Baghdad - the ugly truth behind the spin

FROM: Zalmay Khalilzad, US Ambassador, Baghdad

TO: Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State

SENSITIVE MATERIAL

The summary

Iraqi staff in the Public Affairs sector have complained that Islamist and militia groups have been negatively affecting daily routine. Harassment over proper dress and habits is increasingly persuasive. They also report power cuts and fuel prices have diminished quality of life.

Women's rights

Two of our three female employees report stepped up harassment beginning in May. One, a Shiite who favours Western clothing, was advised by a woman in her neighbourhood to wear a veil and not drive her car. She said some groups are pushing women to cover their face, a step not taken in Iran at its most conservative.

Another said people are harassing women to cover up and stop using cellphones. The driver who brings her to the Green Zone said he cannot let her ride unless she wears a headcover.

The women say they cannot identify the groups. Some ministries, notably the Sadrist controlled Ministry of Transport, have been forcing females to wear the hijab at work.

Dress code for all?

Staff members have reported it is now dangerous for men to wear shorts in public; they no longer allow their children to play outside in shorts. People who wear jeans in public have come under attack.

Evictions

One colleague beseeched us to help a neighbour uprooted from her home of 30 years on the pretence of some long-disused law. The woman is a Fayli Kurd. Such uprootings may be response by new Shiite Government authorities to similar actions against Arabs by Kurds in other parts of Iraq.

Power shortages

Temperatures in Baghdad have already reached 46C. Employees confirm that, by the last week of May, they were getting one hour of power for every six hours without.

By early June, the situation had improved slightly. In Hal al-Shaab, power has improved from one in six to one in three hours. Areas near hospitals, party headquarters and the Green Zone have the best supply. One staff member reported a friend lives in a building that houses a new minister; within a day of his appointment, her building had power 24 hours a day.

All staff pay for neighbourhood generators. One pays US$50 a month to get eight hours of power per day.

Fuel queues

One employee spent 12 hours on his day off waiting to get gas. Black market prices were now above 1000 Iraqi dinar ($1.1) per litre [the official, subsidised price is 250 ID].

Kidnappings and worse

One employee informed us that his brother-in-law had been kidnapped. One employee, a Sunni Kurd, received an indirect threat on her life in April. She took extended leave, and by May, relocated abroad with her family.

Security forces mistrusted

In April, employees began reporting a change in demeanor of Green Zone guards. They seemed to be more militia-like - in some cases seemingly taunting. One employee told how a guard held her badge and proclaimed to passers-by "embassy", a death sentence if heard by the wrong people.

Staff at high risk

Of nine staff, only four had family who knew they worked at the embassy. Those called after hours often speak in Arabic as an indication they cannot speak openly in English.

We cannot call employees in on weekends or holidays without blowing "cover". Some staff do not take phones home, as it makes them a target.

We have begun shredding documents that show local staff surnames. In March, a few members approached us to ask what provisions would we make for them if we evacuate.

Frayed nerves

Against this backdrop of frayed social networks, tension has risen. A Sunni female apparently insulted a Shiite female by criticising her liberal dress.

One employee feels "defeated" by circumstances, and is unable to help his asthmatic 2-year-old son who cannot sleep in the stifling heat.

Another employee tells us life outside the Green Zone has become "emotionally draining". He claims to attend a funeral every evening. He, like other local employees, is financially responsible for his immediate and extended families. He revealed that "the burden of responsibility and everyday threats weigh very heavily".

Staying safe

Staff say they daily assess how to move safely in public. Often, if they must travel outside their neighbourhoods, they adopt the clothing, language, and traits of the area. Sadr City requires Shiite dress and a particular lingo.

Since [the bombing of the Golden Mosque in] Samarra, Baghdadis have honed survival skills. Vocabulary has shifted. Our staff - and our contacts - have become adept in modifying behaviour to avoid "Alasas", informants who keep an eye out for "outsiders" in neighbourhoods.

Staff report security and services are being rerouted through "local providers" whose affiliations are vague. Safety depends on good relations with "neighbourhood' governments, who barricade streets and ward off outsiders. People no longer trust most neighbours. A resident of Shiite / Christian Karrada district told us "outsiders" have moved in.

The situation

Although our staff retain a professional demeanor, strains are apparent. We see their personal fears are reinforcing divisive sectarian or ethnic channels. Objectivity, civility and logic that make for a functional workplace may falter if social pressures outside the Green Zone don't abate.

- INDEPENDENT