Ukrainian military officer and journalist Dmitri Timchuk spent more then a year in Iraq with the Ukrainian troops stationed there. RT is the first to publish his observations of daily life in the country in English. (Part XIII)

Things to do in Iraq (Part I)

Not the right desert (Part II)

Americans happy to sleep with bugs (Part III)

Building the future: brick-by-brick (Part IV)

Don’t worry, they won’t shoot! (Part V)

The vampire gets stung (Part VI)

Every soldier’s fundamental – messing (Part VII)

T-shirts for Americans only (Part VIII)

Leaflets for the illiterate (Part IX)

From Baghdad to Kiev (Part X)

It’s scary without the Ukrainians (Part XI)

Elections as a litmus test  (Part XII)

In the morning I was with the commander of the 72nd battalion, his shift relief from the 81st tactical group, major Sergey Dzyuma, deputy commander of the 81st tactical group, Alexander Khmelyev, and CIMIC officers. We leave for Suvejra on four armoured personnel carriers. Our aim is to pay a visit to the mayor and security command and introduce them to the officers who have just come from Ukraine. From now on they will handle matters with local authorities.

Just across the road from the position of the Iraqi army's 2nd battalion of the 26th brigade, which was prepared by the Ukrainians there is a wrecked barracks. At the end of last year militants attacked the troops stationed there, blew up the building and captured the barracks. At that time the guardsmen could not boast of high morale, and most of them simply ran away at the sound of the first blasts. As for the terrorists: having captured the barracks, they attacked a nearby police station. When our soldiers arrived, the fight was over and the militants disappeared. Four guardsmen and six policemen, including the marshall, were killed.   

The second Iraqi battalion is very famous despite the fact that it has been in existence for just a little more than a year. When last April a Shiite uprising burst out in the province of Vasit, almost all the security officials simply dropped the weapons and ran away. This unit was the only one in the whole province that showed resistance to the rebels and went into combat intact.  

AFP Photo / Ahmed Al-Rubaye

They take us to the battalion commander. As soon as we pass the checkpoint the guardsman with his gestures asks us to detach magazine cases from our submachine guns. But two of our officers who are walking behind do not detach the magazine cases. This is for security reasons. Though it is quite safe in the guard unit, you cannot feel absolutely safe anywhere in Iraq. Near the battalion headquarters there is a vehicle “UraL” with armour plates and heavy machine guns in the trunk.   

  “We equipped such vehicles especially for Iraqi guardsmen,” Oleg Gulyak explains.

The battalion commander of the Iraqis, Lieutenant-Colonel Ali Al-Karejshi, offers us traditional fragrant very sweet tea, and an unhurried talk starts – nothing is done in a hurry here. We discuss current business: the situation in the city, measures against the militants. The Iraqis figured out that the gunmen come mainly from Latifia, and they suggest blowing up the bridge across the irrigation canal that the outsiders use to reach Suvejra. In the course of the discussion the officers from the replacement contingent try to see the core of the problems. The introduction is good, but they have to start working right away.     

Security forces in Iraq grow fast. When I was here seven months ago the government institutions had just started to develop. At that time a simple policeman made no more than $US 100, and now they make $US 300-350. A sergeant earns about $US 500, a senior officer more than a $US 1000. This is very good  money, which on the one hand encourages service (many people at first were afraid to work for the police or guards out of fear of militants. Now there is nothing like that). Earlier the security officers begged the Ukrainians for everything – equipment, property, weapons, but now they are absolutely self-sufficient. Americans provide them with luxurious automotive equipment. Standard patrols ride Chevrolet pickup trucks! When our commanders learn that an Iraqi battalion commander gets $US 7,000 monthly for administration expenses (pens and pencils, paper, paints, etc.), they are envious of course. In Ukraine the military can only dream about that.  

Coming back to the “Zulu” camp we pass an abandoned dilapidated hospital that was built under Hussein for the crew of Saddam’s air force. The hospital was partially pulled apart by the locals – they wanted construction materials. Now a private security firm guard what was not taken. Our convoy stops, and the officers ask the Arabs for gun licenses.

 “Who was shooting here?” our officer asks. At night, a fire-fight was heard in this area. The Arabs try to persuade us that they did not hear anything. Even if they are not connected with the militants they will not reveal anything – it may cost them their lives. It is still dangerous to “make friends” with multinational forces in Iraq.

Even relatives of those who find jobs in base camps as maintenance staff or interpreters rarely know where they really work. Not long ago in Suvejra they cut off the head of our interpreter Geydar. In Al-Kut, they set fire to the house of his colleague Faiz four times. He’s the interpreter of the Ukrainian military police troop. But little by little life here gets back onto a normal track. Though in Suvejra there was an explosion a day later when a “suicide car” was blown up.

Story courtesy of Dmitri Timchuk

Going home (Part XIV)