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New Iraq mission requires diplomacy, patience

BAGHDAD — During his first tour, Capt. Nathan Williams worried for the safety of his soldiers fighting insurgents in west Baghdad. This time, he fears his troops may drop their guard as violence wanes.

For Williams and thousands of other soldiers, the mission has changed. U.S. troops are playing a support role since the new U.S.-Iraq security agreement went into effect Jan. 1.

President Barack Obama wants all U.S. combat troops out of Iraq by September 2010 and the last American forces home by the end of 2011.

Instead of daily firefights, the main challenge facing U.S. troops is to train and mentor the Iraqis, preparing them for the day when the Americans leave.

It’s an important job — but not one that many young infantry soldiers expected.

“The average age of my men is between 18 and 20. They are doing a job for the Army they did not think they will be doing,” said Williams, a company commander from the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment.

“We are trying to make people happy rather than shooting bad guys and this is not fun for my young soldiers who were looking for an adventure here,” he said.

The new mission requires different skills and, at times, the adjustment is hard. Success is difficult to define.

For officers like Williams, their new role is part community leader, part diplomat, part soldier.

Iraqi soldiers are more confident. But they still lack an adequate supply network and enough skilled sergeants to operate successfully on their own.

“The Iraqis are now more willing not to ask us for help,” Williams said. “But they know there is a mark on the calendar when they will be on their own.”

Sometimes, preparing the Iraqis requires acts of small kindness. On a recent day, Williams delivered eyedrops for an Iraqi soldier.

Other times, the job requires tough love to push the Iraqis away from depending on the Americans.

“No fuel for Iraqi trucks,” reads the sign on a fuel tank at Williams’ base in Hurriyah, a north Baghdad neighborhood that saw some of the most savage sectarian fighting in late 2006.

For years the Iraqi military has relied on the U.S. to provide fuel for their vehicles, even though Iraq has one of the world’s most extensive petroleum resources.

Building self-reliance is not a simple task. It can be made all the more difficult by cultural differences between Iraqis and Americans.

“The issues we understand as Americans, we took care of, but there are underlying cultural differences that we as Americans may never understand,” said Williams, a native of Raleigh, N.C.

On one recent afternoon, Williams showed up as planned for a neighborhood council meeting, only to discover the Iraqis had canceled it.

A guard showed him inside, offered him a soda and complained of pain from a twisted ankle. Williams told a medic to bandage it for him. He and his troops walked back to his post, a 45-minute trek through alleys, dirt roads, sandy fields and garbage dumps.

“We have spent a lot of money to give them furniture and desktop computers,” Williams said of the local council. “We are trying to get them more involved.”

Earlier that day, Williams chatted jovially over tea with an Iraqi army major, Imad Rassoul. The conversation touched on U.S. college basketball.

“My men are staying up all hours of the day to watch the games,” Williams said. They talked about the benefits of working out and whether the two should get together for lunch sometime soon.

Williams does not miss a chance to pay his Iraqi counterparts a compliment, using the sort of flowery language that resonates with most Iraqis.

Rassoul told him that he and his men occasionally collect money for orphans.

“Sir, that speaks volumes for the professionalism of the Iraqi security forces. It is a very honorable thing to do. You guys are very positive and pure in your intentions,” Williams said. “This work helps our counterinsurgency efforts more than anything else. I really admire that.”

A day later, an Iraqi army major asked him to seize any small scooters found on the streets. The major explained that gunmen use scooters to plant bombs or carry out drive-by shootings.

Many Iraqis ride scooters to get around the city. Seizing them all would be unenforceable. But refusing the major’s request would be an insult.

“Sir, we will escort any scooter we see along with its rider to the nearest Iraqi army or police post to be dealt with there,” Williams responded diplomatically.

Williams acknowledged the transfer of authority isn’t easy.

“It’s a good feeling to see that we have come a long way and that we have actually made a difference,” he said. “It will never be perfect here. There will always be issues.”