SF Chron Article: A Colonel's Toughest Duty

[whimsicaldeb]

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f ... F8D8L1.DTL

COLONEL'S TOUGHEST DUTY
Battalion commander pays his respects, apologizes to Iraqis whose civilian relatives have been killed by anonymous GIs in passing patrols and convoys

Anna Badkhen, Chronicle Staff Writer

Friday, October 14, 2005

Tikrit, Iraq -- Nebras Khalid Nasser understood this much: Insurgents often killed people in Beiji, a northern Iraqi town where he lived with his pregnant wife and their year-old son. He needed to move his family to Tikrit, a safer city about 40 miles to the south. He helped his wife, Zahoya, into his brother-in-law's beat-up Toyota sedan. They started driving south. They saw a U.S. military convoy.

A shot rang out.

Blood poured from Zahoya's head. Then she died.

Standing on the blue concrete floor of his brother's compound Thursday, Nasser wiped his tears with the collar of his gray dishdasha shirt. A U.S. officer sat in front of him in a beige plastic chair, telling him he was sorry about his loss. Nasser nodded, barely comprehending what was happening. All he could repeat was, "She was pregnant. She died right away."

Lt. Col. Todd Wood, commander of the 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, avoided looking at him.

Wood's battalion has lost eight soldiers since January, and he has had a hard enough time explaining the randomness and the suddenness of the death of his own soldiers. Now, he had to explain to this bereaved Iraqi man how his wife had died at the hands of a U.S. military convoy that was not even under Woods' command.

"This was a terrible accident -- it was not intentional," Wood, 42, said with an army interpreter by his side. "The soldier who did this did not intend to shoot and kill a woman. I wanted to apologize on behalf of those soldiers.

"I know that explanation doesn't make anything any easier."

"She was pregnant. She died right away," Nasser said again and again.

U.S. military officials do not keep track of Iraqi civilians who have died from U.S. fire. The Brookings Institution's Iraq Index said last month that 8,347 to 14,576 Iraqis had been killed by acts of war since 2003, but the estimates were not broken down by type of incident. Other groups attempting to track civilian deaths put the number even higher. Wood estimated that since his battalion was deployed here in January, U.S. soldiers had killed about 10 Iraqi civilians in this sector of north central Iraq.

Often the deaths are the result of split-second decisions made by U.S. soldiers who have to weigh the risk of being blown up by insurgents, who use car bombs as their weapon of choice, against the possibility of killing innocent civilians. Although U.S. troops in Iraq use their weapons far more carefully than they did at the beginning of the war, innocent civilians still get killed.

No matter the reason or the circumstance, every time U.S. soldiers kill an Iraqi civilian in his sector, Wood meets with the family of the deceased to pay his respects. On Thursday, he had to do it twice.

Both victims apparently were shot by U.S. soldiers from other units passing through Beiji, where insurgents mount regular attacks on Americans, Iraqi security forces and Iraq's oil pipeline. Neither convoy stopped to help the civilians the soldiers had shot. It would be pretty much impossible to ascertain which U.S. unit was passing through the area at the time and track down those who did the shooting, Wood said. "Seems like I pick up a lot of people's pieces around here," he said. "These ... patrols that drive around and shoot people have been a thorn in everybody's side all year."

Other members of the 2-7 battalion are equally concerned about the incidents.

"I hate the fact that American soldiers ride around killing civilians," said Command Sgt. Major Samuel Coston, 44, from North Carolina. "All you got to say is 'I feel threatened,' 'the car was driving aggressively,' and you shoot. They have no remorse. They just keep on driving."

Last week, according to local Iraqi police, a U.S. soldier shot Jamal Yassin Hussein, a fisherman and a father of five. Hussein, who lived in Tikrit, was on his way to meet with a friend who had been fishing upstream in the murky green waters of the Tigris River.

"He was observing the Ramadan fast, and he had packed some food so that he could break fast with his friend," Hussein's father-in-law, Maher Mara'e, told Wood. "He was always so careful, and that day, he left home early so that he would get to his friend on time.

"The next thing we knew, Iraqi police officers are bringing his dead body to the family and saying he was shot by coalition forces. I don't know why, for what reason, he was killed."

Wood, who met with Mara'e at an Iraqi army headquarters in Tikrit, told him:

"I know that there are no words to make pain and suffering any easier, but sometimes it helps to look a person in the eye and to hear an apology."

There was a moment of silence, as Mara'e and Wood looked at the floor.

"This was not my unit that did this," Wood finally said.

"I understand that," Mara'e nodded.

"But you live in the town where I live, and I'm responsible for you," Wood said. "I will be held accountable for this event."

Wood reached into his pocket and produced an envelope with $2,500 -- a compensation package the U.S. military gives to the families of innocent civilians its troops kill in Iraq.

"No matter how much money you give me, it's not going to give me my son back," Mara'e said. Then, he said "thank you" and took the money.

Capt. Ray Osorio, 31, from Orlando, who handles the colonel's relations with Iraqis, said he did not feel the $2,500 could compensate for the loss of a life.

"I always try to put myself in their shoes -- what if it was my sister who got killed, and someone is giving me money?" Osorio said. "You can't solve it by paying. We just want to make things right."

When the 2-7 battalion's soldiers are responsible for the killing of a civilian, the commanders investigate the killing, the way they have been doing since June, when a soldier mistakenly shot and killed an Iraqi fire engine driver who had arrived at the site of a suicide car bombing. But when the civilians are killed by other units driving through the 2-7's territory, Wood only finds out about their deaths from their families or local residents or not at all.

In Jamal Hussein's case, the mayor of Tikrit told Wood about the killing and arranged a meeting for the colonel to pay condolences to Mara'e.

Wood found out about the killing of Zahoya Nasser two days ago when a woman in a black abaya covering approached him as he was inspecting polling sites ahead of the Saturday referendum on the new Iraqi constitution in Khansa Square in downtown Tikrit. She was Zahoya's sister-in-law, Intisar Abdallah Abid, and she had been in the car when Zahoya was shot.

Abid said they were traveling south behind two other Iraqi civilian cars. When the cars approached a procession of U.S. military trucks, the first two cars sped up and cut in front of the convoy.

"One round missed the second car and hit our car," said Abid. "It hit my sister-in-law in the head. She didn't make it to the hospital. The convoy kept going."

Wood promised Abid that he would visit the family the next morning. Now, he sat in the beige plastic chair in front of grief-stricken Nasser. He stared down at his combat boots and at the concrete floor sticky with spilled soda as Nasser cried, searching for words that would make the bewildered man feel better and finding none. He handed over the $2,500.

When Abid turned to leave, Wood stood for a while, stooping in the hot October sun.

"I hate that," he said quietly.

"Probably ricocheted off the ground, sir," his translator, Omar Elmenshawi, offered, as a possible explanation for how a U.S. soldier's bullet had killed an Iraqi man's beloved wife.

"Yeah, probably," Wood said vaguely. Then, after a pause, he repeated: "I hate this," climbed into his armored humvee and drove off.

E-mail Anna Badkhen at abadkhen@sfchronicle.com.

URL: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f ... F8D8L1.DTL

[hester_prynne]

This is so very very sad.


Why doesn't the fucking colonel just leave this joke of war now, bring his troops home and tell the presidunce to fuck off.
Why does he continue doing his "sad job"? Who's the martyr here? The long suffering colonel?

H

[whimsicaldeb]

This article … I see war is hell. I see that what would be ‘not discussed’ by some; clearly is known there … where it matters most. And I felt my heart go out to each person in this article.

I didn’t see any martyr's – only people. Doing the best they can ... and ironically ... bringing understanding and compassion into the middle of hell.

[jimboloco]

There is no understanding and compassion. Don't kid yourself.

So I sneak over to your house and toilet paper your yard for Halloween. You have a stroke when you walk outdoors the next morning.

Oh gee, I hope you will understand. here's 25 dollars to spped you on your way. Oh by the way, I will forget about you as soon as this is over.

By the way, the colonel will either have severe and lasting depressions or he will get a frontal lobotomy.

I am again having bouts of depression. Called in yesterday, awake and wired all night.

Have done counseling for years, am again unsuccessfully trying another psychiatrist and yet another anti-depressant, jeez, I do better on pot and fucking st john's wort and abstaining from alcohol.

[whimsicaldeb]

If you die, or your wife dies one or the other of you is going to get a social security death benefit ... (well at least for now...no telling what will happen if Bush has his way with social security changes ... but that's another topic for another day and another thread) ... and/or if either of you have any insurance you'll be paid that, as well as what material things will get passed down to you as well... meaning: Money exchanges hands anytime anyone dies - period; and it never covers the loss either; and it's not meant to ... and you know this as well.

But you will be missed, and you would miss her, and she you – and only you we be able to remember her as you do; and her about you …as it only can be, cuz even if 20 dozen people have relationships with you and your wife… each of us will have our own unique relationship memories. Worth more than any monitory amount could even begin to cover... and nothing will ever take away.

And yet … life goes on, and for those of us left behind and that includes expenses… and that means money. Not given to replace our loved ones, but because practical ~ we need it, along with loving support.

~~~~

You're depressed, and so right now you're looking at this world through depression colored glassed (dark brown - certainly not 'rose') Good for you for not using alcohol, alcohol makes depression worse - not better. Wise choice. So is St. John worts – it’s very good for you as well. If possible, try going for walk ~ watching the birds, the trees the flowers … even though you do have a pissed off "Wilma" outside and maybe even heading your way. Stand in the winds, and give your depression to the Wilma and have her buff you clean.

You are not forgotten, and they won’t be either … even if we nobodies here at S8 end up forgetting. You rest assured that none of those in that article will either be forgetten, or remembered, any better than you are/have.

Someday, maybe those from this article will all posting their artwork, or poems on a board like this too. (God willing…)

And it will a blessing to us all then, as yours (you) are a blessing to us now.
http://studioeight.tv/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=4308

[whimsicaldeb]

Opps ~ link error ... I meant this link ....
http://studioeight.tv/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=3552
entering a controversial drawing in members' art show
compassion was in the hearts of our soldiers in Vietnam because it was in your heart when you were there. It didn't get a chance to have a lot of expression; and when it did, it was warped (how could it not be?)

none the less ~ it was there.

That's why it's easy for me to see, and know, there is compassion in this situation in Iraq; in the many of the US Soldiers and in many Iraqies. Just like it was in Vietnam.

There are those that don't compassion as well, but I don't want to end up so jaded that I can no longer see them, or even look for them any longer. Again, like what happened to Vietnam vet's ... as they returned to jeers & sneers.

Maybe that's why I see compassion – in each person in this article. From the husband, the sister-in-law, the interpreter… to the colonel.

In fact, I could imagine the fear in the person who shot the wife… probably some 18 or some odd young years, maybe even newly there – nervous (or excited) as hell with a gun in their hands going through what they are told (know to be) as one of the roughest places in the world where they hate you, just for being you.

I can even see compassion in a commander's understanding of why a 'mistake' like this could happen...

The situation sucks … and the compassion gets warped in it's expression; but it is there.

[jimboloco]

Yeah the issue was the mention of compassion. You followed thru real good, thankyou.



http://www.freewebs.com/operationraw/im ... derson.jpg

mcGeorge Bundy, from the RAW art show, thanks for reminding me.
Did this man have compassion? I wonder.....
In Vietnam I did not have a conscious compassion. I was more focussed on getting thru the thing, quite frankly. The compassion that I harbored was really a latent one, and only began to emerge forcefully the year following my return and changed into anger and a lot of negative circumstances, always found negativity for years, and still today, even after a great development of compassion, I stillhave to deal with times of fear and anger and dark clouds.
I also am fairly certain that this will pass, what training I did in therapy, the PTSD therapy, EMDR and cognitive work.

But the dark cloud is there and real when it floats on in, stormy weather. I must admit it also has a benefit of changing my approach to creatice expression.

Anyhow, the Iraq state is a mess, there is no real security outside of the Green Zone in Baghdad and at the military bases. Nor will the situatuion improve. No answers, just leave.

And Saddamn acted with full complicity of the US in some of his war crimes, we are complicit with him in them and this needs to be brought out.

I hope that compassion is brewing inside of people, no matter where they are. We seriously need to start making friends with the world.

Thanks about reminding me about compassion, yeah,
also your references to a couple of my postings. I am smiling.
They posted my art work at eye level for the kids, below the other artworks. Kool!

[whimsicaldeb]

(ohhh... today's new S8 logo by norman mallory ~ double guitars... very nice!)

... The compassion that I harbored was really a latent one, and only began to emerge forcefully the year following my return and changed into anger and a lot of negative circumstances, always found negativity for years, and still today, even after a great development of compassion, I stillhave to deal with times of fear and anger and dark clouds. I also am fairly certain that this will pass ...

I agree.

Your compassion is/was/will always be there underneath the clouds that overcast it from time to time. This is true for all of us.

Saddamn acted with full complicity of the US in some of his war crimes, we are complicit with him in them and this needs to be brought out.

yep

also your references to a couple of my postings. I am smiling.
They posted my art work at eye level for the kids, below the other artworks. Kool!

Way Kool!
A picture's worth a 1000 words ... and yours was eye level to heart level ... (waaaaaaaaaaayyyyy kool!)
thank you