Understanding ‘Progress’ in a Changing Iraq; Part Two

April 3, 2008

Editor’s Note: In an effort to offer a new perspective on Operation Iraqi Freedom and the challenges facing the armed forces members fighting it, The Union partnered with a team of freelance reporters visiting Iraq. Their correspondence and photos were collected and formatted into a comprehensive account of their frontline experiences.
This story is the second in a three-part series.

Remarkable things are happening in a little neighborhood called al-Doura in Southern Baghdad. This small “mahala” (a neighborhood or community) and adjacent Doura Market were strongholds for al-Qaida in Iraq. Up until last fall, al-Doura was one of the worst areas in all of Iraq. Today, al-Doura is one of the premier success stories in Baghdad.

“It looks so much better than it used to, it’s just amazing. If you were to step in our mahala several months ago and step in it now, it looks like a totally different place.” Private First Class Zachary McCary, 20, of Modesto, said of the changes his unit has made in Doura. “I mean, it’s awesome.”

Uphill Battle Early On
When the 4th Cavalry Regiment (attached to the First Infantry Division of the U.S. Army) first took responsibility of the area in May of 2007, Doura was so infested with terrorists and insurgents that locals were being killed regularly and U.S. soldiers were shot at on a daily basis. Often, Army patrols would consist of barreling down a street at high speed in an armored transport vehicle. Foot patrols in al-Doura were considered a suicide mission unless the Army had snipers posted on rooftops.

In that first month, there were more than 52 reports of violence, incidents that included improvised explosive devices (called IEDs by U.S. military), firefights with al-Qaida, kidnappings and murders in the neighborhoods. Additionally, U.S. soldiers had difficulty getting cooperation from local residents and detained only 16 suspects in those first 30 days.

Making a Difference
That has all changed, thanks to the 2007 “troop surge” and a new military strategy implemented by Gen. David Petraeus, the current commanding general of the Multi-National Force in Iraq. Bolstered by 30,000 extra troops, new operating guidelines and shifting areas of responsibility, the emphasis is on serving the communities while at the same time rooting out terrorists.

Improving security, hunting down terrorists and clearing the streets did not happen overnight, nor was the fight easy. The 4th Cavalry Regiment has paid a high price, having lost multiple comrades since May.

Doing the Hard Work
McCary recounted an IED that hit his convoy as he was gunning in the turret of his armored transport vehicle.

“Our First Sergeant said, ‘This road looks kind of quiet so keep an eye out.’ Not five seconds later an IED hit the truck in front of me. It blew up right in front of my face. I remember seeing a flash and then hearing it. It wasn’t really as loud as I thought it would be, but my ears were ringing afterwards.”

“Smoke and everything just went flying, I kind of jumped down in the turret,” he added. “I looked up and the first thing I thought of was, in basic training, they always teach us after an IED watch out for an ambush.”

It was then that the 20-year-old saw several men, some brandishing AK-47s, on the rooftop directly in front of him, all ready to strike down the rest of his unit. “I shot maybe 12 rounds out of my machine gun,” McCary said. “I just remember I could see the rounds hit the wall, I could see the rounds going up and he just went kind of flying back.

“The [lead] vehicle was all tore up, it still is, there’s still holes in the hood and stuff like that. Everyone was really lucky to walk away safe. It all happened within five seconds. I was really amazed at how the training kind of kicked-in. I wasn’t really worried about the blast; the first thing I thought was just to watch for the ambush.”

While no soldiers were killed and McCary eliminated another terrorist that day, others in his unit have not been so lucky. McCary said it’s very difficult for soldiers to have an IED explode or lose a friend one day, then go back into that neighborhood and conduct more patrols the next day.

More Than Bullets and Battling
Making contact both on the street and in private allows Iraqis to feel comfortable giving information to U.S. troops who now visit every house on the street so no single house can be identified as an “informant.”

“We had to bring the contact off the streets and into private homes. A lot of people were happy to have us just come in and talk to them. A lot said that it was the first time an American had been in their house,” said Lt. Alex Torres of Columbia, S.C.

Soldiers record biographical data, document everyone who lives in the household, where they work and their contact information. Often they can get information that helps identify the whereabouts of known terrorists and their activities.

As violence decreases and the Army gains more cooperation and intelligence from the community, the nature of these raids has become dramatically less dangerous, Torres said. “Everyone wants to kick a door in, but we’ve never had to actually kick in a door,” he said. The vast majority of suspects will surrender and go quietly rather than try to flee. And Torres said he has never been on a raid where shots were fired in the house.

A final component of the comprehensive counterinsurgency strategy is supporting the community and improving their quality of life. U.S. soldiers arrange the repair of aging power lines, hand out space heaters and blankets, clean up trash piles, revitalize the sewer systems and provide small loans for businesses that the community needs.

Through the efforts of the U.S. military, the streets of al-Doura are now safe for shopkeepers to open new businesses, roads to be repaved and for children to walk to school.