In 2003, The International Committee of The Red Cross (ICRC) claims to be natural and impartial in handling detainee facilities. They provide humanitarian assistance and preserve the rights of the incarcerated by armed conflict. They consult with detainees privately and provide confidential discussions about the facility’s human rights violations with the command. I was hoping for them to speak with the higher command, who I anticipated would have the power to correct some findings through civilian contractors in the area. Repairing the flooded slit trenches due to the shallow water table in Bagdad would increase the welfare and morale of detainees. I expect the ICRC to surely notice the open sewage in the trenches at a detainee facility while privately speaking with prisoners to improve humanitarian conditions. The situation seemed ignored and remained broken. Many came from on high to see the notorious facility. It appeared to the soldiers that their visit was a mere dog and pony show not geared toward solving humanitarian problems. The military does not fund any corrective conditions for the detainees. Iraq had many contractors remodeling the city jails in Bagdad. Perhaps this was a source to correct all the welfare conditions. Legally, the command also reported they could not fund critical religious supplies to my detainees. The ICRC told me that if I did not supply religious supplies and provide religious rights, this could cause an international incident.
The ICRC personnel who targeted me were three women in a frantic mood, constantly hounded for not supplying the detainees’ religious supplies. They were most concerned about an international incident. I am surprised that the ICRC did not consider this a livelihood project. They knew it was unlawful for the Army to pay for these items. No one thought I could provide 6000 Qurans, prayer rugs, beads, and stones for each detainee under my care for Religious Freedom and provide them to other chaplains in the same boat. Serval senior Diplomats came to ask me If I was taking care of the rights of the detainees. My response to the ICRC and the diplomats was that the supplies were in process for all the detainees. I experienced no concerns as I do not believe failure is an option in combat. God always provides me a ram for my resilience to find. People fail because they quit. In some places in Bagdad, there is a solution.
I met with my commander every evening to discuss operations and troop morale. I reported to him that I was still seeking a solution for the religious supplies for the detainees. I also told him I had explained to the Secretary of Defense, NATO diplomats, and the ICRC that religious supplies would be available. I informed him that the solution to the problem currently needs to be discovered. He advised me to partner with the general for possible host nation support. The general suggested pounding on every door at Bagdad’s Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance (ORHA). By resilience, I located the ram God proved. Abraham also found a ram to sacrifice instead of his only son, positioned to inherit God’s promises. Abraham called the place, “Yahweh will provide.
