Five years ago I was sitting in a tower at the ECP in Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. Behind an M249 Machine gun watching the vehicles enter and exit the ECP. Listening to the short wave radio, I bought from the Bazaar, I heard the news. The war has started. A few days and a lot of scud attacks later and it was our turn to cross into war. Into a different world, a different life, a life and world I never would have imagined. Those days all seem a blur today. I remember all the good and bad times. The times where the pucker factor was high and the times where we would laugh the nights away. The nights where I would be up all night on a patrol or pulling guard on some far off OP. And the days after my tour where I would read of another attack on military or civilian and feel as if maybe I have not done enough. That maybe my sacrifice was paltry compared to others. And although I had served here once I felt compelled to serve here once

Fast forward to today. I am sitting once again in Iraq. A little older, maybe wiser, and some days wondering just what I have gotten myself into. I am not here to judge anyone. I have a job here, I do it and do it the best and most honorable way I can. I conduct myself the way I feel all American troops should, with dignity and pride in our country and mission here. Treating the Iraqis with the respect and dignity I would expect if the situation where reversed. And this is the way I feel most Americans here feel. There is a lot of positives here, I see them every day. Yes there is a lot of bad too I see that as well. I won’t argue whether the war is right or wrong. Time and history will be the judge of that. I do know I am here today because I volunteered for a second tour. Not because I had to, not out of necessity. No, I did it because I believe in my friends, brothers, sisters, and the Iraqis. And what kind of person would I be not to come back when I am able.

5 years ago we liberated/invaded Iraq. Today we are still here, most doing what we believe is the right thing . I do have hope for the future of Iraq and the U.S. No matter whether you are a person at home protesting the war, or sending care packages or a quiet prayer for the troops, or are over here serving, we are all doing what we feel is the right thing. And eventually this war will end, will it end the “right” way? That is for the future to decide. Until then we will keep doing what we do. And pray for a better day for Iraq and the U.S.

Sonia Verma in Dubai

Llewellyn Werner admits he is facing obstacles most amusement park developers never have to deal with – insurgent attacks and looting.

When you are building an amusement park in downtown Baghdad, those risks come with the territory.

Mr Werner, chairman of C3, a Los Angeles-based holding company for private equity firms, is pouring millions of dollars into developing the Baghdad Zoo and Entertainment Experience, a massive American-style amusement park that will feature a skateboard park, rides, a concert theatre and a museum. It is being designed by the firm that developed Disneyland. “The people need this kind of positive influence. It’s going to have a huge psychological impact,” Mr Werner said.

The 50-acre (20 hectare) swath of land sits adjacent to the Green Zone and encompasses Baghdad’s existing zoo, which was looted, left without power and abandoned after the American-led invasion in 2003. Only 35 of 700 animals survived – some starved, some were stolen and some were killed by Iraqis fearing food shortages.

Mr Werner, who has been sold a 50-year lease on the site by the Mayor of Baghdad for an undisclosed sum, says that the time is ripe for the amusement park. “I think people will embrace it. They’ll see it as an opportunity for their children regardless if they’re Shia or Sunni. They’ll say their kids deserve a place to play and they’ll leave it alone.”

Ali al-Dabbagh, a spokesman for the Government, is equally optimistic: “There is a shortage of entertainment in the city. Cinemas can’t open. Playgrounds can’t open. The fun park is badly needed for Baghdad. Children don’t have any opportunities to enjoy their childhood.” Mr al-Dabbagh added that entry to the park would be strictly controlled.

The project will cost $500 million (£250 million) and will be managed by Iraqis. Under the terms of the lease, Mr Werner will retain exclusive rights to housing and hotel developments, which he says will be both culturally sensitive and enormously profitable. “I wouldn’t be doing this if I wasn’t making money,” he said. “I also have this wonderful sense that we’re doing the right thing – we’re going to employ thousands of Iraqis. But mostly everything here is for profit.”

A $1 million skateboard park, the first phase of the development, will open in July. Parts for 200,000 skateboards and materials to build ramps will be shipped from America to Iraq for assembly at state-owned factories and distributed free to Iraqi children along with helmets and knee pads.

The larger entertainment park, designed by Ride and Show Engineering Inc, will follow in phases, part of a strategy launched two years ago by the Iraqi Government and the US to attract private investment into the country’s 192 state-owned factories.

The factories were closed in 2003 by Paul Bremer, then the head of the Coalition Provisional Authority, who believed that private enterprise would take their place. Instead, industries withered and half a million skilled workers were left jobless.

A task force headed by Paul Brinkley, Deputy Under Secretary of Defence for Business Transformation, is now attempting to revive Iraq’s factories – a task undermined by persistent violence.

But Mr Werner, whose company manages several hundred million dollars of equity, sees Iraq as a great opportunity. “Iraq to me is an open field. I have never in my life seen an opportunity with the potential that Iraq has with its skilled workforce and oil reserves.” He has begun partnerships with several Iraqi factories in the last year, investing tens of millions of dollars in joint ventures. But the Baghdad Zoo and Entertainment Experience could prove the most ambitious. General David Petraeus, head of US forces, is said to be a “big supporter” of the project, according to Mr Brinkley.

“There are all sorts of investment opportunities all over Iraq. But it’s not just hydrocarbons. Half the Iraqi population is under the age of 15. These kids really need something to do,” Mr Brinkley said.

City break

— Before the invasion there were two amusement parks in Baghdad, one in Rusafaa and one in Karf. They now only open on public holidays

— Al-Zawra park and its zoo, (the site of the new park), are among the city’s most popular attractions. There are fountains, sculptures, coffee shops and children’s playgrounds

— The Cross Swords park, a favourite meeting place before the invasion, is now locked inside the green zone

— On warm evenings, Iraqis flock to the city’s three lakes, al-Habanya, al-Therthar and al-Razaza

Displaced Iraqis Returning Home in Droves

BAGHDAD — With security improving, local economies flourishing and community reconstruction underway, Iraqis who once fled their South Baghdad homes in fear are now returning to the villages they deserted.

This is a good sign, said Maj. Mark Bailey, the officer in charge of the Multi-National Division – Center governance cell.

“Once people are convinced that security is good in their area, they come back,” said Bailey, who is with 401st Civil Affairs Battalion, attached to 3rd Infantry Division. “If they own a business, they re-open their business, which helps the economy.”

Out of the approximate 18,700 Iraqis who left their homes, it is estimated that 10,450 have returned, according to MND-C records.

As of April 15, displaced Iraqis from the areas of Yusifiyah, Khidr, Janabi Village, Radwaniyah, Qarghouli Village, Owsat Village, Rasheed, Mushada Village, Mahmudiyah and Latafiyah have made their way back home.

Sadr Tells Forces Not to Attack Iraqis

Moises Saman for The New York Times

Shiites waited for Friday Prayer in the Sadr City section of Baghdad, under a mural of, from left, Muhammad Sadiq al-Sadr, Moktada al-Sadr’s father; Imam Ali, the founder of the Shiite sect; and Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr, Moktada al-Sadr’s father-in-law.

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By ALISSA J. RUBIN

Published: April 24, 2008

BAGHDAD — Under pressure from Iraqi government troops and the American military, Moktada al-Sadr called on his followers to stop the bloodshed, unite with all Iraqis and focus their firepower on driving out the “occupation forces,” meaning the United States military and its foreign allies.

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Moises Saman for The New York Times

Shiite women walked home after Friday Prayer in Sadr City.

The statement, read at Friday prayers, appeared to be part of a carefully calibrated political strategy of reaching out to his “Iraqi brothers” while threatening any Iraqis who work with the occupying forces.

It echoes the one Mr. Sadr, a rabidly nationalist Shiite cleric, made last year when he asked his Mahdi militia to halt its most aggressive activities, including most sectarian killings. That gambit improved his image nationally while allowing him to build up his own forces.

In the statement Mr. Sadr, who is believed to be in Iran, issued eight edicts in an effort to open the way for a negotiation with the Iraqi government, but also to shore up his own support.

He instructed his followers to “to wage open war against the Americans” but forbade them from “raising a hand against another Iraqi citizen.” He also urged the Iraqi Army and Iraqi police to stop cooperating with the Americans, and he asked the government to purge the militias within the ranks of the police and the army. He said he would oppose any American military bases in Iraq.

He also issued a “final warning” to the Iraqi government to end its crackdown or face an “open war until liberation.”

But he quickly softened the threat, saying, “If we have threatened with an open war until liberation, we have meant by it a war against the occupier.”

The very public effort to calm the situation follows nearly a month of open fighting in Sadr City, Basra and several provinces in southern Iraq. It appeared to reflect an effort by Mr. Sadr to ensure that his movement is able to compete effectively in local elections scheduled for October.

Mr. Sadr and his allies have a strong following in Basra and could be expected to fare well in the elections. They have accused Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, who is allied with rival Shiite factions, of staging the Basra attack as a way to marginalize them before the vote.

For his part, Mr. Maliki has been careful not to single out the Mahdi Army publicly, saying only that the government is trying to break the grip of all militias in Basra. But citizens in the city have said that most of the attacks have been aimed at Mr. Sadr’s forces.

If the Sadr forces continued an all out fight against the government they would almost certainly suffer severe losses in manpower and firepower, and they might be barred from participating in the elections. The parliament is considering a ban on political parties that also sponsor a militia.

A similar effort is underway by Sunni political parties who agreed on Thursday to return to the government. By taking control of a few ministries, their spokesmen said, they would be in a better position to compete for seats in the elections.

Iraqi sympathy has begun to rise for the plight of impoverished civilians in Sadr City, who are suffering because of the fighting, and Mr. Sadr appeared to be trying to get ahead of the changing tides so that he could take credit for allowing aid to reach the embattled neighborhood.

A parliamentary committee visited the area on Thursday and reported that Mr. Sadr’s clerics “are sincere” in making an effort to solve the situation peacefully

Mr. Sadr’s followers were subdued as they listened while his instructions were read from the pulpit. In Sadr City the prayer was punctuated only by occasional group chants.

The crowd was larger than normal because of advance warning, from cars equipped with loudspeakers, of “an important announcement from Sayyid Moktada.” Sayyid is an honorific reserved for those who are descendants of the prophet Mohammed through Imam Hussain, one of the founders of the Shiite sect.

Many followers said afterward that they had little hope that the government would respond to Mr. Sadr’s offer, but that it was the right step to take. “I think the Iraqi government will not calm down; they will escalate their operations,” said Hussain Mohamed Hassan, 24, an engineering student. “The government doesn’t care about the Iraqi people.”

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Voice of America  

Britain’s defense secretary says his country will maintain its current troop levels in Iraq until security improves.

Des Browne told Parliament on Thursday that British commanders are still evaluating the situation in the city of Basra, where most British troops are stationed.

In Baghdad Thursday, Iraqi government officials expressed optimism about the country’s political unity and security. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, speaking after a meeting with British Foreign Secretary David Miliband, said national reconciliation has been a success. He said all political blocs will rejoin the Iraqi government.

The French news agency reports Iraq’s interior ministry says all areas of Basra are now under government control.

Iraq’s largest Sunni Arab political bloc, the Accordance Front, pulled out of Mr. Maliki’s government in August, saying his Shi’ite-led administration was not making enough concessions to the Sunni minority.

Reuters news agency quotes an Accordance Front spokesman, Salim al-Jubouri, as saying the party’s return to the government is very close.

A Shi’ite party loyal to radical Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr left the government one year ago because Mr. Maliki did not set a date for foreign troops to withdraw.

Also Thursday, Poland’s Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski told reporters in Warsaw that a shell or rocket struck the Polish embassy in Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone. A guard was wounded. Sikorski said the attack will not have an effect on Poland’s military engagement in Iraq.

In other news, the U.S. military said coalition forces in Iraq killed four suspected Iranian-trained militants, and captured five others, during operations north of Baghdad.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.

Sunnis Agree to End Boycott, Rejoin Iraq Government

Mohammed Ameen/Reuters

The site of a car bombing where one civilian was killed while six others were wounded on Thursday in Baghdad.

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By JAMES GLANZ

Published: April 24, 2008

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s largest Sunni bloc has agreed to return to Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki’s cabinet after a boycott that lasted nearly a year, several Sunni leaders said on Thursday, citing a recently passed amnesty law and the Maliki government’s crackdown on Shiite militias as reasons for the move.

The Sunni leaders said they were still working out the details of their return, an indication that the deal could still fall through. But such a return would represent a major political victory for Mr. Maliki in the midst of a military operation that has at times been criticized as poorly planned and fraught with risk. The principal group his security forces have been confronting is the Mahdi Army, a powerful militia led by Moktada al-Sadr, the radical Shiite cleric. Even though Mr. Maliki’s American-backed offensive against elements of the Mahdi Army has frequently stalled and has led to bitter complaints of civilian casualties, the Sunni leaders said that the government had done enough to address their concerns that they had decided to end their boycott.

“Our conditions were very clear, and the government achieved some of them,” said Adnan al-Duleimi, the head of Tawafiq, the largest Sunni bloc in the government. Mr. Duleimi said the achievements included “the general amnesty, chasing down the militias and disbanding them and curbing the outlaws.”

The recently passed amnesty law has already led to the release of many Sunni prisoners, encouraging Sunni parties that the government is serious about enforcing it. And the attacks on Shiite militias have apparently begun to assuage longstanding complaints that only Sunni groups blamed for the insurgency have been the targets of American and Iraqi security forces.

Exactly which ministries will be given to which Sunni politicians is still under negotiation, said Ayad Samarrai, the deputy general secretary of the Iraqi Islamic Party, the largest party within Tawafiq. Among those under consideration are the Ministries of Culture, Planning, Higher Education and Women’s Affairs and the State Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Samarrai said.

The details are complicated because Ali Baban, who now heads the most powerful of those ministries, the Planning Ministry, was a member of the Sunni bloc but left it in order to stay in his post after the boycott began. Mr. Samarrai said that the most likely arrangement was that Mr. Baban would remain head of the Planning Ministry and that another ministry would be given to the Sunnis.

The list of names that Tawafiq would nominate for the ministries was also still being negotiated within the bloc, Mr. Samarrai said. “Now we are discussing the details,” he said.

The official government television channel, Iraqiya, appeared to confirm the deal, following a meeting between Mr. Maliki and David Miliband, the visiting foreign secretary of Britain. Iraqiya said the prime minister “said that reconciliation has proved a success and all political blocs will return to the government.”

Also on Thursday, court and legal officials said that the capital case against Tariq Aziz, the deputy prime minister of Iraq under Saddam Hussein, would begin next week. The case involves the execution of more than 40 Iraqi merchants in 1992.

A lawyer for Mr. Aziz, Badi Arif, said on Thursday that Mr. Aziz was having unspecified health problems while in prison but that “his morale is high.”

Vets for Freedom supports the nominations by Defense Secretary Robert Gates of General David Petraeus as commander of CentCom, and General Ray Odierno as commander of Multi-National Force-Iraq. These two men will continue to carry out the fight in the Global War on Terror, and ensure that the proper strategy and tactics are implemented to ensure long-term stability and success in the region. We appreciate the willingness on the part of the Generals to continue to serve their countries in these difficult assignments.