Iraq: Coach, Teach, Mentor

"We are working hard to work ourselves out of a job," Army Col. Mark Dewhurst, commander of the 4th Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, said during a live brief from Iraq. The combined efforts with the Iraqi security forces are the cornerstone against insurgents, Dewhurst said, and he's seen a lot of developments in the area in the year since he's been there. Listed among the most surprising, "the amount of traffic jams," was among them. This, actually, is evidence of how well the Iraqi Security Forces are functioning, Dewhurst said, because it means that people are coming out to the market places. Of particular note is a landmark in Baghdad that Dewhurst called the "Book Market." Practically obliterated in March of 2007, the Book Market is due to open most likely by next week, and it was rebuilt on the initiative and work of the Iraq government itself, he said.

Also in Baghdad is the Embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team, with Team Leader Conrad Tribble helping the Iraqis find "Iraqi solutions" to their own problems. There are five main areas that the PRT is working on, Tribble said. Assistance with governance, political development, business and economic growth, non-governmental organizations, and reconciliations among communities, are the goals the PRT strives toward. Governance, specifically, was elaborated on, with Tribble saying they "Coach, Teach, Mentor' the Iraqi people, specifically with municipal city works, planning, budgeting, resource management, and how to track service requests. "A lot of it is very mundane," Tribble said, but they are being taught how to conduct day to day level things. It's "very nuts and bolts," he said, and "not very glamorous."

Iraq: "Surprisingly Embracing."

The ability to influence the Iraqi people depends on being able to deliver something tangible, said Army Col. Philip Battaglia, commander of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, during a live brief from Iraq at the Pentagon. They’ve made considerable progress in using Iraqi monies for reconstruction, and the improved security throughout Iraq has made it possible to coordinate more Iraqi seizures of IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) and other weapons.

Also present was Dan Foot of PRT, who said that the Iraqi people’s appreciation of the Iraqi Security Forces and the United States’ forces was “surprisingly embracing.” He said in the marketplaces people smile and stop to chat, but that the smaller towns the people are more reserved and don’t approach them. After they say hello, however, the people display typical Arab Cordiality and are very friendly. The PRT, he said, expects to be in Iraq till through the end of next year. In the police force of Iraq, Foot said, there is “a certain amount of bribery” that is part of the culture and is to be expected.

A question raised to Col. Battaglia was if the troops were having any problems with their absentee ballots, as this is election season. Battaglia looked very pleased that the question was asked, and said that in the past week, he’s seen absentee ballots, they’ve been received, and they are voting. He hasn’t heard any complaints for his brigade.