The collapse of Saddam Hussein’s regime has left the Al-Luaibis and middle class families like them struggling to survive in a country they barely recognise.
”When the Americans said they were going to liberate Iraq we thought, ‘why not’?” says Kabila, surrounded by her son and four daughters, aged 23 to 31, as well as her husband, a former journalist with the state-run Iraqi News Agency.
”But now, we no longer know what to think,” she confesses. The family of Shiites, originally from the southern capital Basra, live in the Al-Dinuk district in the east of the capital where many employees of the Information Ministry have homes. During the war, mother and daughters went to a village near Tikrit, 180 kilometres north of the capital, for safety.
When Baghdad fell to the Americans they returned to find a city in anarchy and abandoned to looters. ”Normal life has gone,” says Kabila.
Fearing for their lives, the women no longer go out, despite boredom and a desperate wish to return to their work or studies and to meet friends again.
”We heard that women were being kidnapped off the streets by former members of the fedayeen (militia) of Saddam,” says Hala, a language student.
”We hear shooting, my university has burnt down. How can I go into the centre of Baghdad?” she sighs.
Her mother goes out to the market just once a week, to supplement large amounts of food stocked before war broke out on March 20.
”It was just as well because prices have doubled, if not tripled?” Kabila says. ”And we have no gas to cook with. I can’t think of anything else.”
To kill time the daughters do housework, cooking and gardening or study for the classes they last attended two months ago.
”Before I was always busy, at work in the morning, university in the afternoon,” says Abir.
”I never noticed the days go by, and came home at eight pm,” says the computer programmer who runs to her computer or the television when the electricity comes back on.
But only one TV channel is available and that is Iran’s Al-Alam and the family finds its news ”biased”.
”From now on it’s chaos,” says Adnan, the father, who does dare to venture into town with his son Mohammed, a dentist.
”We are waiting for a new government to be set up but the situation is so unstable. Do you think the United States intends to rebuild Iraq?,” he asks.
”There are so many contradictions. Everything that has happened was so unexpected. We are waiting to see what happens next,” says Mohammed.
”More than anything what we need is order to be restored,” he stresses.
All were badly shaken by the scenes of looting that followed the arrival of US marines in Baghdad on April 9.
”Why do they do it? Why are there so many thieves?” bemoans Ibtissam, a former typist at the ministry.
”We do not support Saddam, life under his regime was difficult, but at least we had security. The United States has disappointed us,” she adds.
”We need a man to run the country,” echoes Kabila.
A long silence follows when asked if the family misses Saddam. ”I don’t know,” hesitates Kabila. ”We spent so many years with him.” – Sapa-AFP