Stopped in Baghdad by masked gunmen

Wearing balaclavas and beige flak jackets, five gunmen marched in a line across the street I was travelling down in central Baghdad and trained their weapons on the approaching traffic to make the vehicles stop.
My feet went all tingly with fear – I’m not sure if this is a normal response to a scary situation but that is how my body reacts – and I yelled at the driver of my car to hit the brakes.
There was only one rather small car between me and these thugs, who turned out to be an Iraqi team of private security guards acting with impunity (as they so often do), rather than insurgents hunting for foreigners (as my feet had initially presumed).
This particular group was closing the road to allow a convoy of vehicles, carrying their politician or business tycoon boss, to pass with ease from a side street.
The driver of the car in front did not like the idea of being forced to stop by little more than local mercenaries so he revved his engine and edged forwards.
Big mistake.

The chief gunman went crazy, shouting abuse at the petrified-looking man.
Weapon trained, he marched over to the car, forced the driver to wind down his window and started to box him in the face.
It was all completely out of control and I just sat a couple of metres away (feet numb with fear by this point) waiting for gun shots to begin spraying in all directions.
Fortunately two of the other guards calmed their colleague down and pulled him off the poor driver.
They went back to their formation across the street and held the traffic for another few minutes (right in front of several Iraqi soldiers at a check point who did not bat an eyelid at this unauthorised hijacking of the road) before signalling for us to move slowly forwards.
The men then exited stage right into a couple of unmarked, armoured four-wheel drives and sped off.
Such a scene of traffic disruption (that incident happened in early August) is common on the streets of Baghdad, where armed convoys rule regardless of whether they are protected by soldiers, police or private security details.
Last week for example as I prepared to enter the Green Zone, masked gunmen in three creamy coloured Jeeps sprayed a side street with bullets to stop any car from pulling out as they drove past.
Again my feet went tingly and numb with dread.

(Picture: A US military patrol in south Baghdad)

Comments

[B Clark]

Why on earth are Female Western Journalists still operating in Bhagdad? If its for the news then - do Western Journalists get out of the comfort of the Green Zone and get in amongst odinary Iraqi citizens and ask them what their take is on the "American Occupation", and whether they see the Co-alition Forces as saviours of hinderers of any peacefull settlements between all the warring factions? And what of their own Iraqi Security Forces -- just how effective are they, and do they trust them?

[Mohamed S Ahmed]

During the time prior to the invasion/occupation of Iraq , if an incident similar to the one described happened ,the perpeterators will be called Saddam's thugs ! What name should be given to those you described ?

So has the life of the ordinary Iraqies improved ?

Make no mistake the whole folly is the greatest recklessness in human history, and it should not pass unanswered. Or is the mighty always right ?

[Dan]

Please, Mohammed. Get a grip, will ya? I suppose the Iraqis would still rather have Saddam and his "thugs" running the show, huh? At least Iraq now has a fighting chance for a better future, free from the totalitarian government, religious lunacy, and irrational paranoia that have caused the muslim societies to fall so far behind the rest of the world. The birth pains are severe, no doubt. But what is going on in Iraq right now is nothing less than the birth of a new MIddle East. Decades from now, people will see that George Bush was right, just as they saw Ronald Reagan was right in aggressively confronting communism.

[dilbert]

The news that comes back from Iraq doesnt even begin to show what is really going on over there.
You can tell when a reporter reports what is REALLY happening because they will be dead within two weeks for telling the truth.
How about this stupid so-called journalist leave the green zone and find the mass grave they have for all the illegal 3rd world mercenaries they are using over there? The last REAL REPORTER that found it was murdered.

[Mohamed S Ahmed]

To Dan

Did roland Reagan go and invaded soviet Russia and caused the early death of over half a million innocent people ?
All my argument based on the commonsense fact that if America wanted to help the Iraqi people it could have done without invading the country thus " kicking in " and unleashing all the still ongoing killings.
You want to know the reason for America going into Iraq ? it is not WMD or the oil ! it is not spreading freedom ; that is a lie only a naive like you will swallow.
It was for revenage , lowly reveage ! And shame on America for that ! Long live free dignified Iraq !

[A Forgetful Citizen]

Dan,

You obiviously have the same vision as our president who think he is a survivor of human race. However, the receivers doe not always feel the same. You may think you are doing them a favour but listen to people who actually lived in war zone(afghan) before you decide.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7013011.stm
"You and the Taleban come here for your own purposes. They behead us. You bomb us. Their faces are bitter. What do you expect us to do?"

War is the utmost evil, period.

Whoever brought out the war bears the responsibility towards humanity. I am sure even if Saddam lived to 100 years old, we don't have 670,000+ people dead, there! Not mention Iraq will setback at th least 30 years of progress. If are we really freeing Iraqis, why are they fleeing to other countries? Democracy does not seem proper for them.

[A Forgetful Citizen]

The freedom speech is nonsense when one looses his life already. Without security, it does not matter what kind of regime he is under because he is dead. I guess dead person cannot enjoy freedom of speech, demcoracy or such. Causing 670,000 people dead and couple millions more to flee thier home land and forced out of educations and hanging on their lives in a war zone is as sinful as genocide.

[Rhyno3rdSFG]

there was no need to invade Iraq. revenge? at the cost of almost 4,000 dead, 30,000 wounded. no, this is about money. oil money, contract money. Halliburton is up to its ears in iraq. they supply everything from gasoline to grub. who is connected to H-burton? thats right, Cheney and Bush. you know, the oil is running out. this is another reason for US occupation. we will be there for years. I been to Iraq 3 times, A-stan 4 times. not to mention p-stan, iran, syria..there is a war going on to subvert hostile gov.'s in the mid-east. to secure both countries, the aid from hostile regimes must be cut off. soon, bombs will fall on Iran and Syria. the Israeli's will smash Syria. we will annihilate Iran and thier capacity to wage a ground war with air-power and Spec. Ops alone. its coming...

[Lawrence H Racies USMC]

The US is not occupying Itaq. We are allies to Iraq.

Get it right Brits!

[Aaron]

I feel very sad for the people of iraq, I was a supporter of the war there but not any more.The violence and blood shed is horrific and unforgiveable, The western world have turned Iraq into a big hell hole than under saddam, it will never recover, The road to hell is paved with good intentions,GOD forgive us

[John Fryer]

As a scientist, I would like to see the scientists investigate the aftermath of the use of the weapons of mass destruction used on villages in Iraq.
A report during the Saddam regime indicated the problems still exist many years on.
What is the position today and who supplied these weapons of evil?

John Fryer MSc BSc Advanced Analytical Chemist

[David]

Dan,

I think Mohamed S Ahmed would be much happier if Saddam and his goons were still feeding people feet first into plastic shredding machines, or rolling them into burning tyres.

It is highly likely that Mohamed S Ahmed is looking forward to the day that he can do that to us

[Lawrence H Racies]

I did not post the comments found above on this blog stream. As far as I know, I am the only Lawrence H Racies, USMC on the planet.