Sunday
Nov152009
Iraq: An EA Correspondent Reports from Kirkuk
Sunday, November 15, 2009 at 10:47 
At the main Bazzar inside the city of Kirkuk, three languages are heard simultaneously, Kurdish, Arabic and Turkmani, not in that or any order. Here is the alleged site of the tomb of prophet Daniel, there is a Chaldean Church, here is the Talabani Takiyah and there is the ancient Citadel, here is the Shorjah neighborhood and there is the Rahimawah and Rashidawah neighborhoods and underneath it all 160 billion barrels of proven oil reserves, enough to supply the whole world for 160 years!While the security situation seems to be slightly better in Kerkuk these days, one still gets the feeling that this city is constantly awaiting its next bombing, everywhere you go, you see heavily armed policemen, wearing bullet-proof vests. On top of each and every police truck, a man in a helmet has his index finger on the trigger of a machine gun, waiting for an order from the officer in the front passenger seat to say "start fire." Police trucks penetrate through traffic with annoying sirens and occasional multilingual commands over loud speaks, ordering the cars immediately before them to make way or else...
There are no Americans to be seen, per the terms of the Status of Forces Agreement, SoFa, the Americans have retreated back to their bases and are called to duty only at the request and under the command of the Kerkuk police department, officially known as the Directorate of Kerkuk Police. Unlike the other police departments in Iraq, Kerkuk's is in charge of not only the city center but also the districts (in the rest of Iraq, the Iraqi military handles security in the outer districts). Kerkuk's outer districts includes the Sunni Arab district of al-Hawijah, which, despite the presence of an awakening council, continues to be, for the most part, a no man's land. Fighters of al-Hawijah awakening council have had their salaries cut after the security file was transferred to the Iraqis and according to one awakening council leader, the funds have not come in for two months! I could not help but wonder whether the Maliki government is intentionally irritating members of Kerkuk's awakening councils in order to stir things up ahead of the upcoming elections of which Kerkuk will take part. So I asked whether the al-Anbar awakening council members' salaries have also been reduced and the negative response confirmed my fears.
I sat there, puzzled: "Is this Kurdistan? Is this the heart of Kurdistan?" The Kurdistan I know and love has no terrorists, nobody wears an armored vest, nobody's church or mosque is protected by heavily armed policemen. The Kurdistan in which I live has no ethnic tensions, the Kurdistan in which I live, foreigners hail cabs as freely as they would in London or New York, they attend concerts, they even watch baseball and American football on large HDTV sets in Erbil's newly built T-Bar and Speed Center.
The naive person in me, the idealist person in me started to wonder, why would a Turkman or an Arab NOT want to be part of this prosperous and safe region and instead opt for this oh-so-tense status quo?
With that thought and with the bright flames of the Baba Gurgur oilfield behind me, I sped through the Kerkuk-Erbil highway and came back to Erbil, just in time to catch Dolphins-Patriots game, in which Patriots were, of course victorious!
Reader Comments (4)
First I would like to sat to you my friends I am desperately trying to make contact with you ..but the website keeps asking me what is 1 &2 ? I answer 3 and it is not accepted they shut me out ? then I say 12 ...they don't accept that ..I am 14 yrs old need need to tell people on here about things that are just not right . I am Iranian . so here is my message. If they try to delete my info I will find a way to reach my people and all precious God Loving Americans before it's too late !! HAIL NADA !!!!I HAVE TRIED TO GET ON HERE AND LEAVE A MESSAGE FOR YOU ....BUT NO MATTER WHAT I ENTER FOR TWO PLUS ONE EITHER 3 OF 12 ...IN NUMERALS IT IS NOT CORRECT PLEASE I AM 14 YRS OLD AND LIVE IN AMERICA MY PARENTS ARE FROM IRAN BUT NEVER TOLD ME ANY SPECIAL CODE SO WHAT DO I DO?I'M WONDERING WHY YOU ARE '''''''ENDURINGAMERICA''''''' ???????? WHAT >????WHEN YOU ARE LIVING IN IRAN ...SHOULDN'T YOU SAY ENDURING IRAN !!!? IF YOU DO NOT LIVE IN THE LAND....((MAYBE THATS YOU PROBLEM ..YOU ARE JEALOUS !!))) another '''SIN''' AND KNOW ITS PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY COME FROM IRAN ...THEN WHY WOULD YOU TRY TO TURN'''' YOUR'''' OWN PEOPLE AGAINST IT'S'''' OWN PEOPLE'''' ? AND AS WE KNOW THE ONLY SPIRITUAL FORCE WHO WOULD ''''TWISTS '''SOMEONES MIND THERE BY TRYING TO TWIST THEIR HEART AND THEIR BELIEFS TO '''CORRUPT'''...COULD ONLY BE AND COME FROM ''''THE DEVIL HIMSELF !!!!!!YOU MY DEAR IRANIAN PEOPLE ''''ARE BEING BRAIN WASHED BY '''THEE REAL EVIL '''' ONE WHO DOES ''''' NOT WANT'''' YOU '''' TO KNOW THE ''''TRUTH ''''OF WHAT ''' GOD WANTS ''' FOR US ''HIS CHILDREN ''''... THE DEVIL IS RULING IN OUR OWN HOMELAND IRAN ...AND TRYING TO ''
TWIST THE TRUTH''' TO MAKE YOU THINK IT'S ANOTHER COUNTRY TO BLAME FOR YOUR PROBLEMS '''''IF IT AS NOT AMERICA T WOULD BE ANOTHER SCAPEGOAT '''' AS THEY CANNOT ADMIT THEY ARE EVIL AND CHANGE THEIR WAYS SO IRAN CALLS OTHER PEOPLE EVIL WHEN IN FACT THEY ARE THE EVIL IN THE WORLD BY CAUSING SO MUCH TROUBLE AND DISCOURSE AMONG IT'S OWN IRANIAN CHILDREN . MY PRECIOUS FELLOW IRANIANS YOU ARE BEING CONNED BIG TIME BY OUR RIDICULOUS EVIL GOVERNMENT ...IT HAS BEEN TOO LONG FOR US TO ENDURE THEIR LIES ANYMORE FURTHER ALIENATING US FROM A WORLD WHO WANT TO EMBRACE US. EVERY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD IS WACHING AND I HAVE MET THEN ALL OVER THE WORLD ..THEY LOVE THE PRECIOUS CHILDREN OF IRAN ANS ARE DISCUSTED BY THE WAT THE LIES OF THE PRESIDENT ARE BEING SPREAD TO THEM AS FACY . THE PRESIDENT KNOWS HE IS LYING WE HAVE DOCUMENTS OF HIM WITNESSING ALL THE THINGS HE LIES ABOUT ..WE CAN PROVE ARE TRUE ,,,MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS I URGE YOU TO CONTACT ME AND PLEASE KNOW THE TRUTH AND STAND UP FOR THE TRUTH OF OUR GOD ...NOT THE LIES OF OUR GOVERNMENT ....THEY ARE FAKES ...PLEASE REMEMBER MY DEAR ONES HOW THEY GOT TO BE THERE ..IT'S ALL A LIE !!! DO WHAT IS RIGHT MY PEOPLE ...I LOVE YOU !!! THIS IS OUR CHANCE OUR GENERATION ..PLEASE STOP THESE OLDER ONES FROM DESTROYING OUR CHANCES IN THIS WORLD ..THEY DO NOT CARE ABOUT US YOU HAVE TO REALIZE THIS ...PLEASE ANYONE IN AMERICA AND IN MY COUNTRY IRAN AND ANTONE AROUND THE WORLD UNITED NATIONS PLEASE SAVE ME AND MY GENERATION !!!! I SPEAK FOR MY PEOPLE AND MOST OF ALL MY GENERATION WHO ABHOR THE EVIL PRESIDENT WE HAVE IN MOW IN IRAN BUT WE HAVE TO PRETEND WE LIKE HIM HE WANTS TO DESTROY PEOPLE AND LEAVE US NO WORLD TO LIVE IN .!!!
First I would like to sat to you my friends I am desperately trying to make contact with you ..but the website keeps asking me what is 1 &2 ? I answer 3 and it is not accepted they shut me out ? then I say 12 ...they don't accept that ..I am 14 yrs old need need to tell people on here about things that are just not right . I am Iranian . so here is my message. If they try to delete my info I will find a way to reach my people and all precious God Loving Americans before it's too late !! HAIL NADA !!!!I HAVE TRIED TO GET ON HERE AND LEAVE A MESSAGE FOR YOU ....BUT NO MATTER WHAT I ENTER FOR TWO PLUS ONE EITHER 3 OF 12 ...IN NUMERALS IT IS NOT CORRECT PLEASE I AM 14 YRS OLD AND LIVE IN AMERICA MY PARENTS ARE FROM IRAN BUT NEVER TOLD ME ANY SPECIAL CODE SO WHAT DO I DO?I'M WONDERING WHY YOU ARE '''''''ENDURINGAMERICA''''''' ???????? WHAT >????WHEN YOU ARE LIVING IN IRAN ...SHOULDN'T YOU SAY ENDURING IRAN !!!? IF YOU DO NOT LIVE IN THE LAND....((MAYBE THATS YOU PROBLEM ..YOU ARE JEALOUS !!))) another '''SIN''' AND KNOW ITS PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY COME FROM IRAN ...THEN WHY WOULD YOU TRY TO TURN'''' YOUR'''' OWN PEOPLE AGAINST IT'S'''' OWN PEOPLE'''' ? AND AS WE KNOW THE ONLY SPIRITUAL FORCE WHO WOULD ''''TWISTS '''SOMEONES MIND THERE BY TRYING TO TWIST THEIR HEART AND THEIR BELIEFS TO '''CORRUPT'''...COULD ONLY BE AND COME FROM ''''THE DEVIL HIMSELF !!!!!!YOU MY DEAR IRANIAN PEOPLE ''''ARE BEING BRAIN WASHED BY '''THEE REAL EVIL '''' ONE WHO DOES ''''' NOT WANT'''' YOU '''' TO KNOW THE ''''TRUTH ''''OF WHAT ''' GOD WANTS ''' FOR US ''HIS CHILDREN ''''... THE DEVIL IS RULING IN OUR OWN HOMELAND IRAN ...AND TRYING TO ''
TWIST THE TRUTH''' TO MAKE YOU THINK IT'S ANOTHER COUNTRY TO BLAME FOR YOUR PROBLEMS '''''IF IT AS NOT AMERICA T WOULD BE ANOTHER SCAPEGOAT '''' AS THEY CANNOT ADMIT THEY ARE EVIL AND CHANGE THEIR WAYS SO IRAN CALLS OTHER PEOPLE EVIL WHEN IN FACT THEY ARE THE EVIL IN THE WORLD BY CAUSING SO MUCH TROUBLE AND DISCOURSE AMONG IT'S OWN IRANIAN CHILDREN . MY PRECIOUS FELLOW IRANIANS YOU ARE BEING CONNED BIG TIME BY OUR RIDICULOUS EVIL GOVERNMENT ...IT HAS BEEN TOO LONG FOR US TO ENDURE THEIR LIES ANYMORE FURTHER ALIENATING US FROM A WORLD WHO WANT TO EMBRACE US. EVERY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD IS WACHING AND I HAVE MET THEN ALL OVER THE WORLD ..THEY LOVE THE PRECIOUS CHILDREN OF IRAN ANS ARE DISCUSTED BY THE WAT THE LIES OF THE PRESIDENT ARE BEING SPREAD TO THEM AS FACY . THE PRESIDENT KNOWS HE IS LYING WE HAVE DOCUMENTS OF HIM WITNESSING ALL THE THINGS HE LIES ABOUT ..WE CAN PROVE ARE TRUE ,,,MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS I URGE YOU TO CONTACT ME AND PLEASE KNOW THE TRUTH AND STAND UP FOR THE TRUTH OF OUR GOD ...NOT THE LIES OF OUR GOVERNMENT ....THEY ARE FAKES ...PLEASE REMEMBER MY DEAR ONES HOW THEY GOT TO BE THERE ..IT'S ALL A LIE !!! DO WHAT IS RIGHT MY PEOPLE ...I LOVE YOU !!! THIS IS OUR CHANCE OUR GENERATION ..PLEASE STOP THESE OLDER ONES FROM DESTROYING OUR CHANCES IN THIS WORLD ..THEY DO NOT CARE ABOUT US YOU HAVE TO REALIZE THIS ...PLEASE ANYONE IN AMERICA AND IN MY COUNTRY IRAN AND ANTONE AROUND THE WORLD UNITED NATIONS PLEASE SAVE ME AND MY GENERATION !!!! I SPEAK FOR MY PEOPLE AND MOST OF ALL MY GENERATION WHO ABHOR THE EVIL PRESIDENT WE HAVE IN NI HAVE TRIED TO GET ON HERE AND LEAVE A MESSAGE FOR YOU ....BUT NO MATTER WHAT I ENTER FOR TWO PLUS ONE EITHER 3 OF 12 ...IN NUMERALS IT IS NOT CORRECT PLEASE I AM 14 YRS OLD AND LIVE IN AMERICA MY PARENTS ARE FROM IRAN BUT NEVER TOLD ME ANY SPECIAL CODE SO WHAT DO I DO?I'M WONDERING WHY YOU ARE '''''''ENDURINGAMERICA''''''' ???????? WHAT >????WHEN YOU ARE LIVING IN IRAN ...SHOULDN'T YOU SAY ENDURING IRAN !!!? IF YOU DO NOT LIVE IN THE LAND....((MAYBE THATS YOU PROBLEM ..YOU ARE JEALOUS !!))) another '''SIN''' AND KNOW ITS PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY COME FROM IRAN ...THEN WHY WOULD YOU TRY TO TURN'''' YOUR'''' OWN PEOPLE AGAINST IT'S'''' OWN PEOPLE'''' ? AND AS WE KNOW THE ONLY SPIRITUAL FORCE WHO WOULD ''''TWISTS '''SOMEONES MIND THERE BY TRYING TO TWIST THEIR HEART AND THEIR BELIEFS TO '''CORRUPT'''...COULD ONLY BE AND COME FROM ''''THE DEVIL HIMSELF !!!!!!YOU MY DEAR IRANIAN PEOPLE ''''ARE BEING BRAIN WASHED BY '''THEE REAL EVIL '''' ONE WHO DOES ''''' NOT WANT'''' YOU '''' TO KNOW THE ''''TRUTH ''''OF WHAT ''' GOD WANTS ''' FOR US ''HIS CHILDREN ''''... THE DEVIL IS RULING IN OUR OWN HOMELAND IRAN ...AND TRYING TO ''
TWIST THE TRUTH''' TO MAKE YOU THINK IT'S ANOTHER COUNTRY TO BLAME FOR YOUR PROBLEMS '''''IF IT AS NOT AMERICA T WOULD BE ANOTHER SCAPEGOAT '''' AS THEY CANNOT ADMIT THEY ARE EVIL AND CHANGE THEIR WAYS SO IRAN CALLS OTHER PEOPLE EVIL WHEN IN FACT THEY ARE THE EVIL IN THE WORLD BY CAUSING SO MUCH TROUBLE AND DISCOURSE AMONG IT'S OWN IRANIAN CHILDREN . MY PRECIOUS FELLOW IRANIANS YOU ARE BEING CONNED BIG TIME BY OUR RIDICULOUS EVIL GOVERNMENT ...IT HAS BEEN TOO LONG FOR US TO ENDURE THEIR LIES ANYMORE FURTHER ALIENATING US FROM A WORLD WHO WANT TO EMBRACE US. EVERY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD IS WACHING AND I HAVE MET THEN ALL OVER THE WORLD ..THEY LOVE THE PRECIOUS CHILDREN OF IRAN ANS ARE DISCUSTED BY THE WAT THE LIES OF THE PRESIDENT ARE BEING SPREAD TO THEM AS FACY . THE PRESIDENT KNOWS HE IS LYING WE HAVE DOCUMENTS OF HIM WITNESSING ALL THE THINGS HE LIES ABOUT ..WE CAN PROVE ARE TRUE ,,,MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS I URGE YOU TO CONTACT ME AND PLEASE KNOW THE TRUTH AND STAND UP FOR THE TRUTH OF OUR GOD ...NOT THE LIES OF OUR GOVERNMENT ....THEY ARE FAKES ...PLEASE REMEMBER MY DEAR ONES HOW THEY GOT TO BE THERE ..IT'S ALL A LIE !!! DO WHAT IS RIGHT MY PEOPLE ...I LOVE YOU !!!OW IN IRAN BUT WE HAVE TO PRETEND WE LIKE HIM HE WANTS TO DESTROY PEOPLE AND LEAVE US NO WORLD TO LIVE IN .!!!
Angel Ray- you need to type the answer as a word, not numerals. I've just tested the contact form and it's working, but let me know if you're still having problems.
Angel Ray,
Write THREE and not 3.