Journal - Part 4

U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson of Cape Girardeau recently visited the Middle East. She kept a daily journal. Here is the fourth installment.

By Jo Ann Emerson

Sunday, Nov. 9: Ambassador Patrick Kennedy, chief of staff to Jerry Bremer, pointed out during our Baghdad briefing that the Iraqis have a difficult time understanding the American concept of a meeting. The Iraqi people have never had a say before, so it is tough for them to speak openly.

There is another pattern of miscommunication we have uncovered in Iraq. Dr. Kay thinks Saddam Hussein was misled about his military capabilities by his own people. In order to cover their own inefficiency, Saddam's henchmen routinely covered their own inefficiencies with lies. As a result, Saddam thought he was far more militarily capable than he actually was. This is one working theory of the intelligence gap on weapons of mass destruction.

After our briefing, we visited the al-Doura power plant. For 35 years, it has been subject to the neglect of the Hussein regime. There are parts in boxes and filthy generator parts in the parking lot. Just like you would change the filter in your air conditioner at home, it looks like the filters have never been changed in these machines.

There were Iraqis hard at work assembling the power plant, which wasn't really damaged by the war. It looks old on the inside, though, and electricity is extremely important in Baghdad. One generator means power for 80,000 households. I am assured by the Iraqis that they are making good progress in expanding the capacity of the power plant, and that it is a high priority in the reconstruction efforts.

There was a lot to think about as we went to dinner. My meal was with the 82nd Airborne. I also got to meet our National Guard unit from Kennett, Mo., the 1137th Military Police Company. They feel like they don't have the same equipment as regular Army, and this is a problem. They mentioned things like night-vision goggles and body armor needed to perform at their best and stay safe. Other equipment is not ready to use or broken. This is definitely something I will look into when I get home.

Their living conditions are challenging, to say the least. They are sleeping 14 to a large tent, surrounded by sandbags stacked four feet high. They don't feel safe, they told me, around Iraqis toting AK-47s and other firearms. It must be difficult to be among the Iraqi people not knowing who is friendly and who is not. They have to be vigilant all of the time when they are away from the base. Their lives depend on it.

But they told me they are hanging in there. They know how proud we are of them back home, and they miss their homes and their families.

I knew going into my trip that I would come away with a newfound respect for our men and women in uniform. I can't express how true that is.

The soldiers I talked with are dedicated, wonderful people. We need more of them to achieve the security Baghdad needs -- that and an Iraqi face on their government. If the Iraqi people could feel the same ownership and responsibility over the progress being made here, we would be moving even faster than the Coalition Provisional Authority says we are.

We need more people like these soldiers from Kennett at home in America too. Their enthusiasm and determination are just unbelievable.

We are our way to back to Amman, Jordan, to sleep and then to Kirkuk and Tikrit in Iraq tomorrow. It promises to be another busy day.