IRAQ: ONE YEAR AFTER THE START OF THE US LED WAR WHICH TOPPLED SADDAM HUSSEIN, BAGHDAD CITIZENS ARE WORRIED ABOUT THEIR SAFETY AND SECURITY

Record ID: 348115

  • Title: IRAQ: ONE YEAR AFTER THE START OF THE US LED WAR WHICH TOPPLED SADDAM HUSSEIN, BAGHDAD CITIZENS ARE WORRIED ABOUT THEIR SAFETY AND SECURITY
  • Date: 19th March 2004
  • Summary: BAGHDAD, IRAQ (MARCH 20, 2004) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SUNRISE OVER THE TIGRIS RIVER IN BAGHDAD CITY (2 SHOTS) WIDE OF BOAT SAILING IN RIVER LONG VIEW OF MARTYRS' MONUMENT (TWO DOMES) BUILT BY SADDAM/ CITY SKYLINE WIDE OF DOMED MARTYRS MONUMENT, NOW U.S. BASE WITH ARMY VEHICLES ON SPOT VARIOUS OF DAMAGED WALL MURAL OF SADDAM HUSSEIN VARIOUS WIDE OF NEW MONUMENT TO REPLACE SAD
  • Embargoed: 3rd April 2004 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BAGHDAD, IRAQ
  • Country: Iraq
  • Topics: Politics,People
  • Reuters ID: LVADBUVJR22M9FB3SW0N9BX5UEUV
  • Story Text: One year after the start of a U.S-led war to topple former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, the main concern for Iraqis is still security.
    A year ago today, U.S. soldiers and their allies launched a war on Iraq to topple then President Saddam Hussein, promising a new start for the Iraqi people. Saddam now sits in prison, the martyr's monument he put up in memory of those who died in his war on Iran is now used by U.S. occupying forces.
    The monuments and pictures which once glorified Saddam have been ripped down or shot to pieces. His statue in Firdous Square, pulled down by U.S. soldiers when they took Baghdad last April, has been replaced by a new monument meant to symbolise a new dawn for Iraq.
    There are still bombed-out buildings throughout Baghdad, but work is underway to rebuild and repair the damaged city. In some ways, the city has returned to normal. Traffic clogs the streets, satellite dishes line the rooftops, mobile phone networks have started to operate.
    But for most Iraqis, the progress means little. Their main concern is security, which is worse now then it ever was under Saddam. Blasts regularly echo through the city -- car bombs, rockets or mortars that have killed hundreds of innocent civilians as insurgents continue to fight the U.S. occupation. People are scared.
    "We have now lost our sense of security. There used to be security and this tea shop stayed open til one or two o'clock in the morning, but now we close at seven in the evening because there is no more security," said Ahmed Saleh as he smoked a water pipe in Baghdad's old Rasheed Street.
    Dozens of newspapers have sprung up across the country as Iraqis enjoy the relative freedom of expression now that Saddam has gone, but more often than not, their front pages carry the bad news of more bombings, casualties and unrest.
    Iraqis blame a lot of the new problems on the Americans.
    "The Americans are occupiers. They hurt people much more than the former regime did. We weren't satisfied with Saddam, and now we have them. The student has gone but in came his teacher,"
    said Ali Abdullah, a Baghdad resident.
    Iraqi traffic policeman Ali Salman said things have only got worse since the Americans invaded.
    " Til now we have gained nothing. The Americans have increased our suffering. Traffic is snarled and unemployment is rampant.
    They've given us nothing. They are occupying forces, who hurt us a lot," he said.
    The U.S.-led authorities in Iraq say things will get better as the new Iraqi security forces gradually take control of the streets. As Iraqis try to get on with their lives as best they can, police mount roadblocks, search cars and arrest anyone they suspect of trying to disturb the peace They have a huge task in hand. As the past year has shown, insurgents can strike any place, any time.
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