Conditions in Iraq (update October 20)

I follow the conditions on the ground in Iraq very carefully because I might be sending someone there.

Two sets of comments on the situation in Iraq have come to my attention today.

1. My father had dinner a few days ago with a man who was a part of a recent US sponsored junket to Iraq (this man was a VIP, in other words a target of the propaganda, but also knowledgeable about conflict situations; and, no, I'm not naming names).

   The man had been genuinely impressed by the things he'd seen: the schools, the clinics, the usual suspects. However, when my dad mentioned my company and the possibility of some of us going to Iraq, his response was immediate and unequivocal:

   "Don't go. It is much too dangerous."

2. We've received an update from an NGO partner of ours regarding whether or not we can send someone to Iraq.

   The short answer is still "yes", but with the caveat that in their latest security analysis concern has gone up. The long answer is, and I paraphrase, "the sooner we can schedule this the better because we forsee the situation getting worse". Interestingly, they added that it is now impossible for large groups to meet (they offered no immediate explanation for why this is so; I've asked, so if/when I get a reply...).

It should be obvious by now that there are good things and bad things going on in Iraq. Trying to emphasize one at the expense of the other is irresponsible at best. Demanding balance in the reporting, however, is disingenuous. It encourages people to focus their attention on what they want to hear and not on the whole range that constitutes the reality of the situation.

The professionals, by which I mean the people who have the most experience working (as opposed to fighting) in conflict situations, by which I mean the NGOs¹, are currently deeply concerned about security and about sustainability. If the security situation doesn't improve, none of the positive efforts - and there are quite a few - will survive.

. . .

¹ This is a point often overlooked: some (but by no means all) NGOs have more experience working in conflict situations than any military. The ICRC, for example, has worked in all of them. The organizations without much experience in conflict situations are finding Iraq almost impossible and many are withdrawing.

Posted by Martial