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One Day in the World's Most Dangerous City »

Posted by: jovial 2 years, 6 months ago

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What does daily life look like in the Iraqi capital? What goes through people's minds when yet another bomb explodes, killing and maiming innocent people? SPIEGEL spent time with four Iraqis and describes a day in the world's most dangerous city through their eyes.

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jovial

Grew up In Brooklyn. Joined the Navy in 1976 stayed in 10 years. Aircraft Electronics tech. Worked for Major Govt. contractor then settled in California ...

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Comments: 43

Avg rating: (+12/-2 10)
not2needy
May 24, 2007, 12:40 p.m.
There is really no safe haven there, a living nightmare! How sad!
Avg rating: (+14/-6 8)
vor
May 25, 2007, 11:04 a.m.
"If we just let our vision of the world go forth, and we embrace it entirely, and we don't try to piece together clever diplomacy but just wage a total war, our children will sing great songs about us years from now."

Richard Perle
Americans need to understand the intentions of these men. This is from one of the key neo-con voices. Even the PNAC website espouses these ideas. Total war - isn't that what we desire for future generations? And exactly who would we be fighting? Ideologies or people? Of course millions upon millions would have to die to realize their objectives. That, or surrender and convert. It's the old Ann Coulter line put into practice. All in the name of America - because we know what is best for you. I suppose next we will be at war with EastAsia, or was that EurAsia, for our enemies are just as shadowy and undefined.
Avg rating: (+8/-0 8)
walden3
May 24, 2007, 12:52 p.m.
"Here, next to Salman's tent, the men are building the biggest embassy in the world." another US foreign garrison that we'll be paying for forever. billions more drained from our limited coffers that could have gone to building schools, providing electricity, drinking water or healthcare.
are these people better off now? will they be in 10, 20 years due to our actions?
Avg rating: (+0/-7 -7)
contrast
May 24, 2007, 1 p.m.
((He sells souvenirs from Baghdad: ...prayer rugs on which the customary inscriptions in Arabic are replaced by images of the Iraqi and American flags.))
interesting. He wouldn't sell them if there weren't buyers.
Great find Jovial!
Avg rating: (+6/-0 6)
jovial
May 24, 2007, 1:30 p.m.
Things are so much better by some accounts, with the surge of troops in Iraq, here in the America. I think that these type of stories need a place in today's media. Critical thinking begins with opposing viewpoints.
Avg rating: (+0/-10 -10)
Stitches68W
May 24, 2007, 4:44 p.m.
Baghdad is truly a horrendous city. Just about every day we would find mutilated bodies in ways I do not even want to attempt to describe. In a sense, you start to wonder why a human being would do such acts to another based solely on different religions, sects, etc. Even now I wonder how, in America, that we have so many differences and are literally the "people of the world" converged together able to maintain peace. I guess it is quite imaginable to someone who has stayed in the States all their lives, but when you see for yourself the divide in other nations you present with yourself that understood question. As for the people of Baghdad, even with all the violence interrupting their daily lives, you will find an amazing resilience in which most Americans are unable to understand. You will find a market, which was bombed the day before with terrible loss of life, full as if it was always prosperous.
Avg rating: (+9/-21 -12)
Amazing1
May 24, 2007, 4:57 p.m.
Surely, Baghdad is worse than it ever was under Saddam. We should never have gone in. We should get out now. Yes, it will be a blood bath. But delaying only delays the bloodbath. And how many will die in addition to those who will die in the aftermath of our departure? The Iraqis want us to leave. And we should. And yet today, I heard Bush saying that we had been invited to stay. By whom? I thought we invaded. Doesn't our president need a reality check?
Avg rating: (+7/-0 7)
NelsonR
May 24, 2007, 7:25 p.m.
If Bush thinks he is doing a magnificent job in Iraq may I suggest a remedy for silencing his vocal opponents. Send Laura and his two daughters to Iraq and walk among the people of Iraq. Now this would appease the vocal majority in America and show the resolve George has for continuing the war.
We all know in the end, our Georgie will never allow this.
This man has no conscience.
Avg rating: (+0/-0 0)
ningyo
May 24, 2007, 10:07 p.m.
i would suggest the worlds most dangerous city is DC--followed closely by LA or chicago--you have a much better chance of being shot in a drive by than in bahgdad
Avg rating: (+7/-11 -4)
aceofspades1
May 25, 2007, 1:56 a.m.
Not exactly Club Med - imagine if we hadn't won the war three years ago.
Avg rating: (+6/-4 2)
Mr_Butterworth
May 25, 2007, 10:40 a.m.
this will all change once the roots of Democracy ...BLAM
Avg rating: (+6/-14 -8)
tiredofnonsense
May 26, 2007, 2:31 a.m.
For most of the past few years, the Government Center in downtown Ramadi, the seat of the provincial government, was under near-continual siege by insurgents, who reduced it to little more than a bullet-ridden bunker of broken concrete, sandbags and trapped marines. Entering meant sprinting from an armored vehicle to the front door of the building to evade snipers' bullets.
Now, however, the compound and nearby buildings are being renovated to create offices for the provincial administration, council and governor. Hotels are being built next door for the waves of visitors the government expects once it is back in business.
On the roof of the main building, Capt. Jason Arthaud, commander of Company B, First Battalion, Sixth Marines, said the building had taken no sniper fire since November. "Just hours of peace and quiet," he deadpanned. "And boredom."