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We lived in
Iraq from September 1988 to August 1990. We arrived within days
of the ceasefire for the Iran-Iraq war, and fled after the Iraq
invasion of Kuwait. Between those times we watched the Iraq
economy grow from a war-time economy, where even the most basic
goods, such as eggs, were not available, to a growing and developing
society, though still ruled by a heavy-handed, controlling dictatorship.
Though we were diplomats, and thus not directly controlled
by the host government, we still felt the effects of Saddam
Hussein's control. Part of that control is reflect in these
photos... by what you don't see. You will not see photos of
roads, bridges, airports, ports, government buildings of any
sort. Photos of these places were forbidden, and could have
resulted in confiscation of our cameras, if not worse. Instead,
we could photograph Iraq's archeological treasures, something
that was considered to be of little importance to the government.
Photography was not the only limit on our lives. As diplomats,
we were presumed to be spies. We could not leave Baghdad without
permission from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Since getting
the permission required a week's notice, impromptu trips were
limited. We had few Iraqi friends. It was dangerous for them
to visit us. We always assumed that our homes and phones were
tapped. Sensitive issues could never be discussed.
 We
took several trips outside of Baghdad.
The most significant trip, by far, was touted as a pilgrimage
to Christian sites in northern Iraq. It was in Christmas 1988,
and our Ambassador predicted correctly that the Iraq government
would not deny us a chance to visit Christian sites at Christmas.
Many of the photos from North Iraq,
Mosel, Samara,
and Hatra came from that trip.
We later traveled to Arbil,
a Kurdish town just a hundred kilometers from the Iran boarder.
Karbala is one of Iraq's
most important Shiite Shrines, and has been the site of intense
fighting in the second gulf war. The Ukathar
Castle (and I am not sure I have spelled that right) was
an ancient camel caravan route stop. We also travelled to
Babylon, and saw Saddam Hussein's efforts to "restore"
Babylon, actually resulting in its ruin, and we traveled to
Basra, shortly after the end of the Iran war, and saw
the torpedoed ruins of ships blocking the Shaat al Arab, Iraq's
only seaport. Sadly, we do not have photos of these areas.
(Taking photos in Basra could well have gotten us shot.)
Many
of the photographs displayed here are available for purchase.
Photographs approximately 13" by 19" are US$100,
postal shipping included within the U.S. Photographs
approximately 8" by 10" are US$50, postal shipping
included within the U.S. If you are interested in buying
a photograph, please contact me at
with the name of the photo and size required. I will invoice
you by Pay Pal, and will prepare the photo upon receipt
of payment. |
