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8B – Daily News – Monday, May 3, 2010 At Iraqi border outpost, a U.S.-Iran game of 'spy vs. spy' JOINT SECURITY STATION WAHAB, Iraq (MCT) — This windswept U.S. garrison on Iraq's bor- der with Iran has no running water and sporadic mail ser- vice, and it's so easily over- looked that the military accidentally canceled its contract for portable toilets last month, forcing the 60 soldiers who live here to resort to disposable waste bags for a while. Yet Joint Security Sta- tion Wahab, which service members recently voted "the most austere base" in southern Iraq, is expected to remain after most of the American super bases in the country close. That's because the soldiers here are on the front line of the U.S. military's efforts to track and counter Iranian influence, a mission that's going to get harder as the area's al-Sheeb border sta- tion opens to thousands of Iranian tourists in the next few months. As the U.S. military dis- mantles much larger bases elsewhere, the ones with fast food outlets, beauty salons and Eastern Euro- pean masseuses, comman- ders plan to keep the small border contingent in place as long as possible. Its job: to train Iraqi forces to pro- tect al-Sheeb and its envi- rons, a 25-mile land mine- Treat Mom on Mother’s Day PUMPKINLAND Chocolate Company Give mom a gift That is as sweet as she is. Complete line of Sweets & Holiday Candy made by the Chocolatier. 12000 Hwy. 99E (6 miles South of Red Bluff) 530 527-3026 Open daily 10am-6pm CANDIDATES FORUM Monday, May 3 6:30 PM Political Red Bluff Veterans Hall Corner Oak & Jackson Streets Incumbents and Candidates have been Invited for the following offices: Tehama County Offices US Representative District 2 Calif. Assembly District 2 Calif. Senate District 4 Listen to candidate presentations Attendees may submit written questions for the candidates Sponsored by: Tehama County Farm Bureau D NEWSAILY RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY dotted stretch with deserts to the north and marshes to the south. Where Iraqi officials envision a bustling tourist hub that will bring jobs and investment, U.S. officials see another potential foothold for Iran, which already provides electricity and water to the Iraqi border station. Once the last mines are cleared, a tedious and dangerous undertaking, al- Sheeb crossing will open for tourists. The Americans aren't sure that the Iraqi infrastructure or border force is ready for such a massive influx and the accompanying security concerns. "Really, the U.S. can counterbalance Iranian influence, whether soft or malign, only up to a certain point," said Army Maj. Daniel Dorado, 34, of Mililani, Hawaii, a fluent Arabic speaker who heads the U.S. transition team that advises Iraqi border forces at JSS Wahab. "But I don't see how we can counterbal- ance people coming ●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●● $6.00 through. We can't make more Iraqis." The American soldiers at JSS Wahab are attached to the 4th Brigade of the Army's 1st Armored Divi- sion, out of Fort Bliss, Texas. They don't have to deal with the rocket fire and roadside bombs that target other outposts. Instead, they're locked in what one soldier described as a "spy vs. spy" scenario with Iran's security forces, which are so close that the American and Iranian units regularly spot one another on patrols. "While they're very close, it's a Checkpoint Charlie situation," Capt. Courtney Dean, 28, of Bloomington, Ind., said of the Iranian forces. "I stand there with my binoculars looking at the Iranians, and they look back with the thousand-yard stare." For now, the crossing is open only to Iraqi-driven cargo trucks, which can enter Iran for a few hours at a time, long enough to load up on cement or bricks and then re-enter Iraq, passing Hair Cuts I fix Now Enrolling Children Recently expanded and moved near Bidwell Elementary License # 525405817 (530) 209-8743 My qualifications include: B.A. in Elementary Education and experience teaching grades K-8. Accepting state pay programs & cash pay, etc. Barber Shop New extended hours 8:30am - 6pm Mon-Fri 8am - Noon Saturday Oak Street Every 6th Hair Cut FREE 527-8111 • 335 Oak St. Next door to the State Theatre (Customer parking in Winchell’s parking lot.) “Come in and be treated like family” Girlfriends Day May 22nd Treating five Lucky Ladies and their girlfriend for a Special Day. Come in between 4/19 - 5/10 to NOMINATE a lady in your life that deserves a day just for her. The day will include a pedicure, a scrumptious meal and wine tasting and the movie Mama Mia at the State Theatre. Nominate a friend for Girlfriends Day and receive an additional 10% off on Sale 30% off 4/19-5/10 All Jewelry • Musical Instruments • Tools • Coins excluded The Gold Exchange ENTIRE STORE 528-8000 413 Walnut St., Red Bluff Monday - Friday 10am-5:30 pm • Saturday. 11 am-4 pm through a series of inspec- tions and X-ray machines. The Americans get suspi- cious when a truck returns empty; they wonder what the driver was up to on the other side of the border. The soldiers said that both sides used the Iraqi truck drivers as informants. In January, Dorado said, U.S. troops noticed a sur- veillance drone hovering above their camp in broad daylight. The Americans checked with their com- mand and were told that no U.S. drones were in the area. They realized it was an Iranian aircraft spying on their post, a rare provoca- tion. The drone stayed over- head for a few minutes and then left. "Of course we waved," Dorado said with a grin. "We gave them the one-fin- ger salute." The Americans' security concerns aren't unfounded. Until 2007, the crossing at al-Sheeb was wide open, with Iranian-backed Iraqi Shiite militias in control of traffic, U.S. and Iraqi offi- cers said. Smugglers carried on a bustling cross-border trade in everything from racing camels to explosives, and their bribes for safe pas- sage went straight into mili- tia coffers. "The governor sent us here in 2006 to see the situ- ation, and it wasn't good. The militias controlled everything," said Staff Brig. Gen. Waleed al-Qaisi, the head of al-Sheeb Port of Entry Directorate, which answers to the Interior Min- istry in Baghdad. Interviewed in his office in the half-finished official crossing of al-Sheeb, al- Qaisi credits his U.S. advis- ers with being instrumental in helping the Iraqis regain control of the area after Prime Minister Nouri al- Maliki's anti-militia cam- paign of 2008. Although he still has doubts about whether Iran can be a good neighbor to Iraq, al-Qaisi said security seemed stable enough to shift focus to tourism possi- bilities at al-Sheeb. Every week, cargo imports alone bring Iraq $95,000 in tariffs, or about $4.6 million a year. The money generated from the crossing will increase exponentially when the bor- der opens to busloads of Iranian religious tourists headed for Iraq's legendary gold-domed Shiite shrines. "This place is like an oil well that's just not open yet," al-Qaisi said. Now Available Organic & Heirloom Spring Vegetable Plants 1 1/2 miles South of Red Bluff 12645 Hwy 99E (530) 529-2546 ★★ ★ Mon.-Fri. 10:30 to 5:30 Sat. 11-3 40 Crafters in 1 Shop! Or Rent a Space to Sell Your Crafts 650 Main St., Red Bluff (530) 528-2723 AMERICAN SELF-STORAGE 64 Mulberry Ave., Red Bluff • 527-1755 • Fully Fenced • Onsite Manager • Well Lit Property website: www.americanselfstorage.biz • RV & Vehicle parking now available LOWEST PRICE GUARANTEED! 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