This Is
Not A Life
By Dahr Jamail
11 January, 2004
Dahrjamailiraq.com
Already
today at least 18 Iraqis have died as violence continues to escalate
as the so-called elections approach.
Suicide car bombers
are striking Iraqi Police (IP) stations on nearly a daily basis now.
Todays target
was in Tikrit, where U.S. military spokesman Major Neal O'Brien said
six were killed when the police headquarters was bombed.
He also said, As
the Iraqi police continue to get stronger, and continue to pose a threat
to the insurgents and terrorists, they will be targeted.
Most Iraqis Ive
spoken with appear to disagree with Mr. OBrien.
The Iraqi
Police are puppets of the Americans, says Abdulla Khassim, an
Iraqi man selling vegetables in central Baghdad, Who can respect
them when they are so ashamed themselves many of them wear masks to
hide their faces.
Of course the IPs
who wear the face masks do so for their own security, and that of their
families. As anyone seen as a collaborator with the occupiers is immediately
subject to attacks by the resistance, as are their families. Many of
the Iraqi National Guard, which has now been folded into the Iraqi Army,
wear black face masks as well for the same reason.
Nobody respects
them because they obviously cannot provide the security, Abu Talat
tells me as we drive past a truck with two IPs in it in front
of a closed gas station today.
During my last trip
I interviewed several IPs who complained of lack of weapons, radios
and vehicles from the occupation forces. Their complaints were centered
on the fact that the resistance had better weapons than the police.
Later in my room
we watched a press conference on the television with the so-called interim
prime minister Iyad Allawi. A journalist asked him if it was true that
the cell phone service would be cut on the 15th of this month because
of the upcoming elections.
He dodged the question
deferring
it to the ministry of defense. The same ministry of defense who yesterday
announced that the Iraqi Army was 50,000 troops and hoped that it would
be increased to 70,000. Just today Allawi announced that it was comprised
of 100,000 troops.
Of course the gas
crisis continues to worsen. Most of the stations in Baghdad are closed.
Rather than cars filling their tanks, strands of razor wire and empty
fuel tanker trucks sit in many of them.
Ugly reminders of
the lack of reconstruction about in Baghdad, like this building that
was destroyed during the invasion.
Iraqis are reminded
daily of the 70% unemployment with the gas shortage driving the costs
of everything through the roof. Even petrol is 1000 Iraq Dinars (ID)
per liter on the black market, which unless you are willing to endure
12-24 hours waiting in a line, is the only way to get your tank filled.
When I was in Iraq
one month ago it was 300 ID per liter. Imagine what you would do if
in your country you had 70% unemployment, were without a job, and the
cost of fuel rose 333% in one month, thus driving the costs of everything
from food to heating oil up?
Speaking of the
gas crisis, this morning a pipeline between Kirkuk and the Beji refinery
was exploded, and several lines southwest of Kirkuk were also destroyed.
In central Samarra
today a car bomb detonated as a US convoy was passing, but no word from
the military on casualties, which means there probably were some. A
second bomb detonated shortly thereafter, killing at least one Iraqi
soldier and a civilian.
Also, a roadside
bomb intended for a US convoy near Yusufiyah missed and struck a mini-bus,
killing 8 Iraqis and wounding three others. For unknown reasons the
mini-bus was then attacked by gunmen, who kidnapped three Iraqis.
Keep in mind that
Yusufiyah, just south of Baghdad and in the triangle of death
was recently the scene of large scale US/UK military operations to rid
the area of resistance fighters. Looks like those operations were about
as successful as Fallujah, were fighting also continues on a near daily
basis.
Driving through
Baghdad today, en route to an interview, we are once again spending
most of the time sitting in traffic. At most intersections, women and
children begging for dinars walk between cars with their hands out
pleading.
Abu Talat fumbles
in his pocket for some dinars while an old man pleading for God to help
him stands at the car window.
Holding a cane,
he is blessing Abu Talat rLook at what has become of Baghdad Dahr,
he tells me as the traffic finally begins to inch forward again, All
of us are suffering now. This is not a life.epeatedly for his
kindness as he is handed some money.