Who Will Protect the Occupied?

On June 24, 2005, Yasser Salihee—a 30 year old Iraqi doctor who had who also worked as a translator and a journalist—was shot and killed at a U.S. checkpoint. He had been running an errand before going swimming with his wife and daughter. Salihee had been killed by Sgt. Joe Romero, a 33 year old ex-Army Ranger and sniper who had re-joined the military via the Louisiana National Guard after September 11th. He was widely considered a soldier’s soldier; dedicated and excellent at his job.

This story is about what happened when their paths crossed on a Baghdad street and the aftermath of their chance encounter. In part it is unclear exactly what happened; accounts differ dramatically between what Romero and his comrades-at-arms say and what the Iraqis who had been present say. This story isn’t really about the difficulties of sorting out what happens in the fog of war, although it is in part about that. It is about the horrific situation of the occupier and occupied; where someone is going to get a haircut and winds up dead, killed by a man who may otherwise have been his friend. It is about having seconds to decide whether to shoot at an oncoming car and about the temptations to take part in revenge killings. It is about how recollections may change after the fact. Its also about the whole range of reactions of friends, family, and superiors–some understandable, some less so, some uplifting, and others disconcerting. It is a story about what happens all too often in Iraq.

Towards the end of the report, the Army investigator assigned to the case says:

“Now we can go back and we could hash it out from now until the end of time. It’s not going to change that this guy is dead,” Vige said. “If he would have maintained full situational awareness, he would still be alive.”

“That’s part of the bad part of war,” Vige added. “Innocent people — children, women, fathers, mothers, daughters — are going to die. That’s what war is all about. Can’t change it.”

Full situational awareness. That phrase tells the whole story. It’s a great piece of military speak but when was the last time you had full situational awareness on your way to get a haircut? U.S. soldiers are rotated out of “the field” because it is so hard to stay alert, with “full situational awareness” for months on end. That relieves the occupiers. What can we do to help the occupied?

(By the way, I recommend that if you have a chance you listen to the audio version. Besides having the actual people tell their story, it also includes longer quotes in some parts.)