Shooting your own foot…

Every now and then you run up against a wall that you just can’t climb. You have a choice go back, go around, or tear it down. Earlier this week we hit just that sort of wall – literally. I knew there was trouble ahead when I received questions from the media about a press release distributed from one of the commands about “Gated Communities.” The release told the story of a long wall being built considered the “Central to the strategy of our new security plan” and that this great idea would permanently divide the Sunni from the Shi’a. Problem? - Hell yeah… For one its not accurate… this is absolutely contrary to every message I have heard from our commanders and/or work I’ve done here at HQ. I realized very quickly this was going to create a real challenge. I started raising flags with the team and the boss. You see Temporary Security Barriers are tactical walls built to protect the people in areas with increased or constant acts of violence, such as a marketplace recently hit with a car bomb. They are definitely not a strategy, not meant to be permanent and were never intended to segregate people based on religion. Barriers are put up because they are determined by local community leaders and the commanders on the ground to be a good temporary solution. After reading into all the elements I predicted this was going be an issue.

Sure enough a couple days later and it is a big topic with the media, the local community, the Government of Iraq and even the US public. We’re trying our best to provide correction but the story is out there and building a life all its own. Because everyone has an opinion, bias, or motive, something that was intended to be an innocent “Progress in Iraq” story quickly degrades into a tug-o-war of will. The facts - well they may be another casualty in the war of controversy. Unfortunately due to some oversight or misguidance somewhere down the chain this may be one case where we have to tear down the wall regardless of the benefits. Things are tough enough around here without miss-managing our own messages.

So why do I share this with you? I am fascinated by the power and limitations of communications and its ability to effect change. I am also intrigued by my ability to game this out to its ultimate conclusion (I figured out where this was going while I was responding to the queries.) I am so convinced I even put “my money where my mouth is” and accepted a cash bet on it. Hmmm…and based on an email I just received… looks like my wallet is gonna get a little heavier.