There is no security in Iraq

Update [2004-9-11 14:39:18 by pacific city]: Correction: I think the Green Zone is fairly secure. -------------------- Here is an excerpt from an email sent by my husband, whose U.S. Army unit arrived in Iraq two days ago. He asked me before he left to post information he sends from Iraq, so I'm doing this with his permission and blessings.

It is very hard to describe this experience. We got fire coming in for landing, we've been mortared every night, I've heard IEDs and seen the result of one...this place is no joke.  It is absolutely amazing how we went from flat out boredom...to full-tempo combat [operations] in just 12 hours. The adjustment has been strange
...Right now we're just trying to get acclimated and understand this area. It is a mess of political, civil, tribal and personal relations.  There are contractors, government, military, and every other factor you can imagine impacting the projects we will be running. Nothing is easy here...There has been no easing into this.

And this is an area of Northern Iraq that is supposed to be relatively secure. Our servicemembers are in the middle of a huge mess over there. They are at risk every minute of every day and the Iraqi people have it even worse, with no security, no infrastructure and no protection.

How Bush can run on the Iraq War as a success is beyond my comprehension.  

•  where is your husband

  stationed, pc?  the green zones are okay. you can get mortared in a green zone, but because of the nature of mortaring, the results are very innaccurate. the insurgents usually don't have time to shoot off more than three because we are on them so quickly. at my camp, they often missed the camp altogether. sometimes, when they did land, they failed to detonate.
   the odds are with your husband. i was in karbala with halliburton.
  i'm thinking a good thought for you and your husband. bless you.
   

  by maskling11 on Sat Sep 11, 2004 at 12:01:14 PM PDT

  •  he's in Iraqi Kurdistan

    but I don't want to say more than that. Thank you for the kind words.

    Read your bio and it sounds like you've done some very good work.

    I'm curious--what was it like working for Cheneyburton?

    by pacific city on Sat Sep 11, 2004 at 12:22:08 PM PDT

    •  cheneyburton

       i was an electrician. we always lacked tools and materials. many of us bought leathermans jsut so we would have something to work with. i left in april, so maybe they have better stuff now.
       in a good month, i might make $10k, but that was unusual. $6k to $7k was more like it. when i hear people griping about how much the contractors over there make, i can't take it seriously-corporate middle managers make much more in much better conditions, and don't risk life or limb. it's an inverted, bizarre form of classism, in my opinion, for people to gripe about how much blue collar halliburton employees make in a war zone. i've made the same money working union in nyc.
       but saying that, the soldiers deserve more money and support.
       i quit after 6 months. the place got to me. my nerves were shot. i met some iraqi people whom i really liked, but the cultural gap was unbridgeable in the end. but there are many fine  iraqi people who wish things were different for themselves and for us.   cheers,pc  

      by maskling11 on Sat Sep 11, 2004 at 01:19:02 PM PDT

•  Thanks

  for posting this, Pacific City. I'd be very interested in seeing more if/when you have more to share. I imagine this must be a pretty difficult time for you, adjusting to your new circumstances. I am thinking of you and your husband and am thankful that there are brave families like yours out there.

  by Helen in MD on Sat Sep 11, 2004 at 10:26:06 PM PDT