Let down

A while back one of our guys, let's call him Q, was doing translations at a meeting and, long story short, it was filmed without prior warning to him and he was worried that if it was broadcast he would be in big trouble outside the IZ. If anyone in his neighbourhood knew he was working in the IZ with foreigners he would have been sniffed out and killed before long. I had gone to the media office and arranged for his face (and another guy's) to be edited out, so thought all was fine.

But it turns out these guys didn't do as they promised. The other guy's face was on the satellite channel broadcast, which this other guy found out through a family member of his and told Q. So odds are that Q's was on it as well. Q moved his family out of his neighbourhood the other day so hopefully they are now safe. I told Q he should come live with us in the IZ but he's not going to for now. He's staying away from his neighbourhood but I still feel uneasy. Not nearly as uneasy as him though. I can't figure out whether those clowns in the media office are incompetent or sinister. You can never tell over here, and you sure can't trust anyone. There was a rumour going around that people from within the palace they are based at were plotting to allow car bombs to be set off inside the IZ but in a place like this there will always be rumours like that. I will always be on my guard here. Some people have got a very messed up agenda. It doesn't matter whether their skin is white or brown, whether they carry a briefcase or a bomb, they're the same.

There was a meeting yesterday in the convention centre (which is where a lot of the high level meetings are) between the PM and some Shia and Sunni leaders, to put in place a plan to try and stem the sectarian violence. This has happened before and the results speak for themselves, so it's unclear whether this latest initiative will help matters. The one potential difference this time is that al-Sadr has given it his backing and will ask the "Mahdi Army" to can it for a bit. If they follow his orders then that will be a major turning point. If on the other hand they think of him as a "suit" these days and he can't control them, then it's another probable failure. Fingers crossed.