Freddie Fadhil's Iraq nightmare: He sees progress in light of day

StarTribune ^ | 3/22/08 | Katherine Kersten

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

Fadi Fadhil -- Freddie to his friends -- is probably marking the fifth anniversary of the Iraq war's launch with closer attention than the average Minnesotan.

Fadhil, an Iraqi citizen living in Minneapolis, served as an interpreter for U.S. forces in Baghdad, his hometown. From April 2003 to February 2005, he guided American soldiers through some of their most challenging days.

Lt. Col. Michael Baumann, commander of a battalion task force with the 5th Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Cavalry Division, with whom Fadhil worked, calls him a vital "cultural bridge." Baumann, of Lakeville, moved heaven and earth to bring Fadhil to Minneapolis in 2005, after his life was threatened.

On Tuesday, Fadhil will join forces again with Baumann, who is the Minnesota chair of Vets for Freedom, an organization of veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and who support "completing the mission" there. (www.vetsforfreedom.org) The organization's "National Heroes Tour" will roll in that day to thank and honor Minnesota soldiers, meet with news media and students, and hold a public reception at the Fort Snelling Officers Club.

Fadhil will be telling Minnesotans he meets at tour events that Baghdad is now a far safer and better-functioning city than it was when he left in 2005. "Baghdad has taken huge steps toward where Iraqis want it to be," he says.

What's more, Fadhil will emphasize that Iraq is becoming a far better place than it was before the U.S. invasion.

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

Kersten continues to shed light on the truth, even at the Star Tribune........

[lesser_satan]

ping

[SandRat]

Put that hero on the roster to speak at the National RNC.

[stevem]

Kersten continues to shed light on the truth, even at the Star Tribune........

Katherine Kersten is such a treat. It's kind of a shame, though. I rarely read her. I can no longer stomach the rest of the Strib. It's just too annoying.