My Italian Job

An Iraqi journalist working for The New York Times in Falluja was one of the first people to meet Luca Marchio, the Italian tourist who turned up unexpectedly in a public bus at the entrance to the city on Friday on the third - and soon to be abruptly-truncated - leg of his tourist trail around Iraq. (Read the story here.) We asked our correspondent to describe his reaction, and that of his fellow Fallujans, to the arrival of the first holidaymaker in a city that has seen two major battles, countless explosions and foreigners killed, mutilated and hanged from a bridge. Falluja was once the heart of the Sunni insurgency, and still lives under a heavy security cordon.


FALLUJA–As an Iraqi citizen and local of Falluja myself, my first impression when I heard of this incident was that he was a journalist because you just do not come to Falluja if you’re not covering a story or on a mission.

This Italian stranger made it safe and sound to the borders of Falluja without any escort on a road from the capital where it is known that foreigners, especially journalists, have met hideous ends. It made him such a subject of curiosity and interest in Falluja.

My first impression was that it must be one of two things: either he is a schizophrenic or he has a death wish. I thought the situation was hilarious when we offered to help him get back to Baghdad safely and he refused, saying he was only a tourist here to see the city and wanted to leave on a bus alone.

Neighbors and friends have various opinions. Some said he’s simply mad, some said he’s a spy. I think he’s one of those people who like to act like a hero. From what I learned from him, he has been to Iran and Syria before and I believe he came here by himself and wanted no help to get back. Now when he gets back to Italy he can say he visited the city of Falluja.

When we talked to Lieutenant Azizi, one of the officers in the Falluja police force, he said: “It was quite a surprise when they brought in this guy from one of the city’s entrances. They found the whole matter suspicious, being a foreigner and all. We all know it is customary that any foreigner inside the city is usually escorted by Americans, or by prior agreement with a security force to provide protection until their mission within the city is done.”

I found it very strange that he had got to the city so easily. Falluja residents have badges that allow them to get in the city. Those who are not locals of Falluja are usually there on missions.

Others who are there to visit family or relatives are stopped at the borders and their families are called to pick them up and take charge of them. A Falluja local is then responsible for those people and will answer to the authorities in case something happens. This is the case when my relatives visit. When they are leaving I escort them to the checkpoint and make sure that I inform the authorities of their departure so that I am relieved of any liability.

A couple of days ago, I was talking to a friend of mine who had some business in Baghdad but was putting it off because he was afraid to go. He said, “Though the situation is much better, I still think it’s too early to venture onto the roads.”

My friend, an Iraqi citizen, was afraid to go into the roads and this guy was touring a city where foreigners were kidnapped and slaughtered!


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Some of the sights of Baghdad which Mr. Marchio was shown by his hotel staff on a brief tour of the Iraqi capital before he set off - much against their advice - for Falluja:
Baghdad Bureau