Soldier leads dual life in Iraq

On a recent afternoon at Balad Youth Center, Sassaman found himself in the unlikely position of presiding over one of the first meetings of the Balad City Council. Seated at an elevated table, he looked like a soldier but acted more like a teacher, moving the meeting along, reminding the Iraqis of their responsibilities, nudging here, shepherding there.

"I want to take a moment to congratulate the mayor for the great job he's done," Sassaman said into the microphone, "and for all his efforts he has made for a secure and stable environment in Balad."

The mayor, Nabeel Darwash, stood up, and all the Iraqis clapped.

The City Council meeting that unfolded in Balad on Friday was a measure of the progress the Americans have made here and in other parts of the country where the environment is peaceful enough to allow American soldiers and their Iraqi allies to begin the quiet work of building a democracy.

And not only that: In Balad, the American military has been setting up police forces, repairing electrical lines and filling up hospitals with medicine.

For Sassaman, the key to the success inside the city has been simple: His soldiers do not get shot there. As a result, he has channeled the overwhelming majority of the reconstruction money at his disposal — more than $1 million — into Balad, and away from the outlying areas, where the war is.

"We had 90 mortar attacks on Americans in three months over here," said the colonel, referring to the areas surrounding Balad. "In the city, we had none."

As in much of Iraq, large groups of Iraqis appear willing to work with the Americans. Many Iraqis, especially the Shiites and Kurds, still harbor grim memories from the days of Saddam, and their gratitude to the Americans, and their desire to get on with rebuilding their country, appears in many places to outweigh the everyday indignities of military occupation.

The result, in some parts, is that the first shallow roots of democracy appear to be taking hold.

"I won an election, without threats or intimidation," said Hussein Ali, a 43-year-old Shiite farm owner who was recently elected to the Balad City Council. "The people know me in this town. I've pledged to do my best for them, to improve city services."