Christian Isely, MS 03
Baghdad, Iraq
Baghdad Dispatch #10
June 19, 2004
Last week, I walked up to the Assassin's Gate where an Abrams sat guard. These tanks are truly impressive up close. Last week, I saw one turn a corner at about 30 mph. I've never seen so such steel fly by so fast. The one at the Gate was manned by a friendly soldier who seemed quite content to sit guard on his charge. Soon enough, two humvees pulled up from the Red Zone. The commanding officer got out and approached us. We told him we had just been chatting with the tank guy. He said that he had just come from a firefight but he was calm and collected seeing as they had taken no casualties. He offered us a lift home which we graciously declined.
Of course, there has been more violence. One person in our office was a cousin of the late Deputy Foreign Minister who was assassinated last week. Then there was the car bomb that hit the convoy right across the river. I heard that one while on the way to work in the morning. The most distressing fact is that the crowd cheered and doused the vehicles in fuel. This is truly not a good sign and clearly reveals the discontent that is taking hold in the population. Probably one of the more foolish acts of the CPA was to evenly distribute power throughout the country. Although this brought relief to some outlying areas, the population of Baghdad went from 20 hours of power a day to 12 hours. Probably not a good way to "win the hearts and minds" of the Iraqi people.
Last week, I was awoken by mortar shells landing not too far from where I live. Good thing I am now in a hardened building. The only thing we could do was ride it out.
On a brighter note, We have hired our first Iraqis. Some of them are engineers while some are translators and administrative assistants. Since I am running payroll for our local hires, my schedule and responsiblities have picked up dramatically. Currently, I am on the lookout for my own assistant to take over some of the administrative functions that I have been carrying out. I will be interviewing candidates over the next few days.
In fact, the entire office dynamic is changing. The other firms in our office have also been hiring locals. Finally I will get the opportunity to learn more about the culture of this ancient land. Our local hires are very enthusiastic and seem very committed. I have no doubt I will learn a great deal from them.
Professionally, I am growing by leaps and bounds since I am learning new skills including everything from public relations to payroll to management. I'm also learning about the contracting process. When I left DC, no one understood all the acronyms I threw around. When I eventually get back to the States, I will have engineering terminology down. So far, it's only been 2 months. Who knows what the next two will bring?
The other night during dinner at my favorite saloon, I met a young man who serves in the Iraqi army. Only 18 years old, he apparently already has two kills under his belt. A few people in our group tried on his blue beret. The blue beret seems to have become standard issue in the Iraqi army. In fact, it looks very much like "UN Blue". Who knows? Maybe the Iraqi army cut a deal with the UN's supplier?
I also discovered a new almost totally secluded swimming pool where I spent half my day off yesterday. This was only my second day off since arriving. The water was perfectly cool and I almost forgot where I was until the Blackhawks flew overhead. Helicopters rule the skies here. Sometimes, they fly very low to the ground. At night, they fly without lights. The Blackhawks are always a sight. Then there are the Apaches (not as common but occasionally conduct sweeps - they truly look like a weapon of war). The Cobras are also around and with their sleek bodies, actually resemble those serpents that apparently live down in the Tigris. The Chinooks also fly by on occassion and they seem to be the loudest. Abrams and Bradleys also make a great racket when they fly down the streets of the Green Zone.
I've only been here two months but I feel as if I've aged a year or more.
Take care and I promise to be safe.
Christian