When we passed over the Berm into a foreign world crushed by war, I could see a land turned into rubbish. The desert, scattered with debris from the horrors of war, was breathtaking. The T-72 tanks destroyed South of Bagdad belonged to the Republican Guard, who defended Bagdad as a final effort to protect the Baath regime. The gunners of the tanks had poor marksmanship due to insufficient night vision capability, a critical asset for war. They were unprepared for the massive attack from coalition forces with superior equipment and training. As we traveled to Bagdad, one could quickly see the destruction of tanks with bent torrents in the desert. Even the shell of a burnout bus echoed the impact of combat. The untrained Iraqis were not ready to fight the coalition forces. The trip to Bagdad revealed a desert of helpless of Iraqi equipment without the capability to defend their territory. In Bagdad, the Americans destroyed the tanks quickly. The Iraqi equipment appeared ancient and useless compared to modern warfare. The coalition cleared the Airport roads scattered with small explosive devices to receive troops to live and occupy the area. This area was the home of many coalition forces living in tents in this desert land. As we traveled North to Bagdad, the lives of the remaining Bedouin people rooming in the desert warmed my heart with joy and fascination.
These nomads, after the war in Iraq, lined the road with their children, waving American flags in support of the collation forces. As we continued traveling, we enjoyed watching the Bedouins herding their lines of camels, sheep, and goats near the road, showing off their way of life. Some women stood on the road’s edge, waving at our convoy with huge smiles. They were people who enjoyed singing, festivals, and dancing. They are known to play instruments, memorize poetry, and even learn about different tribes of Bedouins. They taught others about tents knitted out of wool to build, in Arabic, a “house of hair.” These nomads provide a glimpse of Abraham’s way of life in the desert. Some of the nomads enjoyed a Christian life. The tribes lived with an honor code and praised God for the gift of camels as their food source and for the many uses of these incredible animals. Under the Iraq regime, Saddam overpowered them with documents and papers to manage their lives. They avoided and had no interest in his region. Hussain restricted their movement across the desert to visit relatives. They drafted their teenage boys into a broken world without honor. Any deserters executed depicted a dictator who could care less about the beautiful cultures and ecosystems in Iraq. Saddam was the saddest evil person who annihilated those who did not bow to his ungodly way of life. What made conditions worse for the Bedouins was that Saddam blocked the water supplies, heading South to resistant forces. This action was destructive to these great nomads who depended on the water source for their lives. No wonder they jumped for joy, saluting our convoy with American flags. We gave them the hope of mingling with other tribes and now returning to their way of life in peace. Our convoy finally reached Tallil, the home of Abraham, to spend the night.
