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Please Don't Throw Me to the Wolves
// Americans, Iraqis, and the Politics of Employment in Baghdad
Americans who work in Iraq tend to tell lively stories about their experiences. The stories are not generally about Iraq as a whole: they generally concern the "Green Zone," the fortress in Baghdad where the American embassy, the government of Iraq, and the offices of large companies, mainly American, are located. The offices – this is always said loudly, of course – are largely in trailers, because there isn't enough space in the buildings. But there's nothing to be done about that, since Americans are forbidden from leaving the Green Zone, at least not for long and not without the accompaniment of two or three Hummers and a clutch of bodyguards.
They say that there's always a traffic jam on the road into the Green Zone. Lots of people want to get in, and all of the vehicles are closely inspected. It's very dangerous to sit in the traffic jam, because there is always the risk that the car next to yours will explode.
The Americans complain that working there is so hard because doing their jobs is impossible without constantly traversing Baghdad. But moving around the city isn't allowed – there's always the risk that you'll be kidnapped, shot at, or bombed.
A friend of mine who heads the Baghdad desk of a well-known American newspaper, was telling me that he has to constantly recruit new Iraqi employees. Working for the Americans is dangerous, because at any moment you could be kidnapped or murdered for it. Some of the Iraqis keep their work with the Americans a secret even from their families. Many often complain to their employers that they are being threatened and that the United States should give them political asylum and take them out of Baghdad. The Americans can't give political asylum to all of the Iraqis that work for them, so they have to fire them and then search for replacements. For now, no one in the new crop of workers has been asking for asylum.
In terms of their attitudes towards the Americans, the Iraqis fall into several groups. Some believe that the Americans are needed in Iraq – but only to help the Iraqis leave. Inevitably, this group becomes disillusioned. Others think that the United States should get out of Iraq in a hurry, because the very presence of Americans forces Iraqis to live under threat.
There is also no consensus among the Americans in Iraq. Some think that they should get out as quickly as possible, since the safe haven of the Green Zone probably won't stay safe for long. Others are adamant that leaving Iraq would betray the trust of the Iraqis who are helping the Americans, since they will probably be murdered after the troops leave.
The task currently facing the American command is very simple: keep Americans and friendly Iraqis from being killed. The plan that was worked out in Washington is also simple: make it possible to decrease the number of Americans who are in Iraq by increasing the number of Iraqis working with them has been. There will then be even more casualties among the Iraqis, but at least the Americans will be safe. Of course, there is the danger that the "friendly Iraqis" will one day become so disillusioned with the Americans that they will also begin to represent a threat. But Washington is hoping that won't happen too soon and that the problem will be solved by the next presidential administration. In other words, the plan will be adopted.
Mikhail Zygar
All the Article in Russian as of Dec. 07, 2006
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