One Night In Baghdad

As violence has ebbed, a new struggle for Iraq’s nightlife has begun to play out in Baghdad. It pits the resolve of Iraqis to stroll their streets against insurgents who have used car bombs, suicide vests and automatic weapons to stalk them where they unwind. A night on Baghdad’s streets offers little certainty about which side is prevailing. When they venture out, Iraqis express notes of defiance and fatalism. Attacks will come when they come. Until then, they said they would step out into the dark. “Whenever I leave the house,” said Alan al-Kuri, 27, “it is like going to war.” Haidar Abu Fatma, 39, said, “No one can stop us from loving Baghdad at night. No one will stop us from living.”