permaculture

[Russ Grayson <pacedge@magna.com.au>]

For the interest of those planning aid operations or media work in Iraq, following is the latest report I have received...

BEGINS:
Situation report 21/7/03.

GENERAL SITUATION
1. Post-war Baghdad remains a dangerous place both for the US Army and Westerners in general, especially at night:

* the city is not considered safe by the locals any time after dark 
* the US has imposed a curfew which comes into effect at 2300hrs
* the usual times for attacks on the military are between 2200hrs and 0200hrs.
* there has been a marked increase in close quarter attacks against individual US soldiers and Westerners
* there have been RPG and grenade attacks against soft-skinned vehicles including those used by US contractors
* the airport road is particularly dangerous at the moment
* Friday is the worst day for attacks
* the week has definitely seen an increase in robberies and attacks on Westerners throughout Iraq.  

DANGER TO NGOs
The main danger to NGOs and visiting business personnel is the danger of robbery and hijack while travelling both in the city and especially on the convoy routes to Amman and Kuwait.

The main threat to Westerners in Baghdad emanates from the quantity of weapons held by the population:
* the average Iraqi family will own at least one AK47 for protection proposes
* the price of an AK on the black market has increased from $3 to $150 since the start of the occupation.

JORDAN-BAGHDAD ROAD
* the majority of attacks are still occurring on the road from Baghdad to Jordan
* a British news crew was stopped on the road about 20 km past the large prison outside Baghdad. A white Nissan twin-cab pick-up and a grey Mercedes were involved. The pick-up forced its way through the convoy and stopped the lead vehicle. The worrying thing about this attack was that the news team was travelling in a five-vehicle convoy but was still forced by the pick-up to stop. A very large man (face concealed) armed with an AK47 with lots of coloured wire bound round the weapon (probably to hold it together) threatened the driver and seemed to know the convoy would be carrying lots of money. He robbed the first three vehicles of money, phones and valuables.
* the area of most concern remains the Ramadi-Fallujah road out to Jordan where robbers are content to open fire at vehicles to stop them. A large American TV network had an incident there last week where they had two vehicles approached by two robbers, one armed with an AK47 and the other with a 9mm pistol. The robber with the pistol fired two rounds through the windscreen of the crew’s vehicle exactly where the driver’s head would have been if he had not ducked. He then followed this up by firing a shot into the engine compartment
* in one two-hour period, 4 of the 5 convoys leaving Baghdad were held up and on one occasion shots were fired. Descriptions of the attackers and vehicles were all different, suggesting different groups are operating in that area.  Military authorities are not interested in policing incidents or the route in question.

It is still believed that some of the local drivers working for the media are phoning ahead to give essential travel details to would be attackers including what the vehicle is carrying. This is a serious concern as it seems on numerous occasions that the passengers’ doors are being shot at and not the local driver’s side (some Western drivers have been shot at). 

ATTACKS ON AID AGENCY VEHICLES
Aid agencies’ food vehicles have also reported numerous attacks and reported that their tyres were being shot at in order to make them stop.
* three WHO (World Health Organisation) vehicles pulled up in the parking area at the border and as usual lots of locals, mostly children, moved in. As the Iraqi driver became flustered he got out of the cab and as he did so his mobile phone was snatched from his hand and the child was away. This has been happening at selected spots where locals are in abundance and the children are working in small groups to seek ‘selected prey’. 
* as also reported from Cloer International, the 550km highway between the Jordanian-Iraqi border and Baghdad has achieved notoriety among the many civilians who use the route to travel into Iraq. On numerous occasions humanitarian missions, diplomats, journalists and ordinary civilians travelling on the highway have been held up at gunpoint by heavily-armed gangs who ply the route in nondescript sedans looking for easy prey. Vehicles not complying with the order to stop have been shot at and at least two people have been killed and several wounded in these incidents. Those who do comply are lucky to ‘only’ undergo a strip search where they are liberated of cash and electronic equipment.

GERMAN EMBASSY CASE
A recent incident involving the German Embassy provides evidence that the bandits are increasing the level of violence along the road
* the German Embassy updated its security procedures for travel into Iraq, which now include the requirement to travel in armoured vehicles if possible with the support of a heavily armed GSG9 close protection team
* these precautions were put to the test when a convoy was attacked in the Ramadi region. Well aware of the danger, the GSG9 team was scanning the road for potential attackers when a Nissan Patrol overtook the convoy and then held steady in front of the convoy at a distance of 100 metres. A few minutes later the Nissan activated its hazard warning lights, braked and then turned sideways to block the road. Immediately the lead German vehicle saw gunfire hitting the asphalt to their front and side. The Germans quickly initiated their well-rehearsed plans: the convoy went into reverse at high speed while the GSG9 officers in the lead vehicle returned fire; the attackers opened fire as they passed the convoy, but the GSG9 personnel had enough warning to direct precision fire at the gunmen. It is unclear if the bandits were killed or injured, but they were stopped from continuing the attack. 

Since this report was received, there have many more attacks on different convoys and vehicles using that route, all of whom were stopped or fired upon by armed attackers. At present both the UK and US governments are playing down the overall threat in Iraq.

HYGIENE
All hotels are seriously sub-standard and the general hygiene of all aspects of cleanliness from housekeeping to food preparation is well below European/US standards. Malaria and cholera are still endemic to the area with post-war tainted water and mosquitoes being a big problem. The US Army will provide help but everybody entering Iraq should have medical evacuation cover as standard. This can be obtained from CEGA Air Ambulance or SOS organisations.

ATTACKS ON WESTERNERS
The new worry is surprise attacks on individual Westerners:
* on the July 5 a 24-year-old male journalist was walking along on his own in daylight when someone walked up to him and shot him in the back of the head and made off
* on the July 6 in daylight at the university as an American soldier was talking to students someone sneaked up behind him and shot him in the back of the head and in the confusion made their getaway.
  
These attacks are worrying to all Westerners at present as it is almost impossible to keep an eye in all directions and now they have got away with these murders out in the street in daylight Westerners will be even more concerned about operating in the area. These attacks can also happen when stopped at traffic lights if you are in a normal car.  If in an armoured vehicle ensure all windows are closed and doors are locked.

LATEST
American troops have pulled out of Najaf and left it in the hands of the local police force.
An unconfirmed report stated that two missiles were fired at an aircraft landing at Baghdad International Airport. One missile went under the aircraft and the other over it.


...END

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Russ Grayson
Media services:  journalism-print/ online/ photo
pacedge@magna.com.au  Phone/ fax: 02 9588 6931
PO Box 446 Kogarah NSW 2217 Australia
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