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Patrick Baz / AFP - Getty Images
Iraqi models share their pictures backstage during a hairdressers' and make-up artists' festival in Baghdad on Feb. 9, 2013. It was the first time that this kind of festival had taken place in the Iraqi capital since 1999.
Agence France-Presse photographer Patrick Baz has been reporting on Iraq since 1998, covering the international sanctions, the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 and the years of violence that followed.
In these excerpts from AFP’s Correspondent blog, he describes how he tried to document everyday life on his return to Baghdad this month: "How people go about their work, seek entertainment, and try to lead a normal life despite all the risks, attacks and violence that still haunt this city."
Patrick Baz / AFP - Getty Images
A model taking part in the hairdressers' and make-up artists' festival.
Patrick Baz / AFP - Getty Images
An Iraqi bride sits in her wedding car on Feb. 7, 2013.
By Patrick Baz, Agence France-Presse
I hadn't returned to Baghdad since 2009. Even before touchdown, it was obvious that things had changed. For nearly a decade, planes had to approach the airport in a tight spiral to avoid leaving the secure air space and becoming vulnerable to missile attack. That meant that passengers were forced to lean to one side. But this time – a first for me – I flew in from Beirut on a regularly scheduled flight and we made a normal approach, just like in any country in peacetime.
Patrick Baz / AFP - Getty Images
A waiter carries plates of Masgouf, a fish found in the Tigris river, as he serves clients in a restaurant on Baghdad's Abu Nuwas street late on Feb. 2, 2013.
Patrick Baz / AFP - Getty Images
Iraqi customers in a bar located on the rooftop of Baghdad's Hotel Palestine late on Feb. 9, 2013.
On all of my previous trips I rarely saw an Iraqi laugh. Which is why I was so surprised this time. Baghdad in 2013 is a different place. Yes, you can still feel an underlying violence. But suddenly the city is laughing, smiling. Baghdad goes out, eats out. Baghdad parties.
Patrick Baz / AFP - Getty Images
Iraqi hairdressers, one of them blindfolded, take part in a competition during a festival on Feb. 9, 2013.
Patrick Baz / AFP - Getty Images
A young man shows off on his motorbike during the Friday motor show in Baghdad's al-Jadriya district on Feb. 8, 2013.
But change is everywhere, even if the streets are full of U.S.-inspired fashion and fast-food joints. One of the first things one notices is the money. There’s a lot of it sloshing around, most visibly in the form of expensive accessories and a serious number of luxury cars. I never thought I’d see Porsches cruising the streets of Baghdad.
Patrick Baz / AFP - Getty Images
An Iraqi cleans his 1958 Chrysler during the Friday motor show in al-Jadriya.
But what has changed most is something less tangible, a feeling that pervades the city.
In 2009 it was a huge risk just being here, and reporters couldn't go out into the street without armed bodyguards. Now, people are much more relaxed. I went wherever I liked, even in the middle of the night, including bars, restaurants and cabarets. Because of an ongoing curfew between one and five o’clock in the morning, one service goes from 9 p.m. until midnight so people can get home. Then the nighthawks come, and stay until the curfew is lifted at 5 a.m.
Read more on AFP's Correspondent blog.
Patrick Baz / AFP - Getty Images
A woman uses her cellphone to take a picture of her friend at an amusement park in Baghdad's Abu Nuwas street on Feb. 4, 2013.
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Gee... it almost seems like a normal country!
So exactly which country is "normal"?
As "normal" as a majority of other countries in the world when it comes to what people, especially women, wear.
""How people go about their work, seek entertainment, and try to lead a normal life despite all the risks, attacks and violence that still haunt this city.""
Has violence become part of normal life?
Go Baghdadi!
These people look prosperous. I wonder what the standard of living is there. People in the US have certainly paid for through the nose the war to set them free. I doubt they appreciate the lives of our troops. In fact all I have heard is how they blame us for everything. I wish Muslims would stop blaming everyone but themselves for their failures at self governance.
It is our fault for paying.
I haven't been voting for the idiots in Washington from both the Democratic and Republican parties. It is not my fault.
Just like before each Iraqi wars, autocratic, highly corrupt and despotic bigoted Sunnis of versions belonging to Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwaiti and Sunni oil rich nations are stage managing their dances and actions through oil companies, extremist Jewish lobbys and their puppets in the US, Britain, EU and other nations on Syria and Iran.
In Syria, Syrian rebels are backed by a-Qaida and MB.
In Egypt, Islamic fundamentalist Morsi is a front cover for the Sunni Islamic extremist Salaffi, MB and others.
With sanctions on Iranian oil, oil prices which was around $40 in 2009 has crossed $110 now.
If Iraqi wars gave us PIIGS, there will more nations added to PIIGS.
IRAQ WARS
Net results of Saudi, Kuwait, UAE, oil companies and their lobbyists directed 1991 and 2003 Iraqi wars are
WINNERS
1. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE and other rich ME sharks became richer by manipulating oil prices too high.
2. Oil companies and their lobbyists also benefitted. Oil prices, which were hardly $30 a barrel before 1991, shot up to $140 a barrel.
3. Since 2003, future traders, rating agencies, Wall Street and oil companies and their lobbyists transferred five trillion dollars from oil importing countries to oil exporting nations.
4. Rich Sunni ME sharks (Saudi Arabia in particular) funded Salaffi and Wahhabi mosques and Islamic radicals and terrorists all over the world. These Sunni Islamic radicals and terrorists are rampaging all over the world. World’s 80 percent of problems are due to them.
LOSERS
1. General US and European nations’ public. There have been high unemployment, cut in welfare measures, housing market collapse and more miseries. Since 2001, US spent three trillion dollars on Iraq and Afghan wars. Did the Saudis and co foot the bill?
2. Poor soldiers killed and injured and their families. In Iraq and Afghan wars 6300 soldiers were killed and 40000 injured.
3. High budget deficits and heavier borrowing. Many nations (PIIGS) and people are on line to bankruptcy!
4. Iraq will plunge into bloody sectarian civil wars leading to the creation of Shiastan, Sunnistan and Kurdistan. Here the losses are of Iraqis.
Can we stop repeating blunders again and again?
Hey Jonathan,
Do you remember when GW Bush said Iraqi oil contracts would more than pay for our war effort there? How many contracts did the US get by the way?
Military Man: Hope you know that we all got hurt in the oil companies, oil contracts and their lobbyists business.
It is tough for a nation like the US to pile up debts of more than 14 trillion dollars but for war mongers and short sighted cheap idiots.
Live, laugh, and love!! It thrills me to see the smiling faces! I am not concerned with their nationality or religion or the political stance of their government. I simply see joy in these pictures.
Thanks to the greatest group of people on Earth, the US Military, for making possible freedoms in Iraq that was never seen in their prior 5000 year history.
Horse pucky. What freedoms have Iraqis gained since we invaded their sovereign nation?
RTypo, it appears you were NOT in Iraq during January (30th) of 2005, the first relative free elections in its ENTIRE 5000 year history... and of course, free from the Genocidal Regime of Saddam... free of Mustard Gas for many Kurds. Thank you to the GREATEST group of people on Earth, the US Military.
So they can vote now which makes the whole Iraq invasion debacle worth it? Even most conservatives admit Iraq was a mistake. Sorry, it wasn't worth the bloodshed and crippling debt our country incurred despite how great our military is.
Agree with comments 4 and 5.
There's enough strife in this world. Happy people and happy occasions should be a regular part of the news - especially in a country that has been through so much for such a very long time. Saddam had been in power since the '70's. I wonder how many citizens of Iraq see some of these events that have been photographed as something "new" for them. My favorites - photo 3 (the bride in her car) and photo 8 (the Chrysler). Amazing that this car is still around and still beautiful. Now there's a symbol for survival!!!
But, as fight for freedom mentioned in post 3, must also wonder if the lives of our wonderful troops and the sacrifices made by their families are appreciated. I hope so...
Very well stated Chefaz-1319563. Yep, thinking photo #8 would make a great ad campaign for Chrysler-Dodge. One of their vehicles made back in 1958 still in mint condition after many purges in Iraq, the Iran-Iraq War, the attempted genocide by Saddam of Kurds in the North and Shi'ites in the Marshlands and Desert in the South and Sunni free thinkers, Two "Gulf" War, years of cities beign occupied by Foreign Sunni Al-Queda Inspired Terrorists and Shi'ites Iranian Inspired Extremists Groups with those Terrorists/Extremists causing havoc against Christian, Turk and Kurd minorities. How that car remained in such mint condition after all this since 1958 is amazing, worthy of a Chrysler-Dodge Commercial.
Hi Kurt. Thanks for your kind words.
Much thanks for a great idea!!!
As you can see by my avatar, I'm a GM girl but one of my brothers is a Mopar guy and he may know where to send this article to the powers that be. I'd love to see it featured on the next "Imported From Detroit" ad. A little bit of testimony to a great many good things. ☺
Have a wonderful day.
Thanks Chefaz, I happen to have only owned GM cars all my life either manufacturered in the USA or Canada. (My current Impala from Canadian Plant). Good luck with the "powers to be" that you know (which I dont know anything in the auto industry) in forwarding the article.
Can I mail-order a bride like the one sittin in that car?
I am positive that there are similar boobs to be found in your country as well.
Beautiful pictures to prove that Iraq war was not in vain or something? Don't you guys see how you are being set up again...including the soldiers who did their job...but gave their limbs and lives for it? Who really gained? Blackwater, Bluewater, what again?
You are welcome Iraq! It's YOUR freedom to keep now.
Are you effing kidding? Our war with Iraq nearly bankrupted our country, thousands died and we made new enemies of people who were never hostile toward us in the first place. And for what?
RTYPO, exactly which "new" people are hostile to us that were "NEVER" hostile to us in the 1st place? Newsflash, Sunni & Shi'ite Extremists have always been "hostile" prior to 1991 and/or 2003 to us and the vast majority of people in Iraq. Also, Genocidal Saddam's Henchmen were already "hostile" to us and to the vast majority of the Iraqi people. Your hatred of freedom for the people of Iraq is rather obvious.
There are other ways to obtain freedom without invasion and occupation. The Arab spring is evidence of that. Libya, Egypt and Syria for example have staged their own revolution and it didn't require a drop of U.S. soldier's blood.
Many Iraqi's hate us now that were indifferent prior to war. That's an inevitable consequence when schools and temples are bombed killing innocent civilians.
Shame some of them still need to wear their garb of oppression in that hot country.
Garbs of oppression start from oil rich Sunni rulers of House of Saud, a Wahhabi ruler with 5000 princes and princesses, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE and other Sunni Arab League nations, fountainheads of Islamic extremism on rampage all over the world.
More disgusting are the dresses our leaders such as Hillary, who use big words like "women rights", "human rights", "democratic rights" and so on, wear while meeting those oil rich Sunni rulers.
The "garb" (Abaya) that some women are still forced to wear in public originally had nothing to do with Religion but rather as protection while traveling in the desert. If you ever been in a sandstorm (such as a Shamal), you know that sand grains STINGS awfully. That is why both men and women have the covering over the head to protect themselves from those awful stings. Of course, clothing "style" for climate reasons had to be hijacked by the Islamic Extremists to enforce that same clothing no matter where they are, even in areas that does not have sandstorms.
Kurt's comments: We are not in desert storm days all over the world.
Muslims have to change with times here also.
Islamists, their clerics/mullahs/scholars idiotic explantions don't hold good any longer!
It's good to see them enjoying life; I hope they can continue to enjoy life.
As brutal as Saddam was with anyone who openly opposed him, Baghdad actually had a very vibrant night life, which included nightclubs, under his regime and no religous authority was able, or allowed to interupt regualr social interaction.
Under Saddam SUnni and Shia were neighbors and actually intermarried ... The American invasion ended all of that with the subsequent rise in sectarianism.
Hopefully things are returning to the way it once was....without the political brutality.
NBC makes it sound like life is far worse today, but the pics and commits show a happier people. Do I smell Bush hating propaganda machine at work ? Personal I think Bush W's war was a mistake from the start. Bush H got it right.