USIP's Iraq program aims to reduce interethnic and interreligious violence, speed up stabilization and democratization, and reduce the need for a U.S. presence in Iraq. As part of this program, USIP has maintained a small office in the Green Zone in Baghdad since early 2004. Rusty Barber, a former political officer in the Foreign Service, has run the office since March 2007. His regular dispatches offer a lively and sobering insider's view of the promise and peril facing U.S. efforts in that country. We'll update this section each week, making only minimal changes for security reasons.
To be a resident of Baghdad these days means you are receiving about one hour of electrical power per twenty-four-hour period from the national grid. You supplement that meager ration by purchasing power from a neighborhood generator. If you are a USIP staff member, you have a small nine-amp generator that permits you to run one appliance. Between these three sources, you can cobble together approximately seven hours of power per day. However, since you never know exactly when the national grid power will flow, you have to be prepared to get up several times during the night to alternate your power source so you don't waste power by overlapping. Many people keep a light bulb permanently switched on to inform them when power is flowing from the national grid.
In times past, Iraqis sought relief from the swelter of their apartments by sleeping outside on roofs and terraces; however, the escalating violence and gunfire have forced them to abandon this practice.
Between trying to avoid ending up casualties of the violence and struggling to keep the stove, refrigerator, and other essential appliances functioning, it's no wonder Baghdad residents look exhausted so much of the time.
