Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Iraqi Deserter Tells of Desperation
AP | 3/31/03 | BRIAN MURPHY

Posted on 03/31/2003 11:49:06 AM PST by kattracks

Iraqi Deserter Tells of Desperation

By BRIAN MURPHY .c The Associated Press

KALAK, Iraq (AP) - The soldier covered his face and wept.

It was a deep, sudden sobbing he couldn't control. His shoulders heaved. Tears wet the frayed cuffs of his green Iraqi army sweater.

He cried because he was alive. He cried because his family may think he's dead. He cried for his country. He cried because - for him - the war was over.

``I'm so sorry. Excuse me. I just can't stop,'' wept the soldier who fled Saddam Hussein's army and was taken Monday into the hands of U.S.-allied Iraqi Kurdish fighters. ``Could this terrible time be over soon? Please, tell me.''

The soldier - part of a front-line unit - was among at least 18 Iraqi deserters who staggered into the Kurdish town of Kalak as U.S. warplanes stepped up airstrikes on Iraqi positions near the Kurds' autonomous region. He agreed to share his story, but with conditions: no details about him or his military service could be revealed. Call him Ali.

He feared Saddam loyalists could retaliate against his family. They may have already, he said.

``The army knows I ran away. They could come and take revenge,'' he said in the central police barracks in Kalak, about 20 miles northwest of the Kurdish administrative center Irbil. ``My only hope is that I'm not alone. There are so many deserters and those who want to run. They cannot attack all these families with a war going on.''

War for this foot soldier was one of desperation. ``We only prayed we'd stay alive long enough to get a chance to escape,'' Ali said through an interpreter.

His unit - about 30 men - slept in muddy burrows on a hillside, he said. Breakfast was tea and crusty bread. At midday: rice and a single cucumber to share between two soldiers. There was no dinner.

His commanders described the war as an American grab for Iraqi oil. He couldn't contradict them - there were no radios or chances to call home. Occasionally they would receive copies of the Iraqi military newspaper. One issue featured a poem with the lines: ``The enemy will tire, and Saddam will remain.''

``We knew nothing. We were told only that America was trying to take over Iraq,'' Ali said. ``But we are not so stupid. We know how Saddam rules the country. We know in our hearts we'd be better off without him.''

Ali was drafted just after the 1991 Gulf War. He remained in the military because his family depended on the small military pay. Anyway, there were few choices for ex-soldiers whose formal education ended in the fourth grade. There were no jobs at home. Ali claimed he would never seek the favors of Saddam's ruling Baath party.

``I don't see Saddam as a hero anymore,'' Ali said.

U.S. bombs killed at least five members of his unit. About the same number were wounded, he said. ``There is no medical help,'' he added. ``They are left to die.''

``The spirit of the soldiers is very low,'' he said. ``We were not really mad at the Americans. We just want to save our lives.''

He and four other soldiers decided to run. But they had to pick their moment. Their unit and most others include Baathist agents given orders to execute any deserters, he said.

``But we decided it was either die from an American bomb or be killed by our own people,'' he said. ``It was better to run and take our chances.''

On Wednesday evening, in a torrential rainstorm, they made their break. They raced over the treeless pastures into Kurdish territory. The next morning, they asked a goat herder to direct them to Kalak. Then they panicked.

``We thought he would hand us over to the Iraqi army for some reward,'' Ali said.

They arrived at the edge of Kalak on Friday. They could see the Iraqi positions on the ridge just across the Great Zab River, running high and dirt brown after the downpours. And they waited.

They worried Kurdish militiamen would open fire if they simply walked into town. Until dawn Monday, they survived on wild greens and weighed their choices. They finally decided to fashion a surrender flag from an undershirt.

A half hour later, they were gulping hot tea and smoking cigarettes. Kurdish officials hunted for new clothes. Ali still wore what passed for a uniform: green camouflage pants, boots, a military sweater, a wool turban and a ragged nylon jacket dotted with cigarette burns.

Kurdish authorities decline to say precisely how many Iraqi military deserters have crossed over. Modest estimates range from several hundred to nearly 500. But they clearly expect more. Kurds plan a camp for at least 6,000 deserters and possible Iraqi POWs.

Massoud Barzani, leader of the Kurdish Democratic Party whose territory includes Kalak, said ``no comment'' when asked if U.S. officials in the Kurdish zone would question deserters.

``I can say now what I always felt: Saddam led to this war,'' Ali said. ``We don't want to fight America. We don't want to fight for Saddam. We just want an end to all this.''

A top Kurdish official, Hoshiar Zebari, predicted a collision course for two powerful forces in Iraq: the ordinary troops and the defenders of the regime.

``It's highly possible there could be confrontations between the regular army and the paramilitary who are terrorizing the people,'' Zebari told reporters.

Ali agreed. No one dares to speak out against Saddam while Baath party forces still have footholds, he said.

``The people know that any uprising against Saddam now would mean terrible things to them and their family. They force them to chant `Down with America,' but not everyone means it. Saddam's people are afraid for the future.''

That's when he started to cry. Moments later came the thud of a U.S. bomb hitting the ridge just across the river.

03/31/03 14:46 EST


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: atrocities; iraqideserters; iraqifreedom; uprising; warlist; whywefight
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081 next last
To: kattracks
The United States of America --- the greatest force for freedom in the history of the planet.
21 posted on 03/31/2003 12:28:51 PM PST by doug from upland (Protestors file Chapter 7 -- they are morally bankrupt)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: biblewonk
Liberals know the trust yet dont like it...they foten say "Communism failed because they didnt have the right leadership". That kind of thinking is what is dangerous.
22 posted on 03/31/2003 12:29:37 PM PST by smith288 (Visit my gallery http://www.ejsmithweb.com/fr/hollywood/hollywood.php)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: kattracks
The uncontrolled sobbing is indicative of the depth of buried emotion being released. When this is all over, I imagine people in Iraq will be sobbing for years when they have time to think back to the horrors of living under Saddam's regime.
23 posted on 03/31/2003 12:31:32 PM PST by oldcomputerguy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MeeknMing; dansangel; sweetliberty
FYI ping
24 posted on 03/31/2003 12:32:02 PM PST by nicmarlo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mommadooo3
"And I'm SURE they WON'T know how to handle the 'complexities of democracy/capitalism'."

On what basis do you say this. Do you know any Iraqis? Have you ever spoken with them?
25 posted on 03/31/2003 12:32:16 PM PST by Cap Huff
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: biblewonk
What's wrong with the liberals in this country?

What's dumber than a dumb Iraqi?

A smartass American liberal.

26 posted on 03/31/2003 12:33:19 PM PST by CROSSHIGHWAYMAN
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: AFreeBird
humor, dude...humor.

lighten up

27 posted on 03/31/2003 12:34:12 PM PST by peeve23
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: green team 1999
history will show president bush was right,and the war was the right thing to do.

You'd think that this would be so obvious by now. I thought it was clear in 91.

28 posted on 03/31/2003 12:36:42 PM PST by WRhine
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: kattracks
``I can say now what I always felt: Saddam led to this war,'' Ali said. ``We don't want to fight America. We don't want to fight for Saddam. We just want an end to all this.''

Ali is not alone. Why can't the peaceniks understand this?

29 posted on 03/31/2003 12:37:07 PM PST by Aquinasfan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: biblewonk
Most of them don't believe half of what they say, either.

30 posted on 03/31/2003 12:42:15 PM PST by SarahW
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: kattracks
``The people know that any uprising against Saddam now would mean terrible things to them and their family. They force them to chant `Down with America,' but not everyone means it. Saddam's people are afraid for the future.''

Hear that, naysayers? Those who question why the Iraqi people are not greeting us as liberators are blind men. Willfully or otherwise...

31 posted on 03/31/2003 12:42:20 PM PST by ez (America is great because America is good.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mommadooo3
I'm SURE the Iraqis DON'T have the same dreams and aspirations as an American does. Under sodom insane, did they even KNOW how to hold to dreams and aspirations??? Or DARE to dream?

Yes, but SaggyBoobs thinks Iraquis (and other little brown people in 3rd world countries) are actually incapableof appreciating Democracy, freedom, and capitalism. Which is why she so harshly criticizes the U.S. for the "extreme fundamentatlism" the U.S. is supposedly guilty of forcing on Iraq.

@sshole leftists like Susan Sarandon are the real racists.......

32 posted on 03/31/2003 12:43:17 PM PST by RooRoobird14
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: peeve23
do you just hate it when you add a little brevity and people take your light hearted comment so damn serious?

TO the guy that's razzing you: NO KIDDING it's not baseball. Jeesh.....

33 posted on 03/31/2003 12:44:04 PM PST by Hammerhead
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

Comment #34 Removed by Moderator

To: smith288
Liberals know the trust yet dont like it...they foten say "Communism failed because they didnt have the right leadership". That kind of thinking is what is dangerous.

I would blame my drinking problem with that butchered english but I dont drink...haha

In English---
Liberals know the truth yet dont like it...they often say "Communism failed because they didnt have the right leadership". That kind of thinking is what is dangerous. There...

35 posted on 03/31/2003 12:45:44 PM PST by smith288 (Visit my gallery http://www.ejsmithweb.com/fr/hollywood/hollywood.php)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: Hammerhead
LOL. That's what I was thinking. "no kidding..it's not baseball."

now we'll get a lecture about this being serious business, yada, yada, yada.
36 posted on 03/31/2003 12:47:30 PM PST by peeve23
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: kattracks; All
Other messages seem to think this guy was bombed - but in the last few sentences, Ali says his group sees Iraqi across the river. The bombs fell across the river. I'm guessing Ali is okay ...??
37 posted on 03/31/2003 12:48:15 PM PST by CyberAnt
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RooRoobird14
Susan's an idiot. Political democracy requires economic democracy. Communism and socialism aren't economic democracy. They don't treasure the unique gifts people have and they don't allow for those gifts to be developed. MS Windows never would have come from the USSR.
38 posted on 03/31/2003 12:49:20 PM PST by GraniteStateConservative (Putting government in charge of morality is like putting pedophiles in charge of children.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: kattracks
``But we decided it was either die from an American bomb or be killed by our own people,'' he said. ``It was better to run and take our chances.''

The ultimate decision each innocent Iraqi is currently pondering.

39 posted on 03/31/2003 12:51:02 PM PST by paltz
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: skull stomper
The Iraqi people have been his main victims.
Whose heart is unmoved by their treatment?
What human heart can deny them liberty and peace?

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that ALL MEN are created equal, with certain inalienable rights..."

40 posted on 03/31/2003 12:51:02 PM PST by ez (America is great because America is good.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson