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Operations in Diyala

Jan-26-2009 » Filed Under: 1/25 SBCT

Stars & Stripes checks in with troops from 1/25 SBCT operating in Diyala Province.

First Lt. Thomas Maney said he distrusts anyone in town who stayed despite the insurgent threats.

"It’s because they’re al-Qaida or supporters of them," said Maney, of the 2nd Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division.

The unit, like thousands of U.S. troops in Iraq, occupies a battlefield that lurches between violence and calm during these murky latter days of the war.

As in much of Iraq these days, actual battles are almost unheard of in Diyala. But bombs — under roads, in cars, even on bicycles — still lurk. Insurgents have retreated to the shadows, but there’s a palpable unease about their ability to re-emerge. American troops work daily with Iraqi security forces, with Iraqis ostensibly leading or at least approving all missions, but often don’t trust them enough to share sensitive information.

The soldiers now find themselves trying to stimulate local economies and mediate sectarian disputes. Just figuring who’s on whose side can be dizzying.


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