Aftermath of the Hamra Bombing

Bloodstains on the Hamra walls
(Originally uploaded by Baghdad Chris).

BAGHDAD — I finally made it over to where the bombing of the “Hamra Hotel occurred in November”:https://www.back-to-iraq.com/archives/2005/11/the_hamras_been_1.php. The building is being repaired, but it’s still grim inside. Bloodstains still adorn the walls where fleeing residents pressed their hands against the wall for support as they tumbled down the stairs. Ceilings are still caved in. And the house that bore the brunt of the blast is simply gone, with nothing more to mark it but a gap and a pile of bricks. Surrounding homes had their facades sheared off.
All those people died.
It’s a grim reminder of what dangers exist for us in Iraq every day. And by “us” I don’t mean just journalists or foreigners, but I mean every person in Iraq. (More photos “here”:http://www.flickr.com/photos/baghdadchris/sets/72057594060666710/)