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It has been a while since I have written to my friends about what's
really
going on here in Iraq. The news you watch on TV is exaggerated,
sensationalized and selective. Good news doesn't sell.
The stuff you don't hear about? Let's start with Electrical Power
production in Iraq. The day after the war was declared over, there was
nearly 0 power being generated in Iraq. 45 days later, in a partnership
between the Army, the Iraqi people and some private companies, there
are
now 3200 mega watts (Mw) of power being produced daily, 1/3 of the
total
national potential of 8000 Mw. Downed power lines (big stuff, 400
Kilovolt
(Kv) and 132 Kv) are being repaired and are about 70% complete.
Then there is water purification. In central Iraq between Baghdad and
Mosul, home of the 4th Infantry
Division, Water treatment was spotty at best. The facilities existed,
but
the controls were never implemented. Simple chemicals like Chlorine for
purification and Alum (Aluminum Sulfate) for sediment settling (The
Tigris
River is about as clear as the Mississippi River) were in short supply
or
not used at all and when chlorine was used, it was metered by the
scientific method of guessing. So some people got pool water and some
people got water with lots of little things moving in it. We are slowly
but surely solving that. Contracts for repairs to facilities that are
only
50% or less operational are being let, chemicals are being delivered,
although we don't have the metering problem solved yet (It's only been
45
days).
How about oil and fuel? Well the war was all about oil wasn't it? You
bet it was. It was all
about oil for the Iraqi people because they have no other income, they
produce nothing else. Oil is 95% of the Iraqi GNP. For this nation to
survive, it MUST sell oil. The Refinery at Bayji is at 75% of capacity
producing gasoline. The crude pipeline between Kirkuk (Oil Central) and
Bayji will be repaired by tomorrow (2 June). LPG, what all Iraqi's use
to
cook and heat with, is at 103% of normal production and WE, the US
ARMY,
at least 4th ID, are insuring it is being distributed FAIRLY to ALL
Iraqi's.
You have to remember that 3 months ago, ALL these things were used as
weapons against the population to keep them in line. If your town
misbehaved, gasoline shipments stopped, LPG pipelines and trucks
stopped,
water was turned off, power was turned off.
Now, until exports start, every drop of gasoline produced goes to the
Iraqi people, crude oil is being stored, the country is at 75% capacity
now, they need to export or stop pumping soon, thank the UN for the
delay.
ALL LPG goes to the Iraqi people EVERYWHERE. Water is being purified as
best they can, but at least it's running all the time to everyone.
Are we still getting shot at? Yep
Are American Soldiers still dying? Yep, about 1 a day from the 4th ID,
most in accidents, but dead is dead.
If we are doing all this for the Iraqi's, why are they shooting at us?
The general population isn't. There are still bad guys, who won't let
go
of the old regime. They are Ba'ath party members (Read **** Party, but
not
as nice) who know nothing but the regime. They were thugs for the
regime
that caused many to disappear in the night and they have no other
skills.
At least the ****s had jobs they could go back to after the war as
plumbers, managers, engineers, etc...these people have no skills but
terror. They are simply applying their skills....and we are applying
ours.
There is no Christian way to say they must be eliminated and we are
doing
so with all the efficiency we can muster. Our troops are shot at
literally
every day by small arms and RPGs. We respond and 100% of the time, the
Ba'ath party guys come out with the short end of the stick. The most
amazing thing to me is that they don't realize that if they stopped
shooting at us, we would focus on fixing things and leave. The more
they
shoot at us, the longer we will stay.
Lastly, Realize that 90% the damage you see on TV was caused by
IRAQI's,
NOT the war. Sure we took out a few bridges from military necessity, we
took out a few power and phone lines to disrupt communications, sure we
drilled a few palaces and government headquarters buildings with 2000lb
laser guided bombs (I work 100 yards from where two hit the Tikrit
Palace), he had plenty to spare. But, ANY damage you see to schools,
hospitals, power generation facilities, refineries, pipelines, was ALL
caused either by the Iraqi Army in its death throws or the Iraqi
civilians
looting the places. Could the army have prevented it? Nope. We can and
do
now, but 45 days ago the average soldier was lucky to know what town he
was in much less be informed enough to know who owned what or have the
power to stop 1,000 people from looting a building by himself.
The United States and Britian are doing a very noble thing here. We
stuck
our necks out on the world chopping block to free a people. I've
already
talked the weapons of mass destruction thing to death, bottom line, who
cares, this country was one big conventional weapons ammo dump anyway.
We
have probably destroyed more weapons and ammo in the last 30 days than
the
US Army has ever fired in the last 30 years (Remember, this is a
country
the size of Texas), so drop the WMD argument as the reason we came
here,
if we find it GREAT, if we don't, SO WHAT? I'm living in a "guest
palace"
on a 500 acre palace compound with 20 palaces with like facilities
built
in half a dozen towns all over Iraq that were built for one man. Drive
down the street and out into the countryside 5 miles away (I have) and
see
a family of 10 living in a mud hut herding two dozen sheep. Then tell
me
why you think we are here.
Respectfully,
ERIC RYDBOM MAJ, ENGINEER Deputy Division Engineer
4th Infantry Division
really
going on here in Iraq. The news you watch on TV is exaggerated,
sensationalized and selective. Good news doesn't sell.
The stuff you don't hear about? Let's start with Electrical Power
production in Iraq. The day after the war was declared over, there was
nearly 0 power being generated in Iraq. 45 days later, in a partnership
between the Army, the Iraqi people and some private companies, there
are
now 3200 mega watts (Mw) of power being produced daily, 1/3 of the
total
national potential of 8000 Mw. Downed power lines (big stuff, 400
Kilovolt
(Kv) and 132 Kv) are being repaired and are about 70% complete.
Then there is water purification. In central Iraq between Baghdad and
Mosul, home of the 4th Infantry
Division, Water treatment was spotty at best. The facilities existed,
but
the controls were never implemented. Simple chemicals like Chlorine for
purification and Alum (Aluminum Sulfate) for sediment settling (The
Tigris
River is about as clear as the Mississippi River) were in short supply
or
not used at all and when chlorine was used, it was metered by the
scientific method of guessing. So some people got pool water and some
people got water with lots of little things moving in it. We are slowly
but surely solving that. Contracts for repairs to facilities that are
only
50% or less operational are being let, chemicals are being delivered,
although we don't have the metering problem solved yet (It's only been
45
days).
How about oil and fuel? Well the war was all about oil wasn't it? You
bet it was. It was all
about oil for the Iraqi people because they have no other income, they
produce nothing else. Oil is 95% of the Iraqi GNP. For this nation to
survive, it MUST sell oil. The Refinery at Bayji is at 75% of capacity
producing gasoline. The crude pipeline between Kirkuk (Oil Central) and
Bayji will be repaired by tomorrow (2 June). LPG, what all Iraqi's use
to
cook and heat with, is at 103% of normal production and WE, the US
ARMY,
at least 4th ID, are insuring it is being distributed FAIRLY to ALL
Iraqi's.
You have to remember that 3 months ago, ALL these things were used as
weapons against the population to keep them in line. If your town
misbehaved, gasoline shipments stopped, LPG pipelines and trucks
stopped,
water was turned off, power was turned off.
Now, until exports start, every drop of gasoline produced goes to the
Iraqi people, crude oil is being stored, the country is at 75% capacity
now, they need to export or stop pumping soon, thank the UN for the
delay.
ALL LPG goes to the Iraqi people EVERYWHERE. Water is being purified as
best they can, but at least it's running all the time to everyone.
Are we still getting shot at? Yep
Are American Soldiers still dying? Yep, about 1 a day from the 4th ID,
most in accidents, but dead is dead.
If we are doing all this for the Iraqi's, why are they shooting at us?
The general population isn't. There are still bad guys, who won't let
go
of the old regime. They are Ba'ath party members (Read **** Party, but
not
as nice) who know nothing but the regime. They were thugs for the
regime
that caused many to disappear in the night and they have no other
skills.
At least the ****s had jobs they could go back to after the war as
plumbers, managers, engineers, etc...these people have no skills but
terror. They are simply applying their skills....and we are applying
ours.
There is no Christian way to say they must be eliminated and we are
doing
so with all the efficiency we can muster. Our troops are shot at
literally
every day by small arms and RPGs. We respond and 100% of the time, the
Ba'ath party guys come out with the short end of the stick. The most
amazing thing to me is that they don't realize that if they stopped
shooting at us, we would focus on fixing things and leave. The more
they
shoot at us, the longer we will stay.
Lastly, Realize that 90% the damage you see on TV was caused by
IRAQI's,
NOT the war. Sure we took out a few bridges from military necessity, we
took out a few power and phone lines to disrupt communications, sure we
drilled a few palaces and government headquarters buildings with 2000lb
laser guided bombs (I work 100 yards from where two hit the Tikrit
Palace), he had plenty to spare. But, ANY damage you see to schools,
hospitals, power generation facilities, refineries, pipelines, was ALL
caused either by the Iraqi Army in its death throws or the Iraqi
civilians
looting the places. Could the army have prevented it? Nope. We can and
do
now, but 45 days ago the average soldier was lucky to know what town he
was in much less be informed enough to know who owned what or have the
power to stop 1,000 people from looting a building by himself.
The United States and Britian are doing a very noble thing here. We
stuck
our necks out on the world chopping block to free a people. I've
already
talked the weapons of mass destruction thing to death, bottom line, who
cares, this country was one big conventional weapons ammo dump anyway.
We
have probably destroyed more weapons and ammo in the last 30 days than
the
US Army has ever fired in the last 30 years (Remember, this is a
country
the size of Texas), so drop the WMD argument as the reason we came
here,
if we find it GREAT, if we don't, SO WHAT? I'm living in a "guest
palace"
on a 500 acre palace compound with 20 palaces with like facilities
built
in half a dozen towns all over Iraq that were built for one man. Drive
down the street and out into the countryside 5 miles away (I have) and
see
a family of 10 living in a mud hut herding two dozen sheep. Then tell
me
why you think we are here.
Respectfully,
ERIC RYDBOM MAJ, ENGINEER Deputy Division Engineer
4th Infantry Division
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