Baghdad, Iraq

Along the Tigris in Zafaraneeya.  This is the intake for a large water system in Baghdad.  The river is particularly low, from a combination of Turkish dams and drought. 

National Police in pickup trucks.  The marriage of an American truck and Soviet guns. 

National Police in 9-Nissan.

Some pictures of Baghdad from above.

Baghdad is a lot greener than I thought it would be.

This is probably because of the Tigris.  I'm told it was a lot greener decades ago, when the electricity and thus irrigation worked.

 

 

The water reservoir along the Tigris.

The International Zone (Green Zone) from above.

Iraq's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Date palms along the Tigris.

 

Back in the City of Baghdad.

Goats at a construction site in 9-Nissan.  There are herds of goats running all around the city.  They mostly feed on trash.

Speaking of trash, this is squatter housing right on the edge of the landfill in North East Baghdad.  Known as Shawra Um Jidda (SUJ), it is a political no man's land, largely unrecognized by the the 9-Nissan District Council, avoided by the police, and left to stew in the city's trash, right between Iran and Sadr City.

Traffic in Zafaraneeya neighborhood, in Karada.

Flooding in Karada, right outside the International Zone.  In the winter, flash floods are common.  With drainage systems overwhelmed with trash, dust, and lack of attention, the streets fill with water quickly. 

 

 

Karada Traffic. From 2008-2009 there was a near explosion in economic activity.  Once empty streets were overflowing with goods.  Foods, toys, appliances . . . the place very suddenly filled full of goods for sale with the increased security.

And traffic.  People going to work, people visiting families, days of religious marches.  Traffic became a huge worry for anyone trying to get across town.  For years, before 2003, imports had been tightly controlled.  When the walls came down, the cars came crashing in.  Thousands and thousands.

A young date tree bears fruit in the desert.  Despite a seeming lack of water, the trees produce these fruits every year.  Lately though, date production has been ravaged by bad government management (any management at all!), and a lack of pest spraying.