Fallujah - The electricity in the air is palpable on this windy, grey day in this city that is slowly coming back to life. Everyone knows the Marines are rolling a symbolic patrol into the city today, as Iraq Police (IP) and Iraqi Civil Defense Corps (ICDC) are milling about every intersection on the main street. The street is blocked off -- and many people are watching from store fronts and windows to see what will happen.
Marines from the 1st Marine Division begin to roll several Humvees and Stryker vehicles into the tense atmosphere, in a laughable attempt to show cooperation with the IP and ICDC who are to take over patrolling the city for them. The negotiations are complete, and the tenuous truce finds the Marines here -- the sunglasses of soldiers peering out from holes on top of the Stryker combat vehicles, while others man machine guns on top of Humvees, nervously scanning the rooftops.
Of course they are being watched by more than just civilians, as they have their own backup at the overpass near the city -- I’d seen soldiers holding rocket launchers aimed into the city to cover the patrol in case fighting erupts.
The IP and ICDC that I speak with along the street all say the deal is for the marines to have one hour to visit the mayor at the Tribal Council building. Once the small convoy rolls behind the 8 foot-high concrete barriers that surround the building, leaving the IP and ICDC who were traveling all around them as an escort in the usual human shield fashion, an IP turns to me and says, “The Americans are not good people. We are here to take care of you.”
1st Lt. Eric Knapp, the Public Affairs Officer for the 1st Marine Division, in a press release about the exercise later stated, “Marines from the 1st Marine Division traveled into Fallujah today to exercise freedom of movement and meet with city officials.”
Abdul Rahman, a captain in the ICDC, says to me, “There were negotiations between the people of Fallujah and the occupation forces. The plan is for the Americans to pull all of their troops out of the city after they get this one patrol.” After pausing while looking at the military vehicles inside the concrete wall, he added, “We want them out of our country.”
In the press release, 1st Lt. Knapp also added, “Cooperation between Coalition and Iraqi Forces in Fallujah is symbolic of the solidarity between all who share a vision of a secure and prosperous Iraq.”
Nervous residents of the recently besieged city watched quietly from sidewalks as the vehicles sat for 30 minutes inside barriers surrounding the Tribal Council building. The building was also ringed by the scores of Iraqi police and security forces that had accompanied the patrol.
This “patrol” had traveled a daunting two miles from the highway bridge to this building, with full Iraqi escort. Is this a show of force? Is this an attempt to save face? If it is either of these, nobody I speak with throughout the day seems to think so.
Just outside of the building, Alla Hamdalide, a member of the ICDC said, “We brought the Americans from the bridge into the city. They couldn’t even come in here alone. The victory for Fallujah remains.”
After only half an hour inside the building, with scores of IP and ICDC riding in pick-up trucks surrounding the vehicles of the Marines, the patrol slowly makes its way back out of the city.
My translator, who is aware of the truce, assures me there will be no fighting unless the Marines start it. Nevertheless, I scan around for something to hide behind if it does…the normally busy street is a surreal quiet, and has the tangible air of expectancy for bloodshed that the people of Fallujah have come to know all too well.
As a Humvee passes, a resident of Fallujah turns to me and says, “I am uncomfortable with the Americans being here. We dislike them.”
A few people wave at the Iraqis that are accompanying the patrol, who tentatively wave back to them. I spot a couple of soldiers who, thinking the waves are for them, wave back as well.
Once the patrol is about a half mile from the area, spontaneous celebrations erupt as crowds of residents flow into the street. Iraqi flags appear everywhere as people begin chanting and waving them wildly. Members of both the Iraqi Police and Iraqi Civil Defense Corps who were at the intersections join in the celebration, waving their guns in the air and giving the “Victory” sign.
A parade is quickly formed…cars honking, trucks with boys and men riding in the backs of them line up, and the Iraqi Police who were there to guard the Marines have promptly turned into parade escorts, as well as participants.
As the ruckus begins to inch down the street, an elderly Fallujan resident riding in the back of a truck waving an old Iraqi flag yells, “Today is the first day of the war against the Americans! This is a victory for us over the Americans!”
Mujahedeen brandishing Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs), Kalashnikovs and hand grenades are paraded on trucks as thousands of residents begin to move up and down the main street in the victory parade amidst loud music blaring from the minarets of mosques.
Ahmed Saadoun Jassin, an Iraqi Policeman, smiling from ear to ear, says, “I can’t describe to you the happiness I feel right now. This is a victory for Islam.” Many of the IP’s and ICDC are holding their weapon in the air with one hand while giving the victory sign with their other.
When I ask about cooperating with the Marines, Mr. Jassin says, “This was the deal that was negotiated. They couldn’t stay in Fallujah for over one hour, which they didn’t.”
I am pulled up into the back of a pickup truck as we are being pelted by candy thrown by shop-owners throwing handfuls of candy at the crowds who pass. Many of the people celebrating continue to wave Iraqi flags, while some hold up the Koran.
Vehicles carrying both armed mujahedeen and celebrating residents of Fallujah roll up and down the main street of the city. Members of the IP and ICDC are firing their guns into the air, along with several mujahedeen. Men are holding children in the air, many of them giving the victory sign while holding candy in their other hand.
The press release for the 1st Marine Division about the patrol states, “Fallujans reportedly waved to the Marines as they made their way in and out of the city. Freedom of movement in Fallujah, like that demonstrated by today’s visit, is a crucial component in the process of setting the conditions necessary to rebuild and revitalize the city. This display of teamwork serves notice to those who violently oppose stability in Iraq; they are nothing more than unwanted barriers on the road to a truly free Iraq.”
A mujahedeen fighter riding on the roof of a truck while wielding an RPG stated, “They (Marines) just made the people of the world laugh at them. But I think they will come back, because they don’t keep their word.”
The celebrating continues throughout the day…for while the parade disperses after a couple of hours, small groups of honking cars carrying Iraqis waving flags triumphantly continue to buzz around the streets. Children are running around with flowers, carrying them towards mosques. People are speaking of more celebrations tonight.
Boys have set up water and juice checkpoints -- giving cups of juice to cars that slowly pass through them, and waving flowers about as they play in the sun which has come out.
Despite suffering tremendous loss during the fighting in April, the battles have apparently galvanized the will of the residents of Fallujah, who, at least today, are relishing their newfound freedom from the occupiers of their city.
Dahr Jamail is Baghdad correspondent for The NewStandard. He is an Alaskan devoted to covering the untold stories from occupied Iraq. You can help Dahr continue his crucial work in Iraq by making donations. For more information or to donate to Dahr, visit The NewStandard.
