The war in Ukraine has become a concern for Iraqis. It is talked about in the news, in speeches at the bar and in debates on social networks. On March 3, I looked at Iraqi posts on Facebook and saw that one in five was about the crisis in Ukraine. As they do with regard to any problem, internal or external to the country, Iraqis have taken quite different positions. Just a few meters from the Iraqi Central Bank, on the historic Rashid Street in Baghdad, a pro-Iranian Iraqi militia hung a giant picture of Putin, considered a hero who strongly opposes the United States. On the other hand, many Iraqi Twitter users compare Putin to a warmonger, like Hitler.
Three things make Iraqis so interested in what is happening in a country 3280 kilometers away: war, invasion and sanctions. Over the past thirty years, Iraqis have suffered three wars. The eight years of conflict with Iran, the international attack on Iraq following Saddam Hussein’s 1990 invasion of Kuwait and the US invasion to overthrow Saddam in 2003.
Fear of repercussions
The memory of the war is etched in the nightmares of three generations of Iraqis. The European sanctions against Russia also reminded Iraqis of the international sanctions against Iraq, imposed from 1990 to 2003. During those painful thirteen years the country and its middle class collapsed while Saddam remained in power. This is why Iraqis compare the recent crisis in Ukraine to their modern history.
“Remember Saddam’s invasion of Kuwait.”
“And what about the US invasion of Iraq?”
“The sanctions will hit the people, not the dictator.”
The disagreement among the Iraqis also concerns the recent tension between the United States and Iran, which prevents any stability in Iraq. It is the other hotspot of international crises. Between the two extremes – who stands with Putin and Russia against the United States, and who supports any conduct that punishes the Russian leader in his war that shook the world – there is a large portion of Iraqis who do not know how to side. . These people are afraid of another war that will surely have repercussions on the weak stability of their country. They remember well the ghostly night flights and bombings that woke their children. “God help Ukrainian civilians”, they pray.
(Translation by Francesco De Lellis)