Misreporting the Protests in Baghdad

By Jeremy Scahill, IraqJournal.org. Posted October 28, 2002.

There's no doubt about it -- the small-scale protests that broke out in front of Iraq's Ministry of Information earlier this week were extraordinary. No one here can recall a moment when any group of people for any reason staged a spontaneous demonstration here in Baghdad. Last week, the very idea of a demonstration that could be construed even remotely as having an anti-government tone would have sent shudders through almost any Iraqi asked the question "what if ..." It still does.

Last Sunday's announcement by Iraqi President Saddam Hussein that he was granting a complete and immediate amnesty for nearly all the country's prisoners, brought stunned jubilation into the homes of thousands of citizens. Celebrations stretched for days in some neighborhoods. But for other Iraqis, the announcement brought pain and ultimately spurred them to gather in front of the Information Ministry to ask the whereabouts of their loved ones.

An unknown number of prisoners were not released last Sunday. Officially, those accused of spying for Israel or the United States (a sweeping designation) were not covered under the amnesty, nor were those people convicted of murder who had not reconciled with the families of their victims. Unofficially, it seems clear that there were other prisoners who simply did not come home. There is only speculation here as to the reasons why. Some people say that certain Shi'ite and communist political prisoners were not released and are still being held. Others say they fear that other unaccounted for prisoners had been executed. There is no way of confirming any of this.

What is clear is that several dozen people were willing to brave what many here believed would be severe consequences for engaging in an "unauthorized" demonstration. But the mothers, fathers and siblings of some unaccounted for prisoners knew what they were doing when they selected the location for their demonstration. The Information Ministry also houses the "Press Center" which is still relatively packed with foreign journalists.

They also were smart on another front. There were no anti-government banners or leaflets and the people sustained long sessions of chanting their loyalty to Saddam. "Yes, Yes to the Leader Saddam" and "Our Blood, our souls, we'll give for you Saddam." Also, "Down, down USA, down, down Israel." Some say this was all people knew how to chant; others said it was a strategy to make clear it was not anti-government protest. One Iraqi man smiled and said, "What else could they have chanted?"

But one must remember that for these people who gathered in front of the Information Ministry, desperation looms over them. They have watched thousands of families rejoice in the return of their loved ones while theirs are nowhere to be seen. It also must be stated that this demonstration was not some plot clandestinely launched in the homes of some underground dissidents. It grew out of a gathering of several hundred people inquiring about their loved ones whereabouts in front of another government building.

The government responded in a remarkably calm manner in dispersing people in front of the Information Ministry. Yes, police and "minders" ran around frantically. But largely people were simply told that they should leave -- "now." Foreign journalists were ultimately told they could not take pictures and hurried back inside the building. But it was hardly the "iron-fisted" tanks-in-the-street response one might expect from Saddam after listening to only 5 minutes of a White House press briefing.

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