baghdad from the south. They stop to buy telephone cards and
people stare curiously at them.
Jisr Diala has a high criminality with abundance of weapons. The sign at
the back of the jeeps to keep a safety distance was badly needed earlier.
Now the city is calm but saw fighting during the Shiamuslim Sadr uprising
last year.
Lt Bryan Suites, National Guard, 1st Cavalry 161st Infantry Company
-During the Sadr uprisings, this village was very heavily in support of
Sadr, and when there was fighting in Sadr city and Najaf, there was
fighting here. A lot of the men went to Najaf and came here and we
couldn't drive down the street at night without getting RPG:s fired at us
and then it just ended because some Sadr guys were telling them "Hey, a
lot of potential voters are dying here, we need to become a political
party" so almost overnight, full time, they stopped.
The city park in Jisr Diala has never looked as neat as now, thanks to the
161st Company who also secured the city during the recent elections. Many
here did vote and now want the new government to demand a definite scheme
for American troop withdrawal.
Lt Bryan Suites, National Guard, 1st Cavalry 161st Infantry Company
-I'm leaving in three weeks so I have a fine exit strategy. I know that
more of this... when we got here this central part of town was where all
the garbage was visible progress and that combined with them taking more
responsibility is the exit strategy.
USA now keeps slightly more than 150.000 troops in Iraq. The
infrastructure needed is giant. But mostly police work is done by them and
hence the personell balance should tilt toward the civilian side.
Sgt Paul Stanek, National Guard, 1st Cavalry 161st Infantry Company
-I think there needs to be a swing and I think you'll see that later down
the road, of more civil engineers, civil engineer units and more private
contractors from other countries coming down as soon as the security
situation gets a little better.
Even though lots of mistakes were done during the initial reconstruction
phase, the election has shown that the goal of turning Iraq into a
democratic model for the Middle-east might be reached.
Lt Bryan Suites, National Guard, 1st Cavalry 161st Infantry Company
-They (the Iraqis) have become more empowered. The idea that the police
works for them, that the government works for them, that is new in this
entire part of the world. And that is something which I have seen them
grow, not quite in leaps and bounce but they are understanding that what
they are electing is a government that answers to them.
American troops enter helicopters for the flight to the airport and home,
a normal rotation of troops. But still there are too few Iraqi police and
security troops to fill the gap an American withdrawal today would create.
Lt Bryan Suites, National Guard, 1st Cavalry 161st Infantry Company (JD)
-You ask those people, do you want us out? Yeah, they want us out
tomorrow. We are occupying their country, nobody wants an occupier, but
they also wanted the elections that just happened. As you saw, 60% of the
Iraqis came out and voted, that many Americans don't vote and there are
nobody shooting at Americans when they go vote. In the entire year I've
been here nothing indicated to me that I would be leaving in time like
that election. That election told me: I'm going home.
lie along the road. 161st Infantry Company has it´s operationarea south of
Baghdad and performs daily several patrols here. They belong to the
"National Guard", US reserve troops and back home awaits them ordinary
jobs. They are heavily armed.
In Shaeyah village they stop for a quick chat with the locals about the
security situation. The soldiers routinely take up positions during the
talk but this village has always had a good cooperation with the american
troops often visiting them.
Lt Bryan Suites, National Guard, 1st Cavalry 161st Infantry Company
-These people here, before they wanted anything, they would give us the
location of bombs and IED:s (Improvised Explosive Device - roadside bombs)
and ambushes and they were'nt doing it to try to gain our favour, they
were doing it because they don't like explosions on the road and they
don't want us to think they are bad guys.
Security ordinarily is well here in Shaeyah but the villagers were a few
days ago threathened by another American unit which had found a IED along
the road further down. The villagers complain over the maltreatment and
Liutenant Suites promises to investigate who they were.
The village is poor, neglected during Saddam´s regime and the
infrastructure badly needs improvments. The American troop's efforts
during almost two years to enhance electricity, water and sewage systems
have made the Iraqis here look more positively towards the ockupation.
Sgt Paul Stanek, National Guard, 1st Cavalry 161st Infantry division
-They identify our vehicles with people that are coming to help and
reconstruct their neighbourhoods. We have done a lot of work and spent
millions of dollars down in that area, so I feel really safe.
The units go a little bit further to Jisr Diala, a city along the main
road into Baghdad from the south. They stop to buy telephone cards and
people stare curiously at them.
Jisr Diala has a high criminality with abundance of weapons. The sign at
the back of the jeeps to keep a safety distance was badly needed earlier.
Now the city is calm but saw fighting during the Shiamuslim Sadr uprising
last year.
Lt Bryan Suites, National Guard, 1st Cavalry 161st Infantry Company
-During the Sadr uprisings, this village was very heavily in support of
Sadr, and when there was fighting in Sadr city and Najaf, there was
fighting here. A lot of the men went to Najaf and came here and we
couldn't drive down the street at night without getting RPG:s fired at us
and then it just ended because some Sadr guys were telling them "Hey, a
lot of potential voters are dying here, we need to become a political
party" so almost overnight, full time, they stopped.
The city park in Jisr Diala has never looked as neat as now, thanks to the
161st Company who also secured the city during the recent elections. Many
here did vote and now want the new government to demand a definite scheme
for American troop withdrawal.
Lt Bryan Suites, National Guard, 1st Cavalry 161st Infantry Company
-I'm leaving in three weeks so I have a fine exit strategy. I know that
more of this... when we got here this central part of town was where all
the garbage was visible progress and that combined with them taking more
responsibility is the exit strategy.
USA now keeps slightly more than 150.000 troops in Iraq. The
infrastructure needed is giant. But mostly police work is done by them and
hence the personell balance should tilt toward the civilian side.
Sgt Paul Stanek, National Guard, 1st Cavalry 161st Infantry Company
-I think there needs to be a swing and I think you'll see that later down
the road, of more civil engineers, civil engineer units and more private
contractors from other countries coming down as soon as the security
situation gets a little better.
Even though lots of mistakes were done during the initial reconstruction
phase, the election has shown that the goal of turning Iraq into a
democratic model for the Middle-east might be reached.
Lt Bryan Suites, National Guard, 1st Cavalry 161st Infantry Company
-They (the Iraqis) have become more empowered. The idea that the police
works for them, that the government works for them, that is new in this
entire part of the world. And that is something which I have seen them
grow, not quite in leaps and bounce but they are understanding that what
they are electing is a government that answers to them.
American troops enter helicopters for the flight to the airport and home,
a normal rotation of troops. But still there are too few Iraqi police and
security troops to fill the gap an American withdrawal today would create.
Lt Bryan Suites, National Guard, 1st Cavalry 161st Infantry Company (JD)
-You ask those people, do you want us out? Yeah, they want us out
tomorrow. We are occupying their country, nobody wants an occupier, but
they also wanted the elections that just happened. As you saw, 60% of the
Iraqis came out and voted, that many Americans don't vote and there are
nobody shooting at Americans when they go vote. In the entire year I've
been here nothing indicated to me that I would be leaving in time like
that election. That election told me: I'm going home.