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Obama Inauguration: The View From Iraq

January 20, 2009 3:42 PM

Television stations across the Middle East carried the inauguration of President Barack Obama live -- with one notable exception. Iraq’s state-run channel, Iraqiya Television, did not broadcast the ceremony. Its newscast, which aired at precisely the moment Obama took office, did not mention the change that will no doubt have a lasting effect on this country.

The United States has 142,000 service members in Iraq. Many watched on the Armed Forces Network.

A sea of satellite dishes covers rooftops across Baghdad and much of Iraq. Iraqis with electrical power could watch the powerful Arab news channels Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya. It’s no secret here that the future of the country will be shaped by the policies of the new American government, so Iraqis who cared watched as Obama became the 44th president of the United States. They know he has pledged to end the war.

The Iraqi government, however, is struggling to show its independence and leaders are anxious to show they govern a sovereign nation. Perhaps that’s why they chose to ignore the moment. They want the world to know the future of Iraq belongs to Iraq.

It’s a sentiment heard a lot recently from U.S. diplomats and military leaders. There is little disagreement among those who serve in this war. 

But an independent Iraq comes with a series of challenges for both Iraqis and Americans. The Obama  administration will now have the delicate task of making sure that the new Iraq can survive the legacy of its past.

January 20, 2009 in Mike Gudgell | Permalink | User Comments (11) | TrackBack (0)

How To Say Iraq

January 19, 2009 11:18 AM

By MIKE GUDGELL, ABC News, Baghdad Bureau Chief

I'm not a linguist. I'm not very good with languages. I have to admit, I'm still working on English. I can ask a question in French, but sadly, I rarely understand the answer. I do know some important Spanish phrases, including how to order a beer and ask for directions to the bathroom. One is useless without the other.

If I had one wish it would to be able to speak several languages.(Wish No. 2 would be able to sing on key.) I've tried to learn Arabic. Not being able to speak to the Iraqi staff has limited my ability to learn about their lives, and it has been an obstacle to covering the war. I suspect I'm like many of you. (Apologies to those who CAN sing on key)

But at least I know how to say "Iraq." If you are not sure whether it's "EYE-RAK" or "e-RAK," well, it's not your fault. It's neither.

Actually, it's "ae-rock."

The Arabic language has its own alphabet, and there are a few letters and sounds that just don't exist in English. One of the most impish tricksters is the letter "ein" or "ayn." It is a unique combination of a soft "a" and a soft "e" together. It's sounds like "ae" but goes deep into the neck and comes out as a throaty, constricted sound.

There's some risk in trying for the "ein." If you pronounce it with a hard "E" you are going to mean "fighting" or "E-RAK." If you say it with a soft "a" like the "a" in a-round, you'll be asking for fermented palm syrup, or "ah-Rak." If you drink that stuff the chances of pronouncing Iraq will be lost for hours.

You have to be careful not to focus just on "ein." If you don't hit the rest of the word, you'll turn "ah-Rak" into "ah-RAQ", which means sweat which could be accurate if you drank too much ah-Rak).

The military here has some of the worst offenders. I still cringe when I hear a Southerner who is used to hitting the vowels hard give a speech and talk about "a historic day in EYE-RACK."

The origins of "Iraq" are not clear, and the meaning of the word is the subject of scholarly debate. The top contender is a variation on the name of an ancient Sumerian City, Uruk. The favorite of many here is that Iraq is a form of the Arabic word for "many races." The combination has a certain irony in these modern times: Iraq -- an ancient nation of many races.

So if you hear someone talk about "Eye Rackees," the first thing you should know is that they are more like us than you'd think. They certainly have a well-developed sense of hospitality. I've never heard anyone correct Americans for mispronouncing the name of their country. The second thing you should know is they'd probably appreciate being called "ae-rock-ies."

They have another word I like, "Khalis." It's pronounced with a soft "k" and an airy "h," almost like "holis." It has a powerful combination of meanings -- done, finished, completed, gone, etc.

Let's start working on that one.

January 19, 2009 in Mike Gudgell | Permalink | User Comments (29) | TrackBack (0)

How Life Has Changed for Iraq's Christians

December 26, 2008 9:37 AM

By MIKE GUDGELL, Bureau Chief, ABC News Baghdad

They were shot, kidnapped and chased from their homes. Their churches were bombed and dismantled—often brick by brick. In a country where death and despair are commonplace the Christian population has especially suffered.

They are vulnerable. There is no strong militia or armed force to protect them. Many have fled the country, moved to the more tolerant north or hid in their homes. Most were afraid to worship or even reveal their faith.

This week many Christians in Iraq openly celebrated Christmas for the first time in years. The Iraqi Government declared a holiday—a first in modern times. It’s still a dangerous place for Christians but some see this holiday season as a sign of change in Iraq.

“We hope that the celebration of the Birth of Jesus Christ this year is a point of change for our country,” said Father Waseem to his congregation at the Our Lady the Savior Cathedral in Baghdad, “let’s pray to our Father to spread love and tranquility.”

There are overwhelming statistics documenting the decrease in violence. Numbers, however, don’t change behavior or have a lasting effect on perception. They don’t tell the whole story. It’s the small things that add up. The military calls it “atmospherics,” the anecdotal experiences that tell us that living here is different.

As journalists we see more than we’d like. It comes with the territory. There are faces of despair and anguish that refuse to fade. When I saw the face of Nadia, a young Iraqi woman who had just attended Father Waseem’s service, it was a very different image from those of the past. You could feel her happiness and relief. “I cannot describe how happy I am this year,” she told us.

This week I flew to southern Iraq in an Army helicopter. The last time I took a similar trip all I could see were abandoned farms, pock marked cratered roads and burning homes or vehicles.

I expected to see the same when we took off from a base near Baghdad. We flew first over the Tigris-Euphrates valley, one of the most fertile areas in the Middle East. This time the sun reflected off neat and orderly fields — irrigated and green. Long lines of hot house growing sheds dotted many farms. As we moved further south I could see shepherds with flocks of sheep and long lines of camels. Trucks and cars moved down the main highway. It was a change, a big change.

Every time I come to Iraq, five or six times a year, I see small differences. The airport used to be part chaos-part order. Human excrement littered the parking garage. The short road to Baghdad was one of the most dangerous pieces of asphalt in the country. The last time I arrived a new terminal had opened. The road has been cleared, the shoulders leveled and cleaned and the median has been groomed and planted with grass.

Further into Baghdad there’s a small turn around just outside the green zone on the way to the ABC News Bureau. The first time I saw this area it was a mud hole. The street and sidewalks were torn up. The blast walls along the edge of the check point were pock marked with shrapnel from a road side bomb that had damaged a Stryker armored vehicle. A year ago I noticed neat stacks of bricks on the sidewalk. The next time, to my surprise, they were still there. I expected they would be stolen. That last trip here they had been laid into the side walk. This time the street was paved.

Perhaps a simple church service, the smile of an Iraqi, neat rows of farms or a paved street mean nothing. Then again, maybe they are everything. It makes me wonder how Nadia will look next Christmas.

Mazin Faiq contributed to this blog.

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December 26, 2008 in Mike Gudgell | Permalink | User Comments (16) | TrackBack (0)

An Iranian Opposition Inside Iraq

December 22, 2008 12:25 PM

By MIKE GUDGELL, Bureau Chief, ABC News Baghdad

The fate of more than 4,000 members of an Iranian opposition group living inside Iraq is now uncertain.

Most live in the city of Ashraf, north of Baghdad. It’s an oasis in the middle of chaos. It’s a clean, “green” city with broad streets, fountains and bustling markets. Ashraf is a place that works. It’s safe and women hold important positions in a democratic form of government.  It is an Iranian city inside one of the most violent areas of Iraq.

The People’s Mujahadeen of Iran once had the support of Saddam Hussein. The MEK, the military force, fought against Iran in the long war between Iraq and Iran. Now the PMOI works to limit Iranian influence in Iraq and ultimately wants a democratic government in Iran that is “based on the goals and decisions of the Iranian people.” A representative told ABC News that the PMOI is the “best alternative for change in Iran.”

The friend of our friend’s enemy is our friend.

The Iraqi government has close ties to Iran and has repeatedly demanded that the anti-Iranian group leave Iraq. The government issued a statement today saying, “Staying in Iraq is not an option for them.” The U.S. government may share the goal of the PMOI but, like many countries, it has officially put the PMOI on a “terrorist” organization list. The United States can’t officially support a terrorist group even if it is dedicated to opposing the Iranian government.

The PMOI or MEK has an extensive web of informants in Iran. “The fact is we learned about the Iranian nuclear program at an MEK press conference,” said Congressman Brad Sherman.  He’s working to start a process to review the group’s terrorist label.

The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad would not comment on the problem but a source familiar with the situation called it a “multilayered life and death dilemma.” U.S. soldiers guard Ashraf but are preparing to turn the area over to Iraqi security forces.

December 22, 2008 in Mike Gudgell | Permalink | User Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)