Middle East - Anthony Ham [182]
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WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO SURVIVE A SUICIDE BOMBING Cé sar Soriano
At first, I wasn’t sure if I was dreaming or drowning. The first blast tore through my bedroom like a tornado, entering through the small window above my bed and literally knocking the wind out of me. I gasped for air as bits of glass rained down on my rigid body, which had been forced into a sitting position. The attack on Baghdad’s Al Hamra Hotel began at 8.12am on Friday, 18 November 2005. I had been jolted out of a deep sleep. It took me a second or two to realise what was happening, and to recognise that it was about to get a whole lot worse.
Insurgents often use a two-prong tactic: the first, smaller blast is meant to clear a path and draw in crowds of curious rubberneckers; the second, much-more powerful bomb – often packed with nails and ball bearings for shrapnel – is designed to inflict maximum damage. The second bomb exploded with the force of a hurricane. I felt my body hurling through the air for what seemed like an eternity before I landed on my head and back, 3m across the room. Dazed and confused, I grabbed my body armour and Kevlar helmet and made my way down eight flights of stairs, following a trail of blood on the floor. Outside, the smell of gunpowder and burnt flesh permeated the air. Debris and car parts were scattered everywhere. Amid the wreckage were clearly recognisable human remains – a leg, half a head, male genitalia. I hysterically called my editor and wife. Apart from a few bumps and bruises, I was OK, but others weren’t so lucky. Eight Iraqi civilians were killed, including the hotel manager’s son.
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SIGHTS
Museums
One of the many tragedies of the 2003 Iraq war has been the destruction and looting of its cultural heritage. Worst hit was the National Museum of Iraq (www.theiraqmuseum.org). Founded in 1923, the museum once housed a world-class collection dating from the dawn of man. In the chaotic days after Baghdad fell to US forces, looters robbed the museum of 15,000 priceless artefacts; most were recovered or returned, but about 5000 items remain missing. Other museums suffered similar fates including the Baghdad Museum, the Iraqi Museum of Modern Art and the Museum of Pioneer Arts. At the time of writing, all remained closed to the public.
The Green Zone
Officially, it’s called the International Zone, a 12-sq-km, heavily fortified compound that houses Iraqi government offices, military bases and the largest US embassy in the world. The Green Zone is a surreal piece of Americana dropped right into the middle of downtown Baghdad, complete with a movie theatre, a shopping mall, Iraqi arts-and-crafts bazaar, swimming pools, cafés and even a Burger King. Other attractions within its walls include Zawra Park, Baghdad Zoo, Saddam Hussein’s gaudy Republican Palace, Martyr’s Monument, Monument to the Unknown Soldier and the Swords of Qadisiyah – also known as the Hands of Victory – commemorating Saddam’s ‘victory’ over Iran.
Mosques
The Kadhimiya Shrine and Mosque (Kadhamiyah) is Iraq’s third-most important religious site for Shiite Muslims, after Karbala and Najaf. Built in 1515, the elaborate, gold-domed mosque contains the shrines of two imams, Musa al-Kadhim and Mohammed al-Jawad.
The beautiful blue-domed 14th Ramadan Mosque (Firdos Sq) is probably the most familiar to foreigners – it served as a backdrop for countless news broadcasts, most famously when the nearby statue of Saddam Hussein was toppled by US Marines.
Baghdad’s most visible landmark is the unfinished al-Rahman Mosque (Mansur District); if completed, it will be the third-largest mosque in the world.
Old City (Sheikh Omar)
Perched imposingly on the banks of the Tigris River, the 13th-century Abbasid Palace is one of Baghdad’s architectural wonders, with detailed brickwork and arches.
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MASGOUF: THE TASTE OF IRAQ
For Iraqis, good