Protest in Baghdad as US tries to restore power, water

Hundreds of Iraqi police and other civil servants responded to US calls broadcast by radio to meet in Baghdad on Sunday as part of efforts to resume order and key services to the capital.

But scores of residents protested in central Baghdad, angry that power and water supplies were still disrupted. Some accused US forces of being concerned only about oil rather than getting the country back on its feet.

Time is of the essence for US troops after looters smashed up public buildings, shops and factories following the collapse of the Iraqi government in Baghdad, with frustration mounting among civilians.

"They have operated some of the oil facilities, but they are not operating the power and water systems because they are just after the oil," said 42-year-old civil servant Ali Zuhair.

Mazen Mohammed, 39, a taxi driver, said Baghdad residents just wanted to live in peace now that US-led forces had toppled Saddam Hussein.

"Where is the electricity? Where is the water? Why is there all this mess? It would have been better if Saddam had stayed in power," he said.

In a separate location, one senior US officer tried to organise those who had heeded calls by US-led forces via radio to meet at the Al-Wiyah Club in the centre of the city to receive instructions.

Baghdad police, fearing they would be mistaken for combatants, had quit their patrols and stayed at home.

They joined health workers, electricity and water ministry employees and others to register for work, in cooperation with the US troops now controlling Baghdad, where most people have been without water and electricity for many days.

The gathering even caused a small traffic jam for the first time since the war began on March 20.

"Listen to the radio. Don't try to watch the television, it's not working," another Iraqi official told the civil servants who wanted more information about what to do.

The Iraqi radio waves have previously been used by US forces to appeal to remaining Iraqi troops to give up fighting and go home to their families.

Iraqi officials at the meeting said police should gather on Monday at the police training college, health workers at a hospital and electricity workers at one of Baghdad's power stations. There they would be assigned duties.

US Marine Major David Cooper told reporters that civil affairs teams, responsible for key public services, would be working with middle-level Iraqi workers involved in operating the services rather than higher-ranking directors.

He said only police from the criminal and traffic departments would be involved, not special or security police.

"We are hoping to have them on the streets very soon, hopefully tomorrow (Monday)," he said.

But it may not be an easy job for police to return order when few Iraqis respect a force they accuse of taking bribes or cooperating with Iraq's multitude of intelligence services during Saddam's 24 years of brutal rule.

Nazir Nasir, a biomedical engineer, said as he carried around a list of health workers who had signed up to return to work that residents had organised patrols in his district of Baghdad in cooperation with the local mosque to prevent looting and deter militias, who have wandered around some residential areas with AK-47 assault rifles and other weapons.

He said the patrols, armed with some personal weapons, had liaised with the US troops in his area so that they would not themselves be mistaken for militias.

- REUTERS

Herald Feature: Iraq war