ARBIL, Iraqi Kurdistan -- I returned from the front today south of Taqtaq near Chamchamal to a party. Arbil was celebrating from the images from Baghdad. Crowds have taken to the streets in the capital and were helping pull down statues of Saddam Hussein. I had the feeling that I was witnessing an event that would provoke the kind of emotion in Iraqis that the fall of the Berlin Wall did to the world in 1989.
"We are very happy for what is happening in Baghdad," said Salah Hussen, 36, as he watched al Jazeera among a crowd on the street. "We are sorry for the innocent people who are killed and we hope this is finished as soon as possible."
"But we don't hope for anything happy for Saddam," he added.
Interestingly, and this ties back to the Jornalists' Union's statement yesterday, but there is palpable anger at al Jazeera in Kurdish country, and the preferred American news channel is ... Fox News.
"Fox News is true!" Hussen said.
If Arbil was a city verging on a rave, the northern front was as quiet as Sunday night in Dubuque, Iowa. In Dubizna, a blasted village five kilometers from Kani Domalin, a mountain range that overlooks the oil fields around Kirkuk, fighters on all sides seem to have settled in to see what happens now.
Kani Domalin is the last ridge that stands between the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan peshmergas and Kirkuk. I can see it in the distance, down the road. While we're standing there, next to bombed out structures that used to be barracks for Iraqi troops, artillery shells landed about two kilometers in front of us. I jumped. My peshmerga escorts laughed. We were in no danger. The Iraqis were shelling PUK forward positions, but without much effect, it appeared.
But before the PUK can advance up that ridge with American air support, a political barrier must be breached. The Kurds' leaders have pledged no advance on Kirkuk or Mosul, which would provoke Turkey into invading the Kuridish enclave, something the Americans are desperate to avoid. Kurdish fighters are not to advance past Highway 2, which is the current dividing line between the forces.
The last checkpoint before Dubizna is Redar, 18 km from the front. It's the center of the strategically important Chwan township. Before that lies the town of Taqtaq, about 35 km from Kani Domalin. Until a few nights ago, this area was in Iraqi hands, and Taqtaq was being shelled. Today, I had lunch with the peshmerga commander Arez Abdulla there, in a room recently used by the Iraqi general staff for the region -- until it was abandoned and the Kurds occupied it, that is.
Abdulla's superior, Brig. Gen. Rabar Said, who I met last year near Halabja when we toured the Shriniwe Front against Ansar al-Islam together, said the Iraqis had withdrawn to Diraman and Hasar -- towns straddling the Kani Domalin ridgeline -- in the last two weeks, leaving behind weapons and vehicles. I meet Said earlier that day in a happy -- and random -- reunion, and the general estimated the number of troops defending the Kirkuk area at 20,000, all in a state of very low morale.
The Iraqi commanders can't do anything without the OK of the Ba'athish Party political officers assigned to the units, Abdulla said. And the troops don't get any news except the Ba'ath Party propaganda.
"They hear only lies," he said. "They have no idea what is going on." I got the feeling he felt sorry for them.
Said estimates that one division of the Nebukhidh-nezar Republican Guard, a division of the Saddam Fedayeen and a "force" (qa' qa') of Division 44, which is regular army. Throw in the police and local militia, and you get 20,000, with their headquarters in the neighborhoods of Hai Nasir and Qadisiya in Kirkuk.
Joining Said in Taqtaq was Brig. Gen. Jalal Aziz and a PUK member of the Kurdish Parliament in Arbil, Mala Shaki. As he turned on the television to Fox News (of course,) Shaki expressed his gratitude to the United States.
"In the past 30 years, we have been suffering from genocide and Anfal, chemical weapons," he said. "We are very grateful and thankful for the American support. They crossed thousands of kilometers to liberate the Iraqi people -- "
" -- and Kurdish people," interjected Aziz.
"Including the Kurdish people," Shaki responded. "We don't think about revenge. Our aim is democracy and human rights for a country that will be free.
"From now on, all of the Iraqi people will be happy."
While the peshmerga are being kept on a tight leash by the Americans, what about the approximately 300,000 internally displaced people who will want to return to Kirkuk and Mosul at the first opportunity? Are there any plans to stop them? It turns out that there isn't, according to Shaki, despite the fact that Turkey has said this, too, will be seen as a provocation.
"The people are not armed and hopefully they will not do that," Shaki said. "The order from Jalal Talabani is to discourage people from looting and revenge."
Taqtaq wasn't just a base for the peshmerga. It was also a base for a number of American Special Forces troops. When I wandered upstairs to try to talk to the American commanding officer, who Said told me was available, a young Airborne ranger of the 101st stopped me at the top of the stairs.
"You can't be here, sir," he said.
"Just wanted to talk to the commanding officer, please," I replied.
"He's not here."
Gotcha. I beat a hasty retreat without putting up a fight.
The feeling is that the troops in Kirkuk and Mosul will not stand and fight, Aziz said, according to two Iraqi prisoners captured yesterday in fighting. With Baghdad seemingly under American control, we may soon see a test of that theory. As we were leaving the region, we passed a company of peshmergas who were rolling to Qushtapa, a 45-minute drive to Kirkuk. When they stopped, we caught up with the leader and asked him what was going on.
"We going to join our commander," he said and smiled. He didn't refuse to say anything more, but he didn't tell me a damn thing. He knew what he was doing and I didn't blame him. Who wants to talk to pesky reporters when you're on a mission?
As it is, I just heard a rumor that's there's a press on for Kirkuk-Chamchamal tonight. I'm heading out.
Go for it!
Good work Chris! You are the man!
Peshmergadonet, I’m curious… does your organization (if you have one that is) have any plans to develop your web site further? If so, what kind of content are you planning?
Go man, go!
What sort of gear are you carrying? Can you file from the field?
Nice snide off-topic comment.
What’s snide? Am I missing juicy snideness? Or are you referring to the fact that you left no comment at all, on- or off-topic, Hec?
Chris,
Thanks so much for keeping us updated…and stay safe…
Hello,
Since you’re an independent journalist, maybe you can explain to your readers if this thing we’re watching in the last 20 days or so is the “mighty threat-to-the-world Iraq” Mr. Bush & Co. was talking over an over again.
I mean, no doubt the man was a dictator. No doubt there’s more dictators out there. No doubt the USA did help some dictators to rise and no doubt the USA did help Saddam to stay in power. No doubt Iraq has no relation with 9-11.
Back in 1983-84, after a meeting of “mutual interest” with Saddam Hussein, Mr. Donald Rumsfeld said, ?It struck us as useful to have a relationship, given that we were interested in solving the Mideast problems.? At the time, Saddam was already using chemical weapons in Iran.
It’s now clear the Mr. Rumsfeld solved a lot of Middle East problems and keeps solving them…
So, “Saddam Hussein joins pantheon of failed dictators” says Mr. Rumsfeld (he wants badly to be remembered in history has a man of great wisdom). I think some are more failed than others and for someone who dislikes Mr. Adolf Hitler, Mr. Rumsfeld sure used some of his tactics: cheap propaganda and blitzkrieg (despite against a very pathetic enemy) — not bad for a democrat.
So, what was the real reason for this war? Who do you think it’s next?
I’ll try to answer your questions Jose.
The excellent weblog at the top of the “Coalition of the Willing” on the right of the page has some news on the ongoing “Where are the WMD?”
Unfortunately, a large percentage of the US population thinks that Iraq was directly involved in the 9-11 attacks.
There’s nothing wrong with blitzkrieg itself. But it has a bad rap so the DoD gave it a new name.
I think that the reason for this war is politics, and making some corporations that contributed money to his election happy on the side. And next? Probably the elections. Of course, I am in the minority.
But since when has Rummy been with the Democrats?
Dear Michael
Thank you for your intreast in our website. We are Kurdish students living in exil all around the world, we already have a network. We want to expand our network and even create a alternative media and a new platform for people who support freedom, human rights and independence for the Kurdish people. We will also have a history, profile section about the REAL peshmerga. We don’t promote violence, we believe that the truth is our path will help us to recive sympathy and understanding for our deram of a greater Kurdistan.
Peace for the world, God bless every soul that has been taken in this war. Americans, British, Irais, Kurds. You will never be forgetten.
To you all other..
Please, the war is almost ending it is useless to talk about USA did that for 30 years ago etc. What is relative no is to support the Iraqis and the Kurdish people to create thier own goverment in a democratic and peaceful manner.
Peace, viva Kurdistan ||¤||
Thanks for the update. I’ll keep checking your link to see what goes online.
I’m carrying a Panasonic Toughbook, a Motorola 9505 satellite phone with the Iridium network, a data connection, a Sony digital camera and a Garmin GPS receiver. Throw in the assorted chargers, and you’ve still got a pretty light kit.
You are sensible fellows, Jose and the other john. Rumsfeld scares the hell out of me; if one can judge by his eyes, or by words, or actions, or just about anything, he is one soulless, loveless SOB. I believe he and a few other top cohorts are as scheming and untrustworthy as Shrub is shallow. Look out now that they’re feeling their oats.
why a toughbook and which one? damn expensive! wldn’t an Apple G3 or G4 be just as good?
BTW, great link Italiano!
re: http://www.theoliasi.de
Ted, take your ibook to the desert, stick it in the sand, drop it a couple times, and generally abuse it, and see how long it lasts.
As much as I love the Macintosh as a computing plaform, and I do not do Windows except when I am forced to, the other john is right. A G4 PowerBook just wouldn’t have been able to stand the pounding, unfortunately. I have to say the Panasonic Toughbook is probably the best laptop Chris could have. If Chris could have gotten a ruggedized computer that runs Mac OS X then I’m sure he would have taken one. But, alas, there is no such thing.
I see, I’m just trying to work out how much it would cost - leaving aside travelling, just the kit. Satphone 1200bucks, toughbook $3000 digi camera $800 gps $200-$400
About $5,500 should be enough to become a mobile wire agency…….
Ted, Chris had a lot help on some of the expenses because the hardware was donated. If I remember correctly all the hardware he’s using has been donated, but I’ll have to ask him to make sure I’m telling you the right thing.
Ted, I was right. All of Chris’ hardware was donated, but they are loaners. He has to give all of it back to the companies after the trip.
thanks Michael, You must give me the names of these doners…I feel a trip coming on! LOL.
Seriously, lucky him. But otherwise the figure would not be too far off the mark? And considering at the time of the last Gulf war, just the Satphone would have cost the price of a house!