Baghdad: Life goes on

[redman]

Might this not be a credit to the precision of our bombing and the humanity of our forces that Iraqi citizens can live more or less normally in Baghdad during this crisis? Fascinating, BTW, that the article failed entirely to address that point.

Old habits die hard in wartime Baghdad

2 hours, 18 minutes ago Add Mideast - AFP to My Yahoo!

BAGHDAD (AFP) - They wake up to the muezzin's call to prayer, shop at the same bakeries and markets, and seek whatever peace they can at the cafes.

Missiles and bombs may be raining down on the Iraqi capital as US-led forces mount a second week of war, but Baghdadis are obstinately clinging to their habits.

Calls for prayer coming out of hundreds of mosques across the city end a night's sleep interrupted by the scream of air raid sirens, the boom of explosions and the cries of terrified children.

City workers are at the job first thing in the morning, picking up the debris strewn on the streets or left at building entrances. Not even the shock of the first day of bombing kept them away.

Buses and cabs are not long to follow. "Despite the war, you'll always find a way of moving around. We're not scared," said driver Ali Hussein.

Queues start forming in front of bakeries, where Baghdadis fetch their morning bread, or "samun". Baath Party militiamen, soldiers and police who spent the night in trenches or behind sandbags hurry to small shops for a cup of tea as they wait for their replacements.

Markets come to life. Souk al-Arab, a wholesale food market, brims with produce.

"We store our products at home and bring part of them every day in our trucks," said Mohammad Aziz, a soft drinks supplier.

"We have stocks to last several weeks," he smiled.

By midday, traffic jams are blocking the streets and drivers are honking their horns with the usual fury. Shops are closed but sidewalks still offer a display of items as varied as sandals and TV antennae.

In Souk al-Ghazal on Jumhuriya Street, birds and cages are selling well, as are fish and aquariums.

"The children are at home. You must find a way of keeping them busy," Umm Mohammad explained.

Schools have been shut since the US-British war on Iraq (news - web sites) began on March 20.

At the stationery quarter in Souk al-Saray, the oldest market in town, Najm Rahim says marker pens for drawing are his most popular item nowadays.

But with government offices and many private establishments closed, children are not the only ones looking for a pastime.

"I visit friends or family, we watch television," said Tareq Adib, a carpenter who sat at his doorstep holding his worry beads.

Cafes are the men's favorite spots. At Al-Zahawi's on Rashid Street, customers play backgammon or dominoes while sipping tea.

"There's no room for a man at home during the day. Here I can relax," said Shaker Mohammad, a 46-year-old mechanic, as he puffed a hubble-bubble and stared into space.

The place has been busier since the war started, explained the owner of the cafe which boasts of being more than a century-old.

"We are open from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.," Qais Abdul Gabbar said.

At sundown, the city comes back to life for a while. Some shops open for a couple of hours, restaurants serve their last customers, barbers are at work and youngsters play their last game in billiard clubs or buy music cassettes for the night.

And when the night sets in, Baghdad remains lit. Only a few intrepid drivers venture out as Baghdadis go to sleep to the defeaning sound of bombs