This Army Will Never Be Like Your Army

"That's what an Iraqi sergeant told me a few days ago, and sadly, I'm inclined to agree.

For the past month and a half the Iraqi Army soldiers of this FOB (forward operating base) have been our shadows. I've pulled guard with them; I've gone on missions with them. Despite of their limited English and my limited Arabic, I've managed to get to know quite a few.

The IA soldiers seem to be a reflection of the general population. They are, for the most part, simple guys looking to feed their wife and kids. Talking with them has opened my eyes to a whole new reality. Granted this is my reality. The very limited reality of a combat engineer specialist (yes, I'm no longer a PFC). So take it for what it's worth.

Every single Iraqi soldier I've had a "conversation" with - at least 20 guys - has told me that the only reason they joined the Army was for the $400 USD a month a private gets. They care not whether the insurgency is defeated or whether Iraq turns into an Islamic theocracy (many, in fact, say they support the likes of Muqtada al-Sadr). And I don't blame them because I'm not in their shoes, nor would I ever want to be.

Most IAs distrust the other security forces, i.e. the police, border patrol.

Most of the IAs I've talked to are extremely religious and protective of their Islamic tradition. Culturally, this society is ages behind the West. You know, I always had this idea of Iraq being - for the most part - a secular country. Little did I know how big an influence Islam plays in these people's lives. Everything from how they go to the bathroom, to the way they eat bread. I'm sorry if this is offensive, but it's pretty damn ridiculous.

But perhaps the most difficult obstacle this country faces is the question of ethnic unrest. The Shiite Arabs hate the Sunni Arabs. The Sunni Arabs hate the Kurds. The Kurds hate the Arabs. Everybody hates the Yezidis. And the sad part is, the hate and the distrust exist in the Army just as they do in the country as a whole."
Yoan Hermida