TwitterView with David Mac Dougall
May 20, 2009
KEZI9 @davidmacdougall David, thanks so much for taking the time today! I know there's a lot going on in your neck of the woods.
davidmacdougall @KEZI9 It's been a busy last month in Pakistan Brandi. So much happening. Fighting taliban, humanitarian crisis.
davidmacdougall @KEZI9 UN says 1.7 million refugees displaced by recent fighting. Pakistan military tackling Taliban head on. Difficult days for the country
KEZI9 @davidmacdougall What is it like as a journalist?
davidmacdougall @KEZI9 I rely on team of Pak journalists to gather video. They get to parts of the country I can never reach. Local knowledge invaluable.
KEZI9 @davidmacdougall You just recently visited a refugee camp. Can you describe it for us?
davidmacdougall @KEZI9 The people were angry. Emotional. Lost everything. No sanitation. Now, that camp has been closed down/moved on 2x by government.
davidmacdougall @KEZI9 many aid agencies & govt are working hard to stop the humanitarian situation deteriorating. but refugees want more help, faster
KEZI9 @davidmacdougall For most journalists, the situation would probably be shocking, but this isn't your first war zone. You spent years in Iraq
davidmacdougall @KEZI9 Spent 5+ years going to Iraq. Mostly with Fox News. Fascinating time in history. Dangerous, heartbreaking, inspiring all at once.
KEZI9 @davidmacdougall How do the two environments compare?
davidmacdougall @KEZI9 Iraq had largely collapsed as a funcioning society. Pakistan functions. Fighting here only in 1 part of the northwest.
davidmacdougall @KEZI9 Plus scale of violence in iraq was shocking. pakistan is nothing like it. people here seem more determined to prevent slide to chaos
KEZI9 @davidmacdougall In which one was it more difficult to be a reporter? To be a citizen?
davidmacdougall @KEZI9 Iraq. Without a doubt for me more difficult to be citizen AND reporter. The scale of violence, lack of services, siege mentality.
KEZI9 @davidmacdougall Are you ever surprised that you survived? There have been so many stories about journalists kidnapped or killed there.
davidmacdougall @KEZI9 There were close shaves. I survived due to professionalism of US military, the excellent Fox News team and sometimes sheer luck.
KEZI9 @davidmacdougall How much did things change in Iraq from the first day you reported to the day you left?
davidmacdougall @KEZI9 Rollercoaster. Relative safety at first in Oct 03. Then the worst days of violence 05 & 06 & 07. Now there is hope & better security
KEZI9 @davidmacdougall I remember reading your status updates about showers and air conditioning. It made me realize I took a lot for granted.
davidmacdougall @KEZI9 We take so much for granted. Clean water, reliable power, able to walk down street without fear. Iraqis starting to get those things.
KEZI9 @davidmacdougall Things seem to be better in Islamabad (besides the power outages). What do you see in the future for Pakistan?
davidmacdougall @KEZI9 There's a willingness here to confront Taliban's radical vision of Islam. Pakistanis for now pretty united behind govt & refugees.
davidmacdougall @KEZI9 but the refugee crisis will not be resolved without more swift action, money, keeping 1.7 million people in global public eye.
KEZI9 @davidmacdougall How long do you plan to stay in Pakistan?
davidmacdougall @KEZI9 Been here 1 month. Will stay 6 more weeks. Then? Who knows. Many interesting stories out there I still want to cover. Maybe Oregon?
KEZI9 @davidmacdougall It would certainly be a change, that's for sure! Any final message you would like to convey to our viewers?
davidmacdougall @KEZI9 First, hello to my 3 new Oregon followers!
davidmacdougall @KEZI9 But also, I know there's a lot happening in US news, politics & economy. But please spare some time to follow foreign news too.
KEZI9 @davidmacdougall We'll be watching out for you! David, thanks again for the Twitterview. Enjoy the rest of your day -- and stay safe!
davidmacdougall @KEZI9 Goodnight Oregon...
Wednesday, 20 May 2009
Tuesday, 3 February 2009
VIDEO: Obama praises Iraq elections
CLICK HERE TO WATCH a video report on SKY News about elections in Iraq.
Feb 3, 2009
Obama Praises Iraq Elections
President Obama has telephoned Iraq's prime minister, Nouri al Maliki, to discuss the eventual withdrawal of American troops. He also offered congratulations on the country's provincial elections. From Baghdad, David MacDougall of Fox News has the story.
Sunday, 1 February 2009
Iraq Election Weekend
Iraq Election Weekend
by David Mac Dougall, Baghdad Bureau
The votes are cast and being counted, after Saturday’s ballot to elect regional council representatives in 14 of Iraq’s 18 provinces. Thanks to very tight security from Iraqi forces, the whole day passed off without major incident. Polls stayed open an extra hour to ensure that anyone who wanted to cast their ballots could actually do so. A vehicle ban in major cities was lifted early.
I went out with a crew yesterday to a polling station in a neighborhood close to where we live. Streets were empty except for a lot of kids playing soccer – taking advantage of the traffic-free roads to kick around a ball. Lots of families walked to the polling station, searched by Iraqi commandos as they went inside to vote.
Today, some numbers are in for voter turnout. There are some bright spots, but overall turnout wasn’t as high as many people were predicting or expecting (Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki boldly stated the turnout would be 70-80% but it wasn’t anywhere near that high).
The Iraqi Election Commission says overall, turnout was just 51% countrywide (down from 55% in the last election four years ago).
The good news is that in mostly Sunni provinces like Anbar (40%) and Salah ad Din (65%) voters cast their ballots in some numbers. This is a marked improvement from the previous election where many Sunni parties boycotted the vote and voters stayed away due to intimidation, ongoing violence and often times simple apathy in the face of what they perceived was an overwhelming Shiia majority. In Anbar Province for example, at the last election, only something like 2% turned out on polling day.
The disappointing number for me comes in the capital Baghdad, where it looks like only 40% of voters bothered to cast a ballot. I would have expected a higher number, but maybe people weren’t energized by the campaign. Who knows.
In terms of winners and losers, official results aren’t expected for a few days but some trends are becoming clear. Prime Minister Maliki’s party seems to have strengthened its position. His main Shiia rivals are heading for second or third place in some key cities, especially in the south. His main secular / Sunni rivals are also trailing. But again – we’re waiting for final results before calling the big cities & individual provinces one way or the other.
by David Mac Dougall, Baghdad Bureau
The votes are cast and being counted, after Saturday’s ballot to elect regional council representatives in 14 of Iraq’s 18 provinces. Thanks to very tight security from Iraqi forces, the whole day passed off without major incident. Polls stayed open an extra hour to ensure that anyone who wanted to cast their ballots could actually do so. A vehicle ban in major cities was lifted early.
I went out with a crew yesterday to a polling station in a neighborhood close to where we live. Streets were empty except for a lot of kids playing soccer – taking advantage of the traffic-free roads to kick around a ball. Lots of families walked to the polling station, searched by Iraqi commandos as they went inside to vote.
Today, some numbers are in for voter turnout. There are some bright spots, but overall turnout wasn’t as high as many people were predicting or expecting (Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki boldly stated the turnout would be 70-80% but it wasn’t anywhere near that high).
The Iraqi Election Commission says overall, turnout was just 51% countrywide (down from 55% in the last election four years ago).
The good news is that in mostly Sunni provinces like Anbar (40%) and Salah ad Din (65%) voters cast their ballots in some numbers. This is a marked improvement from the previous election where many Sunni parties boycotted the vote and voters stayed away due to intimidation, ongoing violence and often times simple apathy in the face of what they perceived was an overwhelming Shiia majority. In Anbar Province for example, at the last election, only something like 2% turned out on polling day.
The disappointing number for me comes in the capital Baghdad, where it looks like only 40% of voters bothered to cast a ballot. I would have expected a higher number, but maybe people weren’t energized by the campaign. Who knows.
In terms of winners and losers, official results aren’t expected for a few days but some trends are becoming clear. Prime Minister Maliki’s party seems to have strengthened its position. His main Shiia rivals are heading for second or third place in some key cities, especially in the south. His main secular / Sunni rivals are also trailing. But again – we’re waiting for final results before calling the big cities & individual provinces one way or the other.
Friday, 30 January 2009
State of their nation: Day 5
State of their nation: Day 5
By David Mac Dougall, Baghdad Bureau
There’s just one day left until regional elections in 14 out of Iraq’s 18 provinces. So who doesn’t vote? Well, the three northern provinces controlled by the Kurdish Regional Government will have their own local elections later this year; and Tamim Province is exempt this time round (the city of Kirkuk is claimed by three different ethnic groups, so I guess it just seems easier not to have elections there in case of any potential trouble)!
Each day this week we’ve been asking Iraqis what they think about a range of issues.
Today, they get the chance to speak out about elections, politics, different parties, personalities and democracy. As usual, we’ve got quite a range of voices: from people who applaud the introduction of democracy in Iraq, to one man who says he’d like all the political parties to combine into one single party with just one leader (mmm… paging Saddam Hussein anyone?!)
What we’re seeing in Iraq this time is a real interest in the electoral process – there are more than 14,000 candidates running for just 444 seats. That’s a lot of people who want to have a say in the future running of their regions. All across Baghdad there are colorful election posters competing for attention, and on TV voter education ads play alongside soap operas and political broadcasts. For me, it’s been fun to watch the Iraqis get wrapped up in the process. Tomorrow, it will be fun watching them cast their ballots (hopefully) in a peaceful atmosphere.
By David Mac Dougall, Baghdad Bureau
There’s just one day left until regional elections in 14 out of Iraq’s 18 provinces. So who doesn’t vote? Well, the three northern provinces controlled by the Kurdish Regional Government will have their own local elections later this year; and Tamim Province is exempt this time round (the city of Kirkuk is claimed by three different ethnic groups, so I guess it just seems easier not to have elections there in case of any potential trouble)!
Each day this week we’ve been asking Iraqis what they think about a range of issues.
Today, they get the chance to speak out about elections, politics, different parties, personalities and democracy. As usual, we’ve got quite a range of voices: from people who applaud the introduction of democracy in Iraq, to one man who says he’d like all the political parties to combine into one single party with just one leader (mmm… paging Saddam Hussein anyone?!)
What we’re seeing in Iraq this time is a real interest in the electoral process – there are more than 14,000 candidates running for just 444 seats. That’s a lot of people who want to have a say in the future running of their regions. All across Baghdad there are colorful election posters competing for attention, and on TV voter education ads play alongside soap operas and political broadcasts. For me, it’s been fun to watch the Iraqis get wrapped up in the process. Tomorrow, it will be fun watching them cast their ballots (hopefully) in a peaceful atmosphere.
Thursday, 29 January 2009
State of their nation: Day 4
State of their nation: Day 4
By David Mac Dougall, Baghdad Bureau
This coming Saturday, Iraqis go to the polls. They’re choosing regional representatives in 14 out of Iraq’s 18 provinces. There’s little doubt that Iraqis are embracing democracy – the numbers speak for themselves: more than 14,000 candidates vying for just 444 council seats.
Each day this week we’re asking Iraqis what they think about a range of issues.
Look up to the top of buildings in any part of Iraq and the chances are you’ll see a satellite dish. They’re so prolific I’ve heard people jokingly call them “Iraq’s national flower” because they’re blooming everywhere. Compared to six years ago (before the US-lead invasion), Iraqis have an amazing range of news sources to choose from. Broadcasts run the gamut of locally produced TV newscasts in Salah ad Din Province to slick high-end pan-Arab satellite channels like al-Arabiya (where President Obama gave his first post-inaugration interview this week) and Iraq-wide channels like Sharqiyah and Iraqiyah. There are also a number of religious channels and stations run by political parties.
In terms of print media, there’s a wide variety of newspapers on offer: some come weekly, some daily, some support or are printed by a particular political party or religious group, some are printed in Iraq, some overseas. Iraqis buy their papers at road-side vendors.
For today’s “State Of Their Nation” video, we asked people what they thought of the media here, we asked about the dangers facing journalists (the Committee to Protect Journalists lists 114 Iraqi journalists killed here since March 2003, making it one of the most deadly places to report in the world). We also asked people if they thought the media here in Iraq was free and fair.
Watch an hour of news, opinion and debate LIVE from Baghdad on Friday at 10am EST at www.foxnews.com/strategyroom.
By David Mac Dougall, Baghdad Bureau
This coming Saturday, Iraqis go to the polls. They’re choosing regional representatives in 14 out of Iraq’s 18 provinces. There’s little doubt that Iraqis are embracing democracy – the numbers speak for themselves: more than 14,000 candidates vying for just 444 council seats.
Each day this week we’re asking Iraqis what they think about a range of issues.
Look up to the top of buildings in any part of Iraq and the chances are you’ll see a satellite dish. They’re so prolific I’ve heard people jokingly call them “Iraq’s national flower” because they’re blooming everywhere. Compared to six years ago (before the US-lead invasion), Iraqis have an amazing range of news sources to choose from. Broadcasts run the gamut of locally produced TV newscasts in Salah ad Din Province to slick high-end pan-Arab satellite channels like al-Arabiya (where President Obama gave his first post-inaugration interview this week) and Iraq-wide channels like Sharqiyah and Iraqiyah. There are also a number of religious channels and stations run by political parties.
In terms of print media, there’s a wide variety of newspapers on offer: some come weekly, some daily, some support or are printed by a particular political party or religious group, some are printed in Iraq, some overseas. Iraqis buy their papers at road-side vendors.
For today’s “State Of Their Nation” video, we asked people what they thought of the media here, we asked about the dangers facing journalists (the Committee to Protect Journalists lists 114 Iraqi journalists killed here since March 2003, making it one of the most deadly places to report in the world). We also asked people if they thought the media here in Iraq was free and fair.
Watch an hour of news, opinion and debate LIVE from Baghdad on Friday at 10am EST at www.foxnews.com/strategyroom.
Wednesday, 28 January 2009
State of their nation: Day 3
State of their nation: Day 3
By David Mac Dougall, Baghdad Bureau
This coming Saturday, Iraqis go to the polls. They’re choosing regional representatives in 14 out of Iraq’s 18 provinces. There’s little doubt that Iraqis are embracing democracy – the numbers speak for themselves: more than 14,000 candidates vying for just 444 council seats.
Each day this week we’re asking Iraqis what they think about a range of issues.
With the new US administration little more than a week old, we went out on the streets to talk with Iraqis about their expectations of President Obama. We also found Iraqis had a lot to say about President Bush’s legacy: most people seemed bitter about the US-lead invasion, most had harsh words to say about President Bush and most had low expectations for the new administration.
Sometimes, what Iraqis have to say can be difficult to hear – they don’t pull their punches. Of course we can’t ask the opinions of every Iraqi in the country. When preparing these videos, our camera crew goes to a part of the city where different religious groups mix – we don’t just go to a Sunni or Shiia part of Baghdad – so I’m confident we got a fairly representative sample of opinions from the Iraqi capital. Outside the capital, people might say different things. In Kurdistan for example you’re more like to have people talking with warmth and gratitude about former President Bush. In the south of the country, the responses from people on the street might be more extreme in the other direction. Here in Baghdad, we’re trying to bring you the middle ground.
Do you agree or disagree with what these Iraqis have to say? Leave a message, we’d like to hear your comments!
Plus — Watch an hour of news, opinion & debate LIVE from Baghdad on Friday, 10am EST at www.foxnews.com/strategyroom!
By David Mac Dougall, Baghdad Bureau
This coming Saturday, Iraqis go to the polls. They’re choosing regional representatives in 14 out of Iraq’s 18 provinces. There’s little doubt that Iraqis are embracing democracy – the numbers speak for themselves: more than 14,000 candidates vying for just 444 council seats.
Each day this week we’re asking Iraqis what they think about a range of issues.
With the new US administration little more than a week old, we went out on the streets to talk with Iraqis about their expectations of President Obama. We also found Iraqis had a lot to say about President Bush’s legacy: most people seemed bitter about the US-lead invasion, most had harsh words to say about President Bush and most had low expectations for the new administration.
Sometimes, what Iraqis have to say can be difficult to hear – they don’t pull their punches. Of course we can’t ask the opinions of every Iraqi in the country. When preparing these videos, our camera crew goes to a part of the city where different religious groups mix – we don’t just go to a Sunni or Shiia part of Baghdad – so I’m confident we got a fairly representative sample of opinions from the Iraqi capital. Outside the capital, people might say different things. In Kurdistan for example you’re more like to have people talking with warmth and gratitude about former President Bush. In the south of the country, the responses from people on the street might be more extreme in the other direction. Here in Baghdad, we’re trying to bring you the middle ground.
Do you agree or disagree with what these Iraqis have to say? Leave a message, we’d like to hear your comments!
Plus — Watch an hour of news, opinion & debate LIVE from Baghdad on Friday, 10am EST at www.foxnews.com/strategyroom!
Tuesday, 27 January 2009
State of their nation: Day 2
State of their nation: Day 2
By David Mac Dougall, Baghdad Bureau
This coming Saturday, Iraqis go to the polls. They’re choosing regional representatives in 14 out of Iraq’s 18 provinces. There’s little doubt that Iraqis are embracing democracy – the numbers speak for themselves: more than 14,000 candidates vying for just 444 council seats.
Each day this week we’re asking Iraqis what they think about a range of issues.
Today, they speak out about things most people in the West take for granted: clean running water, electricity to heat or cool their homes and run appliances, efficient sewage to keep the towns and cities disease free. A lot of this essential infrastructure was in a terrible state of disrepair after the US-lead invasion – following years of neglect and sanctions during the Saddam Hussein regime. Many Iraqis had unrealistic expectations that the Americans would fix all their problems overnight but nearly six years after the start of the war there are still a lot of issues with basic services. Now, Iraq is going to be increasingly paying to upkeep and maintain more of these essential services as the US steps back militarily as well as financially.
PLUS — Watch an hour of news, opinion & debate LIVE from Baghdad on Friday 10am EST at www.foxnews.com/strategyroom.
By David Mac Dougall, Baghdad Bureau
This coming Saturday, Iraqis go to the polls. They’re choosing regional representatives in 14 out of Iraq’s 18 provinces. There’s little doubt that Iraqis are embracing democracy – the numbers speak for themselves: more than 14,000 candidates vying for just 444 council seats.
Each day this week we’re asking Iraqis what they think about a range of issues.
Today, they speak out about things most people in the West take for granted: clean running water, electricity to heat or cool their homes and run appliances, efficient sewage to keep the towns and cities disease free. A lot of this essential infrastructure was in a terrible state of disrepair after the US-lead invasion – following years of neglect and sanctions during the Saddam Hussein regime. Many Iraqis had unrealistic expectations that the Americans would fix all their problems overnight but nearly six years after the start of the war there are still a lot of issues with basic services. Now, Iraq is going to be increasingly paying to upkeep and maintain more of these essential services as the US steps back militarily as well as financially.
PLUS — Watch an hour of news, opinion & debate LIVE from Baghdad on Friday 10am EST at www.foxnews.com/strategyroom.
Monday, 26 January 2009
State of their nation: Day 1
State of their nation: Day 1
By David Mac Dougall, Baghdad Bureau
This coming Saturday, Iraqis go to the polls. They’re choosing regional representatives in 14 out of Iraq’s 18 provinces. There’s little doubt that Iraqis are embracing democracy – the numbers speak for themselves: more than 14,000 candidates vying for just 444 council seats.
Each day this week we’re asking Iraqis what they think about a range of issues. Today, they speak out about taking control of Baghdad’s most famous piece of real estate the “Green Zone”. It had been under American control since 2003 but now the Iraqis are back in charge again. The Iraqi Government also took control of military operations here and in theory American forces can only conduct operations with the approval and cooperation of Iraqi troops. This new-found sovereignty marks a turning point for Iraq, after almost six years of de-facto Coalition control here, and we found a lot of people eager to talk about it.
By David Mac Dougall, Baghdad Bureau
This coming Saturday, Iraqis go to the polls. They’re choosing regional representatives in 14 out of Iraq’s 18 provinces. There’s little doubt that Iraqis are embracing democracy – the numbers speak for themselves: more than 14,000 candidates vying for just 444 council seats.
Each day this week we’re asking Iraqis what they think about a range of issues. Today, they speak out about taking control of Baghdad’s most famous piece of real estate the “Green Zone”. It had been under American control since 2003 but now the Iraqis are back in charge again. The Iraqi Government also took control of military operations here and in theory American forces can only conduct operations with the approval and cooperation of Iraqi troops. This new-found sovereignty marks a turning point for Iraq, after almost six years of de-facto Coalition control here, and we found a lot of people eager to talk about it.
Sunday, 25 January 2009
No home run, just hard work
No home run, just hard work
By David Mac Dougall, Baghdad Bureau
I’m never good on just three hours of sleep. Let’s face it, who is? But often that’s what it takes to get a story, and I learned a long time ago the US military loves an early start.
Arriving at Camp Taji on a helicopter flight from Baghdad recently, the soldier who greeted us at the flight line in the early hours of the morning said “I’ll pick you up at 5:15″.
“PM?” asked producer Nicola Sadler, a little too hopefully.
“No ma’am,” came the soldier’s reply. “A.M.”
And that’s how our embed began.
I first visited the town of Tarmiyah in Dec. 2006 with the army’s 2nd Battalion 8th Cavalry, commanded by Lt. Colonel Scott Efflandt. The town was, quite frankly, in disarray. A local al-Qaeda affiliated group called the Mujahidin Shura Council had decided to declare itself independent from the rest of Iraq, a supposed counter-weight to the Shiia-dominated central government. Police quit their posts en masse, businesses and schools closed down after being threatened by Al-Qaeda and Tarmiyah looked like a ghost town. Not that we could see very much; we pretty much drove through the main street in a convoy of five hum-vees, because it was pretty dangerous to get out and walk around. In fact, one of our vehicles was hit by a roadside bomb, although thankfully nobody was injured.
Add to all this mess a dose of regular criminal activity, tribal rivalries, decades-old blood feuds, and you can see the scope of the problems the US military had to deal with.
Scott Efflandt was effectively acting as the mayor of Tarmiyah, and trying to use the carrot-and-stick approach to get the community back on its feet, encouraging various local Sheikhs and civic leaders to work together and also withholding spending on infrastructure projects for “bad behavior”. The US military ended up using Tarmiyah as a case study during counter-insurgency training school for how to deal with a multi-layered insurgency problem. Scott Efflant said that putting things right in Tarmiyah was “a task of inches” and that there were “no silver bullets, no home run, just hard work.” How right he was.
The real thorn in the side of Lt. Colonel Efflandt and the men of 2/8 CAV (as well as the people of Tarmiyah) was an insurgent leader by the name of Abu Ghazwan, the head of the Mujahidin Shura Council. He’d been jailed by the Iraqi authorities for two years and then released in the fall of 2006. On his route from prison to Tarmiyah, he’d linked up with al-Qaeda cells and received extra training, and by late 2006 Abu Ghazwan was Tarmiyah’s most wanted. We heard stories of public executions and suicide bomb attacks terrorizing the town’s residents, and the US army post in Tarmiyah was almost over-run in the spring of 2007 in a concerted insurgent attack.
Abu Ghazwan was behind many of the terror attacks in Tarmiyah, and in 2006 Scott Efflandt told me “we’ll deal with Abu Ghazwan. He was a problem before, and he went to prison; he was released, and we’ll deal with him again, and I’m sure next time he won’t be released”.
CLICK HERE to see my original 2006 video report about Tarmiyah on Fox News.
If Scott Efflandt – or any of the soldiers from 2/8 CAV – visited Tarmiyah today they would be shocked by the progress there. I know that I was. For a start, Abu Ghazwan is dead. Last November, during a routine search of Abu Ghazwan’s sister’s home, a sharp-eyed Iraqi soldier saw a man running away so he gave chase. The man – who turned out to be Abu Ghazwan of course – threw a grenade at the Iraqi soldier which seriously wounded him – but not before he could fire off a shot and kill Tarmiyah’s most wanted man. The Iraqi soldier, by the way, is being protected by members of his own family, for fear of revenge attacks by Abu Ghazwan’s supporters who are still lurking on the outskirts of the town. With improved security – thanks to the US-backed Sunni militias known as the Sons of Iraq – Tarmiyah was able to slowly reverse the slide into chaos which the previous few years had brought.
During this most recent visit to Tarmiyah our host was Capt. Chris Loftis from 1-14 Infantry Battalion out of Schofield Barracks in Hawaii. It’s a heck of a lot colder in Tarmiyah in January than it is in Hawaii I’m betting! Chris is a real asset to his commanders because he speaks Arabic. He’s also been in the army for 23 years, first as an enlisted soldier and later as an officer. That longevity brings much-needed experience to the streets of Tarmiyah.
What we found for ourselves was a town transformed. We were able to walk freely up and down the main street, where stores and markets were open and doing a thriving business. A couple of stores in particular, according to Capt. Chris Loftis, really indicated a bright future ahead: bridalwear and furniture. If people are planning weddings they’re planning for the future – and they often give bedroom furniture as a wedding gift – plus the furniture store we saw also sold cribs which means couples are looking to expand their families.
The whole town had an air of “normalcy” about it – normal that is, by Iraqi standards with checkpoints, razor wire, and security blast barriers still in evidence. There were boys spilling out of the high school, stopping to buy street food from a vendor. There were election posters plastered on walls, and women busy buying household goods at a makeshift roadside market spread out on the sidewalk. Something that was very satisfying to see however was Abu Ghazwan’s “wanted” poster. Some Iraqi policemen had drawn a large red “X” over his face.
And as for Abu Ghazwan… well… we had an unusual “encounter” with him. Turns out the room we slept in for a few nights (which I thought was as cold as a morgue) had in fact been used to store Abu Ghazwan’s body. I guess Lt. Colonel Scott Efflandt was right on the money when he told me back in 2006 that next time justice was visited upon Abu Ghazwan, he wouldn’t be escaping his fate so easily – it’s just especially poetic that Iraqi security forces were the ones to bring his murderous run to an end.
By David Mac Dougall, Baghdad Bureau
I’m never good on just three hours of sleep. Let’s face it, who is? But often that’s what it takes to get a story, and I learned a long time ago the US military loves an early start.
Arriving at Camp Taji on a helicopter flight from Baghdad recently, the soldier who greeted us at the flight line in the early hours of the morning said “I’ll pick you up at 5:15″.
“PM?” asked producer Nicola Sadler, a little too hopefully.
“No ma’am,” came the soldier’s reply. “A.M.”
And that’s how our embed began.
I first visited the town of Tarmiyah in Dec. 2006 with the army’s 2nd Battalion 8th Cavalry, commanded by Lt. Colonel Scott Efflandt. The town was, quite frankly, in disarray. A local al-Qaeda affiliated group called the Mujahidin Shura Council had decided to declare itself independent from the rest of Iraq, a supposed counter-weight to the Shiia-dominated central government. Police quit their posts en masse, businesses and schools closed down after being threatened by Al-Qaeda and Tarmiyah looked like a ghost town. Not that we could see very much; we pretty much drove through the main street in a convoy of five hum-vees, because it was pretty dangerous to get out and walk around. In fact, one of our vehicles was hit by a roadside bomb, although thankfully nobody was injured.
Add to all this mess a dose of regular criminal activity, tribal rivalries, decades-old blood feuds, and you can see the scope of the problems the US military had to deal with.
Scott Efflandt was effectively acting as the mayor of Tarmiyah, and trying to use the carrot-and-stick approach to get the community back on its feet, encouraging various local Sheikhs and civic leaders to work together and also withholding spending on infrastructure projects for “bad behavior”. The US military ended up using Tarmiyah as a case study during counter-insurgency training school for how to deal with a multi-layered insurgency problem. Scott Efflant said that putting things right in Tarmiyah was “a task of inches” and that there were “no silver bullets, no home run, just hard work.” How right he was.
The real thorn in the side of Lt. Colonel Efflandt and the men of 2/8 CAV (as well as the people of Tarmiyah) was an insurgent leader by the name of Abu Ghazwan, the head of the Mujahidin Shura Council. He’d been jailed by the Iraqi authorities for two years and then released in the fall of 2006. On his route from prison to Tarmiyah, he’d linked up with al-Qaeda cells and received extra training, and by late 2006 Abu Ghazwan was Tarmiyah’s most wanted. We heard stories of public executions and suicide bomb attacks terrorizing the town’s residents, and the US army post in Tarmiyah was almost over-run in the spring of 2007 in a concerted insurgent attack.
Abu Ghazwan was behind many of the terror attacks in Tarmiyah, and in 2006 Scott Efflandt told me “we’ll deal with Abu Ghazwan. He was a problem before, and he went to prison; he was released, and we’ll deal with him again, and I’m sure next time he won’t be released”.
CLICK HERE to see my original 2006 video report about Tarmiyah on Fox News.
If Scott Efflandt – or any of the soldiers from 2/8 CAV – visited Tarmiyah today they would be shocked by the progress there. I know that I was. For a start, Abu Ghazwan is dead. Last November, during a routine search of Abu Ghazwan’s sister’s home, a sharp-eyed Iraqi soldier saw a man running away so he gave chase. The man – who turned out to be Abu Ghazwan of course – threw a grenade at the Iraqi soldier which seriously wounded him – but not before he could fire off a shot and kill Tarmiyah’s most wanted man. The Iraqi soldier, by the way, is being protected by members of his own family, for fear of revenge attacks by Abu Ghazwan’s supporters who are still lurking on the outskirts of the town. With improved security – thanks to the US-backed Sunni militias known as the Sons of Iraq – Tarmiyah was able to slowly reverse the slide into chaos which the previous few years had brought.
During this most recent visit to Tarmiyah our host was Capt. Chris Loftis from 1-14 Infantry Battalion out of Schofield Barracks in Hawaii. It’s a heck of a lot colder in Tarmiyah in January than it is in Hawaii I’m betting! Chris is a real asset to his commanders because he speaks Arabic. He’s also been in the army for 23 years, first as an enlisted soldier and later as an officer. That longevity brings much-needed experience to the streets of Tarmiyah.
What we found for ourselves was a town transformed. We were able to walk freely up and down the main street, where stores and markets were open and doing a thriving business. A couple of stores in particular, according to Capt. Chris Loftis, really indicated a bright future ahead: bridalwear and furniture. If people are planning weddings they’re planning for the future – and they often give bedroom furniture as a wedding gift – plus the furniture store we saw also sold cribs which means couples are looking to expand their families.
The whole town had an air of “normalcy” about it – normal that is, by Iraqi standards with checkpoints, razor wire, and security blast barriers still in evidence. There were boys spilling out of the high school, stopping to buy street food from a vendor. There were election posters plastered on walls, and women busy buying household goods at a makeshift roadside market spread out on the sidewalk. Something that was very satisfying to see however was Abu Ghazwan’s “wanted” poster. Some Iraqi policemen had drawn a large red “X” over his face.
And as for Abu Ghazwan… well… we had an unusual “encounter” with him. Turns out the room we slept in for a few nights (which I thought was as cold as a morgue) had in fact been used to store Abu Ghazwan’s body. I guess Lt. Colonel Scott Efflandt was right on the money when he told me back in 2006 that next time justice was visited upon Abu Ghazwan, he wouldn’t be escaping his fate so easily – it’s just especially poetic that Iraqi security forces were the ones to bring his murderous run to an end.
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