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DEL.ICIO.USGeorgians train, praise Iraqi troops
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Yusufiyah, Iraq — U.S. soldiers have nicknamed the young Iraqi private “Jackrabbit’ because of the speed with which he runs down insurgents.
Kadhum Hamad Dakhil boasts that he helped capture two Syrian insurgents in October. A few words of Arabic are scrawled on his desert tan boot: “No to Terrorism.”
“They are criminals, and we are chasing them until they die,” Dakhil, 25, said.
U.S. military advisers say Dakhil is among the bravest soldiers they have trained in the 4th Brigade of Iraq’s 6th Army Division, a unit based in this violent area known as the Triangle of Death.
The Iraqis are gutsy, the advisers say, because they patrol every day in civilian pickup trucks that offer little protection from insurgents’ roadside bombs.
Some Iraqi soldier have no body armor or helmets. Some have no bullets for their pistols. And often the insurgents are better armed. Since June 1, scores of 4th Brigade soldiers have been killed or wounded.
“If I could have Bronze Stars for these guys, they would have a bunch,” said Maj. Ray Bossert, 38, of Douglasville, who helped train Dakhil and other Iraqi soldiers for Georgia’s 48th Brigade Combat Team. “Just give them the right stuff, and they will go kick [butt].”
Bossert and other National Guard soldiers from Georgia, Alabama, Illinois and Missouri were among the trainers for Dakhil’s unit until October, when soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division took over.
Many of the trainees are from southern Iraq. They have come here to make a living. Their pay is roughly the equivalent of $300 U.S. a month, which is high in this rural community. But another reason they cite for joining the budding army is the defense of their country from foreign terrorists they call “Ali Baba.”
“Like a child yearns for Santa Claus, they yearn for a confrontation with Ali Baba,” said Sgt. Chris Hancock, 43, a police officer from De Soto, Mo., who reported to Bossert.
The Iraqi soldiers are good allies, U.S. soldiers say, because they speak the language, know the terrain and can quickly identify foreigners, many of whom turn out to be insurgents from Syria, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
“These guys know what to look for. They can tell just by talking to people where they are from,” said Lt. Col. Ben Sartain, 42, of Cleveland, Ga., who led the 48th Brigade’s training in this area south of Baghdad. “These guys get a piece of intelligence, and they are out of the gate.”
Dakhil was a self-employed street vendor and professional soccer player in the southern city of Basrah before joining the army. He hopes to get married and have children some day.
Even though he has not been paid in four months, he is still focused on fighting. Hundreds of other soldiers in his brigade have gone without pay just as long.
U.S. soldiers blame the problem on illegal recruiting practices. Con artists have been charging people to join the Army, leaving them with no paperwork certifying they are in the military.
“It’s taking advantage of the poor,” Sartain said. “Short of the Americans guaranteeing the system, there is nothing we can do about it.”
Even with the chronic payroll problems, Dakhil plans to remain in the army “all of my life.”
“This is my country and we are in charge of making people safe,” he said.
Like many other soldiers in his unit, Dakhil argues the U.S. military should remain in Iraq until it is stable. He predicts there will be more violence if the U.S. troops pull out too early.
“There will be blood. There will be killing and beheadings,” he said. “If the Americans go home, we will go home.”
Dakhil serves with two other men their Georgia advisers say are extremely courageous. They are Amjed Sa’ad Abais and his brother, Arshad. They are from the central Iraqi city of Hillah.
The brothers joined the same unit a year ago so they could be together. Both are first sergeants.
Amjed served in Saddam Hussein’s army for two years. When U.S. troops invaded Iraq in 2003, Amjed said, he handed his weapon to his commander and said of Saddam, “Let him go to hell.”
Amjed said he got in trouble for cursing Saddam once before in 2002.
He said Saddam’s regime threw him in jail for six months and whipped him 150 times. He shrugs off the punishment.
“Six months is like a holiday,” said Amjed, 24, who is married with a 7-month-old daughter.
“Others have spent 20 years or 25 years in jail. What about them?”
His 19-year-old brother, Arshad, said he missed him while he was in jail.
“I was worried. I didn’t know where he was,” Arshad said.
Arshad continues to worry about his older brother now that they are fighting insurgents. But Arshad said he doesn’t let his fears distract him from his duty.
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By AM
November 26, 2005 11:12 AM | Link to this
Don’t you think you are putting those iraqi soldiers in danger by sharing their names? I just pray that this war ends soon and all of us who has someone there comes home soon.
I am very proud of all the soldiers, especially my husband Sgt. J.M. In my eyes all of you are HEROES. God bless you all.
By Wes Southern
November 26, 2005 11:27 AM | Link to this
It is so refreshing to hear stories of success involving the Iraq’s soldiers being trained by the Americans. I agree with the young Iraq soldiers comments that “if the Americans pull out too soon, it will be bad(meaning all will be in vain)”. We must hear more stories of Iraq hero soldiers, along with our heroic soldier stories. As a retired Infantry First Sergeant who served two tours in Vietnam, we desperately need to feel good of the final outcome of this struggle. Not the empty, depressed scene we faced at the end of the conflict in Vietnam where soldiers like me still endure the sadness of lost comrades in a final “lost” cause.
By George McKay
November 26, 2005 12:05 PM | Link to this
In the Smokey Mountain foothills where I grew up it was common knowledge that giving other people their freedom was a waste of time. If they themselves refuse to fight and die for it, it will not endure. My concern about the war in Iraq was never about the rightness of it, but I was appalled that in 5000 years of recorded history no one had stood to say, “Give me liberty or give me death!” In Iraq revolution has always meant replacing one evil self-serving tyrant with someone worse. Redmon’s article proves that our forefather’s yearning for freedom still lives even in a cultural environment of perpetual tyranny based upon a religion of abject obedience. It should be required reading American school child and read in5to the Congressional Record.
By Robert O'Sullivan
November 26, 2005 12:18 PM | Link to this
What do you mean some Iraqi soldiers do not have helmets? Have the US Quartermaster sergeanr get off his A@# and provide them with Saddam era army helmets, or our K-Pot or at the very least out old steel pots. Their pistols don’t have bullets, well get rid of their Soviet supplied weapons and privide them with our 9mm beratta.
By gary haynes
November 27, 2005 05:46 AM | Link to this
It gives me cause for hope every time I read about the brave Iraqi soldiers that have stepped forward to serve their country in it’s time of need. Some in our country won’t even admit that there is an Iraq’ Army. But slowly but surely they are building a force that will be far better trained than Saddam’s Army ever was. You just don’t build an effective fighting force in a few months. I salute our brave Soldiers that are training the fledgling Iraqi Army all over Iraq. For every platoon of Iraqi soldiers trained that will be one less platoon of USMC or US Soldiers needed in the near future. Both of my Son’s have served there in Iraq and Afghanistan, and both are headed back again. They know their ticket home is to train the Iraqi Army.
By daPapa
November 27, 2005 08:39 AM | Link to this
I feel that a growing number of the US population just wants this war to be over - and aren’t too particular about how that happens. My soldier feels the best way for that to happen is for the Iraqis to take over. Ok, I can focus on that.
So, how do we put pressure on the US military (or is it the US Government?) to provide the supplies and support that the Iraqi army needs to do its part?
Jeremy’s story reflects what I have been hearing - totally inadequate supplies and materials for the Iraqi army to do their job - and not even sufficient supplies for them to be adequately trained.
It doesn’t seem to this writer that our nation’s vaunted capability has ever been brought to bear on this challenge of equipping the Iraqi army.
We are the nation that defeated two countries with very strong armies - one to the east and one to the west - in less than 4 years in the 1940s.
It has now been more than 4 years since 9-11. So, what is it that our leaders are waiting for?
Let’s roll!
By Tuck
November 27, 2005 10:51 AM | Link to this
Would someone please send this to the Democrats that have cooked up a new story about “pre-war intelligence” and now want to cut & run from these people? My suggestion is to give them the proper tools so they can help get the job done.
By MITT guy
November 27, 2005 12:33 PM | Link to this
AJC, thank you for providing information on the dedication of the Iraqi army and the hardships they endure. Please continue to highlight these under-reported items to the American public. Having served on the 48th MITT Team I’d like to say these are the bravest people I have ever met…they take casualties and their own lives in stride. I wish the nation and the entire world could witness this. It certainly convinced me these people were worth helping stabilize their country and move towards a brighter future.
By Mary Sibert
November 28, 2005 08:45 AM | Link to this
WELCOME BACK CURTIS! My husband was home on leave and was glad to see that you are back with the 108th! And for all of those complaining about the leave arrangements and the long wait….be lucky that the soldier gets to go home for a break….there are some that will never get the chance to make it back to the USA alive…shame on you for complaining!