Active Unit News

Hospitality, Not Hostility
By Dionne Searcey
STAFF CORRESPONDENT
April 25, 2003
Mosul, Iraq - They're accustomed to firing cannons, rockets and missiles at the enemy, but when members of an Army artillery squad went downtown yesterday into what has been described as the most hostile area in Iraq, they came back with a dinner invitation. Capt. Jonathan Velishka led his team through Mosul to start building relations with civilians grappling with rampant looting, fighting among Kurdish factions and the aftermath of 17 civilian deaths at the hands of Marines who mistakenly thought they were under attack. Military intelligence now indicates that fundamentalist organizations thought to have ties to al-Qaida, as well as Baath Party officials, are regrouping here. From the outside, things seem to be calming down. Power is being restored and gas stations are reopening. The streets are no longer ghost towns as buses and taxis are operating and citizens resume their normal lives. The soldiers yesterday found people happy to see them but anxious for them to help rebuild and leave. One man at a small grocery store invited the squad to his home for a meal. "He was very sympathetic," Capt. Thomas Brooks said. "He understands why we're here. And he gave us an open invitation for dinner." The squad toured a looted schoolhouse and a looted hospital. Wherever they went, crowds of people gathered, and the English-speakers among them served as liaisons. They complained about food and water shortages and the need for medical care. One man asked if troops would shoot anyone who spoke in support of Saddam Hussein. He was assured they would not. "One guy asked me if we would leave once their problems were fixed, and I said yeah," said Capt. Robert Blankenship, a medic who joined the tour. "He turned and told that to the crowd, and they were ecstatic." Another man said he understood why Marines fired at civilians when shots rang out at a demonstration here last week, but he suggested the soldiers fire warning shots before aiming at people. He also wanted the Americans to set up a TV station to communicate with Iraqis. Another man wanted a painful tooth extracted. They told him to be patient, that help is coming. The tour weaved through western Mosul, which has been plagued with fighting between its majority Arab residents and a Kurdish minority. Gunfire can be heard throughout the night in this area, mostly from residents scaring off thieves, military officials said. Intelligence reports indicate bigger trouble could be brewing in these neighborhoods. One report cited "a growing body of evidence" that the fundamentalist groups Ansar al-Islam and others are organizing and acquiring weapons here with the intent to attack U.S. interests. Other reports say the Baath Party is regrouping for low-level attacks. Members are gathering for meetings in western Mosul at local mosques sympathetic to their cause, according to intelligence reports distributed to Army commanders each day. Regardless of the threats, Velishka's artillery squad plans to continue to make trips into town, recruiting translators and charting a plan for rebuilding the city. "And winning over the hearts and minds of the population," he said. Copyright © 2003, Newsday, Inc.