As violence recedes in Iraq, rebuilding gets tough

BAGHDAD -- Violence in Iraq is at its lowest level in four years, but ask Capt. Mike Forbes, and he will tell you his job as a troop commander in Baghdad has gotten harder, not easier.

He spends less time worrying about roadside bombs and battling armed extremists than on his previous two tours to Iraq, and he and his soldiers are happy about that.

But now they are digging into less violent, albeit more complex problems that still hamper Baghdad's western Mansour district: Working closely with local Iraqi officials to fix sewer systems and electricity and keeping corruption down in hopes of making the calm last.

"A quiet environment doesn't necessarily mean a less challenging one. It just gets more complicated," said a boyish but weary looking Forbes on Thursday, standing inside the small patrol base in Mansour that houses 30 members of B Troop, 4th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment.

For many soldiers across Iraq, the recent drop in violence has meant a renewed focus on the rebuilding role the U.S. military first took on years ago, but often had to put aside, as it battled years of severe violence.

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, this week called it the next urgent task across much of Iraq: helping the government turn recent security improvements into a longer-lasting stability by getting services to people and the economy moving.

Much of the effort is concentrated in small urban outposts like patrol base Washash in Mansour, a former Sunni insurgent stronghold, where B Troop operates. The soldiers serve as a quick-reaction force to back up local Iraqi Army soldiers and work closely with city officials to get basic services out.

For Forbes' soldiers, the task is complicated by the end of the U.S. troop surge. As American units pull out and head home, those left behind have to take on wider geographic responsibilities.

They also must, usually with just a few weeks' handover, manage the key relationships with Iraqi officials that often have led to the violence drop.

Despite the challenges, Forbes remains optimistic that he can help the Iraqis rebuild their lives in his corner of Baghdad. Working with local officials to get small projects completed is starting to pay off, he said.

"They now have solar powered street lights in Mansour," he said. "A year ago, they didn't even have street lights."

By SEBASTIAN ABBOT
The Associated Press
July 12, 2008