November 01, 2009

Baghdad International Fair

For a few days now, going out in the streets of Karkh, which is Baghdad west of the Tigris, has been a very difficult task – especially if you wanted to reach your destination at a pre-set time. The checkpoints have long, long lines; hundreds of cars waiting to pass one by one by the soldier holding the explosive detector – only to reach another checkpoint and another long wait. Sometimes for hours there is no progress.

The reason for the extra vigilance turned out to be the opening of the 36^th exhibition of Baghdad International Fair, today.

I remember going to the Fair every year, during the seventies and eighties. The exhibition grounds are very wide and tens of countries, including almost all the Arab states participated, in addition to dozens of independent international companies. It used to be so exciting.

We would visit all the pavilions; see all sorts of products and artifacts from all over the world, many of which were very artful. The Korean pavilion was especially popular.  Some participants used to sell their products to visitors before the end of the fair – it was great! Thousands and thousands of people would go every day. Popcorn – crisps – sandwiches – soft drinks and, of course: Iraqi tea; all to be had at every corner.

All the young people wore their most attractive clothes so they could show off! The young men trying to catch the attention of the young women - sparks flying!

At eleven p.m. the horns would start sounding and everyone would shout out loud, "NO!" and people had to be urged to leave.

We had such a time!

Today only four countries are participating: Iran, France, Brazil and Sweden; and 300 independent companies. No Arab states at all.

Iraqi security officials said that the streets around the fair ground, which is located in Mansour, central Baghdad, will be blocked to "provide a secure environment for the participants and their Iraqi counterparts". They also said that "detours" would be provided…

I'm sure I don't know how I would feel after ten or fifteen days of main thoroughfares blocked in the Mansour area, a vital, central area; no one will be very happy. People won't be able to reach their work places and schools.

I wonder why the security officials still believe that blocking the streets will provide security. Is this the only solution our security commanders have? Block the roads!

We know that the issue of violence in Iraq is political. And it follows that the solution should also be political.

When is our government going to take serious steps towards reconciliation? So long as the politicians sitting at the top table are working against each other as competitors instead of working together as partners, the violence will not end – blocked roads or no.

October 31, 2009

A Dream

The last few days a friend of mine asked me: Who you are going to vote for? I didn’t know if am voting because probably I am not. But then I took a decision, I will vote for any politician or any official who resigned and told the people that he failed or the current situation corrupt or any other reason.

But that means I am not going to vote to any one because no one resigned.

Why politicians need to resign when they are living in earthly heaven? Thinking about it, they have all the right not to resign.

Before explaining let us put in mind that the Iraqi people didn’t vote for these politicians by name, the people chose a list and they didn’t even know the names of candidates for security reasons, they knew only some, and not to mention that four years ago people voted on sectarian or ethnic basis.

It is a place where elected politicians can make more than half a million U.S. dollars annually. This heaven is on earth. Politicians don’t need to worry about resigning when they fail in everything, not even to worry about people demonstrating to demand their rights and absolutely do not need to worry about audit reports or any taxes cuts.

Politicians do not need to worry about any threats because all fears of security situation can be avoided easily by living in the Green Zone not in the Red Zone.

It is another dream to see an Iraqi official or a politician resigns.

October 30, 2009

Dumb and Dumber

There are more than 200 checkpoints in Baghdad; some of these checkpoints are manned by policemen, some by Iraqi army and some by both. Many of these checkpoints are equipped with explosive detectors that were supposed to enable the Iraqi forces to stop transporting explosives around the city or basically car bombs.

Most of these checkpoints are located at entry points to bridges and neighborhoods. Other checkpoints are on the main roads of Baghdad to the limit that the city is literally suffocating because of these checkpoints and the resulted traffic jam.

Before starting telling you what happens in most of the checkpoints you should know about the “explosives detectors”. The device is carried by security man who stops your car and walk beside it carrying the device. The device’s pointer changes its direction when passed by a car that supposedly carries explosives.

But the main flaw it points also if there is any chemical material like detergents or even medicine.

What happens in these checkpoints and how they are distributed in the city?!

First Scenario:

You drive into the checkpoint, and the explosives detector does not point to your car, Iraqi security orders you to drive and continue your magical trip through the elegant safe capital’s roads.

Second Scenario:

The detector points at your car, the security men orders you to drive into searching area, if there is one sometimes simply stop you in mid of the street, to search your car. The soldier responsible for searching asks the dumb and dumber questions:

- Where are you coming from and where are you going?

- Do you carry weapons?

If you answered with a wide smile, coming from X neighborhood and going to Y neighborhood and no I don’t carry weapons, you probably would leave without further questions or being searched.

Third Scenario

Detectors point at your car, you go to search, you answer the dumb and dumber two questions with a wide smile but yet the soldier insists to search your car. The search will be the following: open the trunk, soldiers will order you and that’s it.

Fourth Scenario

Your friend is a soldier or you have a badge that says you are a member of Iraqi security forces, no need to worry then, because every day we see tens of them passing all Baghdad’s checkpoints without being searched.

And till now, the government and the Iraqi forces are still insisting on depending on these checkpoints as the main tactic to control the apparently unstoppable attacks of car bombs.

I wonder, what did the American military or NATO trained the new Iraqi forces?

October 29, 2009

Did We Really Vote For Iraqi Lawmakers

    Today was supposed to be a very important day for the Iraqi Parliament. Our lawmakers should discuss the most important law, THE ELECTION LAW.  The election law is one of the most important steps in the new Democratic Iraq because it sets the roles for the coming election in next January. The coming election will be one of the critical and final steps for Iraq Unity and Stability.

    The Iraqi Parliament consists of 275 lawmakers who were elected by us (people of Iraq) when we practiced the Democracy of Iraq in 2005. To be accurate and honest. We voted for parties that we used to trust at that time because the old election law adopted what was named (the close list system) which means that a voter votes only to a party or entity or coalition but not individuals.     

    After the forming of the government, most of Iraqis realized that they had either made a wrong choice or even felt sorry for going to the election.

    Back to today.

    I was talking to one of the employees of the parliament presidency and he told me "we did not have a formal session today because there was no quorum." More than 138 IRAQI LAWMAKERS did not attend the most important session that should approve the most important law while most of them were present and so active when the parliament discussed the law related to their privileges. In fact, we have tens of lawmakers who did not attend more than few session since 2005 and we have some that I saw only during the first session only.

    I do not know if we really voted for Iraqi lawmakers or a bunch of merchants who only work for their interests.

October 28, 2009

Always Too Late

The explosions happened. People died.  The second day, we saw more checkpoints in the streets and very accurate searching with what they call explosive detecting devices. Finding out houses where car bombs are made But its Too Late Step. Should be done earlier

Corruption destroys Iraq. After many corrupted officials could flee, the authorities talk about finding evidences that prove they were involved in corruption cases BUT. the officials have a second citizenship. They used their second one to leave Iraq. No law can be applied because it is Too Late Step. It should be done earlier.

The fight between Iraq sects about the election law intensified during a very critical period, only three months away from the most important election. Kirkuk is the chronic problem of the law. Such an important law should be discussed since the first days of forming the parliament not during the last three months. Once again. One More Late Step.

Why our officials are always one step behind? Why they are always late

When will they be ready to do the right thing on time? Or they will never be so!

October 26, 2009

Only Questions

The explosions of the 25 of October which claimed the lives of more than 150 people brought to my mind many questions. Here are some of them

1- Is it completely correct to keep accusing only the neighboring countries all the times? If we assume they are  involved, who implement their plans in Iraq?

2- Do our security forces use real explosive detecting equipment? All we have in the checkpoint are perfume and washing liquids detecting devices.

3- A small but very important question, did the car bombs pass through these checkpoints? how did they pass?

4- Do we really have a security plan and security forces?

5- The last and the most important question, when will the continuous disasters end?

October 22, 2009

Schools closing because of Swine Flu

October 16, 2009

There are other solutions than bothering the people.

    Yesterday was one of my worst days. I left the office around 5:10 pm and arrived home around 8. I had to spend two of three hours on a bridge waiting for the security forces to allow me and hundreds of other people in their cars to pass the checkpoint. There was no real security procedures or heavy searching for car bombs or any real danger. The whole issue was the departure of the Turkish officials' delegation who came early Thursday.

    With the news from my wife about the bad and serious fever of my son Haider and the smoke coming from the exhaust of the truck beside our car, waiting for opening the road became so long. time was passing so slowly. The wait in our car was a real psychological torturing.

    Around 7:30 we passed the checkpoint. During most than two hours, Most of us left thecars and gathered on the top of the bridge watching the empty street and waiting for the official convoys to pass. We did not really care about them and all we were thinking about was the end of our unjustified suffering. People started telling jokes and funny comments about the guests and their departure.

    A man suggested that government should think seriously about buying helicopters to use for the guests of the Iraqi government. He believes that helicopters would save time, money and provide the best security because no one in Iraq has one. The suggestion was widely accepted by some of the drivers.

    A second man said that the government should receive the official guests at night when Iraqi are busy with the electricity problems and the talk about their usual bad days (we do not really talk about nice things because we lost them all in Iraq). This suggestion was rejected by many while others started laughing at the man and telling him that the guests would not be able to see how safe Iraqi is.

    Another young man suggested that the government should specify some roads for the governmental use only. the long discussions were interrupted by the move of the first cars in the long lines sending an alarm for everyone to turn on the engine of his car.

    As for me, I really support the first suggestion about buying helicopters because at least, I would not have to wait for any other extra hours for the sake of people that I don't even care about. 

October 13, 2009

Appearances

Appearances are very important in the new Iraq.
 
 
After the collapse of Saddam's regime, the successive governments in Iraq concerned with shallow changes more than real ones. Our lawmakers took months just to change the design of the old Iraqi flag as if changing the flag will make Iraqis' life better or it would stop violence that harvested the lives of thousands of innocent people at the time of the discussion. The reason that was used by parliament for their useless discussions was "the old flag represents the former regime". Also, since 2003 the reconstruction meant the change of color of a building or the bridges. Millions of dollars were spent just to change colors of schools, bridges and other governmental buildings.
 
The last update about changing series in Iraq came out from the ministry of transportation. In stead of fighting the corruption that destroy every thing in the ministry, the minister decided to change the color of Iraqi planes and trains from green to blue saying that BLUE represent peace and love although all cultures consider Green is the color of peace and love. They didn’t even try to find real pretext to justify the decision. Some lawmakers said in press release "it would have meant more to the point for the minister of transportation to raise the level of services that are provided to Iraqi citizens in stead of changing the colors".
 
I hope someday Iraqi officials will realize that changing appearances will not change the miserable conditions in Iraq. They should start from the essence, if they really want to make change.

October 08, 2009

The "Female Element" in the Iraqi military

            "We want to protect our women - not have them protect us," the head of military training for all of Iraq said with a wide grin.

I suppose that was the bottom line.

The symposium I attended was held by the Iraqi Center of Ethics and Military Principles inside the Green Zone, at a place called "The Crossed Swords."

In our society, as in many societies around the world, it is the sacred duty of the man to protect the women and young. It's the highest expression of manhood. And his failure to do so is shameful. It is not easy to reconcile this deep-rooted human feeling with training women to do the "protecting."

"           They (the women) can't give their lives to the service as men can. Their first duty will always be to the family," said one of the officers, who gives lectures on ethics and human rights through the center. "And even though we have female officers who graduated from military college with honors, they are given administrative jobs, which, frankly, they do better than the men. Others are military doctors or engineers, and they prefer it that way."

When I was speaking to some of the officers in charge of training in the presence of "the friendly side," as the Iraqi security officials refer to the U.S. military, they were all for developing the military to include the "female element," in a subdued way. But when I had a chance of talking to them alone – it was a different story.

            "You understand that the "friendly side" wants to give us the benefit of all its years of experience – in all avenues. Maybe after they're gone, this issue will be put to the vote. And who knows, it may be revoked," said an Iraqi colonel at the center.

Talking to the women, around whom this story revolves, Rasha Ahmed, 27, said that after working in the military for three years, she would transfer to a civilian job even with less pay if she could. "The problem is not the women themselves. Many are capable and willing. It's the men. They don't take us seriously as professionals. They don't even train us as they do other men – "What a waste, where will you practice fighting? In your homes? Ha ha ha." That's their attitude," she complained.

But not all the women held Rasha's point of view.

Sura, 32, was appalled at having to attend an actual training course, with weapons instruction. "I needed a job, and there was nothing but a military job available. I checked and they told me that I would be doing a desk job – I would never ever think of being in the army. That's a man's job. We (the women) are doing everything from providing for our families to housework to having children and raising them and much more – Let the men at least do this (soldiering)."

The majority of the women were worried about the social issues. "If my husband's family knew what I do, we would be ostracized. They would never ever show my husband respect any more – and as for me, they would say that I had strayed from the path of virtue, and my children would be shamed forever," said Anita, 38.

Ramiza, who appeared to be in her mid-30s, was undecided, "The military life has good and bad things. But what scares me is the security issue. If anyone in my neighborhood were to find out that I was a military person, I would have to run, leave my home and live somewhere else. Many people still have no love or trust for the security forces, and although there is the social issue also – it is the security issue that scares me. I leave my home in plainclothes and get into uniform when I get here. All of us do."

            "We are pioneers," said Rasha. "We will pave the way for other women who wish to take this path. We may be a novel spectacle in our society today, but if we prevail, the next generation will not laugh when they see a woman in uniform."