By FNC Coordinating Producer John Fiegener

The ballroom inside the Sheraton hotel had not changed much since I last saw it two years ago. The temperature inside soars to a comfortable swelter as the overworked air conditioner tries to cool the several hundred bodies gathered in the room. The seventies design has been polished for the thousandth time and a new carpet is already well worn.

Today’s event: The launch of a new political party in Iraq called the Wassat or Center Path party to compete in next year’s national elections. It is the party of Muwaffaq Rubaie, a man who retains in title only a position of power as the National Security Advisor. His position was created under the CPA, Coalition Provisional Authority, back in 2004 for a period of five years. His time is coming up and the position is going away inside a government that already has a half dozen security departments and ministries, so he is doing what any Iraqi in a position to do so would do: Form a political party.

The room filled with sheikhs and other citizens of Iraq who wield varying degrees of power in their communities. It dawned on me for the first time to ask my colleague Badr what was the significance of the headdresses worn by the hundreds of sheikhs in the room.  The general rule, I was told, is that a black and white Kufiyeh (or head cover) usually signifies one is of southern Iraqi tribal origin, a red and white one is usually worn by northerners or westerners, a plain white one can be worn by Sunnis mainly from the north, and the size of the band or Agal as it is called in Iraq, can be thick and wide to reflect southern sheikh with greater influence, or thin and tight for those from northern and western tribes. But since the tribes often times spill across all regions of the country, this is not a sure bet to know where anyone is from… what he represents… and certainly not what he wants.

Politics here is just as tidy as the general rule of the Kufiyeh and Agal. The announcement of a new political party that would bring together all Iraqis on a “Center Path” was politely greeted by those gathered. There seemed to be more black and white Kufiyehs in the room, but a good deal of plain white ones as well, so maybe more interest from southern Iraqis and Sunnis?

No great details were provided by the speakers, just a promise to act on behalf of all Iraqis.

One sheikh from Nassaryah, wearing a black and white Kufiyeh with a thick Agal, said he was here to listen, after all he had received a personal invitation and to not come would be impolite and perhaps not terribly astute down the road. He seemed somewhat disappointed that speakers did not talk about providing water projects for his area, after all that is one of his main concerns.

Another Iraqi politician-businessman said he listened and would decide in time if the party had the money to joust in the upcoming elections.
In principle the idea of a center party was interesting.

One of the few women in attendance complained that she was afraid all politicians were liars and none would deliver anything good for women in Iraq. She recounted how she recently traveled to the south and could not check into a hotel because local authorities forbade unaccompanied women from checking into hotels.

What was impressive to me was that everyone in the old ballroom listened, occasionally nodded, constantly waived papers or anything else that would move the stale, hot air around, and left without anger or argument. The process of listening to what politicians have to offer has started in Iraq, and while no one doubts much jockeying is to come and many backroom deals are to be made, at least today’s event showed there is interest in the process.

Kirkuk is one of those situations that just make my viewers’ eyeballs roll back into themselves.  It’s a crisis that threatens to take this whole “Iraq as new democracy” experiment down with it into a cesspool of sectarian strife. Or it won’t make much difference at all.

First of all, it involves the Kurds. Now, explaining the Kurds in a two minute story is  not easy. No, we’re not talking about cottage cheese or whey (as in “curds and….”)   No, they’re a big sprawling ethnic group which already has its own autonomous fiefdom and wants more. Read that Kirkuk.

Then, there’s the Arabs. Sunni’s really. Who want Kirkuk too, but just to remain in Iraq.  They’re not fussy.

Then, there’s another group of Arabs. They would be Shia’s. They pretty much run Baghdad and the Iraqi Army. Who in this instance have found common ground with their usual Sunni rivals to try to beat back the Kurds.

Throw in a group called the Turkmans, with their own Turkish ties. Mix in some Christians. And… you get the picture.

Oh, and I forgot one other thing.  Oil.  Barrels and barrels of it.  Under and around Kirkuk. Iraq’s second biggest reserve. One of the biggest pools of oil in the world. No wonder everybody is interested.

Now that things have died down in many parts of Iraq, the stuff that was only potentially dangerous rather than out and out dangerous is getting more attention. Like Kirkuk.

**Photo credit: Marcia Biggs

We were told by many US military officials that this is the flash point to watch.   Vice President Biden went there in January. Commanding US General Odierno went there when we were there. And the US military has quadrupled its presence there in the last few months.

Except there’s not too much to do there except play interlocutor to the various groups, watch the various factions and armies (the Kurds’ militia, the Peshmerga and the Iraqi Army) move around the region, and just hold your breath hoping no one lights a match near this political tinderbox.

We were told that outsiders are the ones who want to stir this up and the folks in Kirkuk are just happy to live together.

We asked people on the street if they could live together, and they said yes. Then we asked them how they’ d like to live together, and everybody had a different idea about what state Kirkuk should belong to.

Oh, there’s one more hitch to this. The Kurds really like America. We actually left them in the lurch after Gulf War 1, when we encouraged them to rebel against Saddam Hussein.  They did. And then we looked the other way. But after that, we gave them air cover and aid and protection as they established their autonomous fiefdom.

So, needless to say one Kirkuk police colonel we visited proudly displayed a US flag alongside his Iraqi flag, plus pictures of him with various visiting American notables.

And the folklore was that a statue of a medium height fellow in a modern-day business suit with neat parted hair in the center of town was George W. Bush. We found the statue, and we almost thought it was… until we were told it was actually a local guy who looks western.

Anyway, we have to bend over backwards to make it seem like we’re not on the Kurds’ side. And show that we’re helping everybody. Even while everybody is trying to stab everybody else behind in their backs.

The hope is that there will be such a big momentum going forward to make Iraq a successful country that everybody will put aside their differnces and, as I described it in my story, play nice.

That’s the hope anyway. The reality might be different. Who said making new democracies was easy?

Check out the video:

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By FNC Producer Ghalib Tawfiq

Iraq is now recovering from the aftermath of the war, a war which has its affects on every sector. The health system lacks modern medical supplies and equipment, hundreds of doctors have fled the country during the sectarian violence, and hospitals have shut down and because of that. Similarly, the education system was not in better shape, students stopped going to universities, parents stopped  sending their kids to schools for fear of kidnappings or car bombs. Professors and lecturers  either stayed home or fled the country for the same reasons.  And the same goes for the industrial, commercial sector as well.

Now, the situation has changed.  The security has much improved after the government fought and defeated the sectarian Militias, Death Squads, and Al Qaeda in many Iraqi cities, including Baghdad.  Iraqis are getting back on their feet again trying to rebuild their country and emerge to the world again.

I have been working for Fox News Baghdad Bureau for 3 years now as a producer, and throughout our coverage on Iraq, I have met, talked to, and interviewed Iraqi government officials, politicians, military men, and many others.  Being an Iraqi worker for a major American media corporation,  I want to show the bright side of our story on Iraq, and shed some light on our efforts to rebuild the country, which is the responsibility of all of us.  So I decided to approach one category of Iraqis we haven’t focused on in the past, the YOUNG Iraqis.  I am asking them to talk to the American viewers about themselves, express their own views and thoughts on how they foresee their future, and how they participate in the rebuilding of Iraq.

One of these young men expressed to me that they are the “backbone of the society” and I think it is appropriate to call them the “Real Builders” of Iraq.

Each week I will introduce one of these “Real Builders” and you will get an EXCLUSIVE look inside their story with videos, photos and blogs. Please keep checking back!

Guess what? US soldiers are still dying in Iraq. For all the talk we heard from President Obama about ending the war, the fact of the matter is the war is still on.

When we got up to the northern Iraqi city of Mosul to report on the situation there, we were confronted with that reality. The whole unit we were with was very upset about the deaths earlier in that week of Lt. Col Garett Derby and three other troops. Their Humvee (yes, they weren’t in the new tough MRAP vehicle) was hit by a car bomb. It happened near a police check point. Some police that should’ve been there, we’re told, weren’t. There were suspicions it was a set-up job.

In fact, much in Mosul is a reminder that there is a way to go in Iraq. I hadn’t been there in a few years. The west side of the city looked as bad as any neighborhood I’d seen in my years covering Iraq. Al Qaeda in Iraq has decided to make Mosul its last stronghold. The buildings along the road soldiers have dubbed the“Highway of Death” bear the scars of countless blasts. The streets are a mess. The residents wary.

**Photo Credit: Marcia Biggs

But as with everything we’ve seen in our travels here in the past month, there is another side to the story. One day we moved around parts of the city with US Army Col Geoff Ellerson who is mentoring the Iraqi National Police. They have been criticized in the past for being in the pocket of central government interests but seem to have gotten their act together.

On this day they had basically shut a whole section of the city down to do house to house searches. Another déjà vu moment.

But now it wasn’t US soldiers annoying residents as they routed through their personal items….it was Iraqi security forces. Progress of a sort.

After seeing the tough west Mosul area we were then brought down into the center of the city, the old town near the Tigris river. It was bustling with activity, shopkeepers, traffic. A real city and what Mosul should be.

Election posters left over from an earlier poll were around as well. Which is another good sign in Mosul. Sunni’s sat the last local elections out. Because of that outsider status, it was thought they were channeling their anger through insurgents. Now it was hoped democracy would steer them a bit more to the straight and narrow.

Our tour of Mosul was cut short that day when we learned that just across the river insurgents had targeted and killed Iraqi soldiers. In fact, every day that week there was trouble.

The next day we toured a few other areas of Mosul with an Iraqi Army General. He had been touted by the Americans as another force for good in the city. I found him to be a bit of a showboat. Literally arresting one Iraqi soldier for not manning a checkpoint properly. Dragging his whole entourage half way across town to preside over some gifts doled out at an orphanage. And then trying to sort out some bad food at another Iraqi army base.

The week after we were there Iraqi security forces backed up by the Americans staged another one of those mass “operations” netting dozens of militant suspects. Again, seen that story before.

The trip actually brought to mind two other past visits to Mosul. The first was in February 2003. My cameraman Pierre on this trip was with me then. We attended a mass march of Saddam’s (he was still in power then) various militias.

The other visit was September 2003. Saddam was gone and things had loosened up. We even had a lovely dinner at an open air restaurant along the river with other Mosul residents. Of course then we all know what happened. Those folks who were marching back in February and were laying low in September then decided take up arms again, against the U.S.

Which brings us back to Lt.Col. Derby and the others who gave their lives. Six years later, Americans are still dying, still trying to make this whole thing work. And they won’t be the last to die either I think it’s unfortunately safe to say. No wonder the folks here are straining to hear something that sounded like working toward “victory” in President Obama’s speech. It’s only human.

Here’s the exclusive video:

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General Ray Odierno, commanding General of US forces in Iraq appeared pleased when he sat down for an exclusive interview with Fox News this week in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk.

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He has a right to be. He basically got what he wanted from the President Obama plan to draw down troops in Iraq.

As he put it to me as we walked in front of the Kirkuk local government building:

“We’ve made a lot of progress. I’m happy to see the progress. The issue is getting it finished.”

How to get it finished is the key.

Odierno was never happy with the 16-month combat troop exit promise of the Obama campaign. While he would have preferred a 23-month timetable, his aides expressed satisfaction with a slight month extension from the Obama line to he end of August 2010.

Photo Credit: Marcia Biggs

The general told us he can work within that time frame:

“There are always risks,” he told me, “but we have ways to mitigate those risks.”

What could have made him more pleased is the ability to maintain strong troop strength in Iraq through the end of this year. Only some of the 142,000 US forces are set to leave in 2009. Thus ensuring security through crucial national elections scheduled for the end of the year and the and hoped-for peaceful politicking following that.

“Those will be clear signals to me,” Odierno told me, “that it’s time to draw down in a significant way.”

That means a back loaded drawdown in 2010: as many as 80,000 troops in 8 months. Plus a whole lot of gear. Quite a task if you ask me. No wonder they call that timeline a goal.

“That’s six years of built-up equipment,” Odierno said. “All of that has to be taken into consideration, plus security.”

The General does get to keep a residual or transitional force of up to 50,000 troops up until the end of 2011 exit date for all US troops mandated by the US-Iraq Status of Forces agreement signed last year.

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