Why Do Bombs Explode in Sadr City?

Acouple weeks ago, during my last full day in Baghdad, terrorists loyal to the Islamic State detonated two bombs in Sadr City — the predominantly Shi‘ite slum in northeastern Baghdad — killing five. Perhaps against the backdrop of Baghdad violence, that doesn’t seem like much, but it is all too common in Sadr City.

Baghdad is not a beacon of security, but it is not the war zone most Americans imagine. Just as southern Iraq and Kurdistan today are relatively safe and secure, so too is much of Baghdad. Driving around Baghdad means traffic jams, seeing shoppers out-and-about, packed cafes, new restaurants and businesses opening, and nightlife. Certainly, it’s not a normal city. To enter the predominantly Shi‘ite neighborhood of Kadhimiya, I had to wait at an extensive checkpoint for the car I was in to be cleared. My hosts pointed out damage to nearby buildings; evidently, the checkpoint at which I was sitting had been bombed five times in the last few months. However tragic that might have been for the security forces at the checkpoints and those nearby, it had prevented terrorists from passing through to the center of Kadhimiya, home to a major shrine and a bustling market. Walking around the area at dusk was to experience a festive atmosphere, with families visiting the shrine, women shopping in new shopping ‘malls’ on the streets, packed cafes, and busy gold shops. People felt secure.

The Islamic State (ISIS, ISIL, Daesh) almost exclusively targets Shi‘ites, and they send their car bombs and suicide bombers to locations — Shi‘ite mosques, crowded markets, and Shi‘ite neighborhoods — where they can kill as many Shi‘ites as possible without risking collateral harm to Sunnis. So, both Kadhmiya and Sadr City are natural targets, but the bombs only seem to go off in the latter. Why?

Many Iraqis — Shi‘ite academics, government and security officials, and residents of the areas — offered the same answer: corruption among the Sadrists who control Sadr City. In short, some residents of Sadr City and some among the Iranian-backed Sadrists who staff the security at checkpoints to enter the neighborhood are happy to accept cash to look the other way, even if they know their greed might mean the deaths of dozens of their sectarian compatriots.

The irony of this, of course, it that Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, senior Revolutionary Guards generals, and their agents of influence among the Shi‘ite militias conspiratorially blame the United States for ISIS, and the United States remains silent. It would both save lives and decrease anti-Americanism if the U.S. embassy and others went on the offensive to transmit to those suffering from terrorism that they are being victimized twice: once by the terrorists and then again by those in Tehran or working for Tehran who want to use their victimhood to drive home a false narrative, all the while making some quick cash on the side.