Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

BAGHDAD, Iraq (Army News Service, July 8, 2003) -- With help from the 1st Armored Division and the 422nd Civil Affairs Battalion, a small group of Kurdish representatives from the Rusfa District in Baghdad selected 61-year-old Khaled Al Faily to the Baghdad Advisory Council at the Humanitarian Assistance Center.

With his dark-tinted sunglasses and modest clothing, Al Faily was congratulated by nearby friends after Col. Peter Mansoor, 43, 1st Armored Division's 1st Brigade commander, announced the winner between four candidates.

"Democracy has arrived in Baghdad," said Mansoor, who is originally from Sacramento, Calif. "Make your voice be heard. This is only the beginning and definitely not the end."

Mansoor congratulated Al Faily with a handshake and hopefully a new friendship between his soldiers and the people of the Rusfa District.

With a permanent smile etched into his cheeks, Al Faily said his biggest concern for a post-Saddam Baghdad is fixing the numerous problems created by the former dictator.

"I want to help all of my people who live in Rusfa," said the office accountant. "I want to fix the biggest problem which is the lack of security in the area."

The Rusfa District is Baghdad's most diverse district of living conditions and wages between its people, according to Capt. William Thompson, 35, a native of Asheboro, N.C., and a reserve civil affairs officer.

Thompson said the Rusfa District has more than 450,000 people living in a small area in the heart of the city.

"It's probably one of the most interesting districts," he said. "We have both the medical and bank districts, but at the same time we have some very significantly poor residents who are starving to death."

The Rusfa District in one of nine districts within Baghdad's city limits. It is also one of the largest districts and is broken down into 13 neighborhoods councils, according to Maj. Will Delgado, 35, from Middletown, N.J., executive officer of the 1st Battalion, 36th Armored Regiment, 1st Armored Division.

Delgado's battalion is responsible for the Rusfa District. He said the district is comprised of more than one third Kurdish residents, and because Iraq's new democratic government is the voice of all the people, Delgado and his comrades felt the Kurdish people needed a voice in the Baghdad Advisory Council.

"People who are here as representatives were asked to come today and select a Kurdish voice," he said. "We have doctors, lawyers and middle-income residents picking their representative in a new Iraq."

Although not officially an election and comparable to a small club electing its officers, the selection process had more snafus and scandals than Florida's presidential election problem.

After completing the first ballot of more than 10 candidates, and announcing the top four names for one final vote, loosing candidates turned sour and announced several of the four victors did not live within the district.

According to Thompson, to be on the ballot as a candidate and to have the right to vote, Kurdish residents must have a house in the Rusfa District.

"It's just like back home," Thompson said noticing people disappointed as they were leaving. "People knew the rules before coming here, yet they still tried. It's amazing how, no matter where you live, people are the same."

After determining if candidates were qualified to represent the district, the ballot shrank to four candidates and the gathering of Kurdish voters of more than 40 dwindled to 24 verified Rusfa residents.

"I hope everyone who doesn't live in my district will participate in their district's election process," Mansoor said to the disappointed candidates and onlookers who were asked not to vote. "It is very important everyone in Iraq take part in your country's new government."

In the end, soldiers of Mansoor's "Ready First" brigade and the 422nd Civil Affairs Bn., accomplished what they wanted - the start of a new democratic Iraq for the Rusfa District and Baghdad.

"There will be other elections in this city - I guarantee it," Mansoor said in confidence. "The 'Ready First' brigade is here standing by you, the citizens, in your time of need. We wish you the best of luck in your government."

With a laundry list of problems for the Baghdad Advisory Council to address, Al Faily is ready for the new chapter in Baghdad's history books.

"There are so many problems in the city, but we can rest now because we finally have our freedom which no one is going to take away from us," Al Faily said.

(Editors Note: Sgt. Mark Bell is with the 372nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.)