Just over four years ago, the Iraqi people voted in their first free and fair democratic elections. But those elections came at a cost. Large religious sects, certain voting districts, and in one case an entire province, boycotted the election.
Sectarian violence ensued, resulting in 44 civilian deaths on Election Day, January 30, 2005, and countless more in the months and years to follow. Read more »
The Iraqi people don’t have much of a track record with free and fair elections. In 1995, 99.6% of the vote went for Saddam Hussein. Seven years later, Saddam achieved 100% of the vote. (Many of those ballots were already filled in when they were printed.)
However, when Iraqi men and women vote Saturday they will do so with a remarkably different outlook. Read more »
Most people in America are probably glad the holiday season is over. The stresses of buying gifts, preparing decorations, and visiting families have left many longing for a vacation that they may not see before Easter or Memorial Day.
In Iraq, however, holiday celebrations are only now in full swing. And they’re very different here compared to what we are used to in the States. Read more »
Previously, my writings have discussed the effects of war in Iraq. The focus was on the littered landscape and the orphaned children. There are other effects and the answer to the question: How do we deal with these effects? Read more »
On 22SEP07, the Roanoke Times printed one of my articles, "Care Packages Connect Soldiers To Home" (http://blogs.roanoke.com/rtblogs/iraq/2008/09/22/care-packages-connect-soldiers-to-home/). The article explained the value of care packages, suggested ideas for contents, and urged readers to adopt Soldiers on any one of several websites. At the time, I did not have names and addresses of single Soldiers readily available to distribute. Read more »
One month ago, the U.S. military transferred control of the Sons of Iraq to the government of Iraq. Under U.S. control, the social movement operated like a neighborhood watch committee and became an enormous success, leading to a dramatic drop in violence in Iraq between the summer of 2007 and 2008.
Under Iraqi control, Read more »
As I noted in my most recent column, one of the most common sights soldiers see in Iraq is trash. As products of a rebuilding government, garbage-strewn fields are everywhere.
But far more profound is the collateral damage left in war's wake. Children may be safe physically, but the lives of many of them are a far cry from what we are accustomed to seeing in the States.
And that view is often heartbreaking. Read more »
Imagine you are driving along Williamson Road just past Preston Park heading toward the Roanoke Civic Center. Imagine all the shops on the right and left without glass in their windows, their exteriors scarred by munitions damage.
In front of and around the shops lie trails of trash; open spaces are completely covered in debris. Piles of rubble from construction or ruins. Rusting frames of burned-out cars and trucks. Tires. The stinking detritus from a family's kitchen.
It may be hard to imagine in Southwest Virginia, but that's what you see in the areas surrounding Baghdad. The landscape is covered with litter. Read more »
Violence in Iraq is down dramatically since last year by a ballpark figure of 90%. Reasons for the decrease include: the growing strength of the Iraqi Army and National Police, the surge of U.S. forces, and the financial success of the Iraqi oil market. Yet, perhaps the largest single reason is a movement known as ‘The Awakening.’
The next month will test the Awakening movement. The main question is: “Will conditions endure or reverse?”
The days in Iraq are long and sweaty. Of course, the worse part is that the days never really end. We do not go home and come back the next day. A cot and some time to yourself can be relaxing, but nothing brings a smile on a deployed Soldier’s face like a getting mail, especially a care package.
Lately, folks have asked me what to send troops who are deployed. While the Army provides for all of a Soldier’s needs, there are four general categories of items that Soldiers value highly in care packages: hygiene products, snacks, entertainment, and a feeling of home.
Rich Connaroe graduated from Northside High School in 2000 and VMI in 2004. Now a Captain in the U.S. Army, Connaroe begins a one-year deployment to Iraq in August. During that time, he plans to make regular blog posts that he hopes will connect readers of the The Roanoke Times to U.S. soldiers who are deployed in Iraq.
