Baghdad, Iraq
A devastating drought has left Iraq bone dry. Swaths of farm land have turned to baked dirt, drinking water supplies are threatened and to add to the misery, a massive dust storm has blanketed the country. All the dry land has opened up a treasure trove for archeologists, but they fear looters. NBC News' Steve Wende reports from Baghdad.
By Tom Aspell, NBC News Correspondent
BAGHDAD – No American military vehicles patrolled Baghdad’s streets for the first time in six years on Tuesday morning, as U.S. forces in Iraq finished withdrawing from towns and cities to bases in the countryside.
Iraqi army troops and police manned checkpoints in the Shiite area of Sadr City, searching cars for explosives and weapons. They can still call for American support if necessary, but Iraqis are hoping they can cope with the ongoing insurgency alone from now on.
As the midnight deadline for the handover of security in towns and cities drew nearer, Iraqis gathered in a park near the Baghdad Zoo for an outdoor concert to celebrate.
Pop singers entertained the crowds and there was a modest firework display. For many present it was the first outdoor celebration of its kind in recent memory.
In the Shiite slums of Sadr City, many greeted the departure of American forces with optimism. But Fouad Mohsen, who is 40 years old and unemployed, was cautious.
"I'm not too happy because the security situation is not ideal," said Mohsen. "I think the Iraqi forces are 70 percent capable of protecting us."
Taleb, 27, and also unemployed, said he already sees a decline in the security situation compared with just two months ago.
"I don't think it is the right time for U.S. forces to leave the cities," said Taleb, who declined to give his last name. "We still don't think the government is doing enough to help us. There is no work and no money."
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Couples who put their lives on hold amid Iraq's turmoil are rushing to get married and make up for lost time. NBC News' Cheryll Simpson reports.
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By Cheryll Simpson, NBC News Producer
BAGHDAD – Widespread violence is down across Baghdad, but not for one minority group.
Iraq’s gay population is being targeted by militia groups in a wave of killings that has claimed the lives of up to 25 young men and boys in the past month.
"They know I am gay. I don’t know if I am going to be killed, this is up to God," said Moyad, a 38-year-old Baghdad resident who would not give his last name out of fear for his safety.
Visibly frightened, he said that he has many friends who have been sadistically tortured, some even murdered. "They are sticking glue up their anuses; some hospitals refuse to treat them. Is it a war waged against homosexuals?" he asked.
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By NBC News’ Karim Hilmi
BAGHDAD – Many Iraqis are feeling optimistic about the future of their country as peace and stability seem to be making a comeback, six years after the U.S. invasion.
The security gains have allowed many people who were displaced by years of sectarian violence to return to their former homes and neighborhoods – or contemplate doing so soon.
Basil Yassen said the gains achieved in the past two years have given the Iraqi people renewed hope. He should know; the horrors of war touched his family directly.
He used to live in the Dora neighborhood of Baghdad, a former bastion for al-Qaida militants who killed his son, Ali, and his wife, Basima, in June 2007.
Their deaths were grisly. Both were tortured and placed in sulfuric acid before they were shot. Yassen only found their corpses 10 days after they were killed.
But now he’s confident that major strides made in Baghdad’s security will allow life to return to a level of normalcy.
"The stability has allowed many displaced families to return to their former neighborhoods and jobs," said Yassen. "Now, I can wander in Baghdad without the fear of being killed or kidnapped for my ethnic or religion or sect background."
An engineer in the Iraqi Naval Force in his late 50s, Yassen thinks that during the coming months Iraq will witness a "revolution" in construction projects, as well as progress in industry and agriculture.
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By NBC News’ Karim Hilmi
BAGHDAD – With President Barack Obama's announcement on Friday that the U.S. will withdraw its combat forces from Iraq by late summer of 2010, some Iraqis say they fear that such a move could lead to a resurgence of violence.
"Terrorists are just waiting for the Americans to leave the country in order to turn things upside down," said Ibrahim Salman, 55, a Baghdad municipality official.
Salman, who lost relatives and friends during the sectarian violence that raged across Iraq during 2005 and 2006, said armed groups could take advantage of the American military pullout to terrorize the country once again.
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| Erik De Castro / Reuters |
| U.S. soldiers take up position to secure the opening of a water treatment plant in Baghdad's Sadr City on Jan. 21, 2009. |
"I am against a hasty evacuation of U.S. troops from Iraq because security is not completely achieved throughout Iraq," Salman said. "The Iraqi police force and army still need more training, experience, intelligence gathering and sophisticated military equipment."
Obama explained during his speech at the Marine Corps base at Camp Lejeune, N.C. on Friday that while U.S. combat forces will be withdrawn by August 31, 2010, a force numbering between 35,000 to 50,000 American troops will stay behind in non-combat roles, with the final troops not slated to leave until Dec. 31, 2011.
"As we carry out this drawdown, my highest priority will be the safety and security of our troops and civilians in Iraq," he said.
Obama said the U.S. forces that remain after the combat mission is closed out will have a threefold mission: To train, equip and advise Iraq forces; to offer force protection for both U.S. military and civilian operations that will continue in the country; to engage in targeted counterterrorism missions either alone or in conjunction with Iraqi troops.
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By Karim Hilmi, NBC News
BAGHDAD -- Concrete blast walls and armed paramilitaries carrying AK-47 assault rifles still guard the street leading to Baghdad's Virgin Mary Cathedral.
But despite the danger that comes with being a Christian in Iraq, Father Azeria Warda Benyameen refuses to accept any bodyguards.
"I believe the mighty God is the supreme protector and He gives life and He is the only one who takes it," Benyameen says with a smile.
Benyameen, who is in his late fifties, is the church's senior priest. He offers sermons and services in Aramaic, the ancient language that drew fresh interest when it was featured in Mel Gibson's movie, "The Passion of the Christ."
Although he isn't convinced Baghdad is secure he refuses allow the terror attack to drive him out of the capital's Camp Sarah neighborhood.
"Security stability is not yet 100 percent achieved in Baghdad and government needs to exert more efforts to get rid of armed groups, murderers and sleeping terrorist cells," Benyameen said.
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By Richard Engel, NBC News Chief Foreign Correspondent
BAGHDAD – NBC News Chief Foreign Correspondent Richard Engel interviewed Gen. Ray Odierno, the top commander in Iraq, on Tuesday. The commander said he has briefed President Barack Obama via secure-teleconference and recommended U.S. troop withdrawals.
Odierno wouldn’t say when or how many troops could leave – if current stability continues – but that "a formal announcement" would be made "soon in Washington." The general said his assessment that reductions are possible was made before this weekend’s provincial elections in Iraq, based on the military’s assumption that the elections would go smoothly.
Cost cuts
Odierno also told NBC News a priority is now to cut costs in Iraq. He said the military has already started shipping some expensive equipment from Iraq back to the United States to save money. Odierno said the military is also taking a "good hard look" at its use of contractors. He added that reducing troops would further save money.
Odierno also addressed the issue of Iran’s alleged involvement in Iraq. He said he has not seen any let up in Iran’s activities in Iraq and accused Iran of continuing to train and fund militias.
Watch the highlights of the interview:
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Iraq is holding provincial elections on Saturday. The elections are expected to set the political landscape for the next several years and its expected to include the election of more women.
Learn more about Iraq's upcoming elections from NBC's Richard Engel:
Q &A on Iraqi provincial elections
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A new museum is being built in Baghdad, which will feature torture devices and 26 million documents related to Saddam Hussein's regime's crimes. NBC's Steve Wende reports from Baghdad.
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