Iraqis swapping houses in Baghdad to avoid sectarian violence

[Rose Siding]

snip>
Such swaps are becoming increasingly common as Iraqis find themselves searching for ways to avoid becoming victim to Baghdad's increasingly vicious cycle of sectarian violence. Shiite families in Sunni neighborhoods and Sunni families in Shiite neighborhoods change places.

In a city where no one wants to buy a house and renting is too expensive for most, house swapping has become an ideal compromise for some. The old family introduces the new family to the community, and both sides vow to take care of their new home.

It's also provided a way for politicians to garner support by providing services to newly relocated Shiites that the government cannot.

Supporters of radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr have been particularly adept, using their control of the ministries of education, which oversees schools, and trade, which oversees the country's rationing system, to make sure families are comfortable in their new homes.

Sadrists greet new families, help them transfer their children to new schools, secure their streets, move their food ration card to the new community and in some cases provide gasoline at a time when there is a nationwide shortage.

http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/15376431.htm

[Demeter]

1. Rather Like Rearranging Deck Chairs on the Titanic!

Desperate people all over the place
Wish they could throw a pie in W's face!

[Eugene]

2. Sweet. Is there any way Iraq hasn't been f***ed up?

Al-Sadr is usining a combination of incentives and terror
to effectivly partition Iraq. He's using government resources
to do it and al-Maliki cannot or will not stop him while his
Mahdi Army openly fights with U.S. and Iraqi government forces.

That "democratic" government that BushCo has so highly touted
may be the end of Iraq as a nation.