As most of you have heard, things in Iraq have been changing for the better in recent months. It appears that General Petraeus's surge is working. I have been back in Al Anbar province and it is very quite. Most incidents are criminal in nature (Kidnapping, Gun Running, Murder and Intimidation) and are being dealt with accordingly. The U.S. Marines and Army have fought very hard to rid the west of Al-Qaeda and with the help of concerned Iraqi's, who themselves have tired of the foreign fighters, have taken arms against the insurgency, pushing them east to the Diyala Province.
Diyala province covers an area of approximately 6828 square miles, from northeast of Baghdad to the Iranian border. It is a mix of Sunni Arabs, Shi's Arabs and Kurds. A agricultural area, producing oranges and dates. These areas (orange and date groves) are favorite places for the insurgents to operate out of. Making it very difficult for coalition forces to deal with.
I have just recently returned from an area in Diyala, and was amazed at how many displaced families were occupying former Iraqi military bases, blown up by U.S. Coalition forces in the war. I have seen other places up north, that had been occupied by Bedouins, but not 1000's. Fleeing insurgents, military operations and sectarian violence, it seems that an entire city had moved in.
Some of the fortunate have power, even satellite TV and electrical heat, but must had not even running water.
It still to this date amazes me, how they smile and invite you into their makeshift homes. Asking not for money or food, but wanting you to take a picture of them, a picture they themselves will never see.
At some point they will be forced to abandon their squatter town and move to places unknown. I was happy to find out that there are programs in place, to assist these poor people in retuning home or to other locations in Iraq. When? Who knows.........................
All my love to Rebecca, Shelby, Meghan Brendan and my friends
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