Changes

There were three significant news pieces in today’s From the Front that signal major changes taking place within Iraq. These changes by no means indicate that the war is over, but they do show a major change in attitudes among Iraqis in that they are no longer allying themselves with al Qaeda and other insurgent groups.

Two of the stories take place in an area familiar to readers of The Thunder Run, Yusifiyah.

Yusifiyah as many of you are aware, is one corner of the Triangle of Death so called because of the numerous killings of both Iraqis and American soldiers in 2004 – 2007, it the place where a man that would forever change my life decided to go out on another patrol so his teammate could call home to his wife. That man Sgt Mike Stokely died in Yusifiyah, so that another could live.

Today, the families that call Yusifiyah home have decided to live also and they are shaking off the cloak of imprisonment thrown over them by the insurgents. They have decided that enough is enough and while they may not necessarily want the US to occupy Iraq for generations they have been able to do something that many American’s refuse to do: recognize that alQaeda’s presence is not in the best interest for Iraq. The moral high ground that the left loves claim is held by al Qaeda and the insurgents is truly held by the US Military, all one has to do is read the dispatches coming out of Iraq unedited by left leaning editors with an agenda to recognize that.

And what great acts portent these changes in attitude? First we hear that the Yusifiyah Iraqi Police Station officially opened its doors to serve the community last week.

The people of Yusifiyah had reason to celebrate when the Yusifiyah Iraqi Police Station officially opened its doors to serve the community last week.

After 10 months of renovations, the Yusifiyah police force has a new headquarters.

“The constant presence of police in Yusifiyah is going to provide a consistent level of security,” said Lt. Col. Andrew Rohling, the 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) commander.

Previous attempts at establishing a police station in the area failed due to al-Qaeda presence.

“Security in Yusifiyah area is far better than what it was a year ago thanks to combined efforts between the Iraqi Army and Coalition,” Rohling said. “The IPs are now going to play a more vital role.”

And: The Yusifiyah Wholesale Farmers’ Market had a grand reopening last week after closing four years ago.

“This was the center of commerce for the city before the war,” said Capt. Steve McGregor, from Longwood, Fla., projects officer for 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). “It shut down because of all the fighting ... It was the main way the farmers in this agrarian society made their money.”

Now, the wholesale market may help turn a profit for local farmers. Regular markets only allow farmers to sell produce or goods a little at a time; at the wholesale market, people come to buy bulk produce by the kilogram.

After a terrorist attack on the market forced the closure in 2004, it was victimized by criminal activity and fell into a state of disrepair.

Both of these simple sounding items indicate that attitudes towards the insurgency that only seeks to convert Iraq into its personal playground and grand zero for their global caliphate, have changed for the better. Life in Iraq is returning to normal all over and not just in safe areas as both of these articles indicate but also in areas once controlled by al Qaeda.

But these aren’t the only incidents that indicate that the security situation in Iraq is changing for Approximately 120 men of the Chalabi tribe returned to their homes recently in the Sayafiyah region, about 25 kilometers southeast of Baghdad, more than a year after being driven out by al-Qaeda in Iraq extremists.

Escorted by Sons of Iraq leader Jumah al-Kazarji and Soldiers of 1st Platoon, Company C, 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), a large convoy of cars and trucks ushered the Chalabi men back to their abandoned village. Their reclamation of homes signaled the hopeful beginning of a new era of peace and security.

The Chalabi village, located approximately 5 kilometers west of Sayafiyah and the Tigris River, used to contain a population of more than 2000. Being a Shia tribe in a Sunni-dominated area, the Chalabis of the Sayafiyah region were a prime target for AQI and other Sunni insurgents.

Driven out of their homes approximately 18 months ago by AQI, the Chalabis were forced to leave behind farms, animals, equipment and all their seed and fertilizer stored for the coming planting seasons.

The village became a ghost town. Uninhabited, homes fell into disrepair and irrigation ditches dried up as security concerns prevented the Chalabis from reclaiming their land.

Now, as the Sayafiyah region returns to peace and stability, the Chalabis are making the first steps toward rebuilding their lives.

Security is still an issue but this is a major first step for many in Iraq, returning to the homes insurgent forces drove them from and restoring the functions of a working and thriving community. As more return and the local government takes hold once again, essential services will resume and along with assistance from Iraqi Army and US Forces they will.

How easy it must be for someone living comfortably in Berkeley to claim all is lost and demean our troops on the ground, all based upon an unhealthy bias against a single leader. How difficult it must be for Iraqis to take a chance and throw off the shackles of slavery and return to their homes in the hope that life is returning to normal. You tell me – which one has the moral authority to talk about Iraq and its future? I think you’ll have to agree that the families of Chalabis as well as Yusifiyah have spoken and taken the high ground on this argument. We would do well to head their actions and support them whole heartedly.