Friday, June 27, 2003
MIDDLE EAST
Nighttime in the Lawless City of Baghdad
By George Thomas
CBN News Senior Reporter
June 27, 2003
CBN.com - BAGHDAD - Fifty-seven days after President Bush declared an end to the war in Iraq, plenty of danger and hostility lingers. Since then, more than 50 Americans have been killed, either by guerrilla attacks or accidents, and many more have been injured. Increasingly, the day-to-day job of maintaining security in this country is turning into a dangerous mission.
It was a Tuesday evening, and a fierce sandstorm began to blow across Baghdad. Shortly after 9 p.m., a CBN News reporter and two CBN News cameramen joined a group of American soldiers on a night patrol of a heavily armed and dangerous city. The men were part of a platoon, with four Humvee vehicles and 12 soldiers, all from the Army's 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment out of Fort Polk, Louisiana.
As the convoy cruised down streets in a stealthy column, the men of the 2nd ACR had three objectives: search for weapons, arrest criminals and try to help restore law and order to the Iraqi capital. This is not an easy task since there are only 28,000 U.S. troops in Baghdad and roughly five million residents.
The night began with a checkpoint in the southeast quadrant of the city.
CBN News asked one lieutenant what he looked for when he searched a vehicle. "The biggest thing we are looking for is firearms, especially we see a lot of assault rifles, but also pistols, and we are confiscating those because they are a threat to the general populace," said 1st Lt. Ryan O'Reilly.
Iraq is a country awash with weapons, from pistols to rocket-launchers. Iraqis had until June 14th to turn in most of their weapons to U.S. authorities, but few have. That has made soldiers uneasy about policing the streets of Baghdad.
One soldier showed us one of his recent finds. "We have a .38 special, it's like just a regular handgun around here. [We took it] from this guy over here who did not tell us he had it. One bullet is gone, he could have used it to shoot at somebody or shot somebody with, we don't know."
As the night dragged on, more weapons were confiscated.
Lt. O'Reilly said, "I would say there is a certain degree of danger just because many people in Baghdad still own weapons."
And increasingly, some of those weapons are being used in hit-and-run attacks on U.S. service members.
"The toughest part is just the uncertainty. You always have to be on your guard," said Capt. James Kimbrough.
The U.S. troops who are serving today in phase two of the war in Iraq face many dangers, including the ever-present threat from Saddam's Fedayeen forces, remnants of the Republican Guard, and armed criminal gangs.
Intelligence reports indicate that Islamic terrorists from other countries in the region are also joining the resistance against the U.S.-led occupation in Iraq. The result is that American soldiers have been dying daily since President Bush declared the end of major military action.
Gen. Richard Myers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said, "These losses are a reminder that Iraq remains a dangerous place, but we must continue to stand firm. Our forces' role in establishing and maintaining security is critical to the stability and security of Iraq, and also to our war on terrorism."
In recent days, hundreds of U.S. Army troops supported by tanks and helicopters have struck back, launching several counterinsurgency operations.
U.S. Army spokesman Major Sean Gibson said, "The purpose is to eliminate Ba'athist Party members and seek out terrorist organizations or what we consider bad elements that seek to destabilize the country for their own agendas."
Hundreds have been arrested and plenty of illegal weapons seized, but the stepped-up patrols, searches, and arrests by U.S. forces have aroused widespread resentment, and it is adding to the rising level of discontent across the country.
Ten weeks after the fall of Baghdad, the United States finds itself in the middle of a guerrilla war - welcome to phase two of Operation Iraqi Freedom. But how long will this dangerous phase last, and can the American forces snuff out the remaining resistance without fueling more of it?
U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said, "General Franks and his team will root out the remainder of those people to the extent that it can be done. And I think the American people and certainly the President and I recognize that that will take some time and we think it's important that it be done."
If for only one reason, so that the men of the 2nd ACR, and the 140,000 odd U.S. troops on the ground in Iraq along with them, can continue to sow the seeds of democracy and freedom.
Capt. Kimbrough said, "I am here to provide, well to create a stable environment for Iraq so that they can become a better society with more freedoms."
But Kimbrough, and all of those who patrol the front lines, fears that the road to democracy could be long and costly. In the end, the men know that their success or failure in securing this country will be critical. It will determine whether Iraq becomes a showplace in the Arab world or an example of failed U.S. foreign policy.
CBN News asked Captain Kimbrough if there were times when he didn't think it would work out in Iraq. He replied, "No, because as soon as I do that, then I don't see a point in my job. I have to remain positive. I think it will be okay."
At 3 a.m., in a city fraught with danger and instability, the men of the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment safely completed another night of perilous patrol.
The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc. © 2003
KEEP YOUR HELMET ON!
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Nighttime in the Lawless City of Baghdad
By George Thomas
CBN News Senior Reporter
June 27, 2003
CBN.com - BAGHDAD - Fifty-seven days after President Bush declared an end to the war in Iraq, plenty of danger and hostility lingers. Since then, more than 50 Americans have been killed, either by guerrilla attacks or accidents, and many more have been injured. Increasingly, the day-to-day job of maintaining security in this country is turning into a dangerous mission.
It was a Tuesday evening, and a fierce sandstorm began to blow across Baghdad. Shortly after 9 p.m., a CBN News reporter and two CBN News cameramen joined a group of American soldiers on a night patrol of a heavily armed and dangerous city. The men were part of a platoon, with four Humvee vehicles and 12 soldiers, all from the Army's 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment out of Fort Polk, Louisiana.
As the convoy cruised down streets in a stealthy column, the men of the 2nd ACR had three objectives: search for weapons, arrest criminals and try to help restore law and order to the Iraqi capital. This is not an easy task since there are only 28,000 U.S. troops in Baghdad and roughly five million residents.
The night began with a checkpoint in the southeast quadrant of the city.
CBN News asked one lieutenant what he looked for when he searched a vehicle. "The biggest thing we are looking for is firearms, especially we see a lot of assault rifles, but also pistols, and we are confiscating those because they are a threat to the general populace," said 1st Lt. Ryan O'Reilly.
Iraq is a country awash with weapons, from pistols to rocket-launchers. Iraqis had until June 14th to turn in most of their weapons to U.S. authorities, but few have. That has made soldiers uneasy about policing the streets of Baghdad.
One soldier showed us one of his recent finds. "We have a .38 special, it's like just a regular handgun around here. [We took it] from this guy over here who did not tell us he had it. One bullet is gone, he could have used it to shoot at somebody or shot somebody with, we don't know."
As the night dragged on, more weapons were confiscated.
Lt. O'Reilly said, "I would say there is a certain degree of danger just because many people in Baghdad still own weapons."
And increasingly, some of those weapons are being used in hit-and-run attacks on U.S. service members.
"The toughest part is just the uncertainty. You always have to be on your guard," said Capt. James Kimbrough.
The U.S. troops who are serving today in phase two of the war in Iraq face many dangers, including the ever-present threat from Saddam's Fedayeen forces, remnants of the Republican Guard, and armed criminal gangs.
Intelligence reports indicate that Islamic terrorists from other countries in the region are also joining the resistance against the U.S.-led occupation in Iraq. The result is that American soldiers have been dying daily since President Bush declared the end of major military action.
Gen. Richard Myers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said, "These losses are a reminder that Iraq remains a dangerous place, but we must continue to stand firm. Our forces' role in establishing and maintaining security is critical to the stability and security of Iraq, and also to our war on terrorism."
In recent days, hundreds of U.S. Army troops supported by tanks and helicopters have struck back, launching several counterinsurgency operations.
U.S. Army spokesman Major Sean Gibson said, "The purpose is to eliminate Ba'athist Party members and seek out terrorist organizations or what we consider bad elements that seek to destabilize the country for their own agendas."
Hundreds have been arrested and plenty of illegal weapons seized, but the stepped-up patrols, searches, and arrests by U.S. forces have aroused widespread resentment, and it is adding to the rising level of discontent across the country.
Ten weeks after the fall of Baghdad, the United States finds itself in the middle of a guerrilla war - welcome to phase two of Operation Iraqi Freedom. But how long will this dangerous phase last, and can the American forces snuff out the remaining resistance without fueling more of it?
U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said, "General Franks and his team will root out the remainder of those people to the extent that it can be done. And I think the American people and certainly the President and I recognize that that will take some time and we think it's important that it be done."
If for only one reason, so that the men of the 2nd ACR, and the 140,000 odd U.S. troops on the ground in Iraq along with them, can continue to sow the seeds of democracy and freedom.
Capt. Kimbrough said, "I am here to provide, well to create a stable environment for Iraq so that they can become a better society with more freedoms."
But Kimbrough, and all of those who patrol the front lines, fears that the road to democracy could be long and costly. In the end, the men know that their success or failure in securing this country will be critical. It will determine whether Iraq becomes a showplace in the Arab world or an example of failed U.S. foreign policy.
CBN News asked Captain Kimbrough if there were times when he didn't think it would work out in Iraq. He replied, "No, because as soon as I do that, then I don't see a point in my job. I have to remain positive. I think it will be okay."
At 3 a.m., in a city fraught with danger and instability, the men of the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment safely completed another night of perilous patrol.
The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc. © 2003
KEEP YOUR HELMET ON!
