BAGHDAD BLUES

 

Last week, fighting erupted in the streets and everything became source of fear to the people living in Baghdad and most of Iraq. People shunned away from going out shopping, children from playing, or just visiting friends. They suddenly ceased to partake in the normal daily activities that make life worthwhile. Along with fear, death struck in places where safety was thought won. Many Baghdadis were shot dead in their living rooms or backyards by stray bullets; the wailing rose again. The inconsolable crying of bereaved children, wives, husbands, and parents poured out of torn hearts and filled the air of this torn country. The streets in Sanak were eerily silent; the steel doors of its shops padlocked. The residents huddled in the relative security their homes offered. They knew that sooner or later they would have to come out. The curfew imposed by the Maliki government was so suddenly announced that few had time to stock up on provisions.

 

The fighting too erupted quite suddenly. Out of the blue, this man the majority of Iraqis know to be highly partisan in his policies and deride as being an Iranian spy decided to go to Basra himself and weed out the Sadrist militias, themselves Iranian surrogate foot soldiers. The military move was not coordinated for support with U.S. commanders. The people I talked to tell me that the Iraqis are not dupe; the fighting was orchestrated as part of a well thought out plan to show the U.S. that Iran holds the safety of Iraq in the cup of its hand. Iran could make the Tigris flow with blood if so it wishes. The message to the U.S. congress is loud and clear; the period of relative calm Iraq knew is not subsequent to the surge; it is a strategic move by the Iranian government to force the next U.S. administration to seriously consider negotiating with it. Peace will never be attainable here in Iraq if it is grounded in policies that do not advance the Iranian agenda.

 

The operations Maliki was overseeing himself (whatever happened to delegation) were disastrous. His incompetence extended to military strategy. The defeat of his police force which was beset by mass desertions was eminent. The fighting finally stopped after a deal between the Jaysh Al Mahdi leadership, which happened to be in Iran, and the Maliki government was brokered by the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the Iranian military force the U.S. listed not long ago as a terrorist organization.

 

During that violent week, the International Zone (IZ) was a target to constant shelling from Sadr City, a notorious shi’ia neighborhood in the eastern side of  Baghdad. The neighborhood was infamous for its high crime rate even during Saddam’s time. It was then known as Saddam City. The rockets that rained on the IZ during that week were fairly accurate and of a caliber that required sophisticated training. The house of Maliki was hit on numerous occasions; of course, he was in Basra overseeing (wink, wink) offensive police operations. 

 

The curfew made the city seem ghostly. Eerily silent except for the thundering sounds of bombs and the clatter of small arms fire that sometimes seemed so close and intrusive. Those scratching a living on a day by day basis, the majority of Baghdadis, suffered the most. They could not leave their neighborhoods to go to work. Some were caught by the curfew away from their homes and had to sneak like pariahs on foot from street to street to reunite with their families. In some places, the grief turned to rage. Women and children threw rocks at Sadrist fighters in their neighborhoods who, apparently, would use their homes as cover and engage U.S. forces to draw their suppressive fire on the residents. After days of raging fights, the streets of Baghdad regained their calm; the people reclaimed their streets. Everybody seems to know the drill now. The collection of dead bodies started in earnest. Children carrying brooms cleaned their neighborhoods. As soon as the stores opened, women with heavy bags under their eyes rushed out to shop. A few smiled, but everybody looked tired; haggard and unshaven men filled the streets to check on family and friends; a few children looked inquisitive as if something was stolen from them.  

 

Soon, people will demonstrate in the streets demanding their dignified and peaceful lives back. Many will die in the process.

 

Sometimes, life has a way of making one move on with velleity. I hate forcing myself to write, but this past month, I’ve found myself doing just that. The harder I try the more difficult it gets. I have decided that it’s time for me to move out of Baghdad and settle someplace else. I’ll keep you posted as to where.

 

Ahmed T. B. Copyright © 2008