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A Wall Is Being Built Around Baghdad, Despite Iraq’s Haider al-Abadi Rejecting The Plans For The Towering Barricade – Will It Stall ISIS?

By Alap Naik Desai
Published on: 09:07 PST, Feb 8, 2016

Despite Iraq’s Haider al-Abadi rejecting plans of erecting a wall around Baghdad, a towering barricade is still being built.

Merely a day after dismissing the very idea of a towering wall around Baghdad, a spokesman for Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi confirmed there are indeed plans to build one. However, the spokesperson was quick to mention that the wall is “not politically motivated” or aimed at “achieving demographic change,” reported HNGN.

A spokesman for Haider al-Abadi, Saad al-Hadithi, confirmed the construction of a security wall around the capital, Baghdad, after the prime minister had openly dismissed the idea. Incidentally, Fox News reported earlier that the Iraqi Prime Minister had rejected plans to build a wall around the Iraqi capital, citing a statement by his office released on Saturday night. It’s interesting to note Haider al-Abadi’s words in the following statement.

“Baghdad is the capital for all Iraqis and it’s not possible for a wall or a fence to isolate the city.”

The Interior Ministry’s spokesman, police Brig Gen Saad Maan confirmed last week that work had indeed begun on the said wall, reported Associated Press. He added that the wall was meant to increase the number of checkpoints inside the city. What’s even more interesting is that the Interior Ministry believes that the increased number of checkpoints would aide in bringing down traffic snarls, besides the much plausible reason of preventing Islamic State group attacks inside Baghdad. Elaborating the intentions of the Interior Ministry, Maan said the following.

“It’s not a wall exactly. The ‘wall’ would include an increased number of checkpoints around Baghdad in an attempt to prevent Daesh Takfiris from smuggling car bombs in. We have reduced the number of attacks inside Baghdad, but we are working to prevent them completely.”

There’s little doubt that the ISIS is increasingly trying to expand its territory and there have been numerous bombings, through which ISIS has primarily targeted the capital’s security forces as well as the country’s Shiite majority. Incidentally, ISIS has been committing vicious crimes against all ethnic and religious communities in Iraq, including Shias, Sunnis, Kurds, Christians and others, reported Press TV.

Ever since ISIS terrorists launched an offensive in the country in June 2014, Baghdad has been under strict security protocols. As ISIS militants continue their march, taking control of portions of Iraqi territory, there’s increased fear that they would soon launch a massive attack on Baghdad. Just last month, the extremist group targeted a shopping mall. The attack left about 20 people dead.

As Iraqi army soldiers and fighters from allied Popular Mobilization Units have been busy in recapturing regions held by ISIS, suicide and targeted bombing have been a near daily occurrence. Security officials shared most of the Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) are built outside the city and are smuggled inside, despite a large number of roadblocks and checkpoints, reported Yahoo.

While a wall may act as a strong deterrent for ordinary citizens, keeping ISIS militants at bay using a series of barricades is proving quite difficult. However, this hasn’t deterred the city’s administration from commissioning a 10-foot wall stretching 65 miles. According to The New York Times, the towering barricade will incorporate concrete barriers.

Iraqis are no stranger to huge walls. Last year, the country’s administration offered conditional access to the coveted “Green Zone.” Instead of gazing upon the palatial mansions that once housed Saddam, the locals were greeted with grey concrete façades.

With advanced labs, ISIS is believed to be developing driverless cars that deliver bombs. Will such checkpoints prevent such attacks?

[Photo by Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images]

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