Diary of Saad Eskander (3)

Diary for the Period 15-28 February 2007

Thursday 15 Feb., my driver and my guard were not able to pick me up in the morning, as most of the roads and bridges were either jammed or closed by the National Guards. My driver and the guard both live in al-Jihad district, which is near the Baghdad International Airport. It takes them 40 to 50 minutes everyday to pick me up from my home.

I had to go to my office by a taxi, although I knew it was not wise to do so. I also knew that the driver, and the guard and my wife would not be happy to see me going to work by a taxi. Everybody here is afraid of kidnapping. I am certain that tens of people have been kidnapped daily since early 2006.

I got into a taxi, after five minutes waiting. I saw many checkpoints in my neighbourhood, a view that makes many people very happy in Baghdad. The taxi driver began to talk, expressing his deep resentment of the checkpoints, claiming that they badly affected people's life. He claimed that he was a former army officer, and that he his comrades killed hundreds of US soldiers in the western desert, where he was serving at the beginning of the Coalition Forces' invasion of Iraq. I was sure that not a single US soldier was killed in that part of Iraq, and that the US Army lost less than 40 soldiers during the invasion. He also claimed that the Americans injured him in his hip. At one checkpoint, the National Guards ordered us both to get out of the car. We were body searched. The car was searched too. The National Guards were uncharacteristically very polite. I got to the NLA after five minutes, as the driver used a dangerous shortcut (i.e. Bab al-Mudham Road, in which the ends of three dangerous streets meet: Sheikh Omer, al-Kifah and al-Jamhoriyah.)

I soon noticed that a US fighter was flying low above our building. I took one picture of the fighter, as it was manoeuvring in the sky. I stayed in my office until 12.00. I read all the e-mail and finished all my paperwork. Before leaving the NLA, I asked the rest of the staff to go home, before the National Guards close the remaining roads and bridges.

I was invited to attend a concert that will be held in al-Rashid Hotel (within the Green Zone) on Saturday afternoon.

Friday 16 Feb., Since 2005, the government has banned the movement of all civilian vehicles between 11.00 and 15.00. It is precautionary measure designed to protect Shi'i prayers. Today, the most dangerous city in the whole world seems very peaceful. The National Guards began to break into some houses, arresting suspected people and confiscating their cars.

I received unconfirmed information concerning the murder of our librarian. From one source, I leant that the librarian was married to a Sunni woman, and that he converted from Shi'ism to Sunnism soon after the wedding. He even adopted the surname of his wife, i.e. al-Dlami, which a Sunni region and a large tribal confederation. He was born in 1959, and had four children.
Now the Sunni tribe of the librarian's widow demand considerable financial compensations from the killers or they will take law into their own hand (i.e. killing the killers). The tribal chiefs have recognized the persons who killed the librarian. The compensation will be paid hopefully to the widow and her children.

Saturday,17 Feb., National Guards and the Special Units of the Ministry of Interior could be seen everywhere. It was a wonderful day, because I could not hear a bomb explosion for the first time since mid-2006. The statistics of the Ministry of Interior showed that the level of terrorist attacks and communal violence went down sharply by 80%.

But I was worried about my two weapons, a pistol and a Kalashnikov. The Commander of a Battalion, which has stationed in our area since last Tuesday, advised me no to carry weapons, if they are not authorised by the Ministries of Interior and Defence. The National Guards and the Police would confiscate my weapons even if they are authorised by the Ministry of Defence. For us, directors, it is vital to carry some weapon for self-defence purposes. So far, two of the Ministry of Culture's director generals were murdered. Several attempts were made on the lives of other directors general and deputy ministers of culture. In early 2005, my car was ambushed in the infamous Haifa Street. We, my guards and I, were very fortunate not to be killed. We went to the Street in search of one of our drivers, who had been kidnapped along with his car by an armed group. He was released later, after they beat him up and looted his belongings. My close friends and colleagues told me off for being too reckless.

In the evening, I told my driver and guard to bring their guns with them so that we could place them in my office along with my own guns.

Sunday, 18 Feb., the morning time was quiet; no explosion nor exchange of fire. The road traffic was heavy. It took us three minutes to go the INLA. The check-points we passed through increased. Unfortunately, in the afternoon, a market and a checkpoint were attacked by three car bombs. As a result, one police officer and many children and women lost their lives. Despite this sad incident, people were still optimistic. Most members of the INLA's staff are happy to see the National Guards, the Special Units of the Police and the US Army on the street.

In my way to home, a National Guard stopped our car, asking if we carried arms with us. We said no. He affirmed that, if you had had arms, he would have confiscated them immediately, even if we had an official authorisation from the Ministry of Culture. I said that I was one step ahead of him, as I put all the guns in my office. He laughed and waved good by.

I learnt that day that the National Guards broke into al-Fadhel area, looking for and arresting suspected people. Some shops reopened in the area. The Bab l-Mudham round-about looked busier than before.

19 Monday Feb., the road traffic was getting worse, as the National Guards and Police Special Units increased the number of check-points. US armed vehicles were moving in the opposite direction. US army setups temporary checkpoints, whereas Iraqi army builds permanent checkpoints.

I had meeting in the Ministry of Culture. I asked another DG to pick me up in his way to the Ministry. We tried to reach the Ministry via al-Shuhada Bridge. But the bridge was closed, like some other bridges. So, we were forced to use a long route. We needed to cross al-Sarafiya Bridge, and then pass trough al-Haiffa Street. As we drove, we noticed that four or five cars were in al-Haiffa Street. It seemed that most people were still afraid of being ambused by the armed men, even though the National Guards the Police Special Units have imposed their control on the Street completely. They setup several checkpoints, at which the drivers and their passengers were asked for their license and identity cards respectively, and sometime they would be ordered to get out in order to be body-searched.

We, my fellow director and I, were both members of some committee, set up by the Minster to redistribute the former employees of the Ministry of Information. The latter was dissolved by the Provisional Coalition Authority (CPA), as a part of its policy to dismantle the Old Iraqi State. We have a difficult task ahead of us, as we required studying the CV of 1400 people, before we could make a decision. We agreed that the best way was to ask each directorate to make a detailed list of its needs for new employees, so that we could send the right people to the right places (i.e. according to their qualifications and expertises). At the end of the meeting, we decided to meet again next week, if we the security situation permit.

Before going to work, I arranged to send my wife and son by my car to a special clinic in al-Karradah district, where my little son could be vaccinated. Around 9.30, one of our guards said that he heard that car bomb went off in al-Karradah. I was a bit worried, and so I quickly contacted my wife to see if she and my son were safe. She said that they were inside the clinic and that they were not aware of the car bomb attack. I learn from some TV the subtitles that a bomb which was planted in a public transport (a mini-bus) exploded in al-Karradah, killing and injuring 15 innocent people. From the TV news bulletin I learnt that two other bombs exploded in al-Za'faraniya district in Baghdad.

Some of the main newspapers and Hurrah TV subtitles made reference to my interview with one of the Reuters's reporters, in which I said that the most precious part of INLA's collections was looted by professional thieves. It is ironic that our national newspapers resort to foreign news agencies to make its readers aware of what happened to the INLA! An Iraqi Radio Reporter from al-Iraq al-Hur (Free Iraq), based in Prague and funded by the US government, contacted my office, hoping to interview me regarding my statement to the press.

Tuesday 20 Feb., it was a quiet day at the INLA. Some US helicopter flew over our building. The INAL’s accountants took all the necessary steps to ensure that the monthly salaries would be distributed on Wednesday. The Iraqi reporter again, and I informed him that I was ready to meet him. I was asked a series of question about the destruction of the INLA, and the extent of damage inflicted upon our library and archive collections. The Interview lasted just 5 minutes.
Many Shi'i families, who had been forced to leave their house, returned to al-Fadhel area. This was a good sign that the security situation was under the control of the National Guards.

A suicidal attack in our street (Shar'a Falastin or Palestine Street) caused the death and the injury of several innocent people. The Prime Minister visited the Street few hours before the attack.

Wednesday 21 Feb., the monthly salaries were distributed. There has been no rise in the salary this month too. The government promised last year that it would increase the salary of most of state employees, whose grades are between four and 10. The rise will be between 50% and 60%. Naturally, most of my staff, who are on low income, were truly disappointed. The prices of basic commodities and fuel are rising, while the salaries remained the same; and when the state rises the salaries, the merchants of the black market will increase immediately the prices of their commodities. There are no regulations whatosever to protect the consumer or the poor, as if we are in the early stages of capitalism, where the state has no role to play in the wellbeing of its citizens.

I met the younger brother of late Raad, Mr. N. We discussed many issues concerning Raad, e.g. his murder, family and pension. As requested by N, I wrote an official letter to the local police station, asking for copies of its murder investigation. The local police station is just around the corner. The head of the INLA's security unit and Mr. N took the letter to the police station.
Tuesday and Wednesday witnessed lapses in the security plan. There were more bomb attacks than the days before. These lapses were expected, giving the state of lawlessness that prevailed for many months.

It seems that the terrorist groups have changed some of their tactics, relying more and more on mortar shelling. For the first time, they have begun to use gas-bombs in their attacks against civilian targets. My staff, like rest of the population of Baghdad, have been increasingly alarmed by such sadistic attacks. So far, there have been two gas-bomb attacks in Baghdad and one just outside the Capital. The latter caused a mayhem; as more than 150 people were killed.

Thursday, 22 Feb., I met Mr. N in the morning. He told me that his brother, Raad, was doing two jobs to support his own family. He enquired if the INLA could financially help his brother's family. I said that we already donated some money for the family and that I was more than happy to employ his son to work in my office, if he agreed. Mr. N approved of idea, seeing it as practical, for it will at least guarantee a stable income for the family. I advised him to prepare all the necessary official papers, so that we could apply for a 'martyr grant', which is paid by the government to the family of the murdered person. This grant applys only to civil servants and armed forces. The 'martyr grant' varies from ministry to ministry. The employees of the Ministries of Defence and Interior get the highest 'martyr grant', compared with other civilian ministries. Some Ministries pay an additional grant, if one of their employees is murdered by terrorists. Unfortunately, our Ministry pays the lowest 'martyr grant'. Therefore, we, in the INLA, do our best to donate as much money as we can to support the family of the murdered employee.

Around 10.30. Miss MA, who lost her older brother few weeks ago, asked to see me in my office. She described the devastating psychological and financial impact of the death of her brother on her parents and on his own wife and children. Her brother was the main breadwinner, not only for his own family but also for his parents. Now, she has to provide for her parents and for her brother's family. She could not control her tears. I advised her to make her younger brother share the sudden heavy burden with her. Miss MA and the INLA's administrators were busy taking all the necessary procedures for her transfer from Baghdad to Basra in the south, where our Ministry has one Cultural House. She already moved her parents and her late brother's family of to the city of Basra.

Earlier, I met some of our technicians, asking them to speed up their renovation works, and to be prepared for the mid-April, when we will hold a photo exhibition in memory of the destruction of the INLA. I have been planning to invite some 'honest' politicians, 'real' intellectuals and 'committed' journalists for the opening of the exhibition, which will tell the story the fall and the rise of INLA.

Around 12.00, I held an emergency meeting with the INLA's special transport committee. The latter assesses offers from different contractors, and then submits its recommendations to me, before I make my final decision. Usually, I agree with the main recommendation of this committee and other committees. Every year in January, we put an advert in a national newspaper, inviting transport contractors to make their formal offers in sealed envelopes. The INLA's transport committee will subsequently assess all the submitted offers, before making its recommendations, especially on the one that will fulfil our conditions and meet our needs. This year in January, our advert failed to draw the attention of transport contractors, largely because of the deteriorating security situation. Therefore, we extended the old contract for just one month (i.e. February). In early February, we put a new advert in a national newspaper, hoping to attract more transport contractors. Unluckily, only three contractors made their formal offers. Three offers are the minimal number required by the law. We only know two of the contractors, the present one and the former one. We always prefer to work with the one we know, for obvious security reasons. The offers were all exceptionally high. The three contractors have doubled the sum, which we paid for the period Feb. 2006-Jan. 2007. The members of the committee and I are aware that the contractors were extremely greedy, trying to blackmail us, as we were running of time. The former contractor made a new offer; it was still 45% higher than last year. The offer was verbal. This means that I had to ask the staff to share partially the financial burden, i.e. to make up the difference. We consulted the INLA's staff, and they all agreed to pay a small amount of money. We thought that we at least succeeded in securing a deal with the former contractor. Unfortunately, the contractor changed his mind at the last minute, demanding more money. The members of transport committee and I agreed that we should not bow to the blackmail of the greedy contractors, and that we should wait until the end of March, in the hope that new offers will be made and that new contractors will compete with the current ones.

Friday, 23 Feb., I read usually some of my e-mails on Friday morning. I came across an e-mail sent by a British lady to BL concerning my diary. She said that she was happy (or more accurately surprised) to learn that the person who was fixing the INLA's internet system was a woman. I thought I should send her an e-mail on Sunday, in which I will explain that ‘the heads of the Acquisition, Bibliography, Library Cataloguing, Archival Categorization, Periodical, Documentary Library and the Personnel Departments are all women. In addition to that, the majority of the deputy-heads the library and archive departments are women. The person who manages the INLA's official web site is a woman. Sixty percent of the people, whom I sent abroad for training purposes, were women. Last but not least, the female staff of the INLA formed their own society in 2004, with the aim of defending their rights. The society has its own periodical, of which so far three issues were published. It was the idea of my staff to publish an annual bibliography for Iraqi women. Last year, we published one volume, and this year another volume will be published’.

Saturday, 24 Feb., a booby-trap went off in al-Jamhoriyah Street. Fortunately, the damages were very limited. The National Guards and Coalition Forces closed one-half of the al-Jamhoriya Street permanently, as precautionary measure to protect the shoppers and the traders of the al-Shurjah. Despite the continuation of the bomb attacks, people feel much safer than in the past, i.e. before the implementation of the New Security Plan. The reason is that the number of kidnapping and assassination incidents has gone down sharply. People of Baghdad (including the INLA's staff) are afraid of kidnapping and assassination attempts much more than car-bomb attacks.

Another reporter contacted me in the evening, asking for an interview. I agreed to meet him in my office on Sunday morning. The strangest thing I have noticed here in Baghdad is that local journalists change my answers, as they want and according to the political orientation of the newspaper or journal, they work for! I had some unpleasant experiences in this respect. Once, a local newspaper mentioned in one of its headlines that the Director General of the INLA accused the American Occupation Forces of the destruction of his library! I have learnt a good lesson and so I insist now on reading the draft of the interview, before being published.

At 18.50, I received a call from a friend, who is the spokesperson of the Iraqi Writers Union. He mentioned that he knew a Shi’i cleric who got hold of historical documents, photographs and microfiches, which were looted from the INLA and that he wanted to hand them over to me in person. I asked my friend why the cleric did not return the looted items earlier? He replied that the cleric did not trust anybody in past, and that he waited for the right time to hand them over. Naturally, I was extremely glad to see the return of some of our looted collections to us. My friend gave my phone number to the cleric, who called two minutes later. We talked for 5 minutes and agreed to meet up early next week. I did thank him in advance for his efforts to return our looted items.

Sunday, 25 Feb., it has been the worst day, since the beginning of the New Security Plan two weeks ago. A suicide attack against the Administration and Economic Faculty (University of al-Mustanseriyah) resulted in the killing and the injuring of more than 170 people. Most of the victims were young students. The suicide attacker was a woman!

In the morning, a big explosion shook our building. I was surprised to learn later that the explosion was caused by a detonated car in al-Karradah district, which is about 6 km away from the INLA!

I had a brief meeting with late Raad's son, Z. It was his first day working in my office. I asked my secretary to help him settle and explain to him the nature of his duties. Z seemed to be very sad and disorientated, as he lost his father unexpectedly just two weeks ago.

The Cleric rang me, and apologise for not being able to come to the INLA. I told him he would be welcomed in my office at anytime.

I held a meeting with the heads of all the departments. The meeting lasted one hour, during which we discussed several issues, including, of course, the security situation, transport, the budget, the appointments of new staff, the annual report of each department and the commemoration of the destruction of the INLA in Mid April 2003. All the attendants supported the idea of holding a photograph exhibition. At the end of the meeting, we decided to form a number of committees to do certain tasks, such as making all the necessary arrangements for the proposed exhibition.

The crew of al-Hurrah Iraq (a US Satellite TV channel) arrived to the INLA. The TV reporter interviewed me separately for 20 minutes. The TV crew then toured the departments, interviewing some of the staff and the readers.

In the evening, the al-Hurrah Iraq showed my interview, in which I criticised successive Iraq governments and the political class for ignoring acute cultural problems that the country has been facing since the collapse of the former dictatorial regime. I stated that the state-run cultural institutions were desperately in need of radical transformation.

Monday, 26 Feb., at 12.30, I met the Shi'i cleric, Said H. He used a police car to bring the documents, photos and microfilms. He was escorted by three police officers. I told him it was dangerous to use police cars, as they were an obvious target for the armed men. He said that he was forced to ask the police for their assistant, as he thought that our area was extremely dangerous, security speaking. In the course of our discussion, I was genially surprised by the young cleric's open-mindedness and liberal views. We talked freely about politics and culture. We both found out that we had similar views on many issues. He told me that he attended the last conference of the Iraqi Communist Party, as a guest and that he was proud of his communist friends. Then he asked his driver to bring all the documents, photos and microfiches so that he could hand them over to me. The documents, photos and microfiches were placed untidily in several bags and boxes. They covered the Monarchical Era (1921-1958). I thanked the young cleric for returning some of our missing collections. We exchanged phone numbers and promised to meet each other whenever we could. After the end of the meeting, which lasted one hour, I escorted the young cleric to the main gate.

At 19.53, al-Hurrah Iraq showed a 5-minute report on activities of the INLA. My staff and I talked about our efforts to modernise the INLA in the wake of its destruction in April 2003. I was happy about the positive impact that the report had on the viewers.

Tuesday, 27 Feb., at last, we received some good news; the Council of Presidency and the Parliament have both approved of the 2007 Budget. It means that the INLA will be using its annual budget in the coming month, as all the restrictions imposed by the Ministry of Finance will be lifted.

I learnt today that the Minister sent an official letter to the Council of Ministers, in which he asked the Prime Minister's approval of keeping me in my post as the director general of the INLA! Three months ago, the Prime Minister sent a special team secretly to the Ministry of Culture, with the aim of examining the validity of the appointment of several director generals. Oddly enough, the team questioned the way in which I and two of my colleagues were appointed in 2003, while the appointments of the remaining director generals, who took their post in 2005 and 2006, were considered as valid! The sending and the findings of the team were not accidental. Only the appointments of the secular and liberal oriented directors were considered as not fulfilling the criterion set by the Prime Minister: an official letter from the CPA (Coalition Provisional Authority), decree from the Governing Council, or a decision from the current prime minister or his predecessors. My official ministerial appointment was considered as unsatisfactory by the special team. Therefore, I had no choice but to ask two of the former Cultural Advisors of the CPA to testify in my favour, by sending an official letter to the Minister of Culture. The two advisors were flabbergasted by my request, as I worked with both of them in my capacity as the director general of the INLA. They immediately sent a letter to the Minister, confirming that the CPA had recognised my appointment as valid.

Wednesday, 28 Feb., there are strong rumours that the Prime Minister will replace 10 of his ministers, including the minister of culture. The frequent changes in the governments had very negative effects on our works. Every new minister seeks to make radical changes in the ministry, according to his political affiliation and religious loyalty.

The Impact of the Sectarian Violence on the INLA's Staff (January-February 2007)

Number	Type of impact
1	Unlawful Death (assassinations)
2 [3? ed]	Unlawful Death of Relatives (one Daughter and one Brother, one Brother-in-Law)
2	Kidnapping
2	Death Threat
3	Displacement