- LES SIRENES DE BAGDAD -
(10.00.04) Baghdad, the end of April…The Iraqi capital and its five million inhabitants sprawl across the length of the Tigris river, sweating with fear.
(00.12) Soldiers and checkpoints set up by the various security forces are everywhere … (00.22) Military compounds and bunkers are the new architecture of the urban landscape… (00.27) There are concrete battlements at the entrance to each district and sensitive area… (00.36) Baghdad, once the ‘City of Eagles’ now resembles a vast barracks.
(00.42) It took me two months to obtain permission to film the city’s firefighters.
(00.49) Captain Abbas is the head of the Tigris’s river brigade. Every day twenty men patrol the muddy waters of the river. Their mission: to recover the corpses that float on the current. Is this a fact or just gossip? The captain receives his orders and tells my interpreter:
(01.07) the voice of Captain Mounir Abdel Abbas :
« Don’t forget, I cannot speak to reporters. I cannot speak to them. They’re not the ones in charge, are they?
Responsable :
(01.16) – You want to speak but your hands are tied?
(01.19) Captain Abbas :
« Yes, our hands are tied. I am a soldier. We receive our orders: you must not speak with reporters ». (01.24)
(01.28) So I ask to accompany a team along the river… There, away from their superiors, people start to talk…
(01.39) ITW young firefighter:
« At home we find bodies everywhere. The number is increasing..
(01.47) – How many?
(01.49) – At least three or four every day. Some have drowned of course, but most of them have been killed ». (01.57)
(02.00) According to unofficial sources, several hundred corpses have been recovered from the river, which flows from the North of the country all the way to the South.
* * *
(02.15) Back in the centre of town, near the Green Zone, is the huge enclosure reserved for members of the American military and the Iraq government. It’s a place where there are more weapons than there are people. It’s probably for this reason that I have been ‘assigned’ several blocks away.
(02.30) I’m going to spend a week here at the Saliyha barracks… (02.34) It’s a regiment of 70 men. Among them is Mohamed Abderidha. An ordinary soldier under Saddam Hussein, he has become a firefighter now the regime has fallen.
(02.46) Between the fires, the accidents and explosions, and the roadside bombs, (the gruesome catalogue of Iraq), the firefighters encounter about 80 incidents per month. These missions are sometimes risky.
(03.01) ITW Mohamed Abderidha :
« You know, this very truck has been targeted before(03.03)
(03.03) – By gunmen ?
(03.04) - yes. It was attacked by terrorists in Haifa. (03.14) Come and look at the damage. I was driving that day.
(03.24) You see this bullet-hole? (03.28) Look: there’s another here, and another one there. (03.32) See, another one… (03.39) It is a constant target for the terrorists, but is still standing. (03.43) Thank God we soldiers are loyal to the Iraqi people ». (03.47)
(03.49) There wasn’t time to reply. Real life cut our conversation short…
(03.57) Firefighter: « Clear the road… move, move… » (to sub-titles)
(04.03) location: a neighbourhood south of the city.
(04.07) sound of Abou Douaa :
« Be careful, Abbas ».
(04.15) A quarter of an hour later, we arrive on the scene… There is a lot of smoke but noone knows details of the incident, or how serious it is.
(04.30) sound of Abou Douaa :
« This is an uncontrolled landfill, so people come from all over the place to dispose of their garbage… »
(04.40) It doesn’t seem to be serious. Just a small fire that local residents and municipal services had tried to extinguish themselves, without success, then called the fire brigade … (04.51) The fire is still smouldering beneath the ash, and it will take until nightfall for the team to put it out.
(05.00) sound of Amar Moussa :
« It’s just a small fire but one’s bound to start up again here. We’ll have to come back and use our equipment, which drains our water supplies. And all for nothing. ».
(05.11) – You mean this is nothing in comparison to what goes on in Iraq ?
(05.15) – This fire ? In relation to what is going on across the country? You could call it a single hair; it is as insignificant as a single hair on your head when compared to everything else that goes on in Iraq. » (05.26)
(05.36) We return to the barracks. The men are exhausted, but relieved not to have been called upon to deal with the aftermath of a bomb.
(05.47) archives pompiers (06.08)
For the most part, their job is a world of never-ending gloom… The corpse-strewn ground, the sky blackened by burning oil drums, the explosives that the insurgents regularly detonate… That is the nature of this war, the black hell of Iraq
* * *
(06.12) A new day begins for the Saliyha unit… One week on duty and just as many nights at the barracks… Yesterday was just a fire in a landfill, what will happen today? Each day brings its own share of turmoil.
(06.30) Mohamed Abderhida is getting ready for battle. (06.35) A hooded firefighter who, just like Amar Moussa, despairs at the fires in the landfills.
(06.42) Part of the morning ritual is visiting the gym - not only to keep in shape but to exorcise those constant thoughts of danger.
(06.52) ITW Mohamed Abderhida ::
« One day we were called out to a bombing next to the Iranian embassy. We found a carbomb had exploded in a parking lot. The military warned us there could be another. (07.07) Despite the threat we decided to stay and fight the fire… at that moment there was another explosion close by. Well, we stayed, and we responded in the same way ». (07.18)
(07.19) On the other side of such anonymous heroism, more than 200 firefighters have died since the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. Among them was a father of two, a ‘brother in arms’ of Mohamed
(07.28) ITW Mohamed Abderhida :
« This is where we passed the time reading, talking and laughing with friends…
(07.34) – This is where he slept ?
- Right here next to me… (07.40) We passed our evenings here, we laughed together.
(07.44) – How old was he ?
(07.46) – How old? 25… yes, 25 years old… (07.52) We went on a mission, Boulevard Haifa, and that was where fate caught up with him. The damage is done.
(08.01) – What happened ?
- it was an attack… by terrorists ». (08.05)
(08.07) A child’s smile to erase a tragedy… it’s a surreal existence, where the line between life and death is almost indistinguishable.
(08.19) Amar Moussa has also been threatened by the guerrillas. He has not set foot in his village for a year and a half.
(08.25) “Hello…. sweetheart… “ (à sous-titrer)
He has not seen his sick mother nor his fiancée, so he keeps their photographs as if they were relics. His crime? To have collaborated with the American enemy.
(08.39) ITW Amar Moussa :
« When the Americans came, I just wanted to work (08.44). So that I could afford to buy back the things I sold, like the fridge, the freezer, the TV, the satellite and the rest (08.58) … Instead of begging I worked with the Americans. I don’t think any law or religion forbids this. I don’t believe so. (09.09)…That was when I was threatened by Shiite Militias and I had to think about my own safety ». (09.23)
* * *
(09.28) “Sader City”, the Shiite stronghold in the capital. It is rare for foreign cameras to venture into this violent place of daily killings.
(9.37) I join a team in a bunker. (09.44) I meet with General Laith Abbas, LE who is responsible for half of the 80 barracks in Baghdad… and as a result he ranks highly on the list of men most at risk in Iraq.
(09.58) This morning the commanding officer has braved the dangers of Sader to meet with his men.
(10.11) Around a hundred men have suffered various attack by insurgents from the city, but also by Americans who have wrongly identified them as targets, ‘by mistake’, they claim afterwards.
(10.22) ITW Général Laith Abbas:
« Look, you can see they’re smiling, it shows on their faces, right? (10.28) They are happy despite the difficulties here: most of the time there are water shortages. And when there aren’t, due to damaged pipelines, the water is undrinkable… (10.37) We have serious problems in Sader you know… And due to the gunfights and ambushes, you could say this is a militarized zone… (10.55) See those helicopters – that is a common sight here». (11.04)
(11.13) Permanently escorted by a squadron of men – his only life insurance, General Abbas delays his execution. From the insurgents’ perspective, General Abbas belongs to the Americans.
(11.28) ITW Général Laith Abbas:
« You know, all those who work for the government are a target for armed groups and Al Qaeda ». (11.35)
(11.42)A few minutes away, in a district hidden behind these concrete walls, (11.47) General Abbas wants to introduce me to his family… His family are sequestered in a compound closely watched by guards in plain clothes, dispatched by the Ministry of the Interior… (12.02) His wife and son live there in seclusion, which is the price of having a husband and father in high office.
(12.11) A former English teacher, his wife cannot teach or go out, cannot drive or visit a relative or friend…
(12.20) ITW madame Abbas :
« Due to kidnappings and assassinations, and as my husband is a high ranking official I don’t go out… (12.30) Sometimes I feel suffocated… (12.37) Sometimes I long to live elsewhere. Everything is so difficult – my life is difficult, and I’m tired, tired from start to finish.» (12.51)
(12.58) For Hamza, their son, it’s the sad life of a teenager who has to comfort himself with his computer as his only companion. (13.08) It is out of the question to go to school or to kick a ball with his friends in the neighbourhood.
(13.13) ITW général Laith Abbas :
« The situation is not at all reassuring. We fear that our children might be kidnapped, or worse, especially the children of officials.
(13.21) – This happens everyday ?
- Yes, children of officials are killed everyday. I feel frightened for them ». (13.32)
Interlude ends… It is already time for General Abbas to return to the front.
* * *
(13.49) This morning the atmosphere of the city is heavy. The streets are almost deserted, the curtains are drawn.
(13.55) Those at the Saliyha barracks, strangely, make up the bulk of the troops.
(14.10) Intrigued, I go to the fire station, where I come across an old firefighter clinging to his phone. (14.13) He has just received distressing news.
(14.20) the voice of an old firefighter :
« We received a message. It concerns explosive belts. Thirty suicide bombers are in circulation (14.28) There have already been two explosions, so twenty eight remains … (14.33) We must be prepared to intervene in situations where something might happen ». (14.40)
(14.44) Faced with this threat, the alarm is raised. Amar Moussa is mobilised
(14.58) His objective : to position himself at a busy crossroads.. just in case..
But for now there is an everyday enemy – traffic congestion.
(15.05) ITW Amar Moussa ::
« Congestion gets in the way of our duties. By the time we arrive at the scene of a fire, it has already ravaged everything. (15.17) Even the victims find themselves cut off ». (15.22)
(15.24) Beyond them is the sectarian battle raging in Iraq, which constitutes the firefighters’ principal obstacle. It’s a war between brothers, between the Sunnis and the Shiites who currently run the government …
(15.38) ITW Amar Moussa :
« If we want to operate in a Sunni area I cannot use my ID card. It’s a Shiite card.... (15.47) I cannot go around alone in a Sunni area. To do that I need someone else with me, a Sunni. ».
(15.57) – Is your faith specified on your ID card ?
- No, but they can tell I’m a Shiite by my first name, my second name, and even my address ». (16.11)
(16.15) ITW Assam Zaki :
« It’s common knowledge in Iraq : everybody knows that certain parts of Baghdad are Shiite or Sunni. See here, for instance, in this district, if you live here we know what religion you are ». (16.28)
(16.30) Hiding your true identity, that’s what it costs to escape religious persecution, whether you’re Sunni or Shiite. That is the daily grind for firefighters in Baghdad, in the springtime of 2009.
* * *
(16.47) Back at Saliyha. In front of the barracks, the usual din is replaced by silence and the soldiers have vanished … (16.56) Only Mohamed is there, on duty. Unusually for a firefighter he is armed…
(17.07) ITW Mohamed Abderhida :
« I must be constantly alert (17.12) Ready for anything. Whether that means fires on the ground or simply protecting the compound and anticipating problems…
(17.19) It is always possible for a car to drive past and gun us down ». (17.22)
(17.26) What Mohamed Abderhida fears are what the rival factions are now making with deliberation… and with zeal, in a popular Shiite district.
(17.34) A suicide bomber has struck, killing 60 and wounding 120… (17.44) The attack was carried out in the district of Kadhimya, near the Tigris… There is no question about it : the area has been isolated, and they are not letting a single foreign camera in.
* * *
(17.53) So it was simpler to visit Kadhimya Hospital, one of the most important in Baghdad, where the families and loved ones of victims flock en masse to identify the victims… (18.04) At the morgue they are endlessly loading refrigerators. The bodies are piled up, or left lying on the floor…
(18.23) Three hours after the blast, the bodies are still arriving…
(18.28) In the treatment rooms there is a race to save the wounded… (18.38) Some have come through by miracle.
(18.41) ITW young victim :
« I was walking along when it went off and I fell ».
(18.45) This youth is out of danger, but that is not the case for everyone (18.53) Like this little girl, who has suffered a major head injury. She has lost seven members of her family in the attack, we are told by her 14 year old cousin. The only survivor, he will have to look after her now.
(19.10) Beside her is a little boy who was found under some rubble…
(19.13) sound of a man:
« I found him there… alone… (19.13) no father, no mother ». (19.20)
(19.22) 3 attacks are carried out during my week in Baghdad, with more than 300 deaths… (19.29) This April has seen the numbers rise by 40%. The worst figures since Autumn… It’s difficult to hide the bloody reality of Iraq, even though officially things are getting better here.
(19.41) Captain Abbas was called to the scene. This is the same Captain as the one from the river brigade, who would not speak to me when I first met him.
(20.00) ITW Captain Mounir Abdel Abbas:
« The guy came to the market, he was surrounded by innocent people, and not in a precise location (20.07). There were merchants, hawkers, women grocery shopping or children buying lollipops (20.18)… He has not targeted anybody in particular, only innocent people. This explosion killed a lot of innocent people. » (20.29)
(20.32) In the gloom of Baghdad, after six years of war, civilians are still paying a high price… There have been 100,000 official deaths, while a statement from a British institute speaks of a million deaths since the conflict began. One out of every two familes in Baghdad have lost a loved one.
(20.54) For their part, Amar and Mohamed wanted to show me their shrine, housed within the main fire department.
(21.01) A place where every other Thursday, a day sacred to Muslims, families of the victims… Sunni and Shiite alike, come to clear their minds with religion and forget the insanity of Iraq.
(21.16) sound of Amar Moussa:
« See these scorch marks… nothing but innocent people (21.20)… (21.22) It was in El Moutanabi…
(21.30) – How many dead?
- More than 50…
(21.36) sound of Amar Moussa:
- It was an important place, with offices and newspaper stands»
(21.45) This old man of 60 lost most of his family. Again, it was recent … His son fell into the clutches of the suicide bombers. … He finds himself alone, feeding two grand-children, with his modest allowance of less than 300 dollars per month.
(22.01) Sound of Rezak Idjouad:
« That’s my son…
(22.05) – where did he die ?
- in front of the mosque…
(22.11) – was he married ?
- yes he was married, and had children: one boy one girl… (22.16) the little girl was 6 and the boy was 3 ».
(22.21) – and his wife ?
(23.24) – You know, there’s a woman who lost all hope. But what do you want me to say to you… that’s fate, and it comes from God… » (22.37)
(22.41) Such is Baghdad today. There are those who die, there are those who mourn
(22.46) and there are those who dance... It’s a kind of Babel where joy mingles with depair, where languages drown in misunderstanding and where faith is in the blood.
(22.57) I would have liked to have stopped here, with this surreal image of Baghdad… but Mohamed and Amar arrange to meet me one last time… in a surprising place… hidden behind the concrete.
(23.12) The only place to enjoy in Baghdad, a local Disneyland, visited by over 20,000 people every weekend... A unique place where Sunnis and Shiites, at once victims and culprits, can exchange a few smiles at the corner of a ride…
(23.27) ITW Mohamed Abderhida :
« The Iraqi people are used to this, Life filled with Death. It is business as usual . They aren’t afraid. They leave home saying : « My life is in Allah’s hands » (23.36). Whether I live or die I’m not going to stay indoors like a prisoner… They say : “ I’m going to enjoy myself, even if I die” ». (23.45)
(23.52) Mohamed told me that he spends much of his salary accompanying children here once in a while… (24.00) As for for the young itinerant vendor, a Sunni orphan, he has had to sacrifice a lot to feed his little brother.
(24.09)voice of the child : « I stopped going to school…
(24.11) – what do you want to do ?
- I want to go back there ».
(24.19) I’m stopped in my tracks… by this orphan whose dream is to learn… by the image of Mohamed’s children who may live and play one day, without worrying about the meaning of Sunni or Shiite … the hope of two men who don’t want anything more than to cling to life… like everybody who comes here, in search of a moment’s peace.
(24.41) Journalist :
« Is that it, are you going ?
(24.43) – Mohamed Abderhida ::
- yes, we’re going home
(24.48) – You’re leaving heaven to return to hell ?
(24.51) Mohamed Abderhida ::
- We rely on God for protection
(24.53) Omar Moussa :
- I hope you come back here one day safe and sound»
(25.08) One last look at the grey Baghdad sky, striped by American army helicopters, I think that all the winds of Iraq will not be able to blow away the violence that has endured here for 6 years. (25.25)