Stars and Stripes: Iraqis not enemy (re: US treatment of Iraqis)

Iraqis not enemy

Youseff is my friend. He's also the interpreter at our battalion headquarters. When we arrived in country, around June, Youseff was very happy to be working with us. He hated Saddam Hussein and was thrilled to see his fall from power. He has maintained the same level of enthusiasm and has held the same high opinion of the United States. But lately Youseff has been much more down than I’ve ever seen him. He's been entering our base from a different location. The location he’s entering is the same one that about 1,000 other Iraqis enter every day. He feels as if the new soldiers at the gate don’t give him any respect. They’re very rude to him and make threats that make him feel like he’s guilty of something.

The gate guards probably have one of the most difficult and stressful jobs, with about 1,000 Iraqis entering our base every day. These gate guards are responsible for making sure no weapons or explosive devices enter our base. Every one of the Iraqis must be searched. There are six soldiers to do all of this. No one can disagree with the amount of stress this job causes and how difficult it is to maintain order in this situation. But this order can be maintained without yelling obscenities and threatening Iraqi workers. It’s not impossible to both maintain a high level of security and treat all the people entering with a professional attitude.

The majority of Iraqis are good people. They have families just like us, and they want what’s best for themselves and their families. If they continue to believe that the U.S. is here to help until Iraq can run Iraq, the bombing will decrease. More informants will come out, and we’ll be able to capture the anti-American elements who plague us. It’s important that we win these people over. If we treat the Iraqis like our enemies, they’ll become our enemies. This means that by our ill treatment of Iraqi people, we are in essence endangering human lives. I believe the primary mission for all of us is to come home with as many of our brothers and sisters as possible.

This is not a statement to all the coalition forces. Many of the soldiers I see maintain a very professional demeanor around the Iraqi people. I’m speaking of a small minority who I’ve seen speak to the people who work on our base as if they were prisoners. And this is on our base. When I’m on the streets, I see much worse.

Many of us seem to sometimes forget our purpose here. We’re not at war with the Iraqi people. We’re at war with the terrorists who threaten us and the Iraqi people. This may fall upon unreceptive ears, especially among those who’ve lost friends and loved ones. It’s hard for them to distinguish between friend and enemy. But what I’m saying is necessary to prevent the future loss of life. The Iraqis are a proud people. I guarantee that those who do anything to hurt their pride will make enemies. At this point in the war, we need all the friends we can get.

Spc. Nathan Webber
Baghdad, Iraq

http://estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=18688