Day Three
Making friends, eliminating enemies—these are the activities that occupy much of the soldiers’ day. It becomes tempting to keep it simple, to view people as good or bad and nothing in between, but simple doesn’t work here in Iraq. The soldiers are often trapped in the land of in between.
A group of brothers had been detained, suspected of anti-Coalition activities. At least one of the brothers was reputed to be a very bad man. But one brother had apparently resisted this destructive path, and was considered good by the local police and other people of influence, who were willing to vouch for him.
So Delta Company’s Lieutenant Chris Tanner had the dubious honor of releasing the good brother back to the community. At least one of the IPs present at the Asiriyah Police Station for his release was very happy about this development. He also happened to be a member of the same tribe, and tribal loyalties run deeper than any loyalty the police might feel toward the American soldiers.
The same policeman who celebrated the one release tried to persuade Lieutenant Tanner that two more brothers were also innocent. These two had been accused of firing grenades at a convoy very near FOB Summerall, a crime our soldiers took very seriously. The evidence pointed to the brothers, but this did not satisfy the policeman, who continued to argue their innocence without any evidence, only his word.
When the police take up the defense of the people we believe are guilty, it becomes very difficult to know who is working with us and who is working against us. And the Asiriyah station has been one of the more cooperative police stations in the area, so it would be unfortunate if they could no longer be counted on.
Our soldiers leave the safety of the base every day, and most of the time they return safely. The drivers steer the cumbersome vehicles through areas not meant for heavy trucks, all the while watching out for suspicious objects or individuals. The gunners stand for hours, always scanning the perimeter. There is never a time outside the wire where the soldiers can let down their guard completely. And all of this effort is made on behalf of the Iraqi people What a difference it would make if the Iraqis stood up for the soldiers the way the soldiers stand up for them. shelbymonroe@gmail.com
Making friends, eliminating enemies—these are the activities that occupy much of the soldiers’ day. It becomes tempting to keep it simple, to view people as good or bad and nothing in between, but simple doesn’t work here in Iraq. The soldiers are often trapped in the land of in between.
A group of brothers had been detained, suspected of anti-Coalition activities. At least one of the brothers was reputed to be a very bad man. But one brother had apparently resisted this destructive path, and was considered good by the local police and other people of influence, who were willing to vouch for him.
So Delta Company’s Lieutenant Chris Tanner had the dubious honor of releasing the good brother back to the community. At least one of the IPs present at the Asiriyah Police Station for his release was very happy about this development. He also happened to be a member of the same tribe, and tribal loyalties run deeper than any loyalty the police might feel toward the American soldiers.
The same policeman who celebrated the one release tried to persuade Lieutenant Tanner that two more brothers were also innocent. These two had been accused of firing grenades at a convoy very near FOB Summerall, a crime our soldiers took very seriously. The evidence pointed to the brothers, but this did not satisfy the policeman, who continued to argue their innocence without any evidence, only his word.
When the police take up the defense of the people we believe are guilty, it becomes very difficult to know who is working with us and who is working against us. And the Asiriyah station has been one of the more cooperative police stations in the area, so it would be unfortunate if they could no longer be counted on.
Our soldiers leave the safety of the base every day, and most of the time they return safely. The drivers steer the cumbersome vehicles through areas not meant for heavy trucks, all the while watching out for suspicious objects or individuals. The gunners stand for hours, always scanning the perimeter. There is never a time outside the wire where the soldiers can let down their guard completely. And all of this effort is made on behalf of the Iraqi people What a difference it would make if the Iraqis stood up for the soldiers the way the soldiers stand up for them. shelbymonroe@gmail.com
posted by Shelby Monroe at 5:22 AM
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