.Iraqi Opinions from the Green Zone
Measuring just under four miles by two miles, it is the most distinctively American contribution to the modern face of Baghdad: The Green Zone.
At once haven, fortress and cocoon its outer defenses are blast walls twice the height of a man, reinforced wire sandbags and Iraqi checkpoints.
The only immediately visible sign of a foreign presence at this outer perimeter are signs in English warning civilian arrivals to turn off their mobile phones and for military gunners to orient their weapons in a safe direction.
Just inside an outer layer of security, there is an inner American skin of Bradley armored vehicles, Humvees, and soldiers keeping a watchful eye on the operators of ram-proof automatic vehicle barriers, body scanners and dog-search teams.
Only then, well inside, do glimpses of a real Iraq flash through: statues from the tales of “A Thousand and One Nights,” a stone relief of Saddam Hussein and statues commemorating ancient Mesopotamian rulers and modern battlefield combatants.
The Green Zone is now a stockaded district which holds embassies, government ministries, historical monuments, V.I.P. residences, offices of the United Nations and other humanitarian organizations and the headquarters of many security companies and private overseas contractors.
In addition, it is home to thousands of Iraqis who in 2003 suddenly found their homes within the suddenly-enlarged American and Iraqi-military cordon which was thrown around their residential
neighborhoods, and which remains there today.
And yet even here, in the heartland of American and American-assisted Iraqi power, opinions are decidedly mixed about the continuing presence of the American forces.
On the eve of the election which will decide the replacement of the American president who put the troops here, The New York Times took an informal snapshot of Iraqis living or working in the Green Zone.
Of 200 Iraqis spoken to after they streamed out of two Green Zone exits into the “real” Baghdad on Monday, just over a third of them wanted the Americans to leave Iraq as soon as possible while just
under half wanted them to stay. The remainder offered options somewhere in between.
There was quite a large disparity between the two Green Zone exits. Perhaps because one - near the grimly-named Assassin’s Gate - lies very close to the Iraqi Ministry of Defense headquarters. Here one of our Iraqi reporters’ wholly impressionistic sense was that low-ranking Iraqi soldiers appeared to favor a quicker American exit, whereas high-ranking and civilian employees were more in favor of them
staying.
At Assassins’ Gate, on the northern side, just over a third said they wanted the Americans out, while nearly 6 in 10 said they wanted them to stay. One small group, after going into a huddle, emerged with
an instant consensus - reflecting one of the outstanding points of contention in negotiations between the Iraqi and American governments - that they wanted the Americans to remain in bases inside Iraq, but not to patrol inside Iraqi cities.
On the other side of the Tigris River at the southern Green Zone entrance near the July 14 Bridge, around 4 in 10 said they wanted the Americans to leave as soon as possible. A quarter said they wanted them to leave – but not right now. The remaining third said they wanted them to stay in Iraq.
It was an inexact and unscientific snapshot of opinion. Here are some of the opinions gleaned from Green Zone commuters in recent days:
Ali Majeed, 26, a cleaner who works inside the Green Zone
“The Americans should stay, because as soon as they leave Iraq we will all be at the mercy of the militias. There may be some problems for the Iraqis because of the American occupation but those problems are nothing compared with the problems of the insurgency and militants problems. There’ll be a big mess everywhere as soon as the Americans step out of Iraq.
“The Americans have to change the current Iraqi government; they have to find suitable jobs for all the young men, and the most important thing is to fix and improve the infrastructure with the Iraqi government.”
Saad Braibish, 33, a painter who holds a contract inside the Green Zone
“They should go right now because the Americans are the main reason behind the instability and everything happening right now. There’ll be no problems if they leave because we Iraqis know how to live in peace, unlike what many people think. We’ll live in prosperity if they leave.
“The Americans should respect Iraqi sovereignty and the Iraqis. They also have to stop blowing car bombs up on innocents.”
Salem al-Saidie, 37 years old, who owns a store inside the Green Zone
“U.S. troops should withdraw soon because they have to understand that Iraq is for Iraqis, and they’ll be welcomed as guests only in the future. I think once the Americans are out the problems will
disappear with them.
“The Americans have to give us all the stolen money that belongs to Iraq and its people. They also have to release all the innocent detainees and hand the criminals to the Iraqi judiciary. The best thing they can do is to stop interfering in Iraqi issues.”
Zina al-Mashhadani, 25, an interpreter with the United States Army
“I’m against the American withdrawal for now only. I don’t want them to stay here forever but at the same time it’s not easy to tell them to leave now. The voices against the American presence in Iraq are raised high, and many people are demanding their withdrawal.
“The only thing that I would be wary of without the Americans is the conflict over the power and authority. The American government needs to change the Iranian government and to stop their creeping toward the Arab lands.”
Baghdad Bureau
At once haven, fortress and cocoon its outer defenses are blast walls twice the height of a man, reinforced wire sandbags and Iraqi checkpoints.
The only immediately visible sign of a foreign presence at this outer perimeter are signs in English warning civilian arrivals to turn off their mobile phones and for military gunners to orient their weapons in a safe direction.
Just inside an outer layer of security, there is an inner American skin of Bradley armored vehicles, Humvees, and soldiers keeping a watchful eye on the operators of ram-proof automatic vehicle barriers, body scanners and dog-search teams.
Only then, well inside, do glimpses of a real Iraq flash through: statues from the tales of “A Thousand and One Nights,” a stone relief of Saddam Hussein and statues commemorating ancient Mesopotamian rulers and modern battlefield combatants.
The Green Zone is now a stockaded district which holds embassies, government ministries, historical monuments, V.I.P. residences, offices of the United Nations and other humanitarian organizations and the headquarters of many security companies and private overseas contractors.
In addition, it is home to thousands of Iraqis who in 2003 suddenly found their homes within the suddenly-enlarged American and Iraqi-military cordon which was thrown around their residential
neighborhoods, and which remains there today.
And yet even here, in the heartland of American and American-assisted Iraqi power, opinions are decidedly mixed about the continuing presence of the American forces.
On the eve of the election which will decide the replacement of the American president who put the troops here, The New York Times took an informal snapshot of Iraqis living or working in the Green Zone.
Of 200 Iraqis spoken to after they streamed out of two Green Zone exits into the “real” Baghdad on Monday, just over a third of them wanted the Americans to leave Iraq as soon as possible while just
under half wanted them to stay. The remainder offered options somewhere in between.
There was quite a large disparity between the two Green Zone exits. Perhaps because one - near the grimly-named Assassin’s Gate - lies very close to the Iraqi Ministry of Defense headquarters. Here one of our Iraqi reporters’ wholly impressionistic sense was that low-ranking Iraqi soldiers appeared to favor a quicker American exit, whereas high-ranking and civilian employees were more in favor of them
staying.
At Assassins’ Gate, on the northern side, just over a third said they wanted the Americans out, while nearly 6 in 10 said they wanted them to stay. One small group, after going into a huddle, emerged with
an instant consensus - reflecting one of the outstanding points of contention in negotiations between the Iraqi and American governments - that they wanted the Americans to remain in bases inside Iraq, but not to patrol inside Iraqi cities.
On the other side of the Tigris River at the southern Green Zone entrance near the July 14 Bridge, around 4 in 10 said they wanted the Americans to leave as soon as possible. A quarter said they wanted them to leave – but not right now. The remaining third said they wanted them to stay in Iraq.
It was an inexact and unscientific snapshot of opinion. Here are some of the opinions gleaned from Green Zone commuters in recent days:
Ali Majeed, 26, a cleaner who works inside the Green Zone
“The Americans should stay, because as soon as they leave Iraq we will all be at the mercy of the militias. There may be some problems for the Iraqis because of the American occupation but those problems are nothing compared with the problems of the insurgency and militants problems. There’ll be a big mess everywhere as soon as the Americans step out of Iraq.
“The Americans have to change the current Iraqi government; they have to find suitable jobs for all the young men, and the most important thing is to fix and improve the infrastructure with the Iraqi government.”
Saad Braibish, 33, a painter who holds a contract inside the Green Zone
“They should go right now because the Americans are the main reason behind the instability and everything happening right now. There’ll be no problems if they leave because we Iraqis know how to live in peace, unlike what many people think. We’ll live in prosperity if they leave.
“The Americans should respect Iraqi sovereignty and the Iraqis. They also have to stop blowing car bombs up on innocents.”
Salem al-Saidie, 37 years old, who owns a store inside the Green Zone
“U.S. troops should withdraw soon because they have to understand that Iraq is for Iraqis, and they’ll be welcomed as guests only in the future. I think once the Americans are out the problems will
disappear with them.
“The Americans have to give us all the stolen money that belongs to Iraq and its people. They also have to release all the innocent detainees and hand the criminals to the Iraqi judiciary. The best thing they can do is to stop interfering in Iraqi issues.”
Zina al-Mashhadani, 25, an interpreter with the United States Army
“I’m against the American withdrawal for now only. I don’t want them to stay here forever but at the same time it’s not easy to tell them to leave now. The voices against the American presence in Iraq are raised high, and many people are demanding their withdrawal.
“The only thing that I would be wary of without the Americans is the conflict over the power and authority. The American government needs to change the Iranian government and to stop their creeping toward the Arab lands.”
Baghdad Bureau
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