180 Days in the Green Zone

By Latif Al-Bayati

The book covers actual experiences and reflections through the diaries of a UN Staff Member stationed in the Green Zone/ also called the International Zone in Baghdad-Iraq. The original staffs mission was planned for 180 days, yet it was extended later to cover a longer period from January 2006 to September 2007.

It is a story about the daily life of the author, colleagues, and counterparts, national and international staffs working with the UN, other International Agencies, Diplomatic Missions, as well as officers, parliamentarians and employees of the Iraqi Government during tough times in an unstable country.

While all international staffs were not allowed to leave the well fortified and safe grounds of the Green Zone, except in very limited cases and when given prior security authorization always escorted with heavily armed professional military force, the author had the advantage and flexibility of residing inside the Green Zone, yet having at the same time the freedom, as an Iraqi national, to leave unescorted to the dangerous Red Zone. Therefore, he was in a position to reflect the tough and risky daily life of suffering Iraqis bearing the brunt due to security deterioration as well as other hardships and lack of basic needs and services.

Mentioning real names of certain, UN and Iraqi, high ranking national and international officials was necessary for the true credible sequence of events with no intention of compromising any one, but just to reflect the genuine happenings during that period of time, in the Green Zone, the Red Zone, and in Iraq, from the authors perspective about what actually happened in a story worth to be told.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Nov 25, 2014
• ISBN: 9781496993205

Latif Al-Bayati

He was born and brought up in Baghdad, Iraq, where he finished his education and first university degree; BA in English Language and Literature, 1st Class Honours . Then, he worked with national and international private sector companies and international organisations. He later pursued his postgraduate studies in London, where he obtained his MA Linguistics& Translation from SOAS- London University besides another degree, a Diploma in International Relations, from the same university. He worked for few years in London with the international trade companies’ sector before returning to Baghdad, where he worked with the United Nations. His work with the international organizations took him to various countries and cities including Baghdad, Amman, Tripoli, Sirte, Khartoum, Darfur, and to Europe. Despite the author’s numerous travels outside Iraq, he spent most of his life in Baghdad and witnessed the good and bad days including the years of Embargo, Conflicts, and Wars until the last Gulf War of 2003, which ended with the invasion of Iraq by the US and Coalition Forces. The author is residing presently in Switzerland and has previously published a short stories collection, in Arabic, and preparing to publish a similar collection in English. This book tells a story about actual experiences and life inside and outside the Green Zone of Baghdad during recent troublesome times in the Country and the Region. Author's contact e-mail: [e-mail]

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The views expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the United Nations, including UNDP, or their Member States

© 2014 Latif Al-Bayati. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 10/14/2014

ISBN: 978-1-4969-9319-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4969-9320-5 (e)

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Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter1. The New Job

Chapter2. From Amman to Baghdad Green Zone

Chapter3. The Diwan& Al-Rasheed

Chapter4. Meeting the Premier

Chapter5. The Parliamentarians & the Ceremony (Tuesday 4/4/2006)

Chapter6. Meetings in Baghdad and Amman

Chapter7. Short trip to London and Return to Baghdad

Chapter8. Meeting the Marines

Chapter9. Saddam’s Death Penalty

Chapter10. Kidnapping, Explosions& Preparing for the HDR Launch

Chapter11. Saddam’s Execution

Chapter12. More Explosions and Executions

Chapter13. Green& Red Zones’ Incidents

Chapter14. Trip to Amman& Return

Chapter15. Trip to Geneva

Chapter16. Trip to Interlaken.

Chapter17. Back in Geneva

Chapter18. Back to Amman and Baghdad

Chapter19. Amman- Geneva

Chapter20. Saying Goodbye

Acronyms/ Abbreviations

About The Author

DEDICATION

To the ordinary man, or woman, in the street who strives on daily basis to survive and to find a meaning for life despite all burdens, sufferings, and challenges, and to those who try to make a better difference even by just telling the truth about what’s happening in less fortunate parts of the World.

INTRODUCTION

I have thought that the mentioned experiences and recollections of more than 180 days inside and outside the Green Zone of Baghdad- Iraq, would throw light on important realities on the ground in and out of the famous fortified Zone with a personal touch mirroring what was happening in those 180 Days and beyond. I have tried to remain objective when touching upon matters related to the various factual characters involved in the narration whether International Officials, UN Staff Members, Iraqi Officials, and normal Iraqi people with whom my main sympathy rests because they did, and still, bear the brunt of the continuing abnormal situation in Iraq.

For readers who are unacquainted with the term Green Zone, it is a highly fortified region of several square kilometres area on the Tigris River banks in the middle of Baghdad- Iraq, part of which used to be the previous Presidential Palace plus the extensions of roads and buildings inhabited by the US and other Coalition Forces, US, UK and other Countries’ Embassies and Diplomatic Missions including of the EU besides some Iraqi Government Ministries and official departments, the Iraqi Parliament, and the United Nations Office represented by UNAMI (UN Assistance Mission in Iraq) at Diwan, also containing some Representatives from other UN Agencies on fixed or visiting basis and other Representatives of some Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) or Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) not to mention several private International Security Companies, US and other Countries’ Contractors and other entities some of which thought to be of Western or Foreign Intelligence Services. The Green Zone, also referred to as the International Zone, is considered as the safe haven in Baghdad, while all regions surrounding it are referred to as the Red Zone denoting their status as unsafe. Generally, most dwellers of the Green Zone are of International Citizenship. They are not allowed to leave the Zone except when extremely necessary or as part of their job, usually after getting prior security approvals and escorted by strong Military Convoy protection force before venturing anywhere in the Red Zone even for official visits. Iraqi Nationals working with the UN and other Organisations don’t reside inside the Green Zone but in the Red Zone shuttling daily at their own risk, which is considered by many as a sign of unfair discrimination between Internationals and Nationals who should get similar safe protection and consideration.

All characters are real, and I have tried to respect privacy details referring mostly to public information. I intended no personal offence to any of those who might assume that in some references as criticism or condemnation, since it is a presentation of facts the way they happened or reflecting my understanding and interpretation of what was actually happening.

I hope that this book will encourage other writers to expose more realities in and out of the Green Zone and the plight of the Iraqi people for a better future.

CHAPTER 1

The New Job

I was in London early January 2006, on a short personal trip, when I first received the United Nations’ offer for my new job with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the International Zone, commonly called the Green Zone (GZ), in Baghdad-Iraq. The security, or more aptly the lack of it in Baghdad and the Green Zone, at the time posed a real and immanent peril. It was then quite risky despite all fortifications and precautionary measures there. I had previously worked for the UN during peaceful times, and under some abnormal situations or disturbed circumstances, so I weighed the odds and eventually ventured to accept the offer, packed my bags, and flew to Baghdad via Jordan. Soon I received an e-mail from UNDP’s Security Section requesting me to proceed immediately to Amman to join on time the Security Awareness Training Course intended to prepare me, and few other colleagues, for the new job in a challenging work environment inside an unstable country.

I went to buy my air ticket from the Royal Jordanian Airlines’ Baghdad Office situated near the Palestine- Méridien Hotel. The area, embracing the Sheraton Hotel and other buildings too, was surrounded by high walls of concrete T-slabs for protection against possible explosions or mortar attacks. There was one check point at the outer entry post manned by Iraqi Security Police checking IDs, and a second inner check point controlled by American Military personnel. I passed through both check points after being subjected to mandatory inspection formalities including a body search. It took me more than one hour to reach my turn at Royal Jordanian (RJ) Airline Office and to eventually obtain my flight ticket.

On 21st January 2006, I proceeded in the morning towards Baghdad International Airport, about thirty kilometres from where I was staying. The Weather was so dusty that the airport authorities decided to postpone and later cancel several flights including my trip to Amman. The day and night ended as a very tiresome experience due to the bad weather besides absence of reliable information and proper services at the Airport.

There was no accurate information about the revised departure schedule for our flight. Initially, they said the plane would leave at night but several hours later they announced: It would depart the next morning at 8. 00 a.m. Some of the travellers decided to leave the airport before the start of the early evening Curfew, most of us opted to stay and avoid the risky trip back to the city and later the troublesome return to the airport early next morning.

I couldn’t sleep all night and many travellers, particularly women and children, suffered more because the seats were not comfortable, neither for such long sitting nor for sleep.

The plane didn’t arrive as promised but until noon next day after a short notice with verbal explanation that the delay was due to a dust storm, the plane had to be diverted from Basrah in the South of Iraq to Sulaimaniyah in the North before returning to Baghdad the next day to pick up the impatiently waiting passengers to Amman.

The travellers were tense and worried that the number of delayed passengers was in access of the available seats on that flight, and that it might not be sufficient, or that some of us will be left behind. An airport officer shouted that there would be enough seats for all, and therefore no need to worry. For some reason I doubted the veracity of his statement, thus proceeded to the first rows near the gate to be ready to pass and board with the first wave of travellers.

My intuition proved right when the gate was opened, and a certain number of travellers passed through, someone announced that the plane would be full, and the door was closed. Many protested loudly and some officer calmed them down saying that there would be a second plane to Amman, and that he would get everybody on that flight. The travellers still felt very frustrated because they had confirmed their bookings and were waiting for that delayed plane for more than 24 hours to find out that the promised plane was leaving without them. So the enraged passengers had to wait again with febrile impatience for a promise which might, or might not, be kept.

I passed through another personal and baggage security check before getting on the bus which took us to the plane, where a further body search was conducted by the Airline Security team. I finally reached my seat and didn’t really feel at ease until the plane started to taxi on the runway and take off.

The pilot flew his plane up in a corkscrew spiral or semi circular ascent to avoid possible missiles being shot at the plane from areas surrounding the airport from where some resistance and rebel groups were thought to target military and civilian planes. I sat by chance next to a colleague from the UN, and we chatted through the flight which took slightly less than one hour and a half to Amman.

When touching down in Amman at Queen Alia Airport, we waited a while before leaving the plane and got on the bus which took us near the Arrival Gate.

The Jordanian authorities kept the bus doors closed for a long time before eventually opening them to allow the travellers coming from Baghdad to pass through an additional Security and Electronic Check before proceeding to the Main Arrival Hall.

At the Immigration Desk, there was some delay but later the officer facilitated my passing through after checking a valid British Residence on my Iraqi Passport. I left the Airport heading to town and eventually reached the Gardens Quarter, where I had already booked a small but convenient flat. I rested that night thinking of the Training Course to start on the next morning.

I left the next day to Hamza Complex in Amman, where the course was to commence in collaboration between the UN and the International Migration Organization (IMO).

The course started with theoretical lectures by specialized teachers/ instructors. A Scotsman was covering the Communication Lessons on related devices such as personal mobile sets and Walki-Talkies or the Vehicle mounted communication equipment.

A Swedish lecturer covered the Security Awareness in special and dangerous situations faced by the UN staff in the field, be it in Iraq or similar risky places. There was another British lecturer, of Asian origin, teaching First Aid and measures to be taken in cases of Accidents and Emergencies along the road or in consequence of sudden explosion There was another Jordanian lecturer advising on local Customs and Culture and how to deal with the local nationals accordingly.

Courses for the first two days were from 7,30 a.m. till 6.00 pm including theoretical and practical lectures, which also covered oral and written tests followed by field training outside the city of Amman in a special semi military camp especially prepared for training purposes.

Next morning, we gathered at the basement- garage of the building where several Land Cruisers were parked. We were divided into groups with a Chief, an Assistant, and a Communication Officer in each vehicle having wireless and communication contacts among the convoy vehicles. The convoy was led by the instructors in their vehicle. Each trainee had his set with his special call sign for communication along the road. The convoy moved out of town, and after some 60kms or so there was a diversion to a side road leading to the Training Camp area.

The instructors asked us to leave the vehicles for a while and listen to their instructions in the nearby parking lot. We were told that fake explosion devices/ bombs would be planted in our vehicles and each had to search and find those devices before proceeding to the next point.

When the groups returned to the vehicles, we found several planted devices and took them out to our instructors. However, the explosives’ instructors uncovered more devices planted in each vehicle meaning that all our vehicles would have been blown up! This taught us the lesson of not leaving the vehicles unattended, also to close and lock all doors besides windows, and more important to search the vehicle thoroughly before entering it and driving on.

Afterward, we were asked to proceed in our vehicles to the first check point leaving distances among us, letting the first vehicle of trainees pass through inspection before the second and third could advance.

There were military personnel at the check point. They harshly asked the passengers to get off their vehicle with their hands raised, and to kneel down lowering their heads without any movement or talk. The soldiers behaved intentionally in a rude manner, which led to irritating some trainees making their inspectors press harder against them asking everybody to step aside for a thorough body search. Some were asked to take off part of their clothes, empty their pockets, and were spitefully questioned about the papers they were carrying. It was a tiresome experience for most trainees. The aim was to prepare them for similar incidents, which they might face during their work in Countries like Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.

Everybody sighed deeply after passing that