Iraqis' lives are "cheap as sheep"

[babylonsister]

McClatchy: Inside Iraq
It isn't just outside security contractors that are dangerous in Baghdad, but protection from Iraqi officials is necessary. One of our Baghdad correspondents runs into a dangerous situation at a checkpoint and comes to the conclusion that Iraqi lives are 'cheap as sheep.'


http://washingtonbureau.typepad.com/iraq/2007/10/cheap-as-sheep.html

October 07, 2007
Cheap as Sheep

Coming back from Fallujah to Baghdad is not the favorite route for me… any way we worked on Black Water story and traveled through Al Anbar to the borders... long week.

Arrived to Al Mansour area and we were driving in peace, suddenly men in a parking; white 4 wheel drive Nissan took out their Kalashnikovs as their car started to move…

The man behind the driver seat from his high position pointed his weapon to my head trying to stop our car from moving to make a space for their PARKING car on the side road… NOTICE they can not wait for three seconds to move normally.. any way I saw that weapon pointed to my head and the man carrying it yelling STOP, STOP, I AM TELLING YOU STOP…

snip//

Who are they? I pointed to the car driving away…

Why? The soldier replied as he was smoking (many of Baghdad residents are not fasting)

Is every thing alright? He said.

Because they were about to kill us and I want to know who they are? You saluted them!!! I said to him…

They are Chalabi people and I swear to God if you told me before they pass the checkpoint I would have stopped them…

I thanked him and left the place and all what all what I was thinking in was:

If foreign protection companies have killed people these officials’ protection convoys killed also few meters ahead I stepped down from the first taxi to find another taxi (we do that as a security precaution, take more than one taxi); a bullet broke the relative calmness in the area as someone of the government or political parties was passing… another bullet from the guards.

My people’s blood is cheap for the private protection companies and others because our leaders think the same way… cheap as sheep.

[EFerrari]

1. I can't figure out who wrote this.

There was a wonderful McClatchy reporter on WJ last week -- all I can remember is that her first name was Leila. She said she'd have a story coming out soon -- might this be it?

[babylonsister]

2. Per McClatchy, the bloggers' identities aren't revealed for security reasons:

"Inside Iraq" is a blog updated by Iraqi journalists working for McClatchy Newspapers. They are based in Baghdad and outlying provinces. These are firsthand accounts of their experiences. Their complete names are withheld for security purposes.

[redqueen]

3. But we can't stop it... no... powerless... and we'll keep troops there...

for years.

Cause that's a GOOD PLAN!

:crazy: