Back to Iraq: Thoughts, Feelings, and an Unexpected Experience

My first visit to Iraq was far from ideal. I was a military officer fighting the Global War on Terror. By the time I arrived in country, the war had shifted from defeating those responsible for 9/11 to nation-building to supporting Iraq in its fight against Islamic State. By the time I left for The Great Gallivanting, the war had changed even more, with Iraq finally standing on its own against Iranian and terrorist influences within its borders (although, still with Coalition support).

While planning to quit my job and travel the world, I watched a lot of YouTube vlogs. A few featured travelers in Iraqi Kurdistan, something I thought was absolutely insane. Admittedly, that made it more appealing to me. I figured, “If it’s safe for people without military training, it’s safe enough for me.” I solidified it in my mind that I was going to Iraqi Kurdistan on The Great Gallivanting. Even after the conflict in Gaza erupted, I remained committed to going to Northern Iraq. And so I did.

Landing in Erbil

When I landed at Erbil International Airport, I didn't know what to expect. A group of security vans picked up some colonels and generals that were apparently on my flight, but I boarded the standard bus to immigration. The border guards stamped me through without issue (I had obtained my e-visa weeks before), and within minutes I grabbed my bags and procured an airport taxi to my hotel. It was all rather...mundane.

Driving through Erbil, I was struck by how modern it was. High rise office buildings, towering hotels, huge malls, smooth roads, it was culture shock on multiple levels. I would see the same in other cities in Kurdistan. I was expecting a stereotypical Middle Eastern city, not a Middle Eastern take on the West. It was a pleasant surprise. (To be sure, this wasn't every place in Iraqi Kurdistan, but it was in the newer parts of the bigger cities.)

The Only One

I couldn’t have stuck out more. I was the only Westerner I could see anywhere I went. There were some fair-skinned Kurdish and Arabic people around, but no Westerners. Occasionally, I would see a small group on a tour at some historic or religious site, but that was it.

I decided not to wear my hat in my day-to-day walking around. While Iraqi Kurdistan was safe, I was an American, and the Iranian militia groups were in the area, so I didn't want to take any chances. Plus, I wanted to blend in as much as I could.

It was a bit isolating, to be honest, which was stressful in its own way. Maybe someone would speak English if I needed it (in fact, many Kurds in Erbil did), but it was truly just me on my own in a foreign land. As much as I have traveled, I have never been in a situation like this.

Safest Place I've Been in Some Time

When the few people I told discovered I was travelling to Iraq, they were all understandably nervous. The country was under a Level 4: Do Not Travel advisory from the State Department, and the Worldwide Cautions issued after October 7th repeatedly warned of travel in Iraq.

But that was federal Iraq.

Iraqi Kurdistan was an entirely different story. The Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) gained autonomy under the 2005 Iraqi Constitution, and the region had been relatively safe ever since. It was hardly affected by "The Surge" during the Iraq Civil War, and the Peshmerga defended their borders against Islamic State handily.

As a result, Iraqi Kurdistan was one of the safest places I have been on my travels, including Europe. There was a respect for community there that I hadn’t experienced since my time in the Sahara with the military. It was a point of pride for them that they had such a safe country [generally] free of petty crime, especially against foreigners.

Hope for the Future

Iraq, both Federal Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan, had been in a state of war for decades. There was the Iraq-Iran war of the 1980s, the Kurdish Revolution in 1991, the Kurdish Civil War from 1994 to 1997, the U.S. invasion in 2003, the Iraq Civil War from 2006 through 2010, the War in Iraq against Islamic State from 2013 to (officially) 2017, and the Islamic Resistance of Iraq in present times.

Still, something felt different this time, and my Kurdish guide said the same. The vast majority of Iraq lived in relative peace. Militant factions remained, but they were in the minority and largely focused on opposing the Western military presence rather than targeting international tourists.

Iraq is an important historical land. It is part of the cradle of civilisation, has two of the most important rivers in human history, and even Babylon was seated there. With the current peace, I am hopeful that Iraq's tourism and international educational sectors will see a resurgence.

In both Federal Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan, Americans can now get tourism visas on arrival. There are tour companies operating all over Iraq. The Iraqi government metes out swift justice on anyone who targets a tourist in their country. The conditions are set for a peaceful, resurgent Iraq ready to take its place in the world. While there is still some work to do (especially in the Iranian-backed militia space), I remain hopeful for this future.

Parting Thoughts

I was fortunate to spend Christmas in Iraq. This was my second here, but the first of my own volition. In Iraqi Kurdistan, the Christmas spirit was everywhere, celebrated by all in the secular style as a time to celebrate the year and spend time with family. Everywhere I went, people were dressed in traditional garb, hijab, suits, dresses, heels, boots, and everything in between. There was a true "you do you" mentality. While there were some generational differences of opinion (with the older generations lamenting the changes in the younger), the division wasn't along religious lines as is common in much of the Middle East.

Christians, Yazidis, Jews, Muslims, everyone lived in harmony in Iraqi Kurdistan. My guide confirmed my assessment of the environment: the Kurdish people were Kurdish first, then everything else, and as a Kurdish people, they had bigger things to fight for than religion. That is not to say that religion wasn’t important, just that it wasn’t the central factor in their communal lives.

That last sentence is my hope for the future of all Iraq. A place where religion is important, but community and Iraqi identity transcends the in-fighting. While it won't all be eliminated (that will never be the case anywhere in the world), Iraq, in my observation, has started the long journey towards being the reinvigorated, internationally-important country the world knows, and needs, it to be. I can only hope that this resurgence will continue and not be derailed by yet another war.