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In Najaf, troops meet unexpected support
Some locals want U.S. to stay longer than after '91 war
CHANTAL ESCOTO GANNETT NEWS SERVICE NAJAF, Iraq -- The cheers, waves and clapping of hands of the local people filled the main strip of this city Wednesday as about 100 heavily armed soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division marched through.
The march and military convoy by Company A, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment was meant to show the presence of Americans and their firepower to armed dissidents, and to give the local people hope that President Saddam Hussein's power is nearly gone.
The soldiers said they half-expected attacks from Iraqi fighters as they moved through the town, but what they received were warm welcomes, lots of smiles, and pleas that they stay for a long time.
"In the morning before we left, everybody was pretty hyped up and (expected) that we'd come into contact" with militiamen, said Sgt. Thomas Stegemann, 25, of DeSoto, Mo. "After a couple blocks, the (soldiers') level of alertness kind of slid down. People that we'd pass on the road were clapping and giving us thumbs up. It started getting hot, but when I saw a little kid clapping and an old man saying, 'Good job,' it kept me motivated."
Tiresome trip
Spc. Joshua Leath, 22, said the warm weather, combined with all his gear's weight, made for a tiresome trip but one that was worth the walk.
"It was stop-and-go, which made it a lot slower," said Leath, of Anaheim, Calif. "The reaction of the people made it look like we did liberate the city. I didn't expect it. I was looking for a firefight."
Najaf has more than 500,000 inhabitants. It is a holy city to Shiite Muslims, and one of its most prominent landmarks is the domed mosque where Imam Ali, the son-in-law of the prophet Mohammed, is buried.
First Battalion's interpreter, Ahmed Alshammari, 28, of Kuwait, said Iraqi people he met along the way through the city said they were happy the U.S. military is here, because their arrival means Saddam will soon be gone.
But they are also concerned that the Americans will come for only a short while and then leave -- as they did after the Persian Gulf War in 1991 -- letting Saddam's militia once again take hold in their city.
"When they saw U.S. troops, they had no more fear and felt confident to fight the militia," Alshammari said.
The people also told him they have little or no food and water, and some are without electricity and need humanitarian aid. "They want the Americans to stay and help them," he said.
The three-mile northbound trek through town went slowly because the soldiers had to secure areas and root out Fedayeen fighters before passing through.
The American convoy was laced with vehicles toting big guns, such as .50-caliber machine guns and anti-tank weapons. Those commanded long looks, with some signs of welcome, from the crowd.
American Kiowa gunship helicopters also circled the convoy, as an eye in the sky for added protection.
Along the way, an Iraqi weapons cache was found in a warehouse and destroyed at the city's stadium by the 326th Engineer Battalion, another Fort Campbell unit that is attached to the 101st.
The soldiers' hike ended at a textile factory in the northern part of the city that was nearly destroyed by U.S. bombs Saturday and had been used by Saddam's Baath Party.
First Battalion commander Lt. Col. Marcus DeOliveira said he wouldn't necessarily call the trek a "liberation" march, but it certainly sent a positive message to the people.
Some locals want U.S. to stay longer than after '91 war
CHANTAL ESCOTO GANNETT NEWS SERVICE NAJAF, Iraq -- The cheers, waves and clapping of hands of the local people filled the main strip of this city Wednesday as about 100 heavily armed soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division marched through.
The march and military convoy by Company A, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment was meant to show the presence of Americans and their firepower to armed dissidents, and to give the local people hope that President Saddam Hussein's power is nearly gone.
The soldiers said they half-expected attacks from Iraqi fighters as they moved through the town, but what they received were warm welcomes, lots of smiles, and pleas that they stay for a long time.
"In the morning before we left, everybody was pretty hyped up and (expected) that we'd come into contact" with militiamen, said Sgt. Thomas Stegemann, 25, of DeSoto, Mo. "After a couple blocks, the (soldiers') level of alertness kind of slid down. People that we'd pass on the road were clapping and giving us thumbs up. It started getting hot, but when I saw a little kid clapping and an old man saying, 'Good job,' it kept me motivated."
Tiresome trip
Spc. Joshua Leath, 22, said the warm weather, combined with all his gear's weight, made for a tiresome trip but one that was worth the walk.
"It was stop-and-go, which made it a lot slower," said Leath, of Anaheim, Calif. "The reaction of the people made it look like we did liberate the city. I didn't expect it. I was looking for a firefight."
Najaf has more than 500,000 inhabitants. It is a holy city to Shiite Muslims, and one of its most prominent landmarks is the domed mosque where Imam Ali, the son-in-law of the prophet Mohammed, is buried.
First Battalion's interpreter, Ahmed Alshammari, 28, of Kuwait, said Iraqi people he met along the way through the city said they were happy the U.S. military is here, because their arrival means Saddam will soon be gone.
But they are also concerned that the Americans will come for only a short while and then leave -- as they did after the Persian Gulf War in 1991 -- letting Saddam's militia once again take hold in their city.
"When they saw U.S. troops, they had no more fear and felt confident to fight the militia," Alshammari said.
The people also told him they have little or no food and water, and some are without electricity and need humanitarian aid. "They want the Americans to stay and help them," he said.
The three-mile northbound trek through town went slowly because the soldiers had to secure areas and root out Fedayeen fighters before passing through.
The American convoy was laced with vehicles toting big guns, such as .50-caliber machine guns and anti-tank weapons. Those commanded long looks, with some signs of welcome, from the crowd.
American Kiowa gunship helicopters also circled the convoy, as an eye in the sky for added protection.
Along the way, an Iraqi weapons cache was found in a warehouse and destroyed at the city's stadium by the 326th Engineer Battalion, another Fort Campbell unit that is attached to the 101st.
The soldiers' hike ended at a textile factory in the northern part of the city that was nearly destroyed by U.S. bombs Saturday and had been used by Saddam's Baath Party.
First Battalion commander Lt. Col. Marcus DeOliveira said he wouldn't necessarily call the trek a "liberation" march, but it certainly sent a positive message to the people.
