Christian Isely, MS 03
Baghdad, Iraq
Baghdad Dispatch #20
Shooting Weapons in the Desert and the Changing US Mission in Iraq
August 8, 2005
Baghdad , Iraq
This is a personal letter that by no means reflects the policies or positions of the US government.
I have now returned to Baghdad after my first sojourn back in the US for the first time in 14 months. That was the longest I have spent overseas and I imagine it to be an extremely lengthy time compared to most Americans seeing as most never leave the US . This time both away and in the service of my country has given me a great deal of time to reflect both on my country's role in the world, its current obligations to both Iraq and other peoples seeking to establish democracy and the rule of law, and the obligations of Americans toward their own country and how some are valiantly doing far more than their share.
The Shooting Range Adventure
First, I wish to write about one particular experience I had with a small group of military men from all the services. In June, I had the joy and privilege of joining a contingent of servicemen for a day at the shooting range. Going to the range is one of the few pleasures to be had by those in the military service in theatre. There is, of course, an entirely practical side to these trips. Given the situation, getting to the range was an adventure in itself.
We left the International Zone in the morning in military humvees complete with a soldier in each turret manned with a .50 caliber machine gun (this is an extremely large weapon and fires rounds strong enough to blow away concrete walls) and an M-4 (just like the M-16 assault rifle but with a smaller barrel - especially good for firing out of vehicles). We headed east into the teeming morning streets of Baghdad with the right to stop and circumvent traffic. I was sitting in the back of one of the humvees and they soon put me in charge of manning one of the radios - I don't think I really served much practical purpose. The city was full of life all around us. I have no idea how people back home picture Baghdad but it is actually incredibly busy with people going about their daily lives working their shops, going to work, and going to and from school. Yes, Baghdad sees its fair share of bombs, especially car bombs, but this doesn't rob the city of life. We soon left the city center and rode on a freeway to the outskirts. There were farmers tending crops in the median of the highway! We passed trucks and cars full of people and merchandise. Eventually, we came to a spot where I believe they were clearing suspected IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) from the side of the road. There was a large South African de-mining vehicle sent to do the job (heavily armored, it rides high on very tall tires so it can withstand explosions from the ground). Along the curb were piles of dirt in a row – I thought these might be the IEDs - they looked as they were laid out in a daisy chain (a row of roadside bombs set off consecutively to attack convoys). However, soon we had passed it by and were well on our way into the Iraqi countryside.
We eventually turned off the highway and continued heading east into poorer and dryer lands. Occasionally, we would pass a market selling chickens and watermelons. The traffic grew lighter and the dwellings became sparse. What I noticed most however was that children would run up to the road and wave with sincere smiles as our convoy passed by. This happened countless times! It came as a shock to me. Certainly, this must have been a reflection of what the general population felt. Clearly, the Iraqis in this area felt positive about our presence. I will add however, that this was a mainly Shiite are of the country as evidenced by the black flags flying from rooftops. (The insurgency is almost entirely a Sunni phenomenon these days.)
About an hour after having left the International Zone, we eventually reached our destination, a shooting range in the middle of the desert with nothing around for endless miles. The range was on a small military base and operated by some contractors. We were assigned a specific range and quickly made our way to it. This first range consisted of a long expanse of desert that stretched to the horizon, which ended in a slight rise. We pulled the humvees up so they faced downrange. Between the horizon and us lay several rusting hulks of tanks and personnel carriers from the former Iraqi army. They were burnt up, shot up, and strewn about as if they were left to be buried by the shifting sands of the desert - great for target practice!
Our first weapon of the day was the .50 cal. As I have described before, this is the heavy machine gun that rests in a turret on the top of the humvees. The rounds are massive - about the length of a man's hand - they are fed from a cartridge box that resembles an industrial lunch box. My father actually uses one leftover from Vietnam for a toolbox. All the rounds are fit in a belt that feeds into the gun. A few of the soldiers began giving some of us instructions on how to load, operate, and fire the weapon. I then watched as a few of the soldiers began firing. This was a truly frightening gun! How could it not inspire fear in the enemy? The sound was loud and much deeper than the light crack common to other smaller arms. Some of the rounds actually lit up when skimming across the sand! One could even see little puffs of dust kick up when they hit the targets. When it was my turn, I climbed up into the turret and under the guidance of one of the instructors; I loaded the gun and proceeded to take shots at the derelicts in the distance. I soon switched it to automatic. The weapon was far easier to aim than I imagined and I was soon hitting the targets just like everyone else. What a rush!
When I was finished, I climbed out of the turret and found my bulletproof vest splattered with gun oil – I had finally broken in my vest. The next weapon was an M-60, a belt fed machine gun that is usually fired while lying on your stomach - the barrel stands on two legs. After learning the basics, I was soon firing this at the targets - also easy to aim and fire and extremely powerful.
The next weapon I did not get to shoot but watched with great pleasure. This was the AT-4 or shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket. The rocket is fired from a plastic tube from the shoulder while standing and pointing in the general direction of the enemy. You have to be careful that no one is standing behind you - the back-blast is quite large and extremely lethal. One by one, the soldiers stepped up to fire this and one by one, the rockets skimmed the sands and crashed into the hulks where they burst into explosions. One soldier fired a rocket that skipped off the desert ground, leaped over a tank, and hit an old concrete building on the edge of the horizon. The structure was immediately enveloped in a shroud of smoke and dust. We hollered with glee. Everyone was a kid again having fun with toys! It does not matter how old a man is - when you get him in the presence of truly lethal and powerful fireworks, he is bound to enjoy himself. So for at least a few minutes after every rocket fire, we were all just a gang of kids playing with fire. What a contrast to the readied faces that set out that morning for an hour-long ride through the Red Zone!
After this rocket-propelled fun, we made our way to a much smaller range - time to try out the smaller weapons - the M-16 and the AK-47. The M-16 is the standard issue assault rifle used by the US military. It is a clean looking weapon with a long barrel. The AK-47 is the standard issue assault rifle used by the Russians. It is the most common assault rifle used in the developing world for it is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and many countries have entered the business. China manufactures quite a bit and I have heard that some knock-offs are even produced in Iraq - naturally, these are not quite as effective as those produced in Russia . The AK-47 is a much more durable weapon than the M-16 and far simpler to use. The rounds are also larger and heavier and it is far less accurate - but it sure can pack a punch. It is the primary weapon of the Iraqi military, security forces, and the insurgents. I had the opportunity to shoot both. Firing the AK was quite fun and extremely memorable.
Eventually, the day came to an end and we had to pack up and take the long road back to the International Zone. Thankfully, this was uneventful and we arrived with a bit more experience under our belts. However, experience can have its costs. I was left with the distinct impression that should anything happen to our .50 cal gunner, I would be expected to take his place should things really get out of hand.
Change, but Not for the Best
Now I will move on to another topic that I have thought a great deal about lately. Everyday, I receive some reminder of the direction the US Mission in Iraq is taking. I was reminded of it today when I read an editorial in the Washington Post urging the shrinking of the US Embassy:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/08/AR2005080801147.html
I was reminded of it when I read the first “dispatches” of a newly arrived young career State Department employee driven to rebuild this country.
I think of it every time we lose one of our brave men and women in the US military.
The original mission of the US presence in Iraq is changing. Although this change is to be expected to occur at some point - as it should, I want to stress that now is not the time. It is still too early. The US Embassy in Iraq is unlike any other American Embassy in the world with the exception of Afghanistan . Our broad mission, like every other embassy is to pursue US national interests. In most countries, this is limited to pursuing beneficial political agreements, US corporate and economic interests (selling American goods and services), and protecting US citizens. In Iraq , although the overall mission is to pursue US interests is, on the face of it, identical to that of other embassies, the means to achieve it are fundamentally different. We are no longer in Iraq to rid the country of WMD (which have yet to be found). We are in Iraq to keep it from falling into the very chaos that breeds terrorism and misery throughout the region and that can ultimately come to haunt us on our own soil. We are in Iraq to stabilize the country; to put it on a sound footing both politically and economically so that it will foster stability in the region, not the reverse. Iraq must stand on its own feet. That must be our mission. Inevitably, if this mission were to be achieved, the US Embassy could revert to its traditional role and the State Department could pursue the usual game of securing political cooperation along with Iraqi purchases of US products. Sadly, this is happening all too quickly. Before the country even has a constitution, we are beginning to lose sight of the reconstruction effort and are already moving on to becoming a traditional embassy.
Almost every Federal agency or department has a presence here; the Environmental Protection Agency is not present although the US Department of Agriculture (the Iraqis might be a lucrative market for US agriculture products despite their own agricultural potential), the US Department of Commerce (what other markets for US goods might exist here?) and the Department of Homeland Security (I have yet to ascertain why) have made themselves at home. I hope I am not alone when I believe the Marines didn't take 24 casualties within the space of a few days last week so US farmers could sell more products to yet another country that might, for once, increase the income of its own farmers by encouraging domestic production.
Forgive me if this letter is a bit stronger than any to date. I was hired to rebuild Iraq . That is the mission of my office and my organization within the US Embassy. I see not only the undercutting of my own efforts (helping Iraq 's agriculture sector to its feet is something I have put work into), but also the undercutting of the very reason for our presence here. Flooding Iraq with American products (products Iraqis themselves may very well produce on their own) before the Iraqi economy is on its feet will hamper economic growth and therefore undercut support of the political processes underway in Iraq which are all too fragile and necessary for our very own well being. Iraq must become truly independent - capable of providing for its own defense and economic growth. Although the intent may not truly be malicious, the strong pursuit of American corporate interests (and likewise Congressional and bureaucratic interests) in Iraq while our military is responsible for the defense of the country may appear far too close to dare I say “imperialism” for comfort. This is certainly not the image we want to convey. It is certainly not the morally right choice. More importantly, it is not the intelligent choice for it undermines our national security.
Make no mistake, I fervently believe in the US presence in Iraq but only for the right and intelligent reasons. My more than a year in Iraq seems to have kindled the fervent patriot in me. I write this out of a sense of a duty. I have not betrayed any state secrets. I merely desire to share my thoughts and feelings with my family and some friends.
The Vigilant Citizen
I do want to share an experience that disturbed me. I had just returned from Iraq at the end of June. I was in Washington , DC for a few days to visit with friends. A friend and I were having pre-dinner snack at a bar in Arlington . As we were catching up on old times, my friend decided to brag to the bartender about my work. She called him over.
“You know what my friend here does? He just got back from Baghdad where is he helping to rebuild the country.”
The bartender responded without a beat.
“ Baghdad , where's that?”
I perked up.
“ Baghdad , Iraq . You've heard of Iraq ?”
“No, I don't watch the news.”
And with that, I think I will end this letter.
I have now returned to Iraq more determined than ever to see things through for the good - especially for all the Americans who have given and who have yet to give their lives so that Iraq will become a better place and that our country will be a better place for it.
Christian