Personal Weapons

29 Apr 07
Ali is back from his time off. He came to see me today and said the IqAF had issued him a pistol to take back and forth to his house for personal protection. It was a really nice Walther PPK 9mm pistol. He asked if I had any bullets I could give him. The sqdn gave him the pistol but they had no money for bullets. I commented that it was a nice pistol and he replied, “yes but without bullets, it is just a club.”

Ali said he was very worried about being in Baghdad without a firearm. He was going to the store to buy cigarettes the other day and passed by two guys sitting on a motorcycle. He said they raced up beside him and one reached for what Ali believes is a pistol then the other guy said “it’s not him.” The other guy pulled his hand back. With the pistol he was issued he can at least defend himself and his family in their home. He feels particularly threatened because he had been a pilot under the regime and regime service members have been targeted by locals as well as the Iranians as I mentioned earlier.