JimSpiri ”THE LAST LAP #3”
The latest journey called, "The Last Lap" - IRAQ, 2015
© Jim Spiri 2015
Today is July 10, 2015. It is in the afternoon about 4:45 pm. I have had three full
days here in Iraq so far and that’s not to mention the two days of travelling just to get here
and the week it took to get ready to come. Needless to say, it’s been quite a drain on my
body that is now 59 and holding. Recently, I hurt my shoulder a few months ago and I
know it’s a torn rotator cuff. The pain is excruciating and it has caused me to be on guard
doing simple things. Throwing a baseball or reaching behind my back is out of the
question. I know it needs surgery but I had to wait until this journey is over. I knew the
recovery time would be too long. Most say six months or so. Today, the shoulder is
hurting. But, I’ll get over it.
On the evening of the 8th of July, I was taken to meet two very important men.
Their names are General Abid and General Abdullah. They are brothers and live next to
each other with their
families. These two
men are about my age.
They are military men
and also extremely
intelligent. They also
are excellent hosts and
treated me with
incredible dignity. In
the past two days I have
come to know them and
their stories. It is
exactly what I thought
might be here and the
dialog I have struck up
with them is the best
conversation concerning
situations all over this
country that anyone
could be privy to. The
one thing about being near
the age of 60, all over the world is the fact that one gets a little respect just because one
has managed to stay alive on the planet. From time to time back home, it is difficult to
convince people of some things if you’re not wearing a suit and tie. I like being here and
having people treat me with respect just for having made the journey to come and see and
listen. It is something that always stokes my interest in what people have to say.
Someone told me once that if you want people to listen to you, learn to listen yourself.
I’ve done a lot of listening lately and from time to time it pays off. This current
experience is one of
those times.
On this evening I would
learn from these two
Generals the recent
history of the battle for
Dholoyia. What I heard
was the story of what
happened beginning last
June, 2014, and lasting
until December 31,
2014. That is a span of
nearly 7-months. During
this time in Iraq, we at
home heard that this
group we now call ISIS
had taken over a fair bit
of territory in Iraq, most
notably in Ninevah
province, Mosul. Mosul is in the north of the country. It was one of the most important
cities in Iraq and suddenly it was now under ISIS control. The speed and intensity of this
takeover of Mosul caught everyone’s attention. Shortly after this event here in Iraq, a
move was made to come south. I do not recall hearing about this all that much but some
things were known to me. I knew Tikirit was in the scope of ISIS but below, or south of
that, I was unaware of what was going on. Turns out, what was going on was the push
south was going to an area that I was a bit familiar with. The area near Balad, specifically
Dholoyia, which is an agricultural area on the Tigris River. There is a lot of farming in
the area. It is all the “Fertile Crescent” as we learned in grade school.
The two Generals, Abid and Abdullah began to educate me on what has come to be known
in Iraq as a kind of “last stand” situation that the residents of Dholoyia took.
Unbeknownst to me, this place took a firm stand and basically said, “No” to ISIS. ISIS
has lots of names from times past. Here, their new name doesn’t really mean that much.
It is all old and new remnants of what we called AQI, or Al-Queda in Iraq. Names change
but pretty much it’s another gathering of bad guys fighting the remaining population that
has refused to go along with what we in the west call, radicalization. This is by no means
meant to say that everyone here was, is or has been the best of friends towards the west.
In fact, exactly where I am at this point had been known as part of the “Sunni Triangle”
which was full on bandit country during the war years.
I spent the late afternoon and well into the evening discussing the current situation in Iraq.
I was later invited to the Iftar meal (during Ramadan, fasting during daylight hours is the
custom with the sunset bringing the time to break the fast, which is called the Iftar meal)
for the next evening. I readily accepted. Getting to know these two military men of Iraq
is quite an education for me. I am constantly impressed with the levels of education
among the folks that I am meandering about. All are wise beyond their years and have
much insight into how things in the world, especially Iraq, really operate. It makes me
wonder again why Paul Bremmer made it his personal agenda to rid Iraq of these leaders
after the invasion of Iraq.
Later this evening, we returned to my hosts home and I began to download and upload my
work from the day and write what I could. The night was now late. Sleep and time
changes and heat and all the information gathered began taking a toll on my body.
Eventually, sleep came as I stretched out on my accommodation and treasured my pillow.
I was exhausted. It was very late. The sun would be up soon. I was here doing what I
had come to do. All was well. I was safe, I was not hungry, I had plenty of good water
and my host is the best thing that could have happened to me in Iraq. I was in perfect
hands. All my prayers had been answered.
End of #3.
days here in Iraq so far and that’s not to mention the two days of travelling just to get here
and the week it took to get ready to come. Needless to say, it’s been quite a drain on my
body that is now 59 and holding. Recently, I hurt my shoulder a few months ago and I
know it’s a torn rotator cuff. The pain is excruciating and it has caused me to be on guard
doing simple things. Throwing a baseball or reaching behind my back is out of the
question. I know it needs surgery but I had to wait until this journey is over. I knew the
recovery time would be too long. Most say six months or so. Today, the shoulder is
hurting. But, I’ll get over it.
On the evening of the 8th of July, I was taken to meet two very important men.
Their names are General Abid and General Abdullah. They are brothers and live next to
each other with their
families. These two
men are about my age.
They are military men
and also extremely
intelligent. They also
are excellent hosts and
treated me with
incredible dignity. In
the past two days I have
come to know them and
their stories. It is
exactly what I thought
might be here and the
dialog I have struck up
with them is the best
conversation concerning
situations all over this
country that anyone
could be privy to. The
one thing about being near
the age of 60, all over the world is the fact that one gets a little respect just because one
has managed to stay alive on the planet. From time to time back home, it is difficult to
convince people of some things if you’re not wearing a suit and tie. I like being here and
having people treat me with respect just for having made the journey to come and see and
listen. It is something that always stokes my interest in what people have to say.
Someone told me once that if you want people to listen to you, learn to listen yourself.
I’ve done a lot of listening lately and from time to time it pays off. This current
experience is one of
those times.
On this evening I would
learn from these two
Generals the recent
history of the battle for
Dholoyia. What I heard
was the story of what
happened beginning last
June, 2014, and lasting
until December 31,
2014. That is a span of
nearly 7-months. During
this time in Iraq, we at
home heard that this
group we now call ISIS
had taken over a fair bit
of territory in Iraq, most
notably in Ninevah
province, Mosul. Mosul is in the north of the country. It was one of the most important
cities in Iraq and suddenly it was now under ISIS control. The speed and intensity of this
takeover of Mosul caught everyone’s attention. Shortly after this event here in Iraq, a
move was made to come south. I do not recall hearing about this all that much but some
things were known to me. I knew Tikirit was in the scope of ISIS but below, or south of
that, I was unaware of what was going on. Turns out, what was going on was the push
south was going to an area that I was a bit familiar with. The area near Balad, specifically
Dholoyia, which is an agricultural area on the Tigris River. There is a lot of farming in
the area. It is all the “Fertile Crescent” as we learned in grade school.
The two Generals, Abid and Abdullah began to educate me on what has come to be known
in Iraq as a kind of “last stand” situation that the residents of Dholoyia took.
Unbeknownst to me, this place took a firm stand and basically said, “No” to ISIS. ISIS
has lots of names from times past. Here, their new name doesn’t really mean that much.
It is all old and new remnants of what we called AQI, or Al-Queda in Iraq. Names change
but pretty much it’s another gathering of bad guys fighting the remaining population that
has refused to go along with what we in the west call, radicalization. This is by no means
meant to say that everyone here was, is or has been the best of friends towards the west.
In fact, exactly where I am at this point had been known as part of the “Sunni Triangle”
which was full on bandit country during the war years.
I spent the late afternoon and well into the evening discussing the current situation in Iraq.
I was later invited to the Iftar meal (during Ramadan, fasting during daylight hours is the
custom with the sunset bringing the time to break the fast, which is called the Iftar meal)
for the next evening. I readily accepted. Getting to know these two military men of Iraq
is quite an education for me. I am constantly impressed with the levels of education
among the folks that I am meandering about. All are wise beyond their years and have
much insight into how things in the world, especially Iraq, really operate. It makes me
wonder again why Paul Bremmer made it his personal agenda to rid Iraq of these leaders
after the invasion of Iraq.
Later this evening, we returned to my hosts home and I began to download and upload my
work from the day and write what I could. The night was now late. Sleep and time
changes and heat and all the information gathered began taking a toll on my body.
Eventually, sleep came as I stretched out on my accommodation and treasured my pillow.
I was exhausted. It was very late. The sun would be up soon. I was here doing what I
had come to do. All was well. I was safe, I was not hungry, I had plenty of good water
and my host is the best thing that could have happened to me in Iraq. I was in perfect
hands. All my prayers had been answered.
End of #3.
Fruit stand in Dholoyia
Grocery shopping in Dholoyia
Another market place business in Dholoyia
General Abdulla (L) and my host, Haithem (R)
The Last Lap #3
Gen. Abid (L) Spiri (C) Gen. Abdullah (R)
Unique street scene in Dholoyia
Daily Life
The Generals back yard on the Tigris
Recreation and fishing on the Tigris
The children at the home of the General
Summer on the Tigris in Dholoyia
