military communicators and the truth

the other day i had the opportunity to participate in a public affairs officers conference in one of saddam's old palaces. to be honest i was impressed with some of the work these military communications officers are doing.

some of them were venturing into the world of youtube and blogging and finding that these new avenues were a good way to get their story out.

but the best part of the conference was the senior military leadership's command to be honest and forthcoming with the media. often at home we think that any message must be one of spin or neglecting the truth but here we have generals telling their communicators that the bad goes with the good and that it is important that the world be given a truthful account of what is going on in iraq.

some of us may not believe such "rhetoric" but as a communicator that prefers the truth it was good to hear.

in other news; baghdad has been pretty quiet as of late. most of the insurgent terrorists have fled the city due to the new security plan and while this creates challenges for surrounding communities, the one step at a time approach seems to be working.

people may have to go through a lot more check points but being able to do so without harm is well worth it.

viewing the bombed out palace

yesterday i had the opportunity to visit one of saddam's palaces that was destroyed by a couple heavy bombs during the initial days of the war. "believer's palace" still stands; at least you imagine a whole building as the walls are standing but go inside and you realize just how devastating an american bomb can be.

the interior of the palace was in complete ruin. in what was probably a great hall with a domed rotunda we witnessed the small whole where the laser guided bomb made it's grand entrance and then realized the rubble beneath where it detonated. this was a working palace the moment it was hit. but the guts of the building are just that, guts lying in piles that my group climbed through.

there was a sophisticated bunker in this palace and surrounded by shock absorbers this structure still remains with it carrier air conditioning system in place and its german design proving itself. however the bunker is flooded. it turns out that the german designers did not take into account water pipes imploding and putting the bunker under water; we can only "imagine" what remains trapped in this water grave.

as i walked through the palace i thought to myself that this is where we should take anyone on our "list." we should give them a glimpse of what can happen; even without troops on the ground. but then i realized i rather the world see the freedom and prosperity we enjoy because of our ideals.

job fair in iraq?

yesterday the national iraqi assistance center held a job fair and close to 1000 iraqi applicants waited in long lines for the opportunity to find employment. and this was not an event for cleaning crews, these applicants were professionals, engineers, linguists, and educators.

the striking thing about the fair is the line out side the hotel to get into the event. iraqis don't like standing in lines for the sole reason that they become targets of terrorism when they are in lines. at checkpoints, in markets, a line is a risk. but here iraqis stood in a long line for a long time. employment is that important.

economic security is a big part of the plan moving forward in iraq and these individuals are not waiting for a handout they are testing line and crowds to find a job.

i was with a reporter and she mentioned how the snack table was still full and in here experience at iraqi events the snacks were the first thing to go. but here those in attendance were more concerned with finding a job then getting free cookies.

one job at a time, one step towards peace.

shameless self promotion...

i was interviewed by a nebraska newspaper recently about my tour here in iraq. you can check out the article here.

update on "joey"

this evening a couple colleagues and i headed over to the csh (hospital) to see some of the kids and we learned that "joey" and his sister thoha are heading home. believe it or not a special unit located the children's mother who was not killed in the bombing despite reports. i can only imagine the look on her face when an army private and 5 or so navy seals opened her door and said "we have you children."

it turns out that the father was the target in the bombing. he was an iraqi police officer, working to secure his country, and was assassinated with the bomb. his wife, the young mother of the two children, was not with them at the time and is happily awaiting the children's return.

a small miracle for all involved. a mother who assumed that all was lost is preparing to welcome her children home.

the military nursing team is losing one of their favorite patients but hope remains.

holding sultan

the nurses at the combat support hospital have nicknamed him "joey" but his sister tells us his name is sultan. his parents were killed in the bombing that broke his 5-year-old sister's leg and left glass in his skin.

we visit the hospital every so often to say hi and give a small gift to some of the kids that are brought there and often their stories are the ones that drive us to work a few hours longer and put in that much more effort. it is the stories of these children and other iraqis that i wish the community would more fervently guard against and stand up for change.

another patient was a young (early 20s at the most) soccer player who was on the national team; last week he lost both of his legs to a car bomb. each story is horrible and tragic. insurgent terrorists strike without reason and almost prefer the innocent victim.

we have to get to a place where these stories are no more.

i have a nephew that was born just weeks ago and obviously i have yet to hold him. but today i got to hold a little boy that needed some love. if this is the only way i can make a difference in iraq, i am okay with that.

rice visit and new security plan

the new baghdad security plan is in effect now and despite a pair of bombs yesterday it has been going smoothly. on saturday reuters was reporting that only five bodies had been found in the city (when a typical day would bring 50 dead bodies). there is still a long way to go. most of the sectarian violence makers are hiding out in iran (that is kind of like harboring terrorism) and could be waiting for the surge to be over or overly excited american forces withdrawal. time will tell.

either way it goes i hope and pray that for these people there is peace. it has to be tiring to have your guard up constantly and feel trapped in your own neighborhood. one of the first things i plan on doing when i get back to dc is taking a good long run covering several miles of unencumbered terrain. the people that live here can not do that without extreme danger of going through the wrong neighborhood.

sectarian violence is ridiculous. the western world most recent acts of this violence have been in ireland but in american history i am not aware of violence between different sects of the same religion (and maybe i have missed something).

in other news, secretary of state rice visited on saturday. i had the great pleasure of working with the press at the meeting with the iraqi prime minister. it was a good experience and one of those "i was there" moments.

just 30 days left for me in iraq. it will turn out to be longer than the original planned 3 months but worth it.