Courtesy Photo | Sgt. 1st Class, Timothy Webb, a native of Anderson S.C., and the NCOIC of CAT A-2 team...... read more read more
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by Sgt. Antonieta Rico
5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
Dahuk, Iraq---American efforts to help the people of Iraq take many forms, from providing security, to training the Iraqi Army to improving the quality of life for Iraqis. In Dahuk Province, where in most places security is a nominal issue, military civil affairs teams can focus directly on helping the people.
To that end, Soldiers with Civil Affairs Team A-2 (CAT), 403rd Civil Affairs Battalion, out of Mattydale, NY., set out to the village if Sindore, in the outskirts of the city of Dahuk, to deliver supplies to the village school. The Soldiers drove out, armed with plastic bags filled with notebooks, pens, and pencils, plus the will to support Kurdish children further their education.
Once the Soldiers arrived at the village school, the principal received them warmly. "He was glad we were there," said Sgt. 1st Class Timothy Webb, "He said we were the first Americans to visit his school." Webb is the noncommissioned officer in charge of CAT A-2.
"He was very welcoming of us to come back there anytime," said Webb, an Anderson, S.C. native. Webb's team learned through their local interpreter that the Kurdistan Regional Government, because of possible budget issues, would not provide children with stationary school supplies this year.
The information helped his team prioritize their mission, and gave them another avenue to help, said Webb. But although the KRG may not have supplied the children with stationary, evidence of their work was apparent at the school. The school was freshly painted in vibrant light and lime green. Although Spartan, it was neat and clean. Through the principal, Webb learned that it had been recently renovated by the KRG.
"I was very proud of the Kurdistan Government...and being able to help, along with the local government," said Webb. The send-off the Soldiers received showed that the students were glad to have had the American visitors. The entire student body lined up in the doorsteps of the school, laughing and waving at the Soldiers. Afterwards Webb reflected on the well disciplined students. He said he also felt the teachers were good, and genuinely cared.
"That is not the only school we are going to try to help, we are going to try to help as many schools as possible, working along with the local government," he said. A few miles from the school, the CAT A-2 team made another stop, which would turn out not to be as satisfying as the school mission. In the village of Bagirat, the team visited a public housing project for Internally Displaced Personnel. The housing consisted of a single concrete structure, originally used as a factory, intended to house 32 families.
IDPs are Kurds relocated during Saddam Hussein's 'Anfal,' a massive campaign which included destruction of Kurd villages, mass relocations, and chemical attacks. Estimates on Kurds killed range from 50,000 to 182,000.
In this housing project, the team talks to a young man, Shawkit Shaban, 19, whose father was killed during an attack on his border village. Only 1year-old at the time, Shaban said he does not remember his village, or his father. What he does know is that all his life he has not had a real home. He knows that for the past twelve years he has lived in an overcrowded concrete building, sharing a burner as a stove and kitchen area with four other families. He knows that his mother has to work as a day laborer to support him and his sister and that his family relies on meal cards provided by the government to meet their basic needs.
He is not too impressed with the American Soldiers visiting. "They have come before," he said through an interpreter, "The just take information, but they do nothing." What would he have Americans do? "First, hang Saddam," he said.
"Then push the Iraqi and Kurdish Government to help the displaced people of Anfal." Regardless of how dismal the situation is at the Bagirat IDP housing, there seems to always be other IDPs who need the help more, said Webb, and sadly, Shaban's pessimism might turn out to be well –founded. There is no guarantee that CAT A-2 will go back and help them.
"We may not go back to the same public housing because there are so many IDP camps within the Kurdistan area," said Webb. Webb too, took down information and will report back to the director general of internally displaced personnel for the Dahuk Province.
The director general sets a list of IDP priorities, and despite the poor living conditions he encountered at the factory, Webb said he has seen worse. "Of course I really want to do something to help them out," Webb said. "It's very frustrating because there are so many. Every camp you go to you want to help them, you want to be able to say 'Yes, I got tents for you, I can build you a house,' but of course you have to go with the system.'"
"We always work with the local government, the director general of IDP. He takes us to his prioritized villages, depending on how they are living in the moment, the priorities are different," Webb said.
So far Webb's team has visited about 15 other sites for IDPs, some which are not actual buildings, but tent cities. His team is currently working on a project to help out IDPs living in tents make it through the winter months. "We are going to try to go in and build them a concrete slab for the flooring, build concrete walls around the house so they will not be so cold, so the weather won't get in their tents in the winter," Webb said.
The Dahuk Province can reach temperatures as low as, and is often blanketed in snow during winters. Webb said the Kurdish government is doing a wonderful job helping IDPs but after a while IDPs need to also help themselves. After being relocated to camps, Saddam would make the IDPs totally reliant.
"He would control their behavior, he would give them just enough to survive. And they became dependent on their government giving them everything they need." Webb said his team is working to get IDPs out of that dependent way of thinking. "We are trying to work with the local government to get them out of that mindset and show them they can make it on their own," he said.
To an extent, Shaban seems to already have grasped that concept. Currently a high school student, he dreams of joining the police academy in Irbil province, east of Dahuk, and becoming a lieutenant in the force. "That way I can help my community, my country and help my family financially," Shaban said.
He said he is thankful the Americans got rid of Saddam's regime but he remains fearful. "You still have a lot of Saddams in power," he said. Nonetheless, he has plans for his future and dreams of a normal life, starting his own family and having a real house.
As the CAT A-2 team drives away from Bagirat, Webb expressed hope for Shaban. "A man with a dream is a man with a way out," Webb said.
| Date Taken: | 10.14.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 10.20.2006 04:28 |
| Story ID: | 8079 |
| Location: | DOHUK, IQ |
| Web Views: | 102 |
| Downloads: | 49 |
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