Al Dujahl

Just west of our compound at Ballad, Iraq, there was the Shia city of Al Dujahl. Al Dujahl had a storied past. Following one of Saddam’s visits to the city in 1982, someone attempted to assassinate Saddam. In response to this act, Saddam had 148 citizens of Al Dujahl executed. Rumor had it that Saddam bulldozed their orchards (incredibly precious resources in a desert land) and left them with nothing but the scorched earth.

The people of this city were proud and resentful, the Iraqis said. Al Dujahl became a dangerous city to visit. Like so many places in Iraq, it was meant to be hidden from the Americans. So many places, things, and thoughts were proclaimed to be off limits to the Americans . For sure, the city’s long broad streets that led to the grand mosque were n

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