Filed from Mosul, this story originally ran in the Dec. 14, 2005, issue of the News-Miner.
With parliamentary elections looming Thursday and insurgent attacks doubling this week, Iraqi and U.S. troops in Mosul, Iraq, are coordinating the role various security forces will take to keep voters safe at the polls.
Col. Michael Shields, commander of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, attended a weekly meeting of local and regional Iraqi security forces Tuesday at the Joint Coordination Center in this northern Tigris River town. The meeting drew several officials, including the general of the provincial police, Mosul police, Iraqi Army officials and the governor of the Nineveh province.
There are 290 polling sites in the province with 149 in Mosul. U.S. forces, including the brigade stationed mostly around Mosul, are taking mostly a transparent role in security efforts, according to the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq. Iraqi police and soldiers are responsible for the primary security in and around polling areas.
Shields spoke easily among the local leaders through his interpreter before the start of the meeting.
He commended members of the group for appearing in local television commercials encouraging citizens to vote and abide by the security procedures put in place through most of the week. Shields also filmed a similar TV spot that morning to air locally.
The group of moustached leaders sipped traditional hot, sweet tea, while most smoked cigarettes.
While crossing a courtyard a short time later, Shields pointed out the contingency of security on hand to protect several of the leaders, especially the governor.
“He’s a very brave man,” Shields said. “He’s lost family members to terrorists. That group you just saw are incredible patriots.”
Later during the security meeting, elections officials said the distribution of ballots to polling places was taking place as scheduled. Members of the Iraqi Army outlined how attacks throughout the city had almost doubled in the week leading up to the election. Shields emphasized the importance of all security forces being especially alert for suicide bombers during the election.
Much of the security around polling places was already in place Tuesday.
Shields toured polling places in Mosul neighborhoods to talk with Iraqi forces about how preparations were continuing at each location.
While actively encouraging participation and lending assistance and expertise with security, Shields and the brigade were also staying at arm’s length. When approached with specific questions regarding election ballots or procedures, Shields yielded to Iraqi officials.
“This is an Iraqi vote,” he said. “There needs to be Iraqi solutions.”