Soldier says Iraq is turning around

Soldier says Iraq is turning around
By Greg Bolt
The Register-Guard

Like a lot of people who work in big cities, Lance
Varney puts in long hours, goes to a lot of meetings
and spends a lot of time stuck in traffic.

Unlike most people, Varney does his work in a war
zone.

A major in the 1st Cavalry Division, Varney spends his
days navigating the streets of Baghdad as part of the
U.S. military's efforts to rebuild the city. And while
Varney, the son of Florence residents Ben and Linda
Stovall, doesn't make light of the dangers, he says
Iraq isn't the scene of unrelenting chaos and
destruction people might think from news reports.

"I think we're already seeing a turning point in most
of the communities, despite what may be prevalent in
the news," he said during a telephone interview
following a long Friday on the job. "The markets are
full of people shopping, driving. The open-air markets
are completely full, the streets are packed with
people driving up and down selling all kinds of stuff.
Kids are back at school. Soccer fields are being used
that used to be trash heaps."

As a member of what's called a governorate support
team, he works closely with top advisers to Baghdad
Mayor Alaa Mahmood al-Tamimi coordinating
infrastructure projects. Since arriving seven months
ago, his unit has been working to repair and improve
water and sewer facilities, restore electric and
garbage services, and get schools, police stations and
fire stations back in operation.

The unit's marquee project is restoring Abu Nawas
Street, a former boulevard of parks, restaurants and
shops along the Tigris River that once was the gem of
Baghdad. Crews recently finished clearing rubble from
the two-mile riverside esplanade and are preparing to
lay new water and electric lines before putting in new
walkways, fountains and lawns.

After that, Iraqi contractors will begin repair and
construction of shops and restaurants in the area. The
project is a top priority for Tamimi, who sees it as a
tangible example of the city's slow return to normalcy
and proof of the U.S. military's commitment to
rebuilding Iraq.

"He made a commitment to give that park back to the
people of Baghdad," Varney said.

Although things are getting better in Baghdad, Varney
said there's no question that dangers remain. Troops
wear body armor and travel in armored vehicles
whenever they leave the relative safety of the
well-guarded international zone at the city's center,
and when they're not carrying weapons they have them
within easy reach.

"I'll just say this up front: There are some bad
things that happen here in Iraq, no one can refute
that," said Varney, whose unit is not involved in
combat operations. "What that means, in our daily
routine, is that we have to be extremely cautious when
we go places outside our immediate secure area. We go
fully prepared, we go with the right armored vehicle,
we go with the right force protection, we go with the
right personal protective equipment, because it's a
lifesaver."

That said, Varney asserts that most of the violence in
Baghdad is caused by a very small number of people,
many of them fighters from outside Iraq determined to
thwart the American effort. The vast majority of
Baghdadis seem to support the troops and their
rebuilding projects, he said.

"When we drive by in our military vehicles going from
Point A to Point B, the people for the most part,
especially the kids, wave and give us the thumbs up
sign," Varney said. "Women and children wave. That's
kind of reassuring to see."

The city itself also is showing signs of recovery, he
said. Trash and rubble are being cleared up, business
are reopening and the streets are crowded. Even
billboards are reappearing along major streets.

The effort has rehabilitated hundreds of schools,
rebuilt a hospital and made noticeable strides in
restoring basic services. Varney said Army units have
put police and fire stations back in operation so that
when attacks do occur, Iraqis often are first on the
scene.

"Back in March, you didn't see any first-responders
out there," he said. "Now when something unfortunate
or tragic happens, all the things we would normally
see (at home) are there immediately."

Varney works closely with the mayor's staff, so much
so that he's made a number of close friends among the
engineers and advisers helping to plan the
infrastructure projects.

"The people I work with in the mayor's office endured
the entire regime of Saddam Hussein," he said. "They
talk to me about what it used to be like when
everything was rationed, all decisions were
micromanaged. There was a great amount of tyranny and
fear among the people, and they were destitute, they
had nothing. And now they have a lot."

Varney said there's no question that the American
effort has a long way to go before life in Baghdad is
anything like that in a modern democracy. But he said
the people, by and large, believe it will happen.

"It's not a question of, do they trust us. They know
exactly what we're trying to achieve, and for the most
part we're partnering up to achieve what they want,"
he said. "They're optimistic. I think they're very
optimistic."



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