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Halabja memorial

(Halabja Memorial - Halabja, Iraq.)
Briefly, Halabja is the city in Northeastern Iraq that was poison gassed in March of 1988 by the Saddam regime. It is thought that up to 5000 people we killed and many more were wounded. As with my October of 2006 visit to the city, my current March of 2008 visit has been problematic.

I had to go through at least 10 checkpoints to get to Halabja. I have been stopped at least four times while in the city and required to show my passport. My American passport has a great deal of clout. Each momentary detention was fixed by my American citizenship. Yet, I am not greeted with the same robust welcome as in other regions here.

A memorial building built in honor of the gassing was damaged in March of 2006 during an attempted 18th anniversary commemoration of the gassing. People were protesting the management of the region. I get the innuendo people here do not appreciate outsiders using the city for political gain. Since the government is the brunt of that criticism, they seem to have clamped down on visitors.

The memorial building seems as though it is being rebuilt. There is a hotel under construction a couple blocks from the memorial. I am told there are no functional hotels here. I am told as well I must check with the police and have them tell me where to stay. This of course is quite contrary to the travel we all know and appreciate in America.

Bob Keith
Halabja, Iraq

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