Holidays in Al-Hillah

We had an unexpected visitor to the Al-Hillah Regional Embassy Offices, where the PRT is located. At 8:30am I was informed that MNF-I Commanding General Odierno had arrived and, after a brief ceremony with the military unit that is our neighbor, wanted to meet the PRT within 15 minutes. I set about rousting those not already awake, got the keys to our conference room and we pulled together about 20 people to meet with him. Al-Hillah was one of eight stops Gen. Odierno made that day visiting troops and PRTs.

As you can see from the photos below, he arrived and departed with a Santa hat emblazoned with 4 stars. Many of the contractors and local employees were tickled to be able to have a photo taken with him, making it a special Christmas moment.

Some of us were dressed in old track outfits about to run a 5K race, but he didn't seem to notice -- or was too polite to say anything. In any event, it turns out that Gen. Odierno grew up in Rockaway, NJ, just a few miles away from my home town of Boonton. He graduated a year behind me, same class as my sister. Small world.

I survived the 5K race and ate lots of great food, shrimp and prime rib, both rarely seen in Al-Hillah. All in all, it was a good Christmas, if you have to be away from family. Many persons serving in Iraq have spent multiple Christmas holidays away from home, so I have been fortunate over the years.

The "chance of feasts" and "prying to God" -- Christmas cards Iraqi style

I get all sorts of interesting communications from Iraqis in our province, especially during the holiday season. Some of them provide a linguistic twist that provides an extra element of amusement. Take for instance the Christmas e-card below. It is the thought, of course, that counts.

Taking the chance of feasts I want to say

MERRY CHRISTMAS &

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009

Hoping that the coming year bring the best to all of you,

Prying to God to bless you and your families .

Merry Christmas from Ishtar Gate

To all of my friends, family, colleagues and itinerant blog readers, this post is to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Babylon.

This is a photo of a replica of the Ishtar Gate, at the Babylonian ruins site. The original gate, which is very similar, is in a museum in Berlin. The photo was actually sent to me as a Christmas card by one of our staff.

Today is Christmas Eve, and I have sent the local employees home. None of them are Christian, but they enjoy a free afternoon just the same. It rained fairly hard last night, although briefly, as if the heavens were giving Iraq a good cleansing. it was the first real rain in six months, and the farmers will be happy.

This is my first Christmas away from family in my 30 years of marriage. Even when I was on the Bosnian-Serbian border during Christmas of 1994, I was able to get to Rome for a few days to rejoin the family. There are many soldiers and civilians in Babil for whom this is not the first time to be separated from family at Christmas, so I have been fortunate overall.

Yesterday I received a Christmas card from an Iraqi Police General, which I am sharing below. I found it touching that he would send me such a message in the midst of all his hard work. I think that it reflects the sentiments of many Iraqis who realize all the sacrifices America has made on their behalf and seem more determined than ever to make good on the promise of a new Iraq.

Begin Text:

A special thanks with our greatest appreciation for your hard work and efforts towards the security of Iraq. We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year during this special time away from family and friends. We hope that you remember this wonderful time of year not with regret but with a feeling of accomplishment for a worthy cause.

From all the men of all Hillah SWAT we hope that this Christmas away from home will be a joyous one.

End Text.

Below is an informative article published today that focuses on agriculture in Babil and quotes one of the PRT's Agriculture Advisors, Patrick Broyles.

Iraqi farmers are back in business, and Iraqis love local produce (McClatchy, Adam Ashton, Dec 20)

BABIL PROVINCE, Iraq — Mansour Abdul Khadim's mix of winter crops gives every impression of abundance, despite the double threat of drought and violence that has plagued Iraqi agriculture since Saddam Hussein's fall in 2003.

Rows of red potatoes and green beans grow together in one lot. Winter wheat sprouts in adjacent fields. Tomatoes for the spring already are incubating in mounds of fertilizer.

Khadim is optimistic scanning the fields, not least because the days of government mandates for wheat production appear to have ended. He thinks that will give him more opportunities to earn extra money by selling more-valuable vegetables.

"I am not restrained by any government condition. I am free to use the land the way I want it," said Khadim, 37, whose family has farmed in this rural area south of Baghdad for decades.

Khadim's taking advantage of a drop in violence to rebuild decrepit canals and boost his farm's production as part of a 700-member agricultural cooperative. He's part of a trend that many hope will increase across the country, bolster employment and restore Iraq's status as an historic breadbasket for the Middle East.

As Khadim's farm shows, Babil Province - known not long ago as a part of the "Triangle of Death" - could be a sort of salad bowl for Iraq if the peace holds and farmers are able to invest in their land.

"They could turn Babil Province into an agricultural center like the Fresno valley," said Patrick Broyles, a U.S. Department of Agriculture adviser from Emporia, Kan., who is working in the region around Khadim's farm.

That prospect is about a decade off in the best of circumstances, said several American agricultural experts who have worked in the country since 2003. They're working to support the agricultural sector because it's a vital employer, accounting for as much as a quarter of jobs in Iraq.

The country benefits from a 10-month growing season, good soil and its two rivers, which have supported farming in Iraq for thousands of years — the Tigris and Euphrates.

"The basic system for agriculture is there; it's just in shambles" said Joseph King, a project leader for studies on Iraqi farming conducted by Texas A&M University's Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture

The biggest obstacles that could keep Iraq importing its food well into the future include:

_ A shortage of electricity and fuel that blocks farmers from pumping water out of wells.

_ Poor systems to deliver water from the Euphrates and Tigris rivers to farms. Khadim's area is served by one main canal constructed by the British in the 1930s, and another, in poor condition, that was built about 30 years ago by a Turkish company. Both need continual maintenance, Khadim said.

_ Depleted seed and livestock supplies that were hindered first by the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s and then by United Nations sanctions that followed Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait through the following decade. "Basically with every crop grown in Iraq, there are better varieties that could be grown," Broyles said.

_Inefficient drainage on many farms that allows salt to build up over time, ruining soil.

_A shortage of border security agents to prevent Syrian, Iranian or Turkish imports from flooding Iraqi markets and jeopardizing the health of Iraqi crops.

Those challenges are so severe that U.S. and Iraqi officials are chipping away at them instead of tackling them whole.

"In six months, we're not going to change that," said Edwin Price, director of the Borlaug Institute. "In three years we're not going to change it."

A team from Price's institute studied agriculture in Iraq's provinces over the past year, crafting detailed recommendations for each.

It's focusing on educating farmers more than calling for immediate changes in how Iraqis manage their agricultural sector. One of its projects launched 4-H clubs in southern Babil province, where students chose to work together on raising poultry.

The State Department has a similar strategy. It's investing in Iraq's agricultural extension program to spread knowledge about the latest farming techniques.

"The proof to me will be when everyone is happy with respect to ag income," said a U.S. embassy official who spoke on condition that he not be identified. "Ultimately the goal is to provide enough income so people won't be shooting at each other, or at us."

Price noted a regional demand for certain Iraqi exports - dates, eggplants, cucumbers and okra. He has encouraged farmers to focus on those crops, which can earn them higher incomes - and use less water - than cereal grains. Iraqi lamb is considered a delicacy, too.

Iraqis have a pent up demand for locally grown food. Many Iraqis believe their products simply taste better than their counterparts from Syria and Iran.

"The quality of the ag produce is the best in all the Middle East," said Fuad Husseian, a Kurdish man who is working with Broyles on a contract with the State Department in Babil province.

But Iraqi produce is hard to find in the fruit and vegetable markets that dot Baghdad's streets. Most of the cornucopia of pomegranates, tangerines, cauliflower, tomatoes, cucumbers and eggplants at the markets comes from Syria, sellers said.

"Every time retail sellers come to buy from us, the first question they ask is 'Do you have local product,'" said Qusay Abbas Ahmed, 30, a wholesaler in the town of Abu Ghraib west of Baghdad. "After we say no, they start looking around. They prefer it because the Iraqi product tastes better and is fresher, and to tell you the truth, one enjoys eating the product of his own country," Ahmed said.

Wholesalers say they can't get products from Iraqi farmers, who they say have been held back primarily by the electricity shortage. They said it was easier to get Iraqi food during the U.N. sanctions because so few imports were allowed across the border.

Jassim Abu Atheer, 42, owns a wholesale stand in Abu Ghraib and has fruit orchards in the Diyala province east of Baghdad. He said Iraq's Ministry of Agriculture should restore subsidies for fuel and fertilizer to help farmers to pre-war levels. Those subsidies remain, though to a lesser degree.

"Now we are supported with nothing, no seeds, no fertilizers," he said. "If the farmer was to buy what he needed from the market it would be more expensive than the goods that are being imported."

Bloody sectarian violence didn't help, either. The wholesale market in Abu Ghraib was unreachable for some of its customers in 2006 and 2007 because of road closures, the wholesalers said.

Kadhim's province suffered severely during that period, too. Insurgents threatened to kill his parents if they didn't leave their land.

An al Qaida in Iraq cell took up positions along a primary canal, threatening to shoot anyone who tried to fix its leaks. Kadhim and others worked with tribes and the American military to eliminate those cells.

A flourishing agricultural sector could be a key to keeping those cells from returning, said Sayeed Sabaa, a leader of a farming committee on Babil's district council.

He attended a ceremony this week to mark the opening of the U.S.-funded $3.2 million "Central Euphrates Farmers Market," a project that's expected to make it easier for Babil farmers to sell their products.

"We hope to implement this and have people to work here to stabilize the security situation," Sabaa said.

(McClatchy special correspondent Sahar Issa contributed to this report. Ashton reports for the Modesto (Calif.) Bee)

Ribbon Cutting in Musayib

Below is a release by MNC-I on the November 5 ribbon cutting that I participated in to celebrate the renovation of the District Council building. One year ago there were tanks in the streets of Musayib. Today you can stroll the streets.

Musayyib opens $85K city hall

FORWARD OPERATING BASE ISKAN, Iraq – Provincial and local government representatives, Iraqi Security Forces and Coalition forces celebrated the grand opening of the renovated Musayyib City Hall Nov. 5.

“We worked hard to get this project done … with the help from the Iraqi Security Forces, Coalition forces, and all of you here today, you have all come together to make this project possible,” said Jabber, council chairman.

The Iraqi Commander Emergency Response Program funded the $85,000 project.

The ceremony opened with versus from the Quran followed by speeches from Jabber, Mayor Ali, Ken Hillas of the Provincial Reconstruction Team and the assistant governor.

“For a local government to work well, a community must believe in its future and in the capacity and determination of its citizens to participate in self rule,” said Hillas. “Democracy is not easy … the strength and effectiveness of the democratic government that this structure houses rests with you, the people of Musayyib. I am sure you will take advantage of its privileges and not allow that to slip away.

“The biggest danger is always apathy and indifference.” Hillas said.
“If your community is to be well and wisely governed, the citizens must be involved. Every woman and man has duties as well as rights in a democracy.”

The renovated city hall reflects the transformation of the city of Musayyib.

“The building has a new look, and now it’s more qualified for the members to work better and get our people in Musayyib all kinds of help,” said Ali.

The grand opening shows how far the local government and security forces have come over the past year.

“God willing, it will inspire others to continue striving to build a better community … and may it be a lasting monument for the faith in the future and the power of democracy,” said Hillas. “I want you to know that you are not alone in this endeavor. The U.S. government…is proud to support the efforts of the government of Iraq in meeting the essential needs of the Iraqi people. You may be assured that our partnership will continue as we build on the gains achieved over the last year.”

Man Meets Camel

Recently, an Iraqi camel visited our compound, and I found that we could communicate.

Then we connected, ney, we bonded . . . .

But someone else entered the picture, a soldier with more charm than me.

And just as quickly, the camel's affections were his. Guess I was lucky.

From our trip today to northern Babil with the Provincial Council Chair (second from the left).

Security Portfolio Turned Over to Babil Province

Gov Salam Saleh Mahdi Al-Muslimawi addresses the crowd at the PIC ceremony

A view from the parade route of the reconstructed walls of ancient Babylon

On October 23, Babil was the latest province in Iraq to transition to Provincial Iraqi control (PIC) of security. The event was cause for a big ceremony next to the Babylonian ruins that received lots of coverage in the Baghdad and regional media (e.g., Al Jazeera) but little beyond that. The handover of security responsibilities in Babil leaves only the province of Wasit in southern Iraq that has yet to make the transition.

At a celebration prior to the PIC signing, Babil Governor Salam Saleh Mahdi Al-Muslimawi said the event was "a gift from God." He was speaking to a crowd of several hundred people gathered for the event that took place next to the ancient ruins of Babylon. Others addressing the crowd include Prime Minister Maliki's National Security Advisor, Mowaffaq Al-Rubaie, Multinational Iraq Corps (MNC-I) Commander Lieutenant General Austin and Provincial Council Chairman Muhammed Ali Hussain Al-Massoudi. After the speeches, Governor Salam and Major General Oates, Commander of MultiNational Division-South, signed the formal document establishing Provincial Iraqi Control (PIC).

In his remarks, Lieutenant General Austin noted the real improvements in security over the last year, during which insurgent attacks in Babil had declined 80%. He stressed the continuing commitment of the Coalition to partner with the ISF in building on those security gains, providing a basis for improvements in essential services for Babil's citizens in the areas of water, sewage, electricity and transportation.

BG Abdul Ameer, 31st Brigade 8th Army, with me after the PIC ceremony

He had a uniform that would have made a British Field Marshall proud

Units from the Iraqi Army, Police, SWAT, and Civil Response Teams paraded before a reviewing stand in celebration of PIC. National Security Advisor Rubaie had several praise singers shout acclaim for the achievements of Prime Minister Mailiki's Government. LTG Austin used the opportunity to announce to the crowd that the province of Wasit, the only one in the south that has not transitioned to Provincial Iraqi Control, would do so in another week. With that, Iraqi Security Forces will have the lead responsibility for security in all of southern Iraq, reflecting the gains of the last year. That "gift from God" was one that both Governor Salam and Minister Rubaie'e recognized as the fruit of a joint effort by Iraq and the Coalition, working as partners in Babil to consolidate security, move ahead on reconstruction and strengthen democracy and governing institutions.

The ceremonies were followed by a lunch for invited guest in the Presidential compound along the banks of the Hillah River within the protected site of the ancient Babylonian ruins, where the province's future and fabled past found reflection in the events of the day. One observer, remarking on the significance of the day, said that it was "the beginning of the end" of the Coalition's mission. That may turn out to be true, hopefully so, but it is not yet a certainty.

Iftar dinner in Hilla.

This news may be a little dated, but it was just reported by the US Embassy: PRT Shares Iftar with Iraqis in Babil Province.

Saying good-by to Al-Tufail tribe leader Sheik Al-Shanan at the end of Iftar.

Sheikh Ali Shanan:

"The [PRT's] yearly tradition of hosting an Iftar dinner during Ramadan is an excellent opportunity for members of Babylon's local government to come together with local NGO representatives, tribal leaders and businessmen.”

He added, “Such an invitation reflects mutual respect of the religious rituals and rites of Christianity and Islam. On behalf of myself and all the tribal leaders in Hillah, I extend our thanks to the REO and the PRT."

Team Babylonians.

Today I will run a 5km race for the cure to raise money for combating breast cancer in partnership with people in Denver, whence one of our staff hails.

American Foreign Service Association on Iraq Assignments

The following message from AFSA State VP Steve Kashkett was issued as an AFSA press release on Thursday, October 2, 2008.

It challenges the media to correct the misimpression, largely created one year ago, that it has not been possible to fill assignments in Iraq and Afghanistan through volunteers. The reality, however, is that good news rarely makes news.

Text of AFSA Announcement:

The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) welcomes Secretary Rice's announcement that the Department of State has now filled all of its positions at the U.S. missions in Iraq and Afghanistan for the summer 2009 assignment cycle with qualified, willing volunteers -- as has been the case every year since those two diplomatic missions came into existence. It is a tribute to the courage and sense of duty of the people of the Foreign Service that our members, as well as a number of Civil Service colleagues, have stepped forward without hesitation every year to staff the embassies and provincial reconstruction teams in those two war zones. These are our largest diplomatic missions in the world, and they present unique dangers and challenges to the thousands of our members who have volunteered since 2003.

AFSA hopes that those journalists, media outlets, and commentators who erroneously reported last October that the Department of State had been unable to fully staff the Iraq mission will now show as much zeal in reporting that, in fact, every one of these positions in both Iraq and Afghanistan for summer 2009 has been filled more than eight months in advance. Those journalists did a great disservice to the Department of State and its employees -- who have never shied away from hardship
service in some of the most dangerous places on earth -- and we hope that these journalists will now set the record straight."

Embassy Baghdad's Deputy Chief of Mission Wins Prestigious Award

Those of us serving on PRTs are very proud that Pat Butenis, Embassy Baghdad's Deputy Chief of Mission, has been selected to receive the 2008 James A. Baker III - C. Howard Wilkins, Jr. Award for Outstanding Deputy Chief of Mission. Here are excerpts from the official announcement:

The Selection Committee chose Ms. Butenis for rebuilding Embassy Baghdad, for managing, defending, and developing its staff, and for advancing America's most important foreign policy priorities.

This award, made possible by C. Howard Wilkins, Jr., former U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands, is presented to an outstanding Deputy Chief of Mission and Charge d'Affaires in the Ambassador's absence. The award consists of a certificate signed by the Secretary and $5,000.

The Selection Committee was chaired by Deputy Secretary of State John D. Negroponte. Its members included Joyce A. Barr, Director of the East Asia/Pacific Bureau's Executive Office; Judith A. Chammas, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Human Resources in the Director General's Office; Jeffrey D. Feltman, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Near East Asia Affairs; and Christopher R. Hill, Assistant Secretary for East Asia/Pacific Affairs.

Cholera, Elections and Security Turnover

It has been a busy time in Babil the last two weeks. The cholera outbreak, which was heavily concentrated in Babil, appears to have stabilized.

On September 24, the Iraqi Council of Representatives (Parliament) passed legislation paving the way for holding provincial elections no later than January 31. In addition, preparations continue for the handover of lead responsibility for security from Coalition to the provincial authorities, which Iraqi officials expect to take place in the coming weeks.

Cholera

WHO has a website with information on the cholera outbreak, which began in July and picked up in August and early September. See http://www.int/csr/don/2008_09_29c?en/index.html.

Babil accounts for 200 of the 340 confirmed cases. The outbreak appears to have stabilized and, notwithstanding all that has been written in the media about a cholera "epidemic" here, the fact remains that only two persons have died in Babil Province, and that is the most of any province in Iraq.

The WHO does not recommend restrictions on travel in the affected areas, nor does it advise mass prophylaxis.

The PRT is contributing 15 water tanks with a capacity of 5,00 liters each. The International Medical Corps has made a similar contribution. Access to clean drinking water is the critical need. The health authorities responded well on the ground to the outbreak, even if in the early stages there was little public recognition of the problem. The Iraqi Government has had sufficient chlorine tablets for sterilization of water, and patient demand has not exceeded hospital bed capacity.

The good news is that this year's outbreak is less intense than last year. Cholera has long been endemic to this part of Iraq, unfortunately.

Elections

The same day that the PRT hosted an Iftar dinner (breaking of the daily fast during Ramadan), the Parliament passed long-awaited legislation that paves the way for holding provincial elections no later than January 31, 2009.

That is a major step forward for Iraqi democracy and should make a contribution to the political reconciliation process.

The Sunnis, who are concentrated in Northern Babil and who largely boycotted the 2005 provincial elections, should gain proportionate representation in the Provincial Council. Likewise, many supporters of Moqtada Al-Sadr, are showing signs that they want to reengage in the political process and move away from armed "resistance." The Sadrist Trend, as the movement is referred to here, has long opposed coalition "occupation."

It may be that U.S. willingness to include in a draft SOFA Agrement target dates for redeployment and withdrawal of forces has given the Sadrists enough reason to reengage in the political process. The Sadrists have officially announced the demobilization of its Mahdi Army and the creation of a new cultural/social (read political) arm of the movement called Mahmehadun, while retaining a residual and smaller armed force.

How this plays out, of course, will have a big effect on the development of the political situation in the southern provinces. In any event, the election campaign is sure to be interesting and closely watched, holding the potential for changing the situation on the ground.

Security Handover

At the same time, another major development is unfolding.

Iraqi officials have announced that they expect to take lead responsibility for security in two new provinces -- Babil and Wasit. The latter is to the west of Babil and lies along the Iraqi-Iranian border.

When this takes place, the Iraqis will have the principal responsibility in all five of the provinces in the South/Central region (Wasit, Diwaniyah, Najaf, Kerbala and Babil). One-two years ago, it would have been hard to find someone willing to predict that we would be at this point.

Rebuilding Iraq Blog.

SECURITY IMPROVEMENTS PALPABLE BUT FRAGILE

I arrived in Al-Hillah in the beginning of March 2008, and the changes since then have been notable. The gains in security during that time are reflected in an improved quality of life for the province's citizens. Babil -- the most populous (1.6 million) province in the south central region -- is the keystone for the south central region. The U.S. maintains a Regional Embassy Office (REO ) in Al-Hillah, one of four in Iraq (together with Basrah, Kirkuk and Erbil). Babil is largely located between the Tirgris and Euphrates and has been Iraq's breadbasket as well as an industrial center. The northern part of the province lies within the so-called "Triangle of Death," south of Baghdad. This was a Sunni area lying on the Sunni/Shia fault line and the stage in which active fighting was still taking place until early 2008. An embedded sister PRT is paired with U.S. forces in northern Babil, where the changes of the last 10 months have probably been most starkly visible. A place like Jurf as Sakr, a Sunni majority town in northern Babil, was the scene of terrible destruction one year ago. I walked down the main street early this summer and was able to visit stores and talk to shopkeepers, escorted by only two soldiers at a distance.

Read the rest of my report as well as other PRT reports written by colleagues at RealClearWorld.

A view of some of the Babylonian Ruins, which have not been excavated, or maintained, for many years long before 2003.

Bagpipes Play in Al-Hillah In Memory of 9/11 Victims

In Al-Hillah, Iraq, about 100 employees of the Regional Embassy Office and Babil Provincial Reconstruction Team held a special commemoration for the victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on our country. Visiting Embassy Baghdad Ag Attache James Conley played a stirring rendition of "Amazing Grace" on the bagpipes, while REO and PRT employees stood for two minutes of silence in the REO Garden beneath the flag at half-staff. Jim's willingness to bring his bagpipes on his trip to Al-Hillah permitted an especially poignant commemoration of this sad day, and reminded all that there is something in the sound of bagpipes that stirs emotions and strengthens resolve.

Security responsibilites turnover.

Here is a media report, the first on this topic of which I am aware, on the possible turnover of primary security responsibilities to the Provincial authorities, what we refer to as PIC (Provincial Iraqi Control).

Ministry says ready for Babel, Wassit handover
Baghdad - Voices of Iraq
Wednesday , 10 /09 /2008 Time 10:04:27

The Iraqi minister of defense, Abdelqadir Al-Ubeidi, on Wednesday said that Iraqi forces are preparing to take over full security responsibilities in the provinces of Babel and Wassit.

"Security forces continue their preparations to take on security responsibilities in Babel and Wassit from the Multi-National Force (MNF)," the minister said during a Baghdad-based press conference on Wednesday without giving any indication as to when such a handover could take place.

Anbar was the 11th and the latest Iraqi province where security responsibilities have been passed on to the Iraqi authorities.
Wassit, 180 km south of Baghdad, is in the east of the country. As it lies along the Tigris about midway between Baghdad and Basra.Prior to 1976 it was known as Kut Province.

Babel, 100 km south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, has an area of 6,468 square kilometers (2,497.3 sq mi), with an estimated population of 1,385,783 people in 2003. The provincial capital is the town of al-Hillah.

Visit to Hashimiyah and Cholera Outbreak

September 7, 2008. These are four members of the Babil PRT who travelled with me to Hashimiyah by helo. This photo was taken on the Polish Base in Diwaniyah (Camp Echo) where we stopped for ten minutes for refueling.

Iraqi province on alert for suspected cholera outbreak

HILLA, September 8, 2008 (AFP) - The central Iraqi province of Babel went on alert on Monday after four people were killed by cholera and 200 others were suspected of suffering from the disease, local officials told AFP.

"The laboratory reports from Babel health department indicate there are 200 cases of suspected cholera, vomiting and diarrhoea in the province," the provincial council said. It said the council head, Mohammed al-Masoodi, has ordered the water, electricity and health departments to go on alert in an effort to stop the spread of the disease. Local medics said four people have died from the disease, adding that most of the suspected cases were from Al-Hashimiyah area of northern Hilla, the provincial capital. Six cases of cholera have also been detected and 64 more suspected cases been reported in the southern province of Maysan, a member of parliament told AFP on Monday.

Notwithstanding the above AFP report on the cholera outbreak in Babil Province, the Ministry of Health has not officially confirmed the outbreak, which apparently has struck Hashimiyah in the south and perhaps a town in the north. Cholera outbreaks are not unusual in Iraq at this time of year.

I am sure that there is no cause and effect, but I visited Hashimiyah yesterday, as well as another town in that district called Shomali, which boasts the youngest judge in Iraq.

We have formed a working group on the PRT to monitor the cholera situation and coordinate with relevant entities, like the Health Ministry, local officials, Coalition units and the Embassy. This morning we visited the largest radio station in the region, where I did a live interview for 45 minutes on the work of the Babil PRT.

It seems that our local employees are hearing that the thing that most impressed some listeners wasn't hearing about how a specific project was proceeding or how the PRT worked with various government agencies. No, it was the simple gesture of a traditional Ramadan greeting of wishing for the listeners that God will return their prayers with health and safety.
I decided to join our local employees in the daily fast (no food or water) from sunrise to sunset. So you tank up early in the morning and hold on for the rest of the day.

September 8, Al Furatain Radio Station, Al-Hillah.
Interviewer to the right, interpreter in center and me on the left.

Newspaper article that describes PRT's work.

Can't link this article to the Bangor Daily News, so am reproducing the article below, because it does explain what a PRT does.

Diplomat hopeful, sees Iraqi progress
Wednesday, August 20, 2008 - Bangor Daily News



Kenneth Hillas, the Provincial Reconstruction Team leader in the Babil Province in Iraq, joined Iraqi leaders during an Earth Day date palm tree planting ceremony earlier this year in the city of Al Hillah where he is based. Hillas, a 1976 graduate of the University of Maine, is working with the PRT to rebuild the physical and political infrastructure in the province which is located just south of Baghdad. (Photo courtesy of Kenneth Hillas)

(Photo courtesy of Kenneth Hillas)

The situation in Iraq has improved in the past several months, according to a career diplomat with ties to Maine.

If that trend continues, it could signal the start of a reduction in the U.S. presence in that country, said Kenneth Hillas, the team leader of the Provincial Reconstruction Team serving in Babil province located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers just south of Baghdad.

Hillas, 55, is a 1976 graduate of the University of Maine and serves on the board of the newly created School of Policy and International Affairs at the university. He also owns a home in Penobscot, although his family is living in Alexandria, Va.

Hillas joined the State Department in 1980. He is a senior foreign service officer and served as deputy chief of mission in Prague, Czechoslovakia, and in Warsaw, Poland, until this spring when he volunteered to join the PRT effort in Babil.

"It looked like a valuable effort," Hillas said Monday in a telephone call from Al Hillah, where he is stationed. "I thought it would be rewarding professionally and personally; and when a friend in the State Department asked me about it, I decided to do it."

Hillas completed a four-month temporary tour of duty in Babil this summer and returned recently to begin a one-year tour there.

PRTs are special units that work in conjunction with Iraqi leaders on security and reconstruction efforts in Iraq. While U.S. military units concentrate on security issues, Hillas works mainly with political leaders on a variety of projects that affect the lives of the residents of the province.

The PRT doesn’t actually do the construction work, although the military units often work on some projects. The team members are specialists in different areas and assist Iraqi leaders as they work through the process.

"We help coordinate, plan and execute the projects," Hillas said.

The projects are as varied as the needs of the people: fish stocks for the local aquaculture industry; hospitals and equipment; a cold storage facility for local farmers; and facilities to provide potable water to about a half-million people in the province.

They’ve also helped to build about 20 schools in the region.

"Saddam Hussein took all of the teachers out of the schools and put them in the army during the 1980s and the war with Iran," he said. "The education system fell apart."

The literacy rate dropped from 65 percent in 1980 — two years after Saddam took power — to 45 percent in 2001, Hillas said. Since Saddam was ousted, more teachers are being trained and the literacy rate is beginning to improve, he said.

The Iraqis — not U.S. taxpayers — are now paying the bills for much of the reconstruction work, according to Hillas. With demand for oil high and the price of oil high, the Iraqis don’t lack for money, he said.

"They have enough money," he said. "It’s the ability to get projects conceived and generated, implemented and executed where they need experience. We’re trying to help them do that."

Security is an issue, and Hillas said the situation is improving as the country becomes more stable. Violence is down, although he stressed that there are still dangers from suicide bombers and from the improvised weapons that insurgents employ. Suicide bombings, though rare occurrences, still happen. But the northern part of the province, once included in the so-called "triangle of death," has become much safer, Hillas said.

"You couldn’t fly up there in a helicopter without getting shot at," he said. "I was there recently and I walked down the main street with just two soldiers with me. We’ve worked with the tribal sheiks there and the situation is dramatically improved. The rest of the province is gradually getting better."

The U.S. troop surge late last year, has helped, Hillas said, but it is not the only factor in the improvements on the ground.

"The surge was one of the things, but it’s not the only thing. The Iraqi security forces are improving in their capability and their intelligence gathering."

The U.S. troops no longer work in larger units, he said, but are now deployed in smaller numbers out in small camps where they are able to provide security for smaller towns and villages.

The economy is better — boosted by the demand for oil — and the political system is more stable as Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has solidified his position. The country is poised for another election late this year or early next year, which could be a true indication of how the country is progressing.

Although the elections are being overseen by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq, part of Hillas’ job has been to work with local leaders to prepare for the elections. The Sunni population — which largely boycotted the last election — are beginning to rejoin the political process, which is a positive sign, he said.

The Sunnis, although a minority in Iraq, held power during Saddam Hussein’s reign. Diplomatic efforts are slowly encouraging them to become involved again.

"They are starting to realize that we are not there to help the Shia exclude them from power," he said.

Hillas also said that efforts are under way to talk with supporters of Muqtada al-Sadr, the powerful Shiite cleric who has opposed the coalition occupation of Iraq, and to encourage them to become involved in the country’s political system. Those discussions are delicate and can be deadly for Iraqis who cooperate with U.S. efforts, he said.

"It is dangerous for them," he said. "There are political risks and they have to be concerned for their personal safety. There are still extremists who are willing to kill people who are willing to talk to Americans."

Most Iraqis seem to be friendly toward the Americans and believe that they are not trying to establish a colonial occupation force in the country, Hillas said.

"Every Iraqi I talk to says the same thing: ‘Don’t leave us high and dry, not until the job is finished,’" he said. "They don’t want us to stay forever, but they realize that we’re not at the point where we can pick up and leave."

It won’t happen all at once, he said, and it will be important to get the transition process right, he said.

"I really think that it won’t be a long time before that day comes," he said.

Memorial Service for a Colleague

A memorial service for Steven L. Farley will be held on September 12, 2008 at 10 a.m. in the Dean Acheson Auditorium of the State Department. Steven L. Farley was killed in the attack in Sadr City, Iraq, on June 24th. His devotion to public service was reflected in his many years of duty in the United States Navy Reserve and in his decision to volunteer to serve in Iraq since April 2007. At the time of his death, Steven was serving on a Baghdad Provincial Reconstruction Team as the Senior Governance Specialist in Sadr City where he was helping the citizens of Iraq rebuild and revitalize their local government. Mr. Farley is survived by his wife, Mrs. Donna Farley, three sons – Brett, Chris and Cameron, and parents Noel and Barbara Farley.

All of us in the Babil PRT honor his service and memory and keep his family in our thoughts. I have sent a Babil PRT coin to his family on behalf of the PRT as a symbol of our respect for Steven.

Changes for the Better Raise Hopes

Well, it's my first entry since arriving back in Hillah two weeks ago. It is surprising that during my almost two months away there have been noticeable changes -- and for the better. There are lots of small changes, but collectively they make for a different picture.

People now are out on the streets at 9 or 10 at night. That contrasts with the situation in the spring: when the sun went down, people went home. Women (albeit a small minority) walk in public without headscarves for the first time in over two years. Young people play pop music loudly outdoors, and less often does one hear religious music. Several new restaurants opened in Hillah this summer.

The local population talks about how they feel more relaxed. While some of the Special Groups fled or were broken up in the province last spring, their capabilities have not been eliminated and the terrorist threat remains. Just over a week ago a female suicide bomber in the northern part of the province killed a dozen persons in Iskandariyah. In June a car bomb went off in front of a Hillah cafe.

The big question now is whether the political system will be able to renew itself at the provincial level by holding elections. This would allow the Sunnis, who are a quarter of the provinces population concentrated in the northern part of the province, to be reintegrated in the political process. The term for the provincial council is to lapse shortly, but the Council of Representatives (parliament) has yet to pass a needed election law. Actually the COR passed a law but it was vetoed by the Presidential Council with the Kurds wanting to link the election law to a resolution of the status of Kirkuk, which Kurds want included in their region. It's a very contentious issue, but there is a wide-spread hope that the COR will pass the law again in early September and it will enter into force. That would allow elections by the end of the year or January.

In what I am told was a coincidence, the Provincial Council announced a boycott of the PRT just a day before my return. I have had fun razzing the PC Chairman and others about this, and am hopeful that the ostensible issue (which isn't for this forum) will get resolved soon.

In an effort to incentivize the PC to lift the boycott, we have informed the PC members that the boycott will probably impede our ability to go forward with numerous projects. The underlying political dynamic, however, is the competition among some political parties, which have lost popularity over the last few years, to show themselves to be Iraqi nationalist -- which in itself is good in the sense that it shows they are thinking in national and not sectarian terms. Unfortunately, the US is used as a foil by some to show their nationalist credentials. Some of the persons who go on the radio to discuss the boycott, are some of our best interlocutors in private. It will take adjustments on both sides (Iraqi and American) to adapt to new roles and expectations as we go through a transition process in which the Coalition role changes and becomes more limited as the Iraqis take on increased responsibilities in all areas, not just security.

Changing topics, yesterday I received my second text message in Arabic and I excitedly took it to my interpreter to translate. Was it a message from the Governor? From the PC Chair? No, it was a mass text message to all cell phone users from the Ministry of Health warning that August is a particularly dangerous month for cholera and urging that I visit the local health clinic.

Speaking of health and medicine, there was a small piece on US TV the other evening about medihoney, a new treatment for burns. It is something I had never heard about until I came to Iraq. One of the military bases in Babil Province has for months run a burn clinic on its doorstep to treat Iraqi burn victims with medihoney. Medihoney derives from a plant in New Zealand and has lots of antioxidants and speeds healing. It looks and smells like honey. Burn victims have been coming from all over Iraq to get treatment, earning the base tremendous good will. They are now working on making it an Iraqi-run program.

Of course, it's hot this time of year- around 120F during the day, but this has been a somewhat mild August by Iraqi standards. We haven't gone over 130F for two weeks, which is just fine with me. I had decided to enroll in the 5K run on Sunday at 6:30am (which laps around our compound), but I pulled a calf muscle on the tread mill this evening and am now hobbling around like an old enfeebled man. I would have been the second oldest to run in the race, but now I'll just watch.

Lots of planning has begun for the new military deployments in the coming months, which will impact on the PRTs, some of which are embedded in brigade headquarters. Fewer military here will make it harder to have more PRT engagement, since we have depended on the military for transportation and security in some locations. It seems that Bob Gates has become one of the strongest advocates for increasing the State Department's budget to allow it to fill the more than one thousand vacancies in already authorized positions. Despite being 10% below world-wide authorized levels, the Foreign Service has filled all the positions in Iraq that will come open in the summer of 2009. Last Fall that process had still not filled all summer 2008 vacancies. Remember the famous Town Hall meeting? What a changed situation this year! Part of the reason is that the Dept this year started the bidding season earlier for Iraq positions, and it is now linking Iraq assignments to an onward assignment. Officers now bidding will also be told about their post-Iraq assignment, rather than having to start bidding after arriving here.

Regards from sunny, sizzling southern Iraq where things are getting better and tomorrow is sure to bring change.

Maine Paradise

It's not easy returning to Iraq!

Timeline of my return after a hiatus in Warsaw, New York, Virginia, Washington DC, and Maine, sharing some special time with family and friends:

Friday, August 9
I made it to Kuwait just fine, although on a slightly longer timeline that I had thought.

The flight from the US, which was scheduled to leave at 5PM, did not depart until 9:54PM, so I had an extra six hours to kill at Dulles. I was able to sleep a good part of the trip, having spent $119 to buy an economy plus seat at the bulkhead. They charge extra now for those seats!

I am ensconced in a lounge at the Crown Plaza for the next 10 hours, and plan to go into the city with a colleague, who used to serve on the Babil PRT.
I have to get up at 3AM to catch the milair flight to Baghdad and then I will be staying in Camp Victory for two days for a conference on civil-military affairs. Then, I'll spend another day in Baghdad doing check in and will be down in Hillah around Aug 15.

August 10 (0400)
Thanks to a traveling contractor, I have a minute on his computer.

I didn't get out of Kuwait today-- missed three planes that broke down or were canceled. Hope to get out on Monday, but may not be able to do so until Tuesday.

My lack of luck with transport seems to have stuck with me for my return to Iraq.

I will probably sleep in a tent this evening here at the Ali Al Salem Air Base in the desert, unless we luck out and get on a flight today by some miracle.

August 11
I am still in Kuwait. Woke up at 4:30am and took a shower.

Yesterday afternoon we sat in the C-130 on the runway and had all four engines started, when one overheated (the temperature outside was 130F) and the mission was canceled.

I will find out this morning if I can get on a plane today, but it looks doubtful. Am told I have a spot on Tuesday's plane, which would get me to Baghdad for the end of the conference. (I had left two days early so as to be able to attend. )

We were also supposed to fly out last night but the mission was canceled. It appears that a lot of planes have been diverted to move the Georgian troops in Iraq back to Georgia.

Time (5:30am) to go to breakfast

August 12 (0130)
Am flying to Baghdad in another two hours -- without my suitcase, which was lost? misplaced? in transit.

August 13 (1600)
I am now in Baghdad.

I need to check what I have down in Hillah. The conference just ended today and I am waiting to hear about when I can get a flight down. The new Division (10th Mtn) that replaced 3rd ID has fewer helos and does not make the same regular runs to Hillah. So, I don't know when I will get a flight down.

The weather code is now red for weather (dust) and the helos won't fly in this weather.

As they say in Maine, Ye Cahn't Gi' Thar Frahm Heer...

Well, it looked like we were going to fly out of here this morning, but the military cancelled our plane to meet other requirements. That left 70 Chief-of-Mission personnel (non-military) for the second day in a row scrambling to change their onward travel plans. After finding out about our situation , the Embassy is trying to get us a plane. These flights are contracted by the State Dept to move COM personnel personnel in and out of Baghdad, but the military diverted the aircraft for a higher priority -- something that is rarely done. Its tough on the morale of those who are hoping to begin R&R or are ending their tour and have travel commitments. We are all hoping that the Embassy is able to resolve the problem and that we'll be able to fly out soon. We have apparently set a record for staying the longest in this transient compound (Sully) of any group in recent memory trying to fly out. If we don't fly out tomorrow, we have been told the whole mission may be scrubbed, and we will be sent back to the IZ to start over again the process of booking new milair reservations. At that point, it would be doubtful that I would make it back to Warsaw in time for the June 14 good-bye barbeque or perhaps even for our flight to the US on June 17. One has to book a milair reservation more than four days in advance notice and the flights often fill up several weeks in advance. Sorry for the bad news, and to leave the family with so much uncertainty. We may have word this evening about a flight tomorrow. Inshallah.

Maybe onwards to Warsaw...

The skies are clearer, although there is still some wind, which picks up the dust.

We have a flight scheduled to leave here late this morning, so by mid-afternoon I should be in Amman. I don't think I'll have time to go to the Dead Sea, which is too bad, as I probably won't travel through Amman again. (There is a minimal layover in Kuwait and I can fly direct from there to DC on United with no stopovers, so in the future I plan to go that route. This will give me more of my R&R time actually at home rather than traveling.)

It's not easy leaving Iraq...

Well, the sandstorm forced the cancellation of this morning's flight, which was to have come in from Kuwait and then taken us to Amman. They are planning to resume flights at 1800. Whether we will fly late in the day or have to wait until tomorrow is still not known. If I get out tomorrow, I'll be able to take the Lufthansa flight on June 10.

Maybe onwards to Warsaw...

We made it to Sully compound at Baghdad Int'l Airport (BIAP) just before 3am. We made the trip (about 40 mins) in a large armored bus, called the Rhino, that does shuttle runs between the IZ and BIAP. (Its called the Rhino because, for some at least, it has a similar appearance. I got a room (shared) at Sully and slept for two and one-half hours. Then arose for the 6:30am check-in, when we learned that the flight had been cancelled due to the duststorm. The flight has been rescheduled for the morning of June 11, weather permitting. One guy who rode on the Rhino was relating how he had been stuck at BIAP for four days due to weather. It's not something I like to think about. There isn't much to do here other than read, sleep, watch movies, and do some work on the computer.

Onwards to Warsaw...

The sandstorm here continues to threaten my travel plans. It forced the cancellation of my helo to BIAP (Baghdad International Airport) this afternoon. I'll instead take the Rhino shuttle late tonight to BIAP and then catch a very early Sunday flight to Amman. Let's hope that the dust storm does not cancel the flight to Amman, or at least that I get to travel on Monday. Otherwise, I'll miss the Lufthansa flights to Frankfurt and Warsaw.

When You Get the Urge for Going

The helo that was to have flown me to Baghdad tomorrow (Friday) has been canceled.

That my meetings in the Embassy with various offices get wiped out is not my biggest concern; it's that I now have only one day to make it to BIAP - Baghdad International Airport - that place through which all of us serving in Iraq must pass when arriving or departing.

If you had a whole day anywhere else in the world to make a flight connection, that would seem like more than enough time. Here, however, that's not the case. Some people travel three or four days in advance to hedge against the possibility that their helo flight is canceled for weather or competing priorities. (The flight itself is a big like taking an amusement park ride. The helos bob and weave over the tree tops, never flying in a straight line. If you enjoy those kinds of rides, it's fun; if you are inclined toward motion sickness, this isn't your favorite means of transport.)

But back to the issue on my mind -- getting on that C-130 on Sunday to fly to Amman and then connecting onward to Warsaw. My three months on the ground in Hillah have been rewarding. The job of leading a 40-person PRT comprised of a wide variety of personnel is not awfully different from that of a DCM. The Management and Regional Security Office (RSO) elements in the Hillah Reginal Embassy Office are separate from the PRT, so there is not a unified management structure, and of course the tasks at hand the challenges one faces are not common to an Embassy . . . at least not in a developed and stable country.

In that regard, we were reminded this week about the danger of working here when an EFP hit one of the military vehicles only several hundred meters from our compound. Fortunately no one was killed, but two soldiers were wounded. That it was possible for the terrorists to plant an EFP in such close proximity to an Iraqi Police check point raises concern, of course.

I have just completed going over our personnel and determining when contracts need to be renewed. Fortunately, all of the State Department direct-hire employees (known as 3161s) want to renew their one year contracts. So too do the BBAs -- Bilingual/Bicultural Assistants. These are mostly naturalized Americans, with roots in Iraq or another Middle East country. Without them (and our Locally Engaged Staff (LES)), the PRT's ability to achieve its mission would be severely handicapped.

Today I signed an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with the head of the Iraqi Fish Production Society IFPS) through which a PRT-originated project run by an AID contractor (INMA) will provide one million carp fingerlings. The photo below is of the IFPS President and me signing the MOU.

Carpe carp! There are many fish farms in Babil, and they are quite noticeable flying to/from Baghdad, dotting the landscape. The waters of the Euphrates are diverted to fill these man-made fish ponds, which employ lots of folks. Many of the fish farms fell into disuse and disrepair over the last decade as the Iraqi economy declined and as the security situation worsened.

Babil is more secure now, although not enough yet to have the Iraqi Security Forces here assume Provincial Iraqi Control of the security portfolio. With the improved security, we (the USG) are looking to try to catalyze renewed economic activity that will create jobs.

Many of the young men who fall in with insurgents, or help them on a part time basis, do so because it provides an income. If those same young men have constructive alternatives, the lifeline of the terrorists can be choked off. The month of May witnessed the lowest number of US military deaths since the conclusion of the liberation. Overall, acts of violence throughout Iraq are way down. These gains remain fragile, however, and the approaching provincial elections will test whether the political parties are prepared to resist the temptation to engage in traditional (violent) politics. It will not be easy to have a democratic election in a country still in conflict, even if at much reduced levels.

Footnote: At 9:30pm I received a call from the 10th Mtn HQ informing me that I have a helo to the IZ tomorrow. All you have to do is wait a little bit and things change around here -- this time for the better. This may be my last post in Iraq until early August.

Iraq reconstruction.

Barbara suggests to check out The Task Force Marne Transformation Manual for some interesting before-and-after pictures on reconstruction projects in Iraq.

With General Petraeus.

Photo by Staff Sgt. L. J.

Changing of the guard.

Tomorrow early in the morning I fly to Baghdad, or more appropriately to Camp Victory, for the change of command of the Multi-National Division Center-South, which includes Babil Province. Not sure whether I am on the same helicopter as the Governor and the Iraqi Army and Police Commanders. The Tenth Mountain Division is replacing the Third Infantry Division, whose Deputy Commanding General I grew very much to like and with whom I hope to stay in touch.

The other two PRTs (Najaf and Karbala), that had been colocated with us here in Hillah, deployed out to their respective provinces over the last week. This considerably alters the dynamics, reducing the proportion of people located in the REO (Regional Embassy Offices) serving on PRTs.

At this point, we have only two FSOs (Foreign Service Officers) occupying four State Department positions on the PRT. The rest of the PRT are an interesting combination of USAID (one), direct hires, contractors of various kinds, and military personnel on a CA (Civil Affairs) Team and with the Army Corps of Engineers.

Of course, there are LES (Locally Engaged Staff), who are the real core. Just imagine an Embassy in which everyone turns over each year, and all the discontinuity that would create and how much it would increase the value of the local staff.

Well, that is the situation on a PRT or one of the four Regional Embassy Offices, which are located in Basrah, Hillah, Kirkuk and Erbil.

Two key LES will soon depart, having obtained their Special Immigrant Visas to the US. They are very deserving and will soon depart, leaving a big hole that will be very hard to fill. Unlike in the 2003-04 period, when highly educated persons were eager to work on a PRT/REO and there were few other attractive decent paying options, that is no longer the case.

While that is a good-news story for Iraq, as the economy picks up and opportunities grow, it does not make it easier to fill these positions, especially when working for the US can still entail real threats to the life and loved ones of an employee. Those who do choose to work with us, have to have lots of courage on a daily basis.

Bad news and good news...

We were supposed to have lunch with the Babil Governor last Monday, but an IED attack on his motorcade in Baghdad's outskirts and the fall out from that -- one of his bodyguards died from injuries sustained in the attack -- forced him to reschedule. We'll likely meet with him later this week. Our medical personnel in Baghdad and Balad have been working on moving one of the other three to a US medical facility to have a procedure carried out.

Today, several of us from the PRT joined Embassy personnel from Baghdad and the 3rd Infantry Division Deputy Commander traveled to the Euphrates Fish Farm not far from Hillah. The USAID contractor celebrated the completion of a carp fingerling project in which the US is providing the local fish farmers with 6 million fingerlings. These will be distributed in the coming month to the local fish farmers using vouchers.

Army Sgt. Joshua Seymour, with Company A, 411th Civil Affairs Battalion, points to fish surfacing for food as he conducts an assessment of a fish farm in Qarghuli village in Iraq’s Babil province, April 9, 2008. Photo by Army Staff Sgt. Tony M. Lindback, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division

The hope is that this will energize the fish industry. Like in Central/Eastern Europe, carp is very popular here. In fact, it is more expensive than lamb or beef. At the Fish Farm they served baked carp, and I ate some. It was actually rather good, given that I have never much liked carp -- except at Christmas in Central Europe, where it is almost a religious ritual. That reminds me, however, that I forgot to take some Cipro after we returned to the Embassy. This could be my last posting!

Traveling out of Iraq; the meaning of "Iraq"; sandstorms and sandtraps...

My two days (ongoing) of waiting for a helo to take me to Baghdad underscores that traveling here is a bit like gambling: sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you lose. Most people build in a buffer of a few days, if they are traveling from a PRT to Baghdad and then onward for a flight out of the country, so as not to miss reaching their commercial flight.

I know some people who have been stuck in Baghdad for almost a week due to weather or for other reasons. My plan for going back to Warsaw and onward for summer leave is to book a helo ride to Baghdad a few days in advance of my milair flight to Amman, from which I will take a commercial flight to Frankfurt/Warsaw.

If I miss either of the two legs prior to Amman, I will miss my commercial flight. Traveling inside or into/out of Iraq, where the first priority of helos is saving lives and where dust storms regularly prevent all aircraft from flying, can be more risky than flying into Terminal Five at Heathrow. (No offense meant to any Brits, just a measure of comparison.)

Sandstorms in central Iraq have not historically been a big problem, I am told by the locals - unlike Kuwait, for instance, where sandstorms have always been a normal part of the weather. Twenty years ago, there were 3-4 sandstorms a year in Hillah. We have had more than that in the almost two and one-half months I have been here.

We are now, of course, in the midst of a drought, which has parched the earth, especially up north, where it is usually greener. The Hillah and Euphrates rivers are down almost one meter. Still, there is a tremendous amount of water underground.

It is common -- and easier -- to use a bulldozer to reach water than dig a traditional well. They just have to scrape away three or four meters of earth to hit the water table. The desert is speckled with these bull-dozered mounds of earth surrounding pools of water. The locals throw in a pump and irrigate a patch of land around the watering hole and there are these green islands.

In fact, the word Iraq, is similar to the word for artery "irq," which some of the locals claim is a reference to the "underground rivers" that flow through Mesopotamia's heartland. Others claim that the name Iraq comes from Ork -- a coincidental similarity to the bad creatures it the Lord of the Rings. Ork supposedly was derived from Ur, the most ancient city in this part of the world, just a drift downriver.

Prior to March, when the IZ (international zone) started getting shelled regularly, Baghdad was a comparatively nice place to be stuck. There is a movie theater (which I haven't visited) and a large pool area. The food there is comparable to what we get in Hillah, although perhaps a bit better. Life there has became more difficult since March with the nearly daily rocket attacks.

The number of shellings has eased recently, but the recent intense period of attacks resulted in several deaths, including an FSO. Nevertheless, getting to Baghdad is also a chance for consulting with different offices in the Embassy or for making requests -- or delivering on them. When/if I travel there tonight, I have to pick up maps, consult with HR, and of course there is our home office, OPA (Office of Provincial Affairs).

I get to write this journal entry, because I am skipping dinner. I had a large lunch with some visiting Sheiks, who brought with them pictures of Paul Bremer and a previous Regional Coordinator, the precursor in Hillah to the PRT.

The sheiks have a different perspective on the situation, and of course are attuned to the mood and needs of their tribesmen in a way that many elected politicians are not. Tribal loyalties in Iraq today give real meaning to the adage that "blood is thicker than water." And there is an instinctive admiration for a strong leader, which PM Maliki seems to have tapped into. The sheiks almost uniformly applaud Maliki's aim of re-establishing the rule of law and disbanding militias and for having the gumption to take the fight to the Mahdi Army, even while inviting them to take part in the political process. One strongman they did not admire in this part of Iraq was Saddam Hussein. He did little to lift the standard of living in southern or south-central Iraq and he aggressively persecuted the Shia in the wake of the 1991 uprising. Many males from Hillah fled the country around this time.

After an extended talk about this topic and Iran, one of the sheiks today said I needed a robe and traditional headgear to match my beard. My deputy interpreted that as a sign that I can expect to get a robe.

That made me think what it would be like to wear it on my travel through Frankfurt and Warsaw airport and see the reaction of the security officials when I pull out my American diplomatic passport. The ensuing cognitive dissonance might be interesting to observe, but I don't want to risk being yanked off a flight after successfully negotiating the sandstorms and sandtraps of travel inside Iraq.

Polish heroine.

I just received word from Barbara that Irena Sendlerowa died last week. She truly was an inspirational woman, and displayed remarkable bravery in saving many Jews during WWII. I am glad that I had a chance to meet her in my first year in Poland at an awards ceremony that honored her. Each year there are fewer persons who lived through that era. She was a living example that it is possible for ordinary persons to reach inside themselves and do extraordinary things in resisting and persevering against evil. Now she belongs to the history books.

I am still stuck in Hillah...

... waiting for the helicopter that should take me to Baghdad. Three military helo sorties have passed through here but the Embassy-run helos are grounded due to weather. They need clear weather for non-critical missions, and moving personnel around the country for meetings is not a top priority in the bigger scheme of things. If it doesn't pick me up in the next hour, I won't travel until tomorrow.

Am going to Baghdad to attend a discussion in the Embassy on the upcoming provincial elections. A majority of the Sunni parties and also the Sadrist Trend stayed away from the 2005 provincial elections, and thus do not have elected reps on the provincial council. The Sunnis are set to run candidates, but it is not yet clear -- with only two weeks left for the registration process -- whether the Sadrists will participate or boycott.

A few days ago I obtained the release of a Sadrist detainee. We turned over the Sadrist to a sympathizer who sits on the Provincial Council and had to sign a guarantor's statement. The aim is to engage the Sadrists in a dialogue and to promote reconciliation. We have not had a dialogue with the ST in this province up till now. We are hoping that the word gets out about the release.

My helo to Baghdad tomorrow should fortunately leave in the early morning, so I will be able to avoid the highest temps of the day, which will be over 100F tomorrow.

I much prefer cold to heat, and I don't find myself changing my view. If anything a year here may reinforce it.

I am struck at how beautiful the moon is here, apparently due to the lack of humidity. One can really see a lot of detail in the seas of the moon. The dry air does not bend the light rays. There is also less ambient light from cities, especially this time of year.

There are now only a couple of hours of electricity each day in Babil and most neighboring provinces. Just two months ago it averaged eight hours per day of electricity. The demand for electricity, of course, goes up significantly with the hot weather, so two hours of voltage this time of year is the equivalent of 6 or 8 hours several months ago when air conditioning was not being used.

Meeting this week with Babil Chief Justice together with departing 3ID General and his replacement, along with other Babil judges.

Recent release of a detainee at the initiative of the PRT to promote political reconciliation with Sadrist Trend. In the background is a recreation of the famous Ishtar Gate -- original in a Berlin Museum.

This one was taken two weeks ago. From left to right: PRT Rule of Law Advisor, me, Chief of Babil Amnesty Commission, another judge and a PRT employee.

Golfing in Iraq, antiquities, logos and other miscellanea.

I have not been writing recently...

There's a fun piece on golf in Baghdad. I walked with a good friend and colleague, Ed, next to this course, which isn't nearly as nice as it sounds in the article! A couple of excerpts:

Photo by Petr David Josek, Associated Press of Bradley Brooks, author of the article

... My first swing off the first tee was smooth and the ball sailed straight and true.

For a brief moment I forgot where I was. ...

One recent afternoon -- squeezed in between sandstorms and incoming mortar rounds -- a colleague and I hit the links. We dubbed it the Baghdad Open. ...

The course "is the sole entertainment that we have here in Iraq"...

I was in Baghdad yesterday for a quick meeting to talk about Sadrists. Each province has a different situation, and of course Baghdad has the most violence. The IZ has been hit by rockets or mortars almost every day for more than one month.

The process for registering political parties and candidates has begun, although an electoral law has not yet been passed by the Council of Representatives (Parliament). There is a lot riding on the outcome: from political reconciliation and further federalization to reconstruction and corruption. All these things are sure to be impacted by the vote that hopefully will take place in the Fall.

A UNESCO-mandated report by International Investigation Committee of Archaeologists is expected to release a report on the Babylonian site, which has been closed since allegations were made about damages done by coalition forces. We and the Poles had forces located at the site at different times between 2003 and 2006. (There is currently a Babylon exhibition at the Louvre
Attempts by the Louvre to get Iraq to loan it some treasures were thwarted by security issues.)

I'll send some photos of a recent visit to the Babylonian ruins and Saddam's Palace, that he built atop an artificial Hill on the banks of the Euphrates.

The Lion of Babylon is very famous but it is also a statue that conveys mixed feelings for the local citizens, as we discovered when looking for a logo for the Babil PRT.

We now have a Ninevan figure on our crest. Nineva, however, is a province up north with no connection to this province of Babil/Babylon.) We ruled out the Tower of Babel as an option -- not a positive message. The local Iraqis said that the Lion of Babel was actually created by the Assyrian conquerors of Babylon and placed facing eastward toward the Persians to shown them what they could expect if they invaded, i.e., have a lion standing over them. I liked the second part of that message, but the symbol is one of a conqueror for some of our employees, so it seems that the figure of Hammurabi being given the code of laws is the winner.

There are several lawyers on our PRT who are pleased with the outcome. It is, of course, reassuring to know that lawyers can aspire to upward mobility and service on PRTs in Iraq!
In all seriousness, rule of law issues here are rather important. Tomorrow, I should have some interesting news to report. Until then . . .