Well, I am "CHU." I can't say I am home because that's obviously not the case - so we in the Benson clan have taken to referring to my current status of being in Baghdad as being CHU.
I apologize to both of my faithful readers that I slacked off my posts during R&R, but anyone who knows me really couldn't expect anything better than one post anyway. My way of blaming you, dear reader, for unrealistic expectations, as opposed to blaming myself for being lazy.
I had a great R&R with Sandy, Cooper and Koa (as well as the Portillos, Jacksons, and numerous others who met me for beers and breakfast - not at the same time). It was very strange to return to a son who is approaching his mother in height and, but despite my recommendation to Sandy to quit feeding him to stop this process (which will just cost us more in groceries), growing.
Coop and I on a collision course
Sandy will sacrifice all esteem to protect her back
We had an exceptional week in Breckenridge and the Lord blessed us with great snows and blue skies in exactly the chronological order needed throughout the week. We attained 'epic' status on three of the five days I snowboarded - if not all day at least for three or four hours of riding. Sandy and I were able to attend to some of the 'honey, do' list, even if not every chore was accomplished. The whole leave was so awesome, it made going CHU all the more painful.
Travel back to Iraq was as easy as military travel can go. I didn't see a shower or a bed for 48 hours, but I moved through each travel node very quickly. Here it is two days after getting back to the Embassy Compound and most of the jet lag affects seem to be over (ask me tomorrow if that's true). For the last two days, the 4:30 am "call to prayer" (which I must admit, does cause me to pray - in a way unintended by the clerics) was the alarm clock starting my day. For the record, when you are fighting to stay asleep against an unhappy body clock, having an amplified megaphone with loud, unintelligible droning pointed at your aluminum box shelter does not induce REM. I have finally developed an appropriate model for the "call to prayer" - Andre the Giant, as Fezzik in the move Princess Bride, with a megaphone singing the Iliad in whatever was his native tongue; loud, nasally and absolutely incomprehensible.
Today is the first day in the 'new era' of democratic Iraq. This election represents the first, real, national election with little to no US involvement. To me, it is the indicator of whether our efforts here will be viewed as successful as this mission ends. The ability for Iraqis to choose their national government, as they see fit - with influence by their clerics, sects and tribes - but in an individual and representative manner is the key to a free and Islamic democracy. It may not look like western or US democracy but that's acceptable as long as Iraqis are free to choose their representatives and those representatives must answer to their constituents in the process. Add free flowing oil and the associated revenues, and I think we will have the stable, secure and sovereign democratic partner in the Middle East that we sought in this endeavor. So far, so good - the polls closed with limited but deadly attacks. It appears the Iraqis went to the polling sites despite harrassing attacks.
I was amazed by the lack of Iraqi media coverage available in the major US media outlets. Although the links below can't be accepted as highly accurate, they are better than nothing:
Al Jazeera (English) - Al Jazeera - Iraqi Election Coverage
Associated Press - AP Iraqi Election Coverage
Grace & peace -
Chris
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