Iraq security situation , the New Far West

The latest kidnappings brought attention to Iraq, which has become the land of big adventure by all accounts. It is the most dangerous for its citizens, let alone foreigners. There are countless incidents of bomb attacks, which daily make the news but go unnoticed as people have become weary of the continuous bloodshed without any end to it in the horizon. The Far West in the USA was a dangerous land, at least as it was portrayed in movies. It took a lot of courage to get there as there were risks of attacks from the Red Indians (fighting for their land) as well as from gangsters who set all kind of ambush to anyone in sight.

Now in the 21st century the scenario is being repeated in Iraq. As in the Far West the risk was taken to get hold of gold and other riches, not to forget the vast lands, the New Far West (Iraq) is becoming a land of speculation and adventure for contractors as in the long run their investment can bring them the benefits of the black gold Iraq possesses in vast quantity.

There have been countless incidents in which Iraqis queuing for a job in the police forces, makeshift jobs or whatever were the victims of deadly attacks. Death seems to be one of the responses Iraqi workers get for their applications for a job - be it with the government or with particulars. It’s dreary to live in a country where even the needy are a target of attacks simply because they belong to a section of society whose enemies want to inflict on it any possible damage out of revenge or to spread terror among its members. It’s no wonder if big contractors are the target of attacks or kidnapping. They become a strong card to play for settling many issues.

There have been “heroic” attacks even inside the green zone, in the parliament, ministries and mosques. So it seems Iraq has no safe place, especially in Baghdad, the area where there is a concentration of foreigners of all kinds. This put in question the level of security in Iraq as those in charge of security are infiltrated by militias and other groups. This put in question to what extent security forces can be trusted at the highest level. There can be the risk even of security personnel acting as double agents, ostensibly working for the government but at the same time acting as facilitators for those who get deep into the green zone.

Maybe Iraq will go down in history as a land for adventure, getting in it and out of it safely must be seen as an achievement. But the situation in it won’t deter speculators and adventures. In it, they can relive and have the taste of the Far West that exists just in movies. When the situations returns to normal, they can reap the rewards for what they have endured. Who knows, one day Iraq skies will be shining with fireworks in celebration instead of the choking smokes from bombs. That's just a dream!

At 04:54 PM on 30 May 2007