A Wreck Will Be Hard to Drive (Dahr Jamail in Baghdad)

[Barrett808]

A Wreck Will Be Hard to Drive
Dahr Jamail, Inter Press Service (IPS)

BAGHDAD, Jun 22 (IPS) The authorisation was in writing. Brigadier-General Amer Ali, the second most senior officer of the Iraqi Police had given IPS permission to interview officers inside the Asha'ab police station in Baghdad.

When I showed up at the police station, U.S. military police officer Schneider controlling the checkpoint at the front gate briefly glanced at the letter, then said: "The press is not allowed inside, so you have to call the CPA (Coalition Provisional Authority) for the information you need."

...

I asked CPA press spokesman Shane Wolfe how someone from the U.S. military police could override the written orders of Baghdad's Brigadier-General of the Iraqi Police. He replied: "I would just suggest you have the General meet you at the checkpoint. That will solve any misunderstandings."

Iraqis find this sort of disregard for their institutions and leadership deeply insulting. It leads even Iraqi collaborators with the United States to hate it. An email to Wolf requesting further information on jurisdictional matters brought no response.

(more)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/oneworld/20040622/wl_oneworld/6573886591087928282

[Atman]

1. Fitting metaphor...I drew this in April

[bahrbearian]

3. Thats pretty good, have you sent it in to anybody ?

[Mithras61]

2. Just one more bit of evidence that the handover...

will be a farce. We do not have now and never did have any intentions of letting the Iraqi people self-rule.