Last One to Leave Takes the Garbage Out

As the United States departs from Iraq, it is leaving about $700 million worth of materials behind. In southern Iraq, agencies are haggling over every detail.

First Lieutenant Robert Haupt knew right from the beginning that packing up Camp Adder in southern Iraq would be no easy task, but he never suspected there would be so many complications, big and small, that he and his 20th Engineer Brigade would have to deal with.

“Imagine a small city of 12,000 inhabitants that has no electricity or running water and you’re about to move all the people to a new location,” said Colonel Richard Kaiser, Brigade Commander. “If we could have just packed everything up, it would have been a lot simpler.” But as the soldiers gradually drew down their presence at Camp Adder, they still had to ensure that essential services remained functioning until the last man left.

At the same time, they had to search the streets for roadside bombs and destroy any possible launching sites for rocket propelled grenades so that convoys to Kuwait could pass through safely. One RPG hit the camp just a few days ago.

The troops have been meticulously dealing with military and private personal matters, drawing up lists of military and civilian equipment, overseeing the packing and loading of the same and closing down building after building. And they’ve been taking out the garbage, something that proved to be their biggest problem.

Disagreements Over What’s Left

When one of their three garbage incinerators failed in September, the troops wanted to dispose of the garbage in an Iraqi landfill. But then the local authorities got involved. Lieutenant Haupt related an incident where Iraqis stopped the driver of a garbage truck and said foreigners might have contraband hidden in the garbage they they intended to steal. “They obviously have no idea how we operate,” said Haupt, shaking his head.

In fact, it’s often less about the garbage itself than it is about the question of who has control over what’s being abandoned by the army and their civilian contractors. According to government agreement, everything abandoned by the Americans automatically becomes the property of the Iraqi government. The U.S. military leadership estimates the value of that to be around $700 million.

All across the country, local governments have tried to grab as much of that for themselves as they can. Whether it’s generators, vehicles or office supplies, the Iraqis are claiming everything. In Naseriya, where Camp Adder is located, the provincial council wanted to claim everything, lock, stock and barrel, according to Haupt.

Accordingly, the Iraqi police and military haven’t been very squeamish in how they operate. Dozens of trucks were stopped and held for hours. Their release came only after the right people had received bribes. Twelve of the drivers — all of them Kuwaitis or other foreigners — were arrested.

Modern Robber Barons

Other units report similar incidents all across the country. The term “modern robber barons” comes to mind, but Lieutenant Haupt prefers to call it a sort of tax the local authorities are imposing in an attempt to fatten their coffers.

Special waste, like used oil and batteries, was sent either to Kuwait or to a company in Baghdad. Military electronic waste, including copper wiring, was packed up and transported out. Colonel Kaiser remarked that nothing would be left behind that could endanger American troops should they ever have to return to Iraq. Medical waste from U.S. clinics was burned in special incinerators.

When the last American soldier leaves Iraq, he will be carrying whatever garbage is left in the vehicle with him.