Publication:Chattanooga Times Free Press
Date:Thursday, January 27, 2005
Section:Front Page; Page:1

Diyala province governor says election safety falls on each community leader

By Edward Lee Pitts Military Affairs

AS SA’DIYAH, Iraq — Undeterred by a suspected off-target grenade attack, more than 100 local leaders gathered Wednesday to hear the governor of the Diyala Province tell them security for Sunday’s election is largely in their hands.

Gov. Abdulla Al-Jubori spoke to tribal, religious and political leaders at the city hall of As Sa’diyah, one of the more volatile cities in the 278th Regimental Combat Team’s sector near Iraq’s border with Iran. Insurgents have threatened to attack more than 60 percent of the polling sites during the Sunday election in As Sa’diyah, officials said.

On Wednesday, a loud blast from a suspected rocket-propelled grenade startled sheiks, imams and city council members as they lined up for weapons searches outside city hall.

"Welcome to Sa’diyah," Capt. Matthew Smith said as he monitored his radio for reports about the source of the explosion. "It’s just a typical day here."

The boom sent the Iraqi civilians scurrying for cover, while the Iraqi army and U.S. troops sprinted toward the sound.

The grenade landed in a thick grove and did not cause any injuries.

Soldiers soon determined the attack probably came from deep inside a date palm and orange tree grove directly across the street from city hall. The rocket attack never cleared the grove’s trees, and Lt. Steven Brock, of Nashville, dismissed the incident as a wild shot by a fleeing insurgent hoping to get lucky. No one was caught.

As the line to enter the meeting resumed, Capt. Smith, 35, of Nashville, told Iraqi leaders he expects them to start questioning more people in the area and start imposing a 6 p.m. curfew leading up to this weekend’s elections.

At city hall’s outdoor courtyard, the leaders, some dressed in traditional desert dress and others sporting Western business suits, sat facing the provincial governor as he spoke about security for Sunday’s elections.

Five women attended the event, including a widow in a black dress whose husband was killed recently while working as an Iraqi National Guard soldier. Gov. Al-Jubori said the responsibility for a safe election falls on each community leader. While the governor spoke under a wind-blown red, white and black Iraqi flag, several citizens smoked cigarettes or fingered necklaces of multicolored beads. Some muttered and repeated the Arabic words for "that’s true" during points in Gov. Al-Jubori’s speech. The governor said the leaders should ensure there is a high turnout Sunday by encouraging their followers to vote.

"There is no point to keep moaning and saying the government didn’t do this or city council didn’t do that that," he said. "This is the big opportunity to vote for the people you want."

The meeting sometimes featured fierce debate over the elections, the presence of U.S. troops, and ethnic tensions between Arabs and Kurds.

But Ali Hassan Ali, a former general in Saddam Hussein’s army, stood up and accused U.S. troops of arresting too many Iraqi leaders. He said members of his tribe do not want to participate in the elections as long as certain Arabs are being persecuted by U.S.-led Coalition Forces.

Others talked about needing to get their country back. Calling the U.S. soldiers "best brothers" and "good friends," the Iraqis spoke of wanting their voices heard more by the Americans.

Lt. Col. Jeff Holmes, the commander of the 278th’s Third Squadron, used the arguments to teach the Iraqis about democracy’s freedom of speech.

"I have to confess I can’t agree with all the speakers today, but the most important thing is those individuals have the right to say what they’ve said — every single one of them," he said using a translator.

In an interview after the meeting, Lt. Col. Holmes said Iraqis are frustrated about the arrests because they don’t know why someone is being taken, and U.S. forces often can’t explain due to ongoing investigations to capture more insurgents.

"It is just like in the U.S. — when someone you know is detained and the information is not there, people will fill in the gaps with rumors," said Lt. Col. Holmes, who fielded several requests from Iraqis to release friends or family members.

Lt. Col. Holmes told the Iraqis he understood some want all U.S. soldiers to leave, and he said Sunday’s elections are a step in that direction. But he warned the leaders to curtail the use of violence to get their party’s way.

"As long as there are attacks on the Iraqi citizens or my soldiers, we will be here to respond," he said.

Lt. Col. Holmes said after the meeting the Iraqis are used to violent problem-solving methods after years of oppression.

"So when a bomb gets thrown at someone, that is just civil disobedience," he said.

The meeting required translators for the Arabic, Kurdish and English languages.

Capt. Smith said language and cultural barriers would continue to be a problem as long as there is a shortage of interpreters because of to the threats on their lives.

"It is important we hear everybody’s voice," Capt. Smith said.

Capt. Smith, who oversees the city as the commander of L Troop, said the U.S. soldiers need the help of the leaders to succeed. He asked for better attendance at the city council meetings so problems such as a lack of fuel and electricity can be addressed. Amid the ethnic debates, Salah Ahmed Mohammed, a young Kurdish teacher fluent in both Arabic and Kurdish, took the floor and spoke directly to the governor when he said it is important for the country to be one, something that could begin by refocusing on Sunday’s elections.

Before the U.S. troops and the Iraqis parted, Capt. Smith had scheduled a pre-election followup meeting with Gen. Ali and his followers.

After the meeting, Lt. Col. Holmes called the day’s events historic.

"Two years ago, they could not have stood up and said the things they did," he said. "They are learning freedom."

E-mail Lee Pitts at lpitts@timesfreepress.com

U.S. Army Photo by Staff Sgt. Russell Lee Klika - Diyala Province Gov. Abdulla Al-Jubori, center in dark suit, speaks to community leaders in As Sa’diyah on Wednesday as Lt. Col. Jeff Holmes, of the 278th Regimental Combat Team, has the speech translated.

U.S. Army Photo by Staff Sgt. Russell Lee Klika - Local tribal leaders listen as Diyala Province Gov. Abdulla Al-Jubori speaks about election security Wednesday at the city hall of As Sa’diyah.

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