Terrorism

Terror in Baghdad: “they just want to spread fear”

Many Iraqis, after the severe IS attack in Baghdad in shock. DW-Journalist Abbas al Kashali explained in the Interview reasons for the spiral of violence and possible counter-measures.

DW: Mr al Kashali, as of the latest attack with this high number of victims learned, what was your first reaction – less, as an experienced Journalist, but as a person from Iraq came from?

Abbas al Kashali: It’s always this mixed feeling. Anger but also sadness. Again and again it is the fate of my family or the lives of our friends. As always, if it is called again, there had been a stop I immediately tried, with my family. My brother works in the vicinity of the stop location. Sunday, he is God with in the evening to Baghdad. There is no one, fortunately, came to my family to harm.

We had at last signs that the situation in Baghdad comes after many attacks in the past, very slowly, to rest. Unfortunately, a fallacy. It came in Ramadan to such a stop, is particularly intense. So many people, especially young people were looking forward to the end of the fasting period and are now innocent lost their lives. My anger is mainly directed at the security forces, do not work for years.

What additionally contributes to Baghdad comes to rest ?

You should always be careful with a Lump sum judgment, but many in the political Elite in Iraq are simply incapable of. Equipment and work of the security forces are deficient. And everywhere there is corruption.

DW-Reporter Abbas al Kashali

Always, if the political situation is not stable, a car bomb or a suicide bombing. This Time it was less an assassination attempt of the IS to the hated Shiites, as is the case with the bomb attack on Shia pilgrims in early may, but it was a response to the successes of the Iraqi army and the loss of the IS in Fallujah.

What would have to do the Iraqi government?

The Iraqi government faces many challenges. You have to give people in the Sunni areas in Ramadi and in Mosul to continue the security and the people there make it clear that the Shiites view them as enemies. We all want to live together peacefully, this is the message that needs to come much clearer. There must be work and more infrastructure. You also have to train better security forces. Everything was made in the reign of al-Maliki from 2006 to 2014, was in error. There are so many wrong decisions were made. For example, al-Maliki wanted to ignore the Sunni side and isolate. The is is Sunni-dominated and not least a reaction to this policy.

In the Iraqi army, a unit of 50,000 soldiers. But there were only 10,000 actually, the Rest was only on paper. The soldiers never appeared for duty. There is so much corruption on all levels. It’s not just about the economy. The cannot function without security. And for the safety of the different political forces in Iraq are responsible.

Prime Minister Haider al Abadi wants to improve security measures. Modern bomb detectors and better mobile phones at checkpoints, and the air reconnaissance to increase. Can the help?

Everything there should be for years. I wonder as Iraqis, where all these measures were. The detectors for bomb control, for example, will not work, because the devices come from a corrupt business. Al-Abadi is trying, and has studied in England, comes from a very good family, his father was a famous surgeon in Baghdad, but alone he can’t do it all. He is in the same party, the Islamic Dawa party, like his predecessor al-Maliki. His hands are tied.

What would help to end the Terror ?

Money will not be enough as a support for al Abadi. That would disappear due to corruption only. It comes to young people. Would have to be much more supported. You would have to come here to Germany or Europe, and formed here. When you return home, you can affect something and change. The money sources from the IS must be much more comprehensive dried out. And the people who support the IS, no matter whether you are holding a weapon in Hand or not, would have to be much better determined and set.

To counter Terror, we must understand him better. What is the connection between the IS-Terror in Baghdad, and the IS-attack in Bangladesh ?

It is, first and foremost, to spread fear. It comes to show, we are everywhere, we can attack anywhere.

Is Mosul as a stronghold of the IS to fall soon ?

Mosul is not Fallujah or Ramadi. The inhabitants Mossuls have now, just not enough from the IS. Some have had at the beginning of sympathy. But after two years, you have enough. It is hoped now that the population of Iraq helps army during the liberation. But it is not the question of whether Mosul is liberated or not, but what comes after. As long as the Iraqi society and the Iraqi government can really do not find each other and come together, probably just another terrorist group. Hopefully not.

Abbas al Kashali comes from Basra, and reported since 2010 as a Reporter for Deutsche Welle from Iraq.

The interview was conducted by Wolfgang Dick.