Iraq Continued – Baghdad
Iraq Continued – You Needed To Be There!
The four days in Baghdad were filled from sunup to sundown. The Hotel Palestine – a 5 star – was really a 2 star. Some water, some electricity, not always at the same time. Telephone and laptop – forget it.
Perspectives
Remember we are not experts on anything and tried to go in with no pre-conceived notions. You can appreciate how difficult that is given the research we do, reading and TV. We tested what we thought we knew against what we experienced.
Security
We got our first taste of it as we approached Baghdad International Airport (BIAP). The Royal Jordanian airplane was painted white with no markings of any kind on it. Instead of gradually losing altitude, the plane literally went into a spiral over the airspace above the airport. This was to be sure that rockets from terrorists couldn’t hit us because we were over secure space. We were the only flight in and Miss New York-USA was on the flight because she was visiting and is of Middle Eastern origin. We only mention this, as she was apparently to stay for two weeks and left after three days due to fear.
The BIAP is very important and most of you will recall the heavy fighting that went on there during the war. The good news is that the terminal is intact and is in fact fairly attractive. The French built the BIAP in the 1980s (more on the French connections later). A van met us and another TV group from Italy and on the drive in we saw all the palm trees gone, lots of dirt having moved and of course military checkpoints. Our hotel and the one across the street (Sheraton) were completely secured by barbed wire, concrete barriers and streets being closed. Three American tanks stood guard and we were searched twice going in each time. We did not object as you might imagine.
Security has really had a negative effect on traffic as several major streets have been cordoned off, especially around the Green Zone. The GZ is about a 4 square mile area that encompasses the convention center, Al Rasheed Hotel, Saddam’s major palace and lots more. The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) is housed there along with many troops. Bremer offices there and the convention center entrance requires one to present passports twice, and be searched 3 times. There are concrete barriers, wire and huge round containers full of sand that act as barriers for car bombers. Of course, as you heard last week, that didn’t prevent mortar shell and rockets being tossed in there.
There is one other very important security issue and that concerns how many Iraqi citizens view the past and today. As in many dictatorships, security forces may kill or arrest dissidents, but they can monopolize crime for themselves. As a result, we are told that the streets were safe for children to play in. Now there are thieves everywhere and of course the threat of terror on a daily basis. Consequently, they tend to blame the U.S. for creating the insecurity, and it’s understandable if taken on the micro basis. The need for Iraqis to assume the responsibility for their own security is immediate and critical. The good news is that thousands of police and security personnel have been and are being trained in Iraq and here in Jordan. The bad news that we had not heard before is that over 600 Iraqi security personnel have been killed in the last year, which means they have had more casualties than the CPA. Yet there are still waiting lists for those who want to be policemen. One Iraqi screamed at us on camera that the CPA was not protecting their borders, as so many terrorists had come in. We wanted to say that we can’t patrol the Texas/Mexico border but we didn’t go there.
The US troops were polite, gracious and open. Our hotel was covered with 6 tanks and cordoned off. The boys kept 12-hour shifts, in the heat, in full combat gear, in their tanks. Some Iraqis insult them and throw stones. Most are glad the GI’s are there. Checkpoints into CPA and the Green Zone were rigid. There are five areas to get through, we were patted down, our bags and cameras were searched and then we went through electronic security.
One day we visited a Baghdad ghetto – 2000 years old, with holes in the wall, a latrine in the house off the kitchen with no door. Women crowded around us, offered us lunch, and told us their hopes and dreams. The youngest girl wanted to be an engineer, another a doctor and not wear the veil. When a rat fell from a hole in the ceiling we didn’t miss a beat. Everyone laughed, we were cool.
We visited the places where Saddam had huge statues of himself – now pulled down at almost all areas, and at a mosque (where I, Niki, had to cover up), and for lunch with our three Iraqi guides/body guards who stuck to us like glue while we got many stares, some of them extremely hostile – most of the Iraqi people were open and gracious. Still too many believe they are worse off now – short term not strategic – they want water and electricity and safety now. They had that with Saddam. And is freedom too inconvenient and difficult if you do not have life’s comforts? Right Now?!
Jordan – March 21-22, 2004
Between Iraq and a Hard Place – beautiful Jordan is surrounded by volatile countries. Not a democracy, its King and Queen still have a progressive, peaceful situation although there are under currents pushing for a more democratic environment.
Stay tuned for our visit with Queen Rania.
The Iraqi People
We liked them and for the most part felt they liked us. Given what they have been through with 35 years of oppression, the wars in Iran and Kuwait and then this, well it is easy to see why they would be both relieved and scared. Iraq is in our experience a typical third world country. Lots of poverty, not as clean as we would like, rundown buildings and makeshift business operations. By the same token, we were impressed by the relative lack of begging (most done by elderly women dressed head to toe in black). The kids we met at the French Village school on the BIAP grounds were unbelievable. You must see the video of the classroom and how the kids were learning English; Literally brings tears to your eyes that they are so good. If American classrooms were only half as good. Of course, this is one school.
