American troops in Baghdad are doing a balancing act, trying to show adequate threat of force while not alienating the populace. It is tricky work, but General Petraeus wrote the manual they are following. And an Associated Press reporter – it reads as if he is an embed, although I cannot confirm that – writes a fairly straight article about the tightrope the troops are walking.
BAGHDAD, Iraq – First, American soldiers scoured the home for weapons as four veiled Iraqi women cowered on a dusty rug. Then a platoon sergeant politely wiped his muddy boots, came in and talked to the family about the violence suffocating their city.
Staff Sgt. Michael James of the Army's 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment came with his platoon on a search-and-seizure mission. But he was careful to follow up with expressions of respect and concern.
"Tell them, 'Thank you,' for their hospitality," James asked his translator.
U.S. troops are working hard to strike a tricky balance between force and friendship in the opening days of a push to bring order to Iraq's capital.
They storm into neighborhoods with tons of U.S. armor, kicking through doors. They later return quietly on foot offering stickers and soccer balls decorated with doves and olive branches. During so-called "walk and talks," they meet Iraqis face to face to assure them peace is coming — although past promises have turned out to be mirages.
"This mission is as much about information operations as it is anything else," said Sgt. 1st Class Jeff Olsen, 32, of Moab, Utah, who has spent hours designing pamphlets and stickers for Iraqis. "A vital part of it is to let them know why we're there."
Soldiers describe the approach as the "Mosul Model" — named for the northern Iraqi city where U.S. forces became a kind of philanthropic foundation involved in everything from rebuilding political councils to fixing playgrounds. One of its pioneers three years ago, Gen. David Petraeus, is now the commander of all U.S. forces in Iraq.
"Winning the hearts and minds — that's what it's all about," said James, 32, of Chillicothe, Mo.
But swaying sentiments and calming anger is not always as simple as handing out gifts.
Some children have seen troops burst into their homes and haul away their fathers and brothers. In Ramadi, about 70 miles west of Baghdad, soldiers have been pelted with the same candy they tossed out as presents.
This is not going to be easy for the troops, but they deserve our support. The alternative is a bloodbath of monumental proportions. Politicians who are voting against this effort need to stand up and face the consequences of what their votes will mean to the Iraqi people and to the American people. This is not a Republican war – the authorization for the war was passed by a bipartisan majority. This is an American war and there are real consequences to real people for allowing ourselves to be defeated.
