A day story in Baghdad

6 dead and 10 wounded was the lethal score in this attack

We usually hear about bombings pretty quick. The initial information are always sketchy. One or two dead, seems nothing "serious" to cover. When the number of casualties comes to about above 5, it gets our attention. Don't get me wrong. The number of casualties equals the exposure we want to have outside. Less we are out there, less the chances are of us being kidnapped or shot. Last week it was the annual Shiite pilgrimage to Karbala. Attacks were occurring daily.

In the past we couldn't cover bomb sites for safety concerns and it was not allowed by the officials. This year, most of the time we also can't cover it because the street is either blocked off or the explosion was in some dodgy area of Baghdad. But, if we stay in the bureau, we certainly won't get any coverage. The paper will simply publish a wire photo, usually from the local agency photographers that regularly chase tragic events like this, and we end up staying in the bureau.


The wreck of the car that was used for the attack

Last Friday, after an hour (or so) we got an info about bombing, the casualty number rose to 6, and we decided to check it out. It was a place in Shaab neighborhood where the Shiite pilgrims were assembling to the buses to go to Karbala. A car filled with explosives drove to the crowd and killed 6, wounded 10. Last night we heard about a motorcycle suicide bomber that killed 15. One does wonder, how do you pack an explosive so powerful to kill so many people on a motorcycle? Do you use the suitcase in the back of the motorcycle? Is there one dude with explosive strapped around his body? Two maybe? How do they decide who detonates first? Paper, Rock Scissors?

Anyway, going to a bomb site is a bit complicated business. Lot of the bombings are close to various Iraqi police check points and its a no-photo place. It's weird though, they will restrict you in any way they seem fit, but once they get to know you, they will ASK for their photo to be taken! Its ridiculous! Last year I had the Iraqi police colonel in Faluja, posing and smiling, holding a photo of someones decapitated head in a bucket!!! You can find it on my web site, I'm not kidding!
When it comes to lens obstacles, kids are the worst. They will pose and stand in front of your camera, play with the remaining of the car that blew up just hours ago, like the headlight, and they will smile and not get out of your sight for nothing. Once you shout at them to move away - they will start cursing and point their fingers to their head like they will shoot the "ameriki". Kids are everywhere. The other day a kid was dragging a blew up tire from the VBID (Vehicle Born Explosive Device, as the US forces call a car-that-has-shit-load-of-bombs-inside) and once the rest of the kids saw me photographing that, they all flocked around the first one, who had to fight the others not to take the tire away from him!!!



Anyhow, the bomb site was already "cleaned" we got there pretty late, and we got some stuff on people trying to salvage goods from the store that burnt because of the blast. People were packing various food, probably for re-sale in a different shop. Reason more not to buy stuff from local stores here. A photo ran in the paper. You can find the story here.





My next post will contain few shots of an embed I did with the US soldiers last week in Baghdad, it was good to get out of the bureau for a change and take few shots of the military on the ground.
My regards to all of you.