Visit to Iraq January 6 - 15th 2010
1: AW and I travelled to Baghdad via Amman, as there is still no direct flight.
2: Baghdad
We were able to move freely within the capital outside the International (Green) Zone, thanks to an escort of two pick-up trucks, one in front and one behind us, provided by the Iraqi Police/Ministry of Interior. We visited the Assyrian Democratic Party headquarters, two private houses, a restaurant and the Medical Centre (hospital) for AW's stem cell treatment. This was a marked contrast to 2008 when we were confined to the IZ and airport. We also met two Yezidi MPs.
3: St George's Church
I stayed at the Al Mansour hotel, almost opposite the church in Haifa Street, which is now closed to traffic at the bridge end. An armoured car, a pick-up, and various armed men guard the church entrance.
The August 2009 bomb seriously damaged the clinic and caused cracks in the brick-work of the church. The former had been completely restored and re-equipped, and the latter may be repaired courtesy of the US Corps of Engineers.
I saw the Youth Service and spoke briefly at the Mothers' Union Saturday Service, and to the Sunday congregation. I witnessed the food distribution, and saw the numbered photo ID cards used for this. I enjoyed conversations with the lay pastor, soon to be ordained, the church warden, AW's interpreter and with Daoud (age 19) - the all-purpose factotum.
Foundations have been laid for the new kindergarten, church hall etc which is being funded by the Governor of Baghdad, whose staff benefit from access to the clinic. Rehabilitation work is in progress on the cinema and cultural centre adjoining the church (severely damaged in 2003).
4: National Reconciliation work with Major Religious Leaders
There had been a hiatus in this since November 2008 owing to lack of US funding since then.
The leaders were due to meet in December 2009 at Najaf. They decided to postpone this because of violence and uncertainties connected with the general election (postponed until early March 2010). We hope the Najaf meeting, funded by the Government of Iraq, will happen soon after the elections (even though the formation of a new government may take a long time).
5: Hostage negotiations
Despite the release of Peter Moore, the GuardaWorld hostages are now all dead. Alan McMenemy, the last of these, has been confirmed as dead. At the time of writing, his body had not yet been returned.
6: Visit to Kurdistan
AW and I travelled with a large Iraqi Special Forces escort by road to Erbil. We had a colonel, three lieutenants and some thirty soldiers in at least four pick-ups, partly armoured. We were provided with a Japanese bullet-proof Land-Cruiser. The journey was quite without incident; the road had numerous check-points.
We all lunched at Tus el Amara and visited Karakosh, a new suburb of Kirkuk. We saw a brand-new Catholic church for 3,000 people, a new seminary building, and visited two families, formerly living in Baghdad.
As we approached Erbil, I had the sense that we were arriving at a European city, in contrast to Baghdad which was more reminiscent of Egypt. We enjoyed a comfortable hotel, with good food and English-speaking staff. Kurdistan has enjoyed thirteen or more years of peace and has made good use of aid-funds, inward investment and its share of Iraq's oil revenues. Power-sharing between KDP and PUK appears to take the form of two single-party statelets (although a third new party took 20% of votes in the last election). Some sources allege that corruption in the north is comparable with that in the south. Infra-structure around the capital was impressive, new building is widespread in both cities and villages, and the highways are of good quality.
In Erbil we met the Speaker of the devolved Parliament. I later met the Governor of Erbil. Jointly we visited the Chaldean (Catholic) Babel College seminary, which had moved from Baghdad, because of violence there. There we met Bishop Abuna, staff, and 28 students. We had a few words with Cardinal Deli, who was convalescing after breaking two ribs.
Outside Erbil we visited Lalish, the semi-remote Yezidi centre, well-hidden in a cleft in the hills. From there we went on the Al-Kosh, the traditional home and tomb of the prophet Nahum. The building over the Tomb was once a synagogue, but is now close to collapse. It had wall-plaques in Hebrew. Lunch with another of the Abuna family in his traditional stone house in this large 100% Christian village.
In Erbil we gave supper to Bishop Abuna and to the Grand Imam of Suleymania, whom I had met at the Beirut Conference in 2008. The latter had kindly driven 100 miles or more, through the mountains, to meet us.
We left the next day by air for Baghdad, via the VIP lounge, furnished with good quality classic French repro pieces. The travel etc arrangements made for us by the Prime Minister's office could hardly have been improved.
