December 9, 2009

I don’t know if it was the fact that we were to be ready by 7:15 to head to the airport for our return trip home or the Muezzin’s call or the dogs barking or the choppers flying low, I woke up at 5:15.  I tried to roll over and go back to sleep, but I was completely awake.  As I lay there, I relived the last few days of our trip to Iraq.

The Iraqis we met truly want to move on to a more peaceful life for themselves – they are tired of all the violence that’s been going on for nearly 30 years.  The system is broken completely.  Just in terms of food and agriculture – the country imports well over 85% of its food.  Environmentally, it’s a disaster.  Sustainability – forget it.  Water – they have plenty of it, at least for now, but the way it is used for Agriculture results in terrible salinity.  The colleges and universities have highly inbred faculty; the ones who had been trained overseas are retired, dead, or have left the country.  The facilities are decrepit.  The only positives are the population is young and eager; the sex ratio is skewed towards females, as a large number of men have either died in the wars or have been killed; and there is a realization on the part of the ministries and administrators they need to shape up, in terms of their capacity and infrastructure.  The Americans I met, whether at the Embassy or people like Dr. Araji, Lee, and Hope, they want to help the Iraqis.  The Indians, Filipinos, Nepalis, Hondurans just want to earn a living and help their people back home.  The PSDs – former soldiers from America, the UK, Canada, Ireland – want to earn a good living in a short time (I discovered that a PSD earns six to seven times as much as he did when he served as an active soldier), knowing full well the risks involved.  When we think of America spending almost a trillion dollars on the war effort in Iraq since the invasion, I reckon more than 85% of the amount is on all of the logistical needs of our armed forces – the contractors, the providers of food and water and gasoline and other necessities, the people that keep the armed forces fed, the multi-national security guards at the various installations, the PSDs that protect visitors such as ourselves (I discovered for example that the round trip from the IZ to the University of Baghdad College of Agriculture cost in the neighborhood of $10,000 for the PSD detail assigned to us).  It goes on and on and on.

During my entire stay in Iraq, I was never afraid, although violence outside the IZ is boiling just under the surface – at least that’s the sense I got from the events of the previous day of the coordinated multiple bombings, and the needless death of tens of innocent people.  (I discovered that the Pentagon called our respective families to say that we were all safe).  Saying that these acts are senseless doesn’t cut it.  The perpetrators – terrorists, insurgents, killers – are bent upon causing chaos because they want control. They want power.  The innocents get caught in the middle.  It’s always the innocents.  It was a strange series of thoughts that went through my mind and the fact that being in the IZ one is divorced from the reality of the life outside – and then I thought of what my cohorts and I could do to help the Iraqis achieve their dreams.  The only thing I know is the Land Grant System, which has helped America become America – the wealthiest and most powerful nation in the World.  An adaptation of it has helped India.  Hopefully, we could help develop a program that could indeed help the Iraqis as well.

I finally got up, cleaned up, and got ready – ate a quick breakfast, and said goodbye to Thapa, our Nepali waiter with whom I spoke in Hindi.  I said goodbye to the Honduran guards with whom I spoke in Spanish – they thought I was Brazilian the way I spoke Spanish!  I said goodbye to Lee and Hope.

Our usual PSDs – Taylor, Chad, Alex, Ahmed aka Cesar, Paul, and the others were off to Suleimaniyah on a six-day trip with another group of American contractors.  Instead, we had Mark and Ash, both Brits, and others, who were to take us to the airport for a 9:30 flight to Istanbul and onwards to our respective hometowns.

Our drive to the airport took us out of the IZ – at the entrance to which in the opposite direction we could see the Iraqis entering the IZ for their chores of the day, and each having to step out of their automobiles, open the trunk and hood and all of the doors for inspection, be frisked from head to toe, before they are allowed in – not just for entering into the IZ but all over.  This is necessitated because of the car bombings (VIEDs in military parlance – Vehicle-Improvised Explosive Device).

With all these checkpoints and other efforts, you wonder how anyone can get close to various buildings to car bomb them – the speculation in Baghdad was that the Iraqis at the checkpoints must be paid off.  That still is a lot of individuals to be paid off, as one has to go through multiple checkpoints.

At the airport the drill was a series of security checks, starting with leaving our luggage behind the omnipresent T-walls to be sniffed for bombs or whatever, then through multiple scanners, checking in, and then to the gate.  We talked about next steps, and bid goodbyes and boarded our flight to Istanbul where we split up.  My flight ends in Eugene via Munich and San Francisco, and then the drive back to Corvallis.

The trip to Iraq has been good, albeit shorter than we had anticipated, in part because of cancelations of visits to some sections of Iraq.  Uneventful.  I promised my cohorts I would craft a draft report and recommendations for them to comment on before we send them to our hosts – Paul Brinkley, Ahmed Araji, and the others – in charge of the Expeditionary Business Task Force for Business & Stability Operations in Iraq.  We hope that we can indeed make a difference in the lives of Iraqis.

Until the next steps in Iraq.

Ciao,

Sonny

December 8, 2009

We were informed last night to be ready by 8:15 this morning to leave for the University of Anbar Agricultural College in Ramadi, Anbar province, which is approximately 100 km from Baghdad. In addition, Dr. Ahmed Araji had made arrangements for us to visit with the Governor of the province as well.  I was anticipating a good, productive day of meetings.

Anbar province, particularly Fallujah and Ramadi, has seen its share of intense fighting and violence, but has in the recent past calmed down tremendously.  However, because of the bombing of a school last night in Baghdad, some recent instances of bridges being blown up in Ramadi, etc., I thought that this trip might be a bit more interesting.

Our PSD met with us at 8:15 this morning, and we got dressed up in our usual IBA, helmet, etc., and Taylor informed Ahmed that the visit to the Governor’s office was out, because that was not on our original itinerary, and the PSD needed to have the Marine Expeditionary Forces’ approval at least 72 h in advance on our itinerary, including any changes.  The MEF provides intelligence, air support and other information about conditions to the PSD.  Dr. Araji was very upset with Taylor, but really he couldn’t push this any further because the PSD was basically hired to protect us.  I can understand Ahmed’s concern as well – not only was there going to be loss of face for not meeting with the Governor, but also could be a lost opportunity to engage the political muscle to help the universities.  Regardless, we settled in to our respective SUVs, and headed out.

Yet again we were to go through Camp Victory to avoid some rough areas; additionally, our Bravo SUV needed gasoline – these vehicles are huge and also weighted down with the extra weight of armor, and get only about 5 miles or so per gallon.  It took us quite some time to make our way into the interior of Camp Victory – going through checkpoints and the signs all over: “Deadly Force Authorized.” Camp Victory likely is more than 20,000 acres in area – driving around looking for gasoline took almost 45 minutes.

We got to see Al-Faw Palace, along with multiple smaller palaces, built by Saddam for his and his family’s and friends’ use, with a lake for fishing, animal preserve for hunting, and beautiful surroundings.  Al-Faw Palace now serves as Gen. Odierno’s command center, and apparently is beautifully appointed.

We also saw the billets, housing, logistical support, Quartermasters area, fuel area, tanks, Humvees, MRAPs, APCs, soldiers, civilians, etc., etc.  The logistical challenge of supporting 150,000 soldiers could be seen in the expanse of Camp Victory, and it reminded me of Napoleon’s saying: “An army marches on its stomach.”

We finally left Camp Victory and made our way to a really nice six-lane highway heading west to Ramadi.  As we were leaving Camp Victory, we discovered that there had been some bombings in Baghdad, but did not know the details.

Just about 30 km out of Baghdad the scene is desert-like.  Sand and the occasional small brush.  The desert stretches as far as the Jordanian/Syrian border.  As during the previous couple of days we ran into numerous checkpoints, American and Iraqi convoys, long lines of 18-wheelers carrying all manner of supplies to Ramadi and other towns in Anbar province.

We drove by the infamous Abu Ghraib prison, which had a terrible reputation during Saddam’s time, and which has become infamous now because of what a few of our soldiers did to some Iraqi prisoners – as we drove by I could visualize images of the prisoners being tortured, a shameful act by a few that damaged our efforts.  Cesar, our Iraqi driver – whose real name is Ahmed – informed us that Abu Ghraib has been shut down.

Further down the road we bypassed Fallujah – a place where there was ferocious fighting, and which now is relatively quiet.

Along the highway there are signs of the carnage perpetrated by the insurgents, including the destruction of powerlines.

Our convoy arrived at the University of Anbar campus in Ramadi, about an hour to 90 minutes behind schedule.

Ramadi sits on the Euphrates River – I was surprised how clean the water looked as it rushed out of the sluices of a dam in the middle of town.  We had to wait for the campus security to confirm that indeed we were to be allowed to go in – that’s another thing one sees around campuses in Iraq: a lot of security and gun-toting guards.

After what appeared to be an interminable wait – during which time we got to see campus life ebb and flow, with the movement of students in their uniform black and white clothes going back and forth between classes or whatever else they were doing, we were allowed to go to the administration building.  We met with the president and deans of medicine, physical education, and science.  We had an excellent conversation with the group – yet again the issues brought up were the need to provide training to their existing faculty and graduate education.  The president informed us that Anbar University will provide scholarships for students to study in US universities and stipends for faculty to spend short term and sabbatical leaves.  This of course was music to our ears, and all of us, after giving an overview of our programs, offered to partner with Anbar University on offering educational/training opportunities to students and faculty.  I believe there is a pent up demand for the same – the last almost three decades have wreaked havoc on the educational infrastructure and capacity, and the Iraqis are looking to regain their capabilities.  We also discussed creating MOUs as a framework for offering the same.

We wrapped up our meeting with the president and deans and decided to go to see the College of Agriculture campus and dean and department heads.  Well, we butted right up into Taylor who insisted we could not go to the agriculture campus as that was not on the original itinerary approved with the help of the MEF (Marine Expeditionary Force).  Dr. Araji insisted that we had to go to the agriculture campus – after all we were there to meet with the agriculture folks.  It took nearly an hour to get the approval from the MEF.  There was a sort of standoff between Taylor and Dr. Araji, with Ahmed becoming irritated and Taylor wanting to be protective, but luckily we got the approval.  Overlaid on this standoff was the situation in Baghdad – where we discovered there had been several coordinated bombings, including at a university campus and some ministries.  Legitimately, Taylor and the PPOs thought of this, but were completely comfortable knowing they could protect our safety.

It took us nearly 30 minutes to get to the agriculture campus, and which left only 30 minutes for us to meet with the agriculture dean and department heads – because the PSD likes to return to the IZ in Baghdad before dark, and it was already 2:30 pm, and it would be about a two-hour drive back.  In the winter darkness settles in at 5:00ish.

We settled in to a conference room with nearly two-dozen individuals from the college and ourselves. It was a packed room, and we reminded everyone that we only had 30 minutes to spend with them.  The dean gave a short welcome and appreciated our visit and described issues that he would like our help on – capacity and infrastructure building, education and training, etc.  Each one of our party did an elevator speech on our respective institutions, strengths, English language institutes, majors, etc.

In the middle, the dean asked if we could eat lunch – and when reminded that we only had a few minutes, he said no problem and that lunch could be delivered to the conference room.  Wouldn’t you know it – lunch arrived – platters of wonderful bread, flavorful grilled meat, relish, and salads, and no plates and cutlery.  As the conversation continued, we dug in to the platters – I grabbed a piece of the bread, rolled some lamb shish kabob, hot relish and onions, and started eating.  It was delicious.  Traditional Iraqi food eaten in the traditional Iraqi family style!  We literally broke bread with our Iraqi cohorts.

I have discovered Iraqis to be incredibly hospitable, loving, and genuinely concerned about their institutions and the young people.  Of course the reverie of eating this wonderful food didn’t last long, because Paul, one of the PPOs walked in to remind us it was time to leave.  It was amazing – almost in mid-sentence and mid-mouthful, we got up to leave.  In some ways it was embarrassing to our hosts and to us.  But I could see that Paul was very concerned that we needed to be out of there so we could return to the IZ before dark.   We bid goodbyes and left.

On our trip out of Ramadi we could see many buildings pockmarked with bullet holes; bridges destroyed; buildings destroyed.  Yet, there is this incredible amount of reconstruction as well – we drove through some neighborhoods of beautiful mansions and bungalows.  On a previous occasion in Baghdad we had seen a statue of a human figure with wings poised to fly – I had commented that that might be the Phoenix rising.

As we were driving through Ramadi and seeing all of the new construction, I was reminded of that statue – I think if the security issues are dealt with, Iraq has a great future ahead, and I can see the Phoenix rising out of the ashes of Saddam’s and the insurgents’ tyranny.

The return trip was contemplative, and also full of conversations about the colleges we had visited, the need for development efforts in education, food, agriculture, and economic and community development; the need for coordination between the different Iraqi entities and the different US entities; the strengths US landgrants could bring to help; and the bombings in Baghdad and if that would dampen development efforts.

The evening – our last evening together, as we are scheduled to leave to head back to the States tomorrow as some of our visits were canceled due – was spent at dinner with Dr. Araji, Bob Love, a former US Marine Colonel and now a member of the task force hosting us, Lee, Hope, and Danielle.  We ate a wonderful meal of traditional Iraqi food – rice, bread, grilled chicken, lamb, hummus, salads, mashed eggplant, stuffed (with a spicy rice) pepper, stuffed onions, stuffed eggplant, olives, etc., etc., and the most wonderful baklava!  The conversation during dinner was on development versus just giving aid and walking away.  On the things we saw and heard. On the politics of relationships and networks.  On the impact of the bombings and continued insurgency.  Needless to say we are all on the same page, i.e., it is not just enough to give aid and walk away, and that despite the insurgency, there needs to be efforts to help build capacity and infrastructure, not only in Iraq but also in other countries.  I pointed out to Bob how US investment in development aid had dropped from 18% of all aid in the early 1980s to less than 2%, and that needed to be reversed, if we are going to be able to turn the tide of poverty, terrorism, population growth, disease, and environmental degradation in developing countries.  I think we have an opportunity to be involved in these efforts in Iraq and other places in a deep and meaningful way – Dr. Araji and his cohorts are committed to helping make this happen within Iraq.

Until tomorrow.

Ciao,

Sonny

December 7, 2009

Today we headed off to visit the University of Babylon, located in Hilla in Babil province, about 100 km south of Baghdad.

Because we would be leaving the IZ and going into territory that still has the potential for violence, we left early with our PSD and PPOs (personal protection officers) in our IBAs and helmets.  I was assigned to the Bravo vehicle as usual, with Chad, our PPO, and Cesar, our driver; in addition we had the Alpha, Charlie, Delta, Echo, and Foxtrot SUVs.

Foxtrot brought up the rear, which also had a gunner sticking his head out.  Chad was telling us that just yesterday they had received a G2 (intelligence) that there had been trouble in the area we were to go to.

The really amazing thing about our PSDs was how they prevented other vehicles from coming close to our convoy – reminded me of football blocks and basketball pick and roll moves, if one can imagine that being done in huge, armored SUVs.  The other thing is that most Iraqis give these SUVs like our PSDs and the others, of whom there are numerous ones on the road, all the room.

Whenever we stopped, the PPOs jumped out, checked the surroundings, the buildings, etc., and only after securing the place, would allow us to get out.

They take their jobs seriously – I asked Chad what kind of defensive weapons they carried – everything from an M4 and Glock to smoke bombs, along with some heavier guns, and they also receive air support if needed, including latest road conditions ahead.

We drove through Camp Victory as an alternate, longer route, because the shorter route apparently goes through an area considered to be dangerous.  Getting in and out of Camp Victory is serious business, and one needs a passport or other identification and papers to prove you belong there.  One sees signs all around that say:  “Danger:  Use of Deadly Force Authorized.”  As vehicles enter, soldiers and others carrying weapons are expected to clear their weapons.  Camp Victory has high walls, concertina wires, T-Walls, watchtowers, and security galore.

Along the way we saw a couple of Saddam’s unfinished palaces – apparently he built 58 to 100 such palaces around the country, many of which he may have stayed in just for a day or others that were never finished, and the current government has no intention of completing.

As we left Camp Victory and headed south, the scenery changed to a more rural, pastoral one, women working in their small farms growing grapes, vegetables, wheat, corn, turnips, lettuce, potatoes, onions, alfalfa, sheep, etc.  Looking at this pastoral scene, I was hard pressed to imagine the conflict that’s been going for the last almost thirty years.

The really sad part is that the farmers continue to use flood irrigation, which results in significant salinity, so much so that the fields are abandoned because of the white, salt encrustations – visible even from a moving vehicle.

Salinity is going to be the bane of agriculture around the world, but particularly for Iraqis, and there is serious work to be done on irrigation, salt tolerant plants, alternative approaches to production practices, etc.  The further south we headed, the more green the countryside appeared to be and also more prosperous farmsteads and homes.

As we drove on, the mandatory checkpoints, armored vehicles, MRAPs with American soldiers, ECMs (electronic counter measure vehicles to detect IEDs), etc. But traffic seemed to flow, and they made way for our convoy, even on very crowded streets and roundabouts in Hilla, a town of about 400,000 people.

Another interesting sight one sees along the highway – or does not see – are gas stations.  The latter have been favorite targets of the insurgents.  What I discovered instead are trucking containers, which look like they are made of heavy, reinforced metal, painted red and white are used to store the gasoline and from which it is dispensed.  Some of them are painted with the word “Petrol”, while others have the word “Patrol”.

We arrived at the University of Babylon around mid-morning, and met with a number of individuals, including the Vice Chancellor, Dr. Jawwad Al Janabi, and the deans of colleges of agriculture from Babylon and neighboring areas as well.  Unfortunately, Pres. Nabeel Al Araji, who had visited OSU and met with Pres. Ed Ray and others on our campus, was out of the country at a conference.

After introductions, we listened to them and gave them an overview of landgrants and our universities and colleges and particular strengths. Yet again the needs at these institutions revolved around dealing with the problem of the “lost generations”, i.e., since 1980 the colleges have been at a standstill or have lost capacity.  They need help retooling their faculty – there is a lot of inbreeding; improved capacity and infrastructure; opportunities for graduate studies.  This seems to be the recurring theme – the 10,000 scholarships are going to be one small step in the right direction, but only a drop in the bucket.

What they need is significant investments in education.  We proposed that our universities can indeed host their faculty on short term retooling visits and also offer graduate opportunities for the students; we also proposed creating a consortium of landgrants to offer education and training.  I proposed that at least for the first cohort of individuals they focus on helping enhance capacity in basic agricultural disciplines such as crop science, horticulture, plant protection, soil and water issues, animal husbandry, etc.  Then, once capacity has been built back up, future cohorts might seek education and training in the more modern/fundamental areas as well, such as molecular biology, plant genetics and breeding, etc.  I also proposed maybe using the model that was effective in India and other countries during the last green revolution, i.e., each college be adopted by an American landgrant to offer a comprehensive program of education, training, capacity and infrastructure building, etc., with funding from the Iraqi government and from the United States.  Dr. Ahmed Araji, our host, asked us to make explicit recommendations on approaches we may suggest.  As we were having these conversations, the Deputy Governor of the province walked in to greet us.

He also made arrangements for us to be offered lunch and a secure visit to the ruins at Babylon.  We left the university campus to visit the ruins at Babylon.

Lunch was served at a restaurant built by Saddam as a private dining facility, with the conspicuous opulence of carvings, chandeliers, and his name carved in everything.  The food was traditional, Iraqi style lamb with rice and bean soup, and lots of unleavened bread.  Then we got a personalized tour of the ruins, guided by the Deputy Director.

According to the Deputy Director, Babylon – the gateway to heaven or gateway to gods – was established by Hammurabi about two centuries Before the Common Era.  It was later ruled by Nebuchednazzar around 600 BCE, followed by Cyrus and Alexander.

Sadly the ruins were ruined by Saddam, who in 1982 rebuilt major sections of the ruins by rebuilding walls above the existing ruined structures – one can see where the lower sections of the walls and structures are the original ruins, and the upper sections are the new structures.  Allegedly each of the bricks used in the new construction has Saddam’s initials carved in!  Not only did Saddam rebuild many of the ruins, he also created an artificial mound and built a huge palace on top.  Talk about hubris.

The ruins include a number of palaces, temples, bazaars, streets, gates, and other structures.

Luckily the Gate of Ishtar and the Procession Street have been left intact – on the Gate of Ishtar one can see the beautiful relief work of real and mythical animals that project out of the brickwork.

In one of the squares is a basaltic rock sculpture of a lion on top and a human at the bottom – the Babylonian Lion, symbolizing the lion’s power and the human’s humility.  The lion has been defaced pretty badly – the Deputy Director informed us that workers who had found the lion thought there was gold inside the lion’s body and in trying to access the same had broken off the face.

Another myth ruined for me – very much like the myth of Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny ruined for children – is that I learned that one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World, The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, was just a myth perpetrated by Herodotus.  According to the Deputy Director, there never has been a Hanging Gardens.  Here I was, all excited about seeing another ancient wonder (I have seen most of the ancient and modern wonders of the world), only to discover there never was one!  Regardless, Babylon is awe inspiring – that anywhere between three and four thousand years ago, there were people who built beautiful and precise structures, and the animal reliefs on the brick are indeed a sight to behold.

As we drove back to the IZ in Baghdad, we discussed Babylon, Saddam, Iraq, the lost generations and lost opportunities, and what the future holds, particularly of what our US colleges of agriculture can do to help.  We will work to develop a concept note that will recommend the Iraqis consider modeling their agricultural colleges after the landgrant model.  It will be interesting to see how it might be received and what becomes of it.

The return trip, which lasted for nearly two hours, retraced the morning’s outbound trip.

Until tomorrow.

Ciao,

Sonny

December 6, 2009

Allahu Akbar.  The Muezzin calling the faithful to prayer woke me up at 5:30 this morning.  I had woken up a couple of times in the middle of the night – lot of chopper activity and dogs barking.  (I discovered later from Frank Fear that he had heard some explosives followed by chopper activity).  Each time I turned over and went back to sleep – I finally woke up for good at 6:30.  It was still dark outside – not too cold. I walked over from my room to the villa’s kitchen – got me some coffee, which had been cooking the whole night, and returned to my room, since no one else was up.

Finally, I went down for breakfast– typical breakfast of eggs, sausage, bacon, fruit, juice, etc.  Dodi Thapa, the young man from Nepal who I had spoken with in Hindi the previous day had made fresh coffee.  Nice and strong.  Finally, one by one, my cohorts showed up.  We discussed the upsets and near upsets in college football – incidentally it was amazing how many apologized for OSU losing to U of O.

We got cleaned up, and our PSD showed up. Taylor, Paul, Chad, Terry and the others.

Taylor pulled out a map to show us our route and briefed us on the procedures to follow.  We were to leave the IZ, so we needed protection, including our IBAs, helmets, etc., and we were headed to the University of Baghdad College of Agriculture in the Abu Ghraib district – yes, the college butts up to the infamous prison in the district.

We were to drive by Camp Victory, the multi-national force’s headquarters, a huge complex, and then on to the college campus.  The drive comprised, as we did yesterday, a convoy of SUVs, with a lead vehicle followed by several SUVs carrying our group, trailed by an SUV with a medic, radio antenna, etc.  We were all dressed up in coats, neckties, dress slacks, and our IBAs and helmets.  It was an interesting sight to behold.  Needless to say, Taylor and his colleagues were there to protect us – the ride through some desolate countryside was uneventful – Chad, as usual was vigilant, constantly scanning the area around our SUV – except for the occasional checkpoints,

along with American military vehicles with their IED detectors in the front.

We made it to campus, and discovered that our host, Dean Hamza, had been called out on an emergency, and apparently had forgotten to inform any one else about our arrival. Dr. Araji was pretty upset, to say the least. However, the assistant dean and several other individuals met with us, recovered, and gave us an overview of their college, and all of the constraints they face.  These constraints are an aging infrastructure – the college was built in the 1950s with the help of the University of Arizona, and faculty who had been trained overseas that either retired or left or have died.  There has been no investment since the 1980s.  The equipment and laboratories and buildings are really old.  Our hosts, Dr. Jawwad, Dr. Sami, and Dr. Hamid, lamented the needs in terms of books, journals, laboratory equipment, better training, etc.

The whole nation faces significant agriculutral issues related to low productivity, salinity – the water table is very high and the crops are irrigated as they have been for 5,000 years using open canals and ditches – lack of infrastructure, etc.  Much of the irrigation water is lost to evaporation, and leaves the soil highly saline, making it difficult to grow crops.

Each of us gave an overview of our college’s strengths and I also gave an overview of the land grant mission of our colleges.  Their persistent plea was for us to help them with the very significant issues they face.   I do not think that Iraq can seek to develop much if they do not address their food and agricultural needs, and really they need to build capacity and infrastructure.  The 10,000 scholarships are an effort in the right direction, but it will require a bottom up review and reinvestment in the food and agricultural enterprise.

We got a tour of the facilities – their research fields where graduate students undertake research and their livestock farms, along with some labs.  The state of the facilities is decrepit; I wonder how Iraq will be able to make progress.  It’s a shame that there are almost two generations of lost opportunities since the 1970s, and particularly during Saddam’s era.  The Iraqi government’s work is cut out, but with their potential oil revenues, they should be able to make the investments to rebuild these colleges.  At least one hopes so.

We got to meet some of the students – eager, young people interested in developing the skills.  The students, in general, looked like they were very much interested – we even saw an outdoor class in progress.  Some of these students are eligible for the scholarships, and I hope are given an opportunity.  Although this is an Islamic country, it was interesting to see young women, wearing head scarves, walking with and talking to young men, as one might see in the States.

During our visit to campus, Taylor and his PSD group took great care to make sure we were protected.  It was interesting how they parked their SUVs to surround us as we walked around, and the individuals would spread out in a perimeter, check the surroundings, keeping an eye out and scanning for any untoward surprises.  It was amazing to see them work hard to make sure we were protected.  As a matter of fact, in their company I felt completely protected.

The return to the IZ was uneventful.  After lunch, we went to meet with Dr. Zuhair Humadi, a Southern Illinois University graduate and former professor in the US, whose brainchild it is to create the 10,000 scholarships for students to study in the US, UK, and other countries.

Dr. Humadi’s operation is located in the IZ, so we drove with Lee and Hope in the black Suburbans for the afternoon session.  Zuhair, a 60-plus, energetic and visionary individual, met with us along with his assistants, Dr. Hakeem, a 70-year old recently retired professor and who had received his degrees in zoology from the University of Kansas and University of Oklahoma, and Maha, a young woman with a degree in English and who had spent a year in the US on a Fulbright.  Zuhair gave us an overview of the scholarship program, and then all of us told him about our colleges and universities – again I had an opportunity to not only speak about our college and OSU, but I also gave an overview of the history of the land grant concept, and how important it has been for the development of America into the most powerful nation on earth.  We all talked about our willingness to host Iraqi students, and we each provided information on admissions, English language requirements, specific majors, opportunities for graduate research and opportunities to host faculty on short term visits and sabbaticals.  The afternoon included the mandatory sweet tea, following which some of their large staff members came to speak to us about our universities, rules, regulations, etc. The afternoon offered an opportunity for Dr. Humadi and his colleagues to learn more about land grants and agricultural colleges; conversely it offered us an opportunity to learn more about the scholarship program.

During the evening, we were hosted at a reception by Ambassador Christopher Hill at his home at the US Embassy complex. The complex is new and huge – it hosts nearly 1,600 Americans, with likely that many or more individuals of other nationalities – behind high, concertina topped walls, and in places with another layer of T-walls.  The security guards at the perimeter are Peruvians.  The food is prepared and served by South Asians.  And then there are a number of others that run the day-to-day operations.

We got to speak to Amb. Hill, Gen. Hunzeker, second in command to Gen. Odierno (Gen. Hunzeker moved the Big Red One from Germany to Ft. Riley, outside Manhattan, KS, our former home, and from which we benefited, i.e., we were able to sell our house easily before our move to Purdue), Amb. Patricia Haslach, Deputy Chief of Mission and a native of Lake Oswego, Oregon, Ron Verdonk with USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, and several other USDA FAS personnel.  Over wine – from California – and appetizers (samosas and grilled chicken along with chips, vegetables and dip, etc.), we got to interact with the Amb. Hill and the others.  We discovered Amb. Hill and Gen. Hunzeker to be very thoughtful and knowledgeable people, and were very much interested in agricultural development in Iraq and the potential for our universities’ involvement.

Following the reception we walked over to eat dinner, courtesy of the USDA FAS colleagues, at the Embassy cafeteria, along with a number of EPRTs (Embedded Provincial Reconstruction Teams) who have expertise in poultry production, crop science, water issues, salinity, honey production, etc.  I even got to meet Michael Gangware, an OSU soil scientist.  The conversation, particularly with the EPRTs who are dispersed around the country, was about their challenges, both technical and military, in working with the local communities.

These are tough people who are really where the “rubber meets the road” as far as America being able to make a difference in helping the Iraqis with capacity building.

Until tomorrow.

Ciao,

Sonny

December 5, 2009

Our day started at 5:00 am.  We caught taxis to the Amman airport for our flight to Baghdad.  Although it was still dark, there were a lot of early risers up and about.  In general Jordanian taxi drivers drive fast, weaving in an out of lanes.  Luckily the roads are really good.  Going through security was a cinch, as was getting our boarding passes.

We were at the gate for Baghdad by 6:30 am.  The flight itself left on time – a 75 minute journey heading east.  My seatmate, Rashid, I learned works as a bureaucrat in the Iraqi electricity department in Baghdad.  He was telling me things have indeed improved significantly.  He told me that life was slowly, but surely returning to normal and for the better.  He reminded me to be sure to eat samak al maskof (a fish dish) and drink arak, a date liquor.  I don’t know if I will get to or not.  We’ll see.

Flying over the Iraqi landscape, for the most part is desert, but just east of Baghdad in Anbar province, the airplane started descending and flew over the Euphrates river and valley, a patchwork of agricultural fields – what looked like irrigated winter wheat, date plantations, and greenhouses.  From my vantage point of several thousand feet, wheat germination appeared to be patchy.  Apparently, the date palms have also been devastated in the recent past by an insect; and with everyone being busy with the war, many trees have been killed.  On top of the war, the whole country has been experiencing a drought for the last seven or eight years.

The Royal Jordanian Embraer 195 jet landed as scheduled, and rolled to the terminal building – to a whole bunch of news photographers and videographers waiting for the plane.

For a second, I thought they were there to welcome us, only to discover they were there, along with the Iraqi deputy sports minister, to welcome Falah Hassan, a star footballer – the Pele of Iraq, who was returning home after a hiatus of nearly 20 years.  Apparently he lives in Detroit, and was returning home to a hero’s welcome.  He is to help Iraq’s sporting efforts.

We walked into a really crowded terminal building, full of contract workers and businessmen from around the world.

After securing visas with the help of Ali, an Iraqi national, we were welcomed by Taylor and a group of private security personnel with a private security company called Aegis.  Private security is big business in Iraq, and the personnel are all former soldiers, US, British, and others.  Aegis is a company not dissimilar to Blackwater.

We were escorted by the Aegis personnel to a parking area to bullet-proofed Toyota SUVs.  We had our own convoy of SUVs, each with a driver and another individual who literally rode shotgun, i.e., carried an automatic rifle, smoke bombs, etc.  The personnel are called personal security detail – PSDs.  The convoy had a lead vehicle, the Alpha vehicle; Lee Sanderson, a civilian DoD employee and our host, and I were assigned to the Bravo vehicle.  We had several more SUVs for my cohorts, with a vehicle in the back with well-armed individuals.

Each of us was given an IBA – Individual Body Armor, which must weigh about 25 pounds, and a Kevlar helmet.

My PSD, Chad, a former British soldier from Plymouth, briefed me on security procedures.  I was asked for the last four digits of my social security number and my blood type – O+.  Then he briefed me on what I was to do in case we encountered insurgents or other problems – basically, avoid looking out the window, get the hell down, and stay low!

Our ride from the airport to the guesthouse – Park Edge – took almost an hour on a road with numerous checkpoints and numerous Iraqi military vehicles with gun turrets and well-armed personnel.

At one checkpoint, an Iraqi soldier with a little gizmo in his hand that looked like a gun with an antenna walked by our SUV; the antenna turned towards us, almost like a divining rod.  I go, “oops”.  Chad says that those are supposed to detect bombs and bomb materials, but he thought they were an expensive rip off that the Iraqis loved, but which most of the time gave false positive signals.  Cesar, our Iraqi driver, got out of the SUV and talked to the Iraqi soldier in Arabic, and then the soldier motioned for us to go on.  I gave him a victory sign and the guy started laughing.  Kind of reminded me of keystone cops, but these guys were armed with serious weapons.

Entry into the International Zone – IZ – was through a checkpoint.

Once through the checkpoint, you could get the feeling that we were entering a sort of a garrison, with

concrete walls – they call ‘em T-Walls (from Tennessee Walls), and apparently each one costs $1,500.  Someone is making a lot of money!

We arrived at our guesthouse – basically a compound with high walls topped by concertina wire, and a whole bunch of black-clad, gun toting, security guards.  We were welcomed to our abode by an American – Travis.   The facility has a couple of buildings with comfortable sleeping rooms, and a very nicely appointed kitchen, living room, and dining room.

The security guards are Hondurans.  The custodial staff is Filipino.  The chef is an Indian.  The wait staff is Nepali.  A veritable United Nations.

We were welcomed by another civilian DoD staff member, Hope, a recent Harvard graduate and colleague of Lee’s.  We were briefed by Travis, Hope, and Lee – about the guesthouse, security, and what to do in case we were attacked by mortar or rockets – just stay low is the basic message.

As we were being briefed, I could hear the thumpa, thumpa, thumpa of helicopters circling, which reminded me of MASH.  I was waiting for the theme music to start up!  Of course, this is not MASH and there is no Radar or Honeycutt or Hawkeye or Hot Lips Houlihan.  This is a combat zone. This is serious.

Dr. Ahmed Araji, an Iraqi native and professor of agricultural economics at the University of Idaho, who is serving on an IPA (Interagency Personnel Act) assignment for the Task Force to help develop the agricultural infrastructure, met with us and gave us an overview of the itinerary for our visit.  Ahmed is well connected, both professionally and personally.  Over lunch – baked chicken, fish, rice pilaf, salads, vegetables, and dessert – we discussed the expected outcomes for our visit.

Iraq has seen a significant brain drain, either because of people leaving or retiring, in all areas of academic endeavor, but particularly so in agriculture.  Dr. Araji lamented that 85% of the food is imported into Iraq, which just a few years back used to feed the region.  They face low productivity, drought, lack of infrastructure for storage and transportation, etc., etc.  The country is rebuilding itself, and part of this rebuilding effort is to train the future and to help build capacity.  The Iraqis are interested in sending 10,000 students, with nearly 1,000 in the agricultural disciplines, for graduate education, particularly to institutions in the States.  Our conversation revolved around the Iraqi needs, and the capabilities land grant universities offer that could potentially help meet the same.

After a short break – many of us took powernaps, we hopped in a pair of black Chevy Suburbans, one driven by Lee and another driven by John from Manchester, England, a former British soldier with Aegis.

They took us around the IZ/Green Zone to show us the sights – Saddam’s highly fortified buildings hit by JDAMs (Joint Direct Attack Munitions), the Swords of Qādisīyah, also called the Hands of Victory, a pair of arches in central Baghdad, which were built to commemorate Iraq’s war with Iran, and

at the base of which are alleged Iranian helmets,

the new US Embassy under construction guarded by Peruvian security guards,

the Babylon Hotel (from the roof of which US Networks broadcast their coverage of the war against Saddam), various ministries and other government buildings,guarded by Ghanaian and Ugandan security guards.

The roads are eerily devoid of traffic, other than the occasional car or Humvee with Iraqi soldiers driving really fast;

at one point, we were passed by a convoy of fast, white SUVs, lights flashing and sirens blaring, and John said that was the Iraqi president.  Driving around in the Green Zone, one gets a claustrophobic sense because of the T-walls that make the roads feel narrow.  Then there are other areas that are completely open – with unfinished buildings from Saddam’s era.  While Baghdad has a number of green areas and there are palm trees and shrubs lining some roads, it has a dusty, brown ambience.  The buildings, behind high walls, tend to have a brown adobe façade

Our day ended with a wonderful visit with Dr. Sami Araji, Chairman of the Iraqi National Investment Commission, a Michigan State University graduate and Dr. Ahmed Araji’s cousin.  Sami is a passionate man, and wants to make a difference for the Iraqi’s, including helping develop capacity by sending bright young men and women to America to be educated, like he was well over forty-five years ago.  He is a true believer in the land grant approach, and made a passionate plea to us to help his country by offering opportunities to young Iraqis to be educated at our universities.  He truly is a breath of fresh air.  If he has his way, I am certain Iraq will do well.  The evening ended with our eating dinner with him.  The food, cooked and served by Indians, included chicken, beef, pork, various vegetables, soup, and desserts.  Sami and Ahmed are both wonderful conversationalists – we talked about (American) college football, politics, the security concerns in Iraq, the global economy, Iraq’s future, their children, etc.

A nice end to a long day.

Tomorrow we visit the University of Baghdad College of Agriculture at Abu Ghraib.  I am looking forward to it.

December 3, 2009

I left Corvallis around 7:00 am to get to Eugene.  The fog was unbelievable, so much so that when I got to the airport in Eugene and pulled up into the long term parking lot, I could see  no more than 15 yards in front of me.  Being that this was my first flight out of Eugene, I had no clue on what to expect and where the terminal was or if I needed a shuttle from the parking lot or if I could walk.  I was completely oblivious of where I was, since I couldn’t see any building.  Only the cars in front of me.  Needless to say, I ended up calling up Stella, and she gave me directions!

Luckily the fog cleared up by the time our flight to Seattle took off. (I did learn later that one of my colleagues from UC Davis, Jim Hill, couldn’t get out of San Francisco because of fog, and missed the flight to Amman, Jordan).    The flight out of Seattle was delayed by almost an hour owing to mechanical problems.  I figured it was going to be touch and go.  We landed at JFK just a half hour before my flight out to Amman, and luckily I was able to run to that gate, and out of breath, just barely made it – they were calling for me on the PA system as I was running. Last one on board.  My other cohorts, except for Hill, were already on board and were all glad to see me.  The flight to Amman, which lasted about 10 hours, was uneventful, and I had the whole row to myself, so I was able to sleep for several hours.

Amman airport is about a half hour from the Hyatt hotel.  Amman is a beautiful city, lot of really nice roads, fast traffic, high rises, and full of American eateries and businesses: KFC, MickeyDees, BK, Safeway, True Value, etc.  My wife and I were here last year, and felt very comfortable.

After a quick shower, Fred Cholick, an OSU grad and who worked with Kronstad, and I went to eat dinner with a former student of his from South Dakota, Omar, who is now dean of the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Jordan.  A wonderful conversationalist.  He took us to a traditional Jordanian restaurant, Reem Al Bawadi (means “deer of the prairie” in Arabic), in a huge, old, domed building.  The food consisted of multiple dishes of flavorful hummus, multiple salads, mashed egg plant, spicy olives, along with hot off the griddle bread (both a thick bread and paper thin bread being made as you enter the restaurant), and wonderful grilled lamb and chicken. As I sit here typing this entry, I can get the flavors and aromas of the meal.  The meal ended with hot, black tea with mint leaves. Just a nice evening to top off a long day.

We leave for Baghdad first thing in the morning.

Until tomorrow night.

Ciao,

Sonny