After the search

This photo shows a scene right after a knock and search of this Kirkuk home. It was a couple of days before the Constitutional referendum and we were searching in neighborhoods around polling places. The idea was to see if we could find weapons, to send the signal that we were out looking for weapons in case anyone got a bright idea, and to reassure the locals that we were working to prevent election violence.

Seems odd, but the people liked us searching, for these reasons. They didn’t seem to mind us searching their homes, but who knows for sure.

We entered the front yard of this home. As usual, there is no grass, just either packed earth or concrete. We saw the camouflage uniform hanging on the clothesline, and this immediately drew our attention. Turned out the uniform belonged to the homeowner, who was a captain in the Iraqi Army.

Anyway, after that bit of drama, we completed the search and chatted with the captain. The picture shows one of our soldiers, relaxed and smoking a cigarette, talking with someone on the other side of the gate.