BAGHDAD — Hello all. It’s six days out from the big Sovereignty Day in Iraq, and people are nervous. Yesterday I finally managed to get a better feel for the pulse of Baghdad while working on a _NY Daily News_ story (I think it will be out Sunday) and the mood is a complicated stew of fear, anticipation, anxiousness for the new government and an equal anxiousness for the Americans to leave. Many, many Iraqis are ready to support PM Ayad Allawi, even if he institutes emergency laws that restrict freedom. (However, they think he’ll just crack down on Fallujah, Beiji and other troublespots, not Baghdad.)
I’ll be traveling tomorrow and Friday, and I may be on an emergency assignment for TIME Magazine today, so I probably will be out of contact until Sunday. But I’ll be back then. If the _Daily News_ story is online, I’ll link to it and expand on it; I have so many more notes than could fit into a 500-600 word piece. I’m looking forward to getting out of Baghdad.
Also, thanks to everyone for writing in their thoughts on why the media are not doing their job. I’ve been remiss in responding, but I will, as I’ve read all the comments. Great stuff and I’m honored and humbled to have so many well-spoken readers. Thank you.
Six days to go!
Six days to Handover Day!