I Am Soldier of Fortune
Page 38
2016 HOURS
I have just come back from having tea and dates with the Bedouins. The city Arabs whom I met in Riyadh simply didn’t do much for me. They seemed rather soft and effete. The Bedouins, however, are Saudi Arabia’s cowboys or mountain men—down to earth and solid with a sense of humor. They were a pleasure to be around, even though communication was primitive.
I find myself reflecting on the “smoke and mirrors,” tactics used to get here. Said tactics were used not only to bamboozle American and Saudi authorities, but also editors. Lambon, who got permission from his home office to drive up here on this op, did so only after he told his editor that he was coming up here with an American colonel. Now that wasn’t a total lie, but certainly some omissions were made, e.g., that I was a Lieutenant Colonel and retired from the Reserves! Whatever gets the job done!
Another amusing scam I remember hearing about was pulled off by a group of British reporters. They drove up to a British installation with a military-looking vehicle where a young guard asked for the password. An authoritarian voice in the back of the vehicle responded with vigor and started chewing out the young trooper’s ass, telling him that he wanted to see the general. The kid was quaking when the tirade finished. The Brit journalist then asked the trooper if he knew the password. The soldier told him not only the password, but also the response. The journalists pro ceeded on into headquarters. “Smoke and mirrors.”
I still haven’t completely figured out the story on Sheik Mubarek. He is apparently wealthy and claims to own a 100-square kilometer farm be tween Dhahran and Riyadh. He is not in the army, but is apparently in the construction business and is in charge of building support facilities and roads. He claims to be from one of the 10 most powerful tribes in Saudi Arabia and that his tribe supported whichever Arab king was responsible for unifying the country around 1920. Mubarek’s aide, Faisel, told me that Mubarek is highly regarded because he assumed his position to help the government for no salary, and that when the war is over he will assume a very significant position in the regime.
He also mentioned something I heard from two other Saudi sources: that this whole war has disturbed the Saudi psyche considerably. They’re puzzled and upset that they’ve spent so much money on defense and yet in this time of crisis they have been so impotent and had to rely on infidels for their defense.
The feeling is that the Saudis are going to seriously reevaluate their military capabilities, which undoubtedly will result in a much more pow erful military machine.
22 FEBRUARY, 0745 HOURS
An Egyptian mechanized unit has been moving past my tent for the last two hours, and another unit’s coming in to the east now with a full brigade. The vehicles are well spaced so it’s hard to get a count on how many there are. I’m by the side of the road looking like George Patton giving them the thumbs up. They appear to be in good spirits, with some motioning for me to get on.
1012 HOURS
It looks like most of the Egyptians have passed. The armored vehicles led the way followed by armored personnel carriers (APCs), self-propelled guns (SPs) and trucks. I can hear B-52 strikes in the background. We heard them thumping through most of last night. I was contemplating hitchhiking. However, if I did that, it might put Mubarek in the shits. Since he has been my host, I guess I’ll be a nice guy and pass. It’s hard to know what other correspondents are accessing so I decide to hang around and when Mu barek comes back, see if he can get me with the Egyptians on the way up front.
1100 HOURS
I just chatted with an Egyptian Lieutenant Colonel engineer who told me that he thought it’s going to be about two days before the main Coalition thrust. What we’ve been seeing today is the movement of the 3rd Egyptian Mechanized Division to their attack positions.
1211 HOURS
I am now on a berm located a few klicks south of the Kuwaiti border. We saw a large explosion maybe 20 klicks away, a large black cloud rising into the sky. I have no way of determining what kind of ordnance made the hit. The Egyptians have been placed forward so we are moving along the route they apparently used this morning. We’re now pulling into a con struction area about 5 klicks from the border and 18 klicks from the main Iraqi defensive line. Apparently, this was as good a decision as I have made to date. Had the following conversation with Faisel:
Faisel: This is a very dangerous area here.
Brown: And, Faisel, why do you say that it is very dangerous?
Faisel: Because we are within the range of the Iraqi artillery. There was one rocket that landed just up the road about a half an hour ago.
Brown: Maybe the Iraqis will shoot some artillery and it will be very exciting. What do you think about that?
Faisel: I don’t think that it would be very exciting for me! (Laughter).
1313 HOURS
We are moving up with the dozer, directly to the berm. Now the question is whether or not they will let me drive the dozer to breach the berm, which will allow support vehicles to follow the tracked vehicles. That would truly be a magnificent accomplishment, and this is truly a high. The last 48 hours make it all worthwhile—the waiting, the B.S., the putting up with stupid people. Now it’s all worthwhile.
1320 HOURS
Suddenly, it is all not worthwhile. There are some asshole journalists there, with a pool. So much for my visions of a great scoop.
The Egyptians have moved their armor up behind the berm. There are two APCs or trucks between each M-60 tank and their tanks are about 75 yards apart. I examine the interior of one of their M-i13s. They are cer tainly well used but in very good condition. Things look neat and orderly; obviously a professional operation here.
Behind the line of vehicles and tanks are individual foxholes, which provide shelter from incoming. To the rear we have a number of tents spread out over at least 400 yards back from the berm. Trucks and support vehicles are dispersed in case of artillery attack. It appears from the way they’re positioned that they’ll make a linear frontal attack. Once they cross the berm that could well change depending on their op plans, which I am not privy to. We are following one of the bulldozers through a gap in the wall. Exciting! As we go through, we can see a large black cloud down range, probably 20 klicks away. Anyhow, we are through the berm.
23 FEBRUARY, 0823 HOURS
According to Hassan, one of Sheik Mubarek’s workers, Bush has given Sad dam until “noon today” to get out. I don’t know whether that is our time or Washington time. More Egyptian troops have been moving through. It’s difficult to determine what unit they’re from, but obviously the one Egyptian brigade is not all that’s been deployed.
Rain has brought up a fine coating of grass all over the desert. Looking at it from afar you would think you were looking at Kansas wheat fields in early spring. Coalition forces have sprinkled vehicle revetments all over the desert, which almost appear as sailing ships on a green sea from a distance. Flies are still everywhere, of course. I actually saw three or four dogs out here. Normally the Arabs, for reasons unbeknownst to me, don’t like dogs.
It clears my mind staying out here in the desert. I could have gone into Hafar Al Batin last night, and maybe I should have, in order to contact Lambon and see what success he was having in accessing American units. I’m still hoping that I’ll be able to tag along with Mubarek and the Egypt ian troops.
The Egyptians are still moving. You can read in a military manual about an armored division’s table of organization, but until you actually see it, it simply doesn’t have an impact on you. They have been moving here now, off and on, since a little after 0700.
1004 HOURS
I have developed my amusement for the day: a field-expedient flytrap, con sisting of a two-inch-high glass cylinder teacup, one-fourth full of tea heav ily laced with sugar and milk. Flies occasionally fall into the mixture and I have found a way to accelerate the process. Heh, heh. When the flies walk on the inside of the cup, I slap my book down on the rim and the flies fall into the tea and drown. How sati
sfying. Right now there are about 15 ca sualties. This is a very gratifying experience and the most amusing thing I’ve done in the last five weeks.
To most effectively use this flytrap, one has to develop certain skills. Once the fly is on the inside of the cup, one brings the palm of the hand down firmly and jolts the fly down into the mass of other squirming and obnoxious sons-of-bitches. Another technique is to wait until there are four or five on the inside, then clamp your palm over the cup. Then you get the tea swirling around up along the sides and have them all fighting for their lives (evil laughter). Also, when you bring your palm down firmly on the top of the rim, the force will often shake the little creature loose from the side and plop him down into the gooey mass. In my experiments, not a single fly has escaped after becoming stuck in the tea. What a pleas ure. Oh yes, it’s teatime again. I do not care if I never see another cup of Lipton tea. The Bedouin serving the tea thinks I’m crazy. At this point, I wouldn’t argue the point.
More B-52 strikes. The remainder of the Egyptian division keeps mov ing north, mostly all combat and combat support. Occasionally, a Black Hawk in desert cammie scuttles overhead. Faisel told me three Scuds were fired at the Bahrain airport last night, but doesn’t know for certain whether or not Patriots shot them down. In the latest issue of Newsweek, it was sug gested that a lot of Coalition flights had to be altered to deal with the Scud threat, so the Scuds are not only a psychological terror weapon, but are also having an impact on our air campaign.
A reporter from some paper based in Cairo just showed up in a flight suit, a leather vest and patent-leather shoes. God save us from news boobs! I asked him if he was going with the Egyptians if they made a ground at tack, to which he replied he would if he could. I mentioned that I would like to go with them, too. He asked if I wanted to see Kuwait and of course, I said yes, so we will see if he could help arrange something. I believe one should develop new options whenever possible and pursue them all con currently.
With the Egyptian APCs on line in attack position behind the berm and the movement of combat support this morning, I surmise the ground offensive will kick off tomorrow, on the 24th (unless political B.S. is thrown into the picture). I think I’ll go into Hafar Al Batin tonight to see how the other journalists are doing. I will be talking to Mubarek later this afternoon, so can check to see if there is any way he can get me locked in with the Egyptians when they move. I should have made an effort yesterday when I was up on the front line B.S.-ing with the Egyptian M-113 squad ron commander, but I didn’t think of it at the time.
1643 HOURS
We’ve been heading down the road northeast of Ruqi, a border checkpoint between Iraq and Saudi. It has been eerie driving on this road with no other traffic, but now we’re starting to encounter some Egyptian units. We just passed all the dug-in Egyptian 155mm SPs. I saw an American unit with them, but didn’t have a chance to talk to them. I guess the Americans would be forward air controllers.
We’ve been watching the sun gradually sink in the west. There is an aura of excitement in the air that only war can bring. A desert sunset is pretty, but it is much more intriguing when there is a background of smoke from a B-52 strike rising into the air 20 klicks to the north.
24 FEBRUARY, 0853 HOURS
We are on our way to the front. Sheik Mubarek has just informed me that he has arranged for me to ride with the Egyptians. As we bounce along, I still have my fingers crossed. We moved from Hafar Al Batin to his con struction base camp positioned near the SANG compound. We brought along Forrest Sawyer from ABC-TV News, with his crew. We left instruc tions that when the crew with the satellite and ancillary equipment showed up, they should be guided to a rendezvous point up near the front. The weather is overcast and a light rain is falling. Onward!
0913 HOURS
Mubarek just told me he’s arranged for the ABC News crew to go on a tank with the Saudis and for me to go with the Egyptians. That makes me more than satisfied, as I think the Egyptians are combat tested and prob ably will see more action. Besides that, I would rather be with the com bat-tested unit.
We’re getting seriously close to the front. On the right, about 20 tanker trucks, both military and civilian, are moving toward the front. We can see rear echelon units under cammie netting, probably about 500 meters away.
Sawyer says that the military slapped a 48-hour embargo on all TV pool broadcasts. Being out here, Sawyer and his men will have a superb chance to scoop other TV networks if they can get their satellite dish to feed.
0940 HOURS
We are moving forward with rear echelon units, mostly ambulances and vehicle retrieval systems. Clouds are starting to part so it’s clearing up, and visibility has increased. Out of the right window, I can see what appears to be smoke rising from the front lines. We’re getting closer.
We just stopped where there was an American team attaching mine plows on four Saudi M-60s to explode mines. The Marine Lieutenant Colonel putting them on said that plows have to be used instead of line-exploding charges, as the Iraqis have Italian mines with three baffles. Con tact will knock out the first baffle, but the other two baffles can only be exploded by actual pressure. The Egyptians have not moved out yet; their armor is still behind the berm, which incidentally was built some years ago as an anti-smuggling barrier.
I finally got a fix on our location. To our north is the Kuwaiti border, not the Iraqi border. We are barreling into the Egyptian rear now, appar ently looking for the HQ so we can liaise with whoever is going to put who with who here. It is amazing the amount of equipment a division has— columns stretch out as far as the eye can see. We are hearing some explosions now, rather large stuff, as the blasts have to be at least 18 klicks away.
1210 HOURS
We are now trying to find the ABC News crew with the satellite dish, gen erator and ancillary items. More air strikes rumble in the distance. Above the length of the berm is this linear column of smoke, which comes from hundreds of fires in the Kuwaiti oil fields. Apparently, the attack is not going to kick off with the Egyptians until 0400, which means I’ll have to wait around here for another 16 hours and get up early in the morning, which doesn’t make me a happy camper. The adrenaline level has dropped way, way down and I’m getting bored.
I explained to Sawyer that I thought he’d be better off going with the Egyptians. It didn’t seem likely that the untested Saudi units were going to play any major role in the ground offensive. He had an obligation to the Saudis, however, and his major objective was to beat out the competi tion. He now has about 36 hours to do that with the 48-hour news em bargo in place. If he can’t get a satellite feed set up, he’ll still be able to get some footage of the Saudis and have the tape driven back to Riyadh.
1327 HOURS
We’re still looking for the missing vehicle with the satellite dish. We have a problem with communication out here. The satellite crew and Saudi driv ers were directed to go to the Bedouin compound; somebody else told them to go to the “water point.” At any rate, they’ve disappeared. . . perhaps never to be seen again. Mubarek is most unhappy with the world at this point.
Egyptians are breaking ammo out of packing crates and stacking it around their long-range 122mm guns; troops are being issued web gear with ammo. The time grows near.
1527 HOURS
Helter-skelter, the ABC crew finally located their satellite equipment and vehicles. It seems there was some problem with one of the vehicles using contaminated fuel. Now they are trying to make a decision as to where to place the satellite station.
We have two stories at this time: One from the Saudis that the offen sive is going to launch from this area and is going to kick off at 0400 to morrow, another from Mubarek, who says the Egyptians are going to kick it off at 1600 this evening. What I am going to do remains to be seen. I’ll continue to go with the flow.
After a couple of interesting adventures with Sawyer, I spent the night camped out with his ABC crew. Earlier in the evening, I was riding with him in h
is 4x4 trying to find the Saudi HQ. As we were driving through the Egyptian encampment, I remarked to Sawyer, “Smells like skunk. They got any skunks around here?” He didn’t know. A hundred meters later, we were halted by a rather nervous group of young Egyptian troops wearing gas masks with AK-47s pointed directly at us. They wanted to know just who in the hell we were. It was “open the door verry slowly,” “get out of the car verrry slowly” and “raise your hands verry slowly” time.
We convinced them we weren’t terrorists, but decided since we weren’t communicating real well, it would be best if we did an about face. Obvi ously the gas alert had been sounded, and recollecting the “skunk” smell, we put on our gas masks. We didn’t die, however, so it was a false alarm.
25 FEBRUARY 0832 HOURS
I looked over the shoulder of the ABC News production chief as he read a note from Sawyer, who by this time was several klicks closer to the front. On the note, I found the phrase “lose Brown” somewhat disconcerting, but clear. I told the producer I saw the note, and would bow out with no hassles. He mumbled some shit about Sawyer having to suck up to the Saudis so much he was getting scabs on his lips.
Mubarek had disappeared and I was 70 miles out in the desert with no ride. Watching the last of the Arab forces move through the gap in the berm, I was faced with beginning the long and unpleasant hike back to Hafar Al Batin. Then the last Saudi jeep going through the berm stopped. A Saudi MP first lieutenant got out.
Saudi MP: Do you have a ride?
Brown: No.
Saudi MP: Would you like one? Brown: Boy, howdy!
My fortunes had been radically reversed. I jumped in and we raced off. I was through the berm and on my way to Kuwait. We soon caught up with the column, which had halted for reasons unknown. The Saudi MP said we might be stopped here for six or seven hours, maybe less. Then he was talking to another Saudi. The paranoia set in. Was he talking to his commanding officer? Were they talking about the gringo with the Soldier of Fortune cap?