Councilwoman Peggy Neely's
Tatum Sun Times Column

July 2006

Fighting the War on Terror Abroad and at Home

With so much happening in Iraq and so many sad stories broadcast on the evening news, sometimes it's important to step back and get a different perspective on the war.

We had a special opportunity to hear about more encouraging news at a recent District 2 Issues and Info Breakfast. U.S. Army Sgt. Geoffrey Kambhampati was a fascinating speaker. He is an Army recruiter in Scottsdale who spent 15 months in Baghdad servicing helicopters.

While it is important for us to hear about the tragedies of the war, it also is crucial to focus on the positive developments and how courageous Americans, including many from Arizona, are making things better for the Iraqi people.

“The good stuff that’s going on over there doesn’t seem to be getting out too much,” Sgt. Kambhampati says.

Kambhampati, a Vista, Calif., native who plans to make the military his career, tells us that most of the Iraqis he encountered both on an off the base where he was stationed were happy that we are there.

“Some of them would even invite us to have dinner with them in their homes,” he says.

He also points out that U.S. soldiers are hard at work every day trying to improve the living conditions in Iraq. They're building roads, schools and medical centers for the general population and repairing electrical wiring and water systems in neighborhoods so that individual houses and businesses can have power and running water.

“They even help clothe some of the kids over there,” Sgt. Kambhampati adds, noting that many of the children were shoeless and dressed in ragged clothing.

While the soldiers are doing their part in the war on terror, work is going on at home, too, to see that those of us who are far removed from the actual war are safe from harm.

The city’s Homeland Defense Bureau zeros in on terrorism and has as part of its broad mission collecting tips from citizens on possible terrorism activities.

“We want everybody to be alert,” says David Leinenveber, public health program manager for the Homeland Defense Bureau and an administrator for the Phoenix Fire Department.

As part of the effort to gain important information about potential terrorism activities, the bureau is developing a detailed video to help Phoenix residents recognize potential terrorists and how to report these sightings. The video will emphasize key signs of possible terrorism planning – suspicious surveillance activities, attempts to gain information and test security operations at critical facilities, people hanging out at places where they do not belong, and the transfer of large amounts of money to other organizations.

The video, according to Leinenveber, will be made available to neighborhood groups, civic organizations, hospitals and others.

For other information on work in our state to fight terrorism, call the Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center at 602-644-5805.

They are working with Phoenix and many other groups around the state to help us stay safer here at home, while brave men and women fight the war abroad.

Phoenix City Councilwoman Peggy Neely represents District 2, which includes most of northeast Phoenix. She can be reached at 602-262-7445 or through e-mail at council.district.2@phoenix.gov.