FAUCI DIARY ARCHIVE — Thursday, February 26, 2004 https://faucisdiary.com/diary/2004-02-26 Text below is verbatim from the released PDFs, with the original line breaks. ============================================================================== DIARY ENTRY — Thursday, February 26, 2004 Source: Diary Prequel, pp. 89–92 of 2026.07.27_Diary-Prequel-.pdf Words: 1352 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Leave for Iraq! Feb. 26 – Mar. 1, 2004 Feb. 26 – Left for Amman, Jordan – Iraq on a Gulf Stream air force aircraft from Andrews Air Force Base. Trip purpose – “show the USA flag” in the context of health issues and determine whether the USG/DHHS/NIH can do more in the Middle East. On the trip was Secretary Thompson (TGT), Andy von Eschenbach, Bill Steiger, Press- Sanjay Gupta, Christy Feig and Joe Farre (CNN) and Mark Sherman (AP); Security – Jay Hodes. In Amman/Iraq we met Charles Curie (Head, SAMSA), Howard Zucker, Dr. David Smith (Humanitarian and Refugee Services), Andy Knapp and Mike Lonetto (Security advance), Adm Van der Wagner (USPHS). We landed in Marka Airfield in Amman and almost immediately changed planes to an Air Force C-130 to Baghdad. This would turn out to be one of the most memorable days of my life. In the approach to Saddam Airport we did a sharp “corkscrew” landing in which it felt like the plane flipped over. The airforce guys explained that this is the way that they avoid shoulder to air missiles as well as sporadic fire from AK 47s. In addition, the airport gets randomly mortared every day. These are just pockets of insurgents that rarely hit targets, the real targets are the convoys of troops accompanying cars (like ours) and isolated troops on patrol, as well as more recently, Iraqi police and officials who are trying to rebuild the country. We went from the airport to the “Green Zone” (relatively safe with high security, despite the fact that rocket and mortar attacks occur on almost a daily basis; these usually do not hit specific targets, but do cause casualties) in Baghdad with several car-loads of Special Forces and DoD Criminal Investigation Division (CID) security people and 4 Humvees full of Military police manning M-4s and fixed machine guns. The ride to Baghdad was thrilling and frightening. The alignment of the motorcade was that every time we passed a person(s) walking along the highway or a parked car or truck, the special forces car would insert themselves between the suspects and TGT's car (I was riding with TGT). When we passed an overpass or a car on our right, the Military police would aim their machine guns up at the overpass and swing around the turret of the machine gun as we passed the overhead. The reason is that frequently insurgents drop grenades from overpasses and run. We passed cars driving with people or when cars pulled up alongside, the military police and special forces would wave them over and point their guns directly at the driver. Reason – frequently, isolated cars drive by and shoot at the convoy. First stop – meeting with Ambassador Paul (Jerry Bremer) in his office in the imperial Palace formerly main palace of Saddam and now headquarters of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA). Tom Foley (Bremer’s Deputy) was not present, but we met him later on in the trip). Had great discussion of the difficulties in transition to the governing council. He made an interesting statement that democracy is a concept that is foreign to the Iraqis. They are taking a lot of time with their constitution and agreeing on their form of government since they seek “consensus”. Democracy means that the majority rules, and as we see in the USA, the minority has much power and the balance can and does changes. The Iraqis are not used to the majority winning a vote since historically, minorities get persecuted. They need to understand that minorities are minorities for a particular idea/law/regulation and that Sunnis, Shia’s and Kurds can be minority, majority or both. Sunnis and Shia’s can live together since there are many, many mixed marriages. Highly intellectual discussion. Bremer is an impressive man. Also, met Jim Haveman who is the USA Health person (also impressive). Jim was with us for most of the remainder of the trip in Iraq and Jordan. He thanked me for the books that I sent to Iraq from McGraw-Hill. Had lunch at the home of MOH Khudair Abbas. Present at the lunch was Dr. Ebrahim Al-Jafari, head of the Shiite Party and member of the Iraqi Governing Council (IGC)and Dr. Rajaa Khuzai a women OB/GYN physician and also member of the IGC. Had a very stimulating conversation regarding Iraqi politics, the history of Iraq medicine and how Iraq was the “jewel” of medical care and training in the 50s, 60s and early 70s. When Saddam came into power, he diverted money to weapons and neglected health. The system deteriorated and now it is terrible. They want to restore it. I also heard first hand of the cruelty and true insanity of Saddam and his sons Uday and Qusai and how they tortured and killed at will. Many of the people at lunch lived in exile or remained in Iraq, but had relatives who had been jailed, tortured or killed. The defining experience of the day was the visit to IBN Sina Hospital which is the combat (trauma) support hospital. I had to constantly hold back tears. Everyone carried a weapon in the hospital, even the doctors and nurses performing procedures in the OR or trauma rooms. I say young kids (18-25 yo soldiers) with bullet wounds in the face. Common wound is a cheek-through-cheek bullet that either kills the victim or goes right through without hitting vital structures. I am told that it is a common wound by snipers since the troops wear body armor up to their neck and a helmet down to their eyes. It is one of the few exposed parts. One such soldier was wheeled in as we were touring the hospital. He had just been shot. I say shattered legs, abdominal wounds and Iraqi citizens shot in cross-fire and Iraqi insurgents getting x-rayed with a special forces person pointing an M-4 at him in case he tried to escape. I saw an Iraqi collaborator who was helping the Special Forces in the North and another Iraqi came up to him when no one was around and shot him in the back of the head. The bullet miraculously went through one posterior jaw and exited the face. When taken to the hospital, he told the SF who the attacker was that left him for dead and the SF had just left the hospital to “take care of him”. Many army physicians and nurses recognized me either from TV or more often from Harrison’s. I ran into a young neurosurgeon – Major Koop who knew me from HPIM. Upon return to the airport via “ambush alley”, the 2 main Humvees of the 4 that escorted us back had young women at the machine guns. I inquired about this to our SF driver and he said that as of this week, women soldiers have more confirmed kills than men soldiers. Upon take off, we had the same corkscrew maneuver, but this time 2 airmen were at each window with radio contact with the cockpit in case they saw puffs of smoke or flashes indicating a shoulder to air missile or Ak-47 , at which point they would alert the pilot to divert. Landed in Amman; we did not sleep at the Rasheed Hotel in Baghdad since it was recently attacked with rockets while Paul Wolfowitz was staying there. Had a marvelous dinner at the home of the Jordanian MOH – Dr, Said. S. Darwazah. Also present was our team (minus the press), plus the US Ambassador to Jordan (Edward W. “Skip” Gnehm), Dr. Samir Khleif, (NCI), Director of the King Hussein Cancer Center in Amman and Said’s brother Mazen and his father Samih. We talked for hours about the complex issues of Israel and Palestinians and Iraq and USA. It is clear that they want to live in peace with Israel, but they all feel that the USA in unfairly siding with Israel on not disallowing settlements. Clearly, one of the most stimulating evenings I have spent. The Jordanians are truly wonderful people and very friendly and affectionate to Americans. The food was incredibly good.