Letters From the Front (Good News!)

[Annie]

via Instapundit

http://www.billingsgazette.com/inde...news/2004/07/31/build/opinion/30-guest-op.inc

Letters from the front: A Montana pilot reports from the warfront
By Lt. Col. Mike “Alien” Buck
Montana Air National Guard

Greetings, Montana:

It had now been six weeks since we began flying missions from Balad Air Base, Iraq. Summer is in full swing here along the Tigris River, which provides irrigation for the ancient farms that surround our base. Our airfield is easily recognized from miles away as an island of tan amid the greenery. Typical afternoon high temperatures exceed 115 degrees, with 133 being the highest noted so far. The weather has been cloudless, but the steady breeze occasionally increases to the point where blowing dust reduces visibility to less than a mile.

The men and women of the Montana Air National Guard here in Iraq have continued to serve with distinction. Thus far we have flown every assigned mission, recently surpassing the 500-mission mark. This is a testament to the hard work of our maintenance and operations personnel working in an austere location under trying conditions. We continue to fly a mix of missions: close air support for coalition troops engaged with enemy fighters, convoy escort, infrastructure patrol and pre-planned strikes against insurgent strongholds.

To show how these missions fit into the overall scheme in Iraq, I'll take a moment to outline the current situation here. We have witnessed, and in some cases been party to, many significant events that have received little attention by the stateside media. The news stories that do get coverage often suggest ongoing chaos, a seeming contradiction to statements by coalition officials that real progress is being made. This apparent contradiction is due to the complex nature of a counterinsurgency war.

Campaign of terror

Counterinsurgency wars are challenging. If the people begin to identify more with the goals of the insurgents than the goals of their government, the insurgents usually win. I don't believe that this is likely to happen in Iraq, because it is clear that the enemy does not have the interests of the Iraqi people at heart. They are not fighting to free Iraqis from oppression; the purpose of the insurgents' campaign of sabotage and terror is to prevent the new Iraqi government, with help from the coalition, from establishing a republic of free citizens in Iraq.

Whether the insurgents are foreign fighters with ties to al-Qaida such as Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and his henchmen, former Baath party members who wish to regain power, or rogue clerics who wish to enhance their power now that Saddam is gone, they all are threatened by the creation of an Iraqi nation in which the rule of law is respected and the citizens have the ultimate authority.

There are many encouraging signs that the Iraqi people do not share the dreams of the insurgents. The transfer of sovereignty from the coalition to the interim Iraqi government that took place on June 28 did not end the violence, but it was much more than a symbolic gesture. Interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi (who has been marked for assassination by al-Zarqawi) has already begun an aggressive program against the insurgents and now authorizes our airstrikes against their hideouts.

Al-Zarqawi, who a few weeks ago boasted that he could "travel Iraq as freely as a guest," is not only running from the coalition, he is unwelcome by most Iraqis. The leaders of one Iraqi city have vowed that if he shows up in their town they will "do what the coalition has thus far been unable to do - kill him."

Citizens participate

Suggestions that the interim Iraqi government is only a puppet of the United States are belied by the active participation of Iraqi citizens in its activities. Recently, 1,000 delegates from around Iraq met with the purpose of electing 100 representatives to their version of our Senate. This was done despite insurgent threats against these delegates.

These and other examples strongly suggest that the insurgents have little support in Iraq, while the efforts of the coalition are largely appreciated. I'll share an experience that I've had that has convinced me that there is cause for optimism in Iraq's future.

I recently had the surprise pleasure of meeting and talking with a former foe. A work detail appeared at our squadron last week with the purpose of putting our building's plumbing in order. A former Iraqi colonel, whom I'll call Mohammed, was part of that detail and asked to be introduced to some of our pilots. He had served as a MiG squadron commander in the Iraqi Air Force.

A pilots' conversation

As we spoke, I used up my Arabic vocabulary very quickly, but fortunately his English was very good. He was not a tall man, and his teeth showed the effects of some years' neglect, but he was quite charming and he clearly enjoyed having a chance to talk with fellow pilots again. He was about my vintage, having been a fighter pilot since the 1980s, and had amassed a respectable amount of flight time in both the MiG-21 and the MiG-23. At first I was concerned that he'd want to discuss information about the F-16's capabilities, but he was mainly interested in talking about his adventures.

For some time we discussed things that only pilots care about: stall speeds, aerobatic maneuvers (which he loved) and some of his more harrowing flights. He made quite a point of contrasting conditions "before 1991" (before Operation Desert Storm) with those after 1991. After 1991, life as an Iraqi fighter pilot became difficult. He had to try to get by on almost no pay ($75 dollars per month).

"I could not buy car, I could not buy house after 1991 - only food," he said. When he complained that he couldn't get by on that pay, his commander simply told him he should be satisfied with knowing that he was part of Iraq's defense. He watched friends die who were ordered to fly aircraft that were not safe because they could not be properly maintained. Some of these aircraft had ejection seats that failed to work. All this because Saddam refused to comply with the U.N. resolutions in order to have the sanctions lifted.

I finally asked him, "how do Iraqis really feel about the U.S. being here?"

"No one really liked president Saddam" he began. "When the U.S. made him go outside (away), everyone was very happy. But now there are thieves and terrorists everywhere, and no one feels safe. Thieves have RPG (rocket-propelled grenades) and AK-47. All I have is pistol."

I asked if he thought things would get better or worse. "Things are better now. Before war I make $75 a month. Now I make $350 a month. Now I can buy clothes for my family. It is good. It is just bad because of thieves." He added that the Iraqi government and police will have to be stronger to eradicate the insurgents. As we parted, I told him that the United States has no interest in taking anything from Iraq, and that we are here to help Iraqis be free and have a strong country. He smiled warmly and said, "I know. I know that is true. I am happy U.S. is here."

Country better off

Consider that these sentiments came from an Iraqi colonel. This man used to be saluted when coming on base; now he is searched along with all the others who work alongside coalition forces. He used to fly fighters, and now he works on sewers. He has as much cause to be angry with the United States and the coalition as anyone in Iraq, yet he believes his country is better off, and he resents the insurgents. This makes me confident that this counter-insurgency war will be won.

I close by reporting that the members of our squadron are still all in good health and morale remains very high. It is a privilege to serve with such fine men and women.

Lt. Col. Mike Buck of Great Falls is an F-16 pilot assigned to the 186th Fighter Squadron at the 120th Fighter Wing Montana Air National Guard. He is assigned to the 332 Air Expeditionary Wing in Balad, Iraq. The opinions expressed in the article are the author's and do not represent the position of the Air National Guard or U.S. Air Force.