THE IMPLICIT ALLIANCE:

Inside Sadr City (Pepe Escobar , 5/10/07, Asia Times)

Sadr City is a giant dormitory. Hussein says, "Baghdad would become a ghost city if people from Sadr City would not go there to work." He adds, "Sadr City has become the symbol of stability for Baghdad and Iraq. Many merchants in Baghdad come from Sadr City." Community life is indeed stable; this is a peaceful, harmonious dormitory. Hussein describes local people as "naive, they accept everything, they have a great sense of sacrifice". Residents confirm they feel secure inside Sadr City, but never outside. They are not in the habit of complaining; a common expression is Sali ala al-Nabi ("Pray for the Prophet"), meaning in the end everything will be all right.

Take Hussein Maheidel, from Amara in Shi'ite southern Iraq, who has been living in Sadr City for the past 30 years. He was a construction worker, but has been handicapped for the past 12 years because of a nerve problem in his back. All the best Iraqi doctors have left the country, so an operation might not be successful.

He has no pension to support his family of nine children. So he's being helped by the office of Muqtada, who pays his monthly rent of $100, a figure considered low in Sadr City. The average monthly rental for a house in the neighborhood is $750.

The Maheidel family lives in bleak poverty and sleeps in the same small room. But the head of the household is not complaining. He hopes his children "will not be workers, like myself". They are all in school; the unfortunate exception is his six-year-old daughter, who spends the day caring for her father (he walks on crutches). The expression of infinite sadness in her eyes is extremely disturbing. There are polite smiles in Sadr City - but the impression is they are directed to the foreign visitor. Resignation in sadness seems to be the feeling among most adults.

All of which is why the surge is directed at the Sunni, not Mookie.

Posted by Orrin Judd at May 9, 2007 12:00 AM