In Baghdad these days Iraqis say the only Americans they see are anxious-looking soldiers racing through the streets in heavily armed convoys. The thousands of other Americans directing Iraq's reconstruction and political transformation have retreated into heavily fortified compounds and rarely venture forth for fear of attack.
"The Americans have nothing to do with the people anymore, and see us all as enemies," says Mazin Karim, who owns a small convenience store near the vast fenced-off "green zone" that houses American occupation offices. American civilians largely stopped visiting Mr. Karim's store after they abandoned the nearby Al Rasheed Hotel in the wake of last month's missile attack. Last week, meanwhile, passing U.S. soldiers aimed their guns at his brother when they mistook the tennis racket he was holding for a weapon.
- Carla Anne Robbins and Yochi J. Dreazen. "Exit Strategy: Speeding Transfer Of Power in Iraq Carries Big Risks." WSJ 11/17/03, page A1