U.S. troops' arrival drives home reality that Saddam gone - Flowers, smiles in Mosul

Houston Chronicle ^ | April 24, 2003 | MICHAEL HEDGES

[Cincinatus' Wife]

MOSUL, Iraq -- Expecting headaches and maybe worse from unruly factions of Kurds and Saddam Hussein loyalists, American soldiers began a campaign Wednesday to stabilize and administer this northern Iraq city.

Instead, they were met with flowers and friendly greetings.

No one can be sure it will last, but for now a task force of troops from the 101st Airborne and 4th Infantry divisions plans to impose order swiftly in Iraq's third largest city.

That task force rushed here over the weekend after a small Marine force that had occupied the city's airport reported factional fighting among Kurds and sniping and infiltration raids by Iraqi soldiers from the 5th Corps that had been garrisoned right outside the airport.

On Wednesday, the U.S. troops rolled into Mosul in force, 101st soldiers occupying sectors of town and units from the 4th infantry grabbing the 5th Corps base. Both operations were executed without casualties, and the missions seemed to bring a palpable change to the city of 1.2 million. Businesses opened, traffic increased and people waved to the soldiers.

"I think we have changed the reality by our presence," said Lt. Col. Ryan Gonsalves, a tank battalion commander with the 4th Infantry. "People have to see U.S. or coalition forces rolling down their streets to feel comfortable that the old regime is really gone. Then things start to improve."

The 101st Airborne's commander, Maj. Gen. David Petraeus, met with about 40 retired Iraqi generals and secured a pledge to help the Army restore order. "Now is the time for reconciliation, for renewal and rebirth. It's time to come together," Petraeus told the Iraqis, according to a reporter at the meeting.

A mixed force of engineers, tankers and infantry from the 4th division drew the task of securing the Iraqi corps headquarters, a massive complex that housed army units, including the Adnan Division of the Republican Guard.

The Marines had reported intermittent gunfire from the base. And the last few nights, rifle shots had echoed at all hours, sending bright red tracers arcing over the Americans' positions and causing some concern among the soldiers that Iraqi die-hards might hold the base.

Instead, the troops came upon a full-scale salvage operation as Iraqi looters grabbed wires, ammunition boxes and brass shell casings, among other items, presumably to recycle on the local economy.

Staff Sgt. Howard Moffett of the 299th Combat Engineers solved at least some of the mystery of the random gunfire.

"We found out what has been shooting at us," he said. "The Iraqis who have moved onto the base have been building fires and throwing bullets in just to hear them pop."

As soldiers from the 4th methodically worked through the massive Iraqi base, children approached with red and yellow roses, and adults greeted them with waves and smiles.

Andrew Innerarity / Chronicle Iraqi children offer flowers and encouragement to U.S. soldiers manning a perimeter while a search was conducted at an abandoned military base in Mosul.

Army officers made the first tentative steps to rebuild things inside Mosul.

That process will gain momentum in the coming days on a number of tracks, officers said.

First, "Presence Patrols" that began Wednesday will increase and spread throughout the city. Those patrols consist of tank and Bradley Fighting Vehicle columns that display U.S. combat might to the people here.

At the same time, officers from the Army task force here will meet with local hospital officials, police leaders and clerics to seek cooperation with the U.S. presence and to solicit ideas for how to smooth the post-Saddam transition.

Also, members of the FIF -- the Free Iraqi Forces militia -- are being incorporated in U.S. patrols, showing they have American backing, officers said. The United States is looking to create power sharing here between the dominant Kurds and other Iraqi ethnic groups to forestall a push for Kurdish secession or factional fighting among three Kurdish organizations.

Kurd factionalism was considered a major threat before the Army task force arrived. It may be yet. But Gonsalves, the tank battalion commander, said Wednesday, "We still consider it an issue, but we haven't had a lick of trouble yet."

[WaterDragon]

I think the U.S. is making a tremendous effort to learn from the past -- both successes and failures. The idea of working WITH Iraqis at the most basic levels FIRST, is so impressive.

That bit about learning who was 'shooting at them', discovering that it was bullets tossed into a fire.....wow. Our troops are simply the most impressive people in the world.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

They're the best!

[Tauzero]

"The Iraqis who have moved onto the base have been building fires and throwing bullets in just to hear them pop."

It's unfair I tell you! It's a a racist conspiracy! Iraqis have been unjustly denied their rightful share of Darwin awards!

[Cincinatus' Wife]

We didn't get there too soon.

[Tauzero]

In all fairness, what this tells me is that the danger from a fire-exploded bullet is trivial in comparison to the dangers to which they had become accustomed under Saddam's Iraq.