As we enter the homestretch of the 2004 presidential election and the opposing sides pull out all stops in order to gain an edge in voting booths across America, the rhetoric as it pertains to my current residence, Iraq, has taken center stage. The talk has ranged alternately from the supportive to the cynical to the outright ridiculous. There is one theory that pertains to the winning of the peace here in Iraq that has alarmed and disappointed me more than most. That is the key Democratic notion that bringing more Western “partners” (France, Germany and Russia seem to be the most popular nations cited by the Left) into Iraq would have secured a more complete victory from the onset and is the key to success still today.

I am currently serving as a civil affairs team leader in Iraq as a part of the Army Special Operations Command’s 96th Civil Affairs Battalion. My battalion is a carefully constructed special operations unit made up of seasoned Green Berets, officers, and other Army specialists who are trained in the customs, culture and language of their target region. In short, the job of Civil Affairs is to work with civilians in a combat zone and to provide a crossing point between the Army and the local populace. My unit is the only one of its kind in the Active Army and our work can be as varied and complex as the Iraq conflict itself. During my tour, which has just entered its seventh month, my team has engaged in a vast array of operations. We have built clinics, wells, and schools. We have accompanied Infantry units on combat raids to help maintain and safeguard Iraqi civilians on the battlefield. Most importantly, in my mind, we have interfaced with Iraqis on a personal level every day for over six months and we have a keen awareness of what they think and what their attitudes towards this conflict really are. It is this experience that has shown me that despite all of the campaign rhetoric, the idea that outside help would solve the Iraq problem is a vast oversimplification to a problem that in the minds of many Iraqis, can only be solved by Americans.

“The Alliance Building Solution” seems to be everywhere these days. At the Democratic National Convention vice presidential hopeful Sen. John Edwards decried that a Kerry White House would fight “to bring our Allies with us, not against us”. Senator Kerry has said time and again that he would have allowed UN weapons inspectors to finish their work then he would have built a “real” coalition to bring down the Hussein regime. Further Sen. Kerry has alluded to some royal flush of “cards” that he would hold as President to bring on these now absent partners from Western Europe who could subsequently end the war in Iraq. It is the very idea that there is any country, or two or three or four countries for that matter, whose sway, even combined could somehow alter the course of this war is a notion that is well passed it’s expiration date and shows little to no substantive knowledge of Middle Eastern culture or the ground truth in Iraq.

Recently I had the opportunity to watch an interview with Sen. Joe Biden on Aaron Brown’s NewsNight program on CNN. During the course of the interview, Sen. Biden made several rather angry references to the idea that many of our historical allies question President Bush’s judgment and that we “clearly” need more allied help if we are to win this war in Iraq. The only thing clear to me in the senator’s statement is that even after three decades in the senate, many of those as either the chairman or ranking Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, he still does not know Kurds from Kosovars or Sunni Arabs from the Sudanese. The cold hard truth here in Iraq is that the United States and only the United States along with the vast majority of the Iraqi people holds the keys (or in Senator Kerry’s case “the cards”) to eventual victory.

Despite all of the post Saddam problems, we and to a lesser extent the British, are still the only nation(s) in the world that Iraqis trust to maintain their freedom and a long-lasting, secure democracy. I hear this time and again in conversations with Iraqis. Bring up the idea of other foreign troops in Iraq and there is an undeniable negative reaction, especially towards the French. It is in this aversion to the French by Iraqis that Senator Biden’s lack of sensitivity towards Arab- Islamic culture is most evidenced. You see, more so than almost any culture in the world, the Middle East has a proclivity towards rumor and gossip. Perception is an incredibly powerful tool and the perception by the Iraqis is that the French supported Saddam before and during the war through illicit business dealings masked by the UN’s Oil for Food program. Now the validity of these claims remains to be seen. My experience tells me that generally about 25% of anecdotal information in Iraq is based in fact, but nevertheless to Iraqis the Paris- Saddam connection is very real and therefore, France is not a suitable choice to take part in the rebuilding of Iraq. To most Iraqis, much like the British are tied to us positively as an allied force the Germans are tied negatively to the French in terms of possible intervention. The Russians are generally looked upon disapprovingly because of their long conflict with Afghanistan in the 70’s and 80’s. This showcases another facet of Iraqi culture that seems time and again to evade the Democratic Party at large- the idea of history. In the Arab-Islamic world history is not something that is recorded to be looked back upon and studied by future generations. History is current, it is not to be downplayed, and its importance does not diminish over time. To most in the Arab-Islamic world yesterday is a year ago and is one hundred years ago. It is only subsequent action that has the ability to change perceptions in Iraq.

For instance, prior to the war, most Kurds felt that America had abandoned them no fewer than four times in the 20th century dating all the way back to Wilson’s Fourteen Points. If, like me, you have not had the occasion to read the Fourteen Points since junior high school I will go ahead and tell you that the words Kurd, Kurdistan, or Kurdish state appear nowhere in them. This does, however, further the idea of the power of rumor, perception, and history in Islamic culture. Today, we are looked upon by Iraqi Kurds as their greatest, and in some cases, sole ally on the global stage. This is thanks only to our willingness to act in 2003 while the rest of the Western world would only talk. It was this action in the face of Saddam’s tyranny that has left the most lasting impression of America on the Iraqi people. In the minds of Iraqis, no matter what problems have surfaced after the fall of Saddam, nothing will change the fact that after a decade of UN resolutions, after multiple sanctions, and after years of the torture and death of innocent Iraqis at Saddam’s hands, only the United States and the oft- maligned “Coalition of the Willing” had the wherewithal to actually do something in Iraq. That is why America is still the only solution in the eyes of Iraqis that I come in contact with daily. Not the UN, not the European Union, and certainly not other Middle Eastern countries.

This brings me to the most disturbing “solution” for peace in Iraq that many Democrats have bandied about- the solution that Iraq is an Arab-Islamic problem that would best be solved with an Arab-Islamic peacekeeping force. To be fair, Democrats are not the only ones who have entertained this notion. Secretary of State Powell discussed the idea with Jordan and Saudi Arabia in the weeks following the handover of sovereignty but the notion quickly and rightfully faded. It is Democrats who hold on so dearly to the very Western idea that local problems can and should be handled locally. I can say that there is no option for peace that the Iraqi people are more averse to than having forces from other Muslim countries operating freely in Iraq. Again history plays a huge role here. Saudi Arabia is out because of their role in the first Gulf War. Turkey is a non-starter because of the Kurds. Egypt, Jordan, and Syria are all feared because the perception is that they want to take all of the Iraqi’s oil. Again, perception and mistrust shape the political landscape in Iraq. It is this particularly Arab-Islamic perception that has kept the Middle East so fragmented for decades. It is why Pan-Arabism ended before it really started in the 60’s and 70’s and it is why there is no such thing as an “Arab-Islamic Solution” to the Iraqi problem in the eyes of its people.

I think it is important to qualify here that in no way do I think that other foreign troops are not qualified to help with the stabilization of Iraq. On the contrary, I have trained and worked with civil affairs soldiers from several foreign countries- France, Egypt, Belgium, and Turkey to name a few. I found them to be conscientious professionals who knew their craft and I would feel comfortable working with them in a combat zone. Further, as member of a unit that is highly deployable, in demand, and relatively small; I would welcome as much help as I could get as the Global War on Terror continues. I already know that my future for next few years most likely holds significant deployment time. For a father of two young daughters and husband to an incredible (and overworked) wife, that is a very difficult reality to face. It is in the case of this war, that the Iraqi people play such an enormous part in defeating the current insurgency and securing the peace, their support must be forthcoming to insure eventual success.

With so few options, to many it may seem that there is no real solution to the war in Iraq. I disagree. Seven months in the trenches of this war have supported my belief that there are simply no easy answers to this war. Although the media often only relays the most terrible stories, which terrible things do happen here daily; there are still hopeful signs. I would estimate for every 1 member of the Mehdi Army, there are 1000 Iraqis who continue to go about their lives peacefully. They work, have families, and believe that a better future is ahead. Just last week I visited several villages near Kirkuk that were abandoned during Saddam’s brutal Anfal and Arabisation campaigns. Today, Kurds, Turkmen, and Arab families alike are returning home and building new houses there by the dozen. All in all, there is still much work to be done here. No one can deny that. But it is work that cannot be accomplished with high-handed, oversimplified ideas like “more allies, and broader coalitions”. In the minds of Iraqis, only one nation has the strength, vision, and temerity to build a lasting democratic government. That nation, for better or worse, is ours. It is high time that some members of the Democratic Party acknowledge that fact and stop selling the American people a bill of goods that it simply cannot deliver.

Trampes Crow is a 1996 Distinguished Military Graduate of Auburn University currently serving as a civil affairs team leader with the 96th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne) in Iraq. His eight years of commissioned service have included various overseas assignments ranging from Korea to the Middle East. He is a native of Enterprise, AL and currently resides with his wife and two daughters in Stanwood, WA.

Trampes Crow is a 1996 Distinguished Military Graduate of Auburn University currently serving as a civil affairs team leader with the 96^th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne) in Iraq. His eight years of commissioned service have included various overseas assignments ranging from Korea to the Middle East. He is a native of Enterprise, AL and currently resides with his wife and two daughters in Stanwood, WA.

http://www.wecarefoundation.net/changingiraqonesmileatatime.htm

Changing Iraq- One Smile at a Time

By TRAMPES C. CROW
Captain
United States Army

June 22, 2004

Changalawha, Iraq- “Brush teeth thoroughly at least twice a day preferably after each meal”- These are simple instructions found on most any tube of domestic toothpaste. The directions are familiar to most Americans, having been drilled into most children from preschool on by dentists, teachers, and, of course, Moms nationwide. Here in Iraq, however, the act of brushing a child’s teeth is one so foreign that it requires a class complete with a step-by-step demonstration. That is where Sergeant First Class Dennis S. Guthrie of Cincinnati, Ohio comes in. As a US Army Special Operations Medic, today his job is to spread the virtues of good dental hygiene to the children of Changalawha. Changalawha is a remote Kurd village of about 1000 villagers located in Northeast Iraq. Here life is simple- most live in mud huts and work nearby farmland or herd sheep to earn a living. There is a small but well kept school where children learn the three R’s as well as a little English from their teacher, Mr. Khamal. Today, however, Sergeant Guthrie teaches them a brand new subject. At over six feet tall, and decked out in special operations-modified fatigues, body armor, and carrying an M4 carbine rifle, he is a soldier with a different kind of mission.

Sergeant Guthrie is the team medic for Civil Affairs Team- Alpha number 323. Commonly called a “CAT-A”, this four-man team composed of three senior sergeants and one captain deploys as a part of the US Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) in order to interact with Iraqi civilians and provide linguistic and cultural support to US commanders on the ground. Each team is comprised of a team leader, team sergeant, engineer and medic. CAT-A 323’s engineer, Staff Sergeant Marc Losa of Kinderhook, New York is tasked to evaluate services and infrastructure in Iraq as well as provide supervision and technical know-how for ongoing improvement projects in the area. Sergeant Guthrie, as the team medic, provides an array of health-related services and advice for the local populace while team sergeant, Sergeant First Class Donald E. Doby, of Yazoo City, Mississippi, is the team security expert. Team leader Captain Trampes C. Crow of Enterprise, Alabama, provides cultural and political expertise as well as being the team Arabic speaker. “We are here to put a face to the uniform and to the let the Iraqi people know that we are here to help in any way we can- most soldiers work with a pistol or a rifle, today our tools happen to be a toothbrush and toothpaste,” says Captain Crow when asked about team 323’s current mission. “Because this area lacks fluoridated water and reliable dental care, we’ve found that most adults have pretty severe dental problems” says Sergeant Guthrie “providing education and dental hygiene supplies is a simple, effective way that we can help combat the problem. It seems so basic to us, but it makes a huge difference to these kids”. This mission, along with other school improvement and education projects in the surrounding area was made possible in part thanks to the efforts of “Operation Crayon”. Operation Crayon is a venture started in the US where schools and other civic organizations donate school supplies, hygiene products, and toys to the Army for distribution to the people of Iraq. According to Sergeant Doby the supplies have made a big impact “We really can’t thank the folks back home enough for all of their ‘Operation Crayon’ efforts. The items we pass out are things we take for granted in the States but mean more to these kids than anything. A pencil, coloring book, or stuffed animal will make anyone of these kids feel like it is there birthday”.

There are other, bigger, issues for team 323 in Changalawha today as well. Sergeant Losa has been tasked to do a final inspection of a well that was recently dug just outside of the village. The well project was nominated and funded by coalition forces and dug using local labor with a little assistance from Sergeant Losa and CAT-A 323. Sergeant Losa’s final verdict after inspecting the site?- success. “There are about 500-600 gallons of cold, clear water flowing from the well every hour. Most people wouldn’t think that wells could be so productive in such a dry climate, but the resources here are actually pretty plentiful, the locals just need a little help getting to them. That’s where we come in.” Sergeant Losa also explained that the next phase of the operation would be to set up a piping system that would bring the water into town, making it more convenient for Changalawha’s residents to use.

By the end of the day, children are buzzing around the soldiers as they prepare to mount up on their sand colored, armored Hummers and return back to base. All are waving brightly colored toothbrushes, pens, or crayons in their hands. Some have already begun to practice, wearing minty white froth all over their faces and smiling and laughing. Captain Crow tries to put the day’s work into perspective. “This job calls for us to undertake a variety of tasks for us to reach our overall goals here in Iraq. We do big jobs like the well over there and we do small ones like Sergeant Guthrie’s tooth brushing class. Seeing the looks on these kids faces, I think the small work today is going to have the biggest impact”.

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