Fear So Deep

Baghdad is living better days than the last three years but fear and doubt still control many.
Many friends and people that I talk to are still afraid to move throughout Baghdad yet others are traveling to neighborhoods they didn’t visit for the last three years.
Yesterday, a taxi driver agreed to take me to a west Baghdad neighborhood, as we arrived he stopped his car not far away from the main street of the block and told me: "I can't, forgive me"
He explained that he has a family and don’t want to take any risk. I told him I am coming to this neighborhood on daily bases with many drivers but he said he can not trust the situation.
The neighborhood was, and still for many, a fearful place after all fighting against the American troops, Iraqi troops, sectarian killings, crimes and displacement.
I had to step down and to take another taxi.
Doctors, engineers, teachers, drivers and students do not go to many places because of fear remembering the situation in Baghdad is better than the last few years.
It made me think again and again why people don’t trust the new situation but how can people trust the situation enough when blast walls are still surrounding neighborhoods?
When there are more than 260 checkpoints inside Baghdad?
How can people trust the new situation when dozens of main roads, tunnels and bridges are still closed? When military convoys still filling the streets and not allowing tens of cars to approach them or pass them.
I believe people's unconscious mind will not trust the new fragile secure situation enough.
When Iraqis see those who came to offer freedom and democracy are not hiding in the Green Zone maybe then they will start trusting the new situation.
Is the new security situation better because of sending a bad guy behind bars or it’s because of putting all the people and their neighborhoods behind blast walls?
Did those who fled their neighborhoods or were displaced return? When the majority will return, then I will say it is better.
It will be a better situation when officials (all officials) start touring Baghdad with less than 20 soldiers and bodyguards and less than five military vehicles guarding them by blocking all the roads as they pass by.
Imagine we have a parliament of 275 members, and a cabinet of more than 30 ministers, three members in the presidential council, advisors, provincial councils, governors, heads of municipality, judges, deputy ministers (each ministry has several)…etc, you can do the math.
I will say Baghdad is a better place when it will be better than it was prior to 2003 in terms of security, municipality, electricity, transportation and other fields.
I will say Baghdad is a better place when people's fear is not that deep.

Posted at 07:05 AM
http://washingtonbureau.typepad.com/iraq/2008/12/fear-so-deep.html