Region | Iraq
Anxiety blights Iraq troop pullout
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki called on his countrymen to revel on Monday to mark the ostensible departure of US troops from Iraqi cities by the end of the month - a turning point he calls a "major victory."
- Los Angeles Times-Washington Post
- Published: 23:16 June 29, 2009
- Image Credit: Reuters
- Across Iraq, the first major deadline in the American military's phased withdrawal from the country is being viewed with a mix of apprehension, pride and incredulity.
Baghdad: Salah Al Jbory is in no mood to celebrate.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki called on his countrymen to revel on Monday to mark the ostensible departure of US troops from Iraqi cities by the end of the month - a turning point he calls a "major victory."
But across Iraq, the first major deadline in the American military's phased withdrawal from the country is being viewed with a mix of apprehension, pride and incredulity.
"I will celebrate when I see my country living in peace," said Al Jbory, a tribal leader in the western Baghdad neighbourhood of Dora, where no US outposts remain.
"I will celebrate when there is electricity and clean water, when people go to the park and feel safe. I'll celebrate when children on the street look clean and are wearing new clothes. I will celebrate when people can earn a living."
American troops have been thinning out across Baghdad and other restive cities in recent months. Since January 1, the US military has shut down more than 150 bases and outposts.
In deference to the security agreement that set the pullout deadlines, American troops in and near urban areas have begun avoiding non-essential outings during the daytime and will be on virtual lockdown during the first days of July.
But they expect to continue conducting patrols in urban areas alongside Iraqi security forces in the months ahead.
Nonetheless, some Iraqis see the date as an independence day of sorts.
"The 30th of June will be like a wedding," said Major General Abdul Amir Al Zaidi, commander of the Iraqi army's 11th Division, currently in Kirkuk.
"It is a victory for all Iraqis, a national holiday."
That sentiment is far from unanimous. Violence has spiked in recent days as insurgents have sought to make calls for jubilation seem like hubris.
"We are not happy now," said Abu Noor, a college student, standing outside a market in Ur, a neighbourhood in northeastern Baghdad.
"Why should we be happy? We know things will turn upside-down after maybe a week of the withdrawal. We all know the militias are hiding because they know the Americans are inside the cities and are ready to be there at a moment's notice."
Many Iraqis have come to regard the presence of US troops in their neighbourhoods as a necessary evil. Their hulking trucks often tear down overhead electrical lines, bog down traffic and jam cellphone signals. But those indignities are a small price to pay, Abu Noor said.
"They're trivial when you compare it to the importance of security," he said.
Miles away, in a central Baghdad district where attacks remain frequent, police officer Ala'a Abdul Majid stood under a small bunker-turned-checkpoint watching cars pass during a recent sweltering afternoon.
"Iraqis are able to handle the job," he said, brimming with confidence. He paused before adding: "At least 80, 90 per cent."
He's happy to see the Americans fade into the background, he said. It's time. If rumours of an uptick in attacks after July 1 prove true, he said, Iraqis will do their best with what they have got.
"We don't have equipment; no radios," he said, suddenly sounding less optimistic.
What does the future hold for Iraq now that troops are pulling out? Is this a good step towards Iraq's recovery? Tell us below.
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