BAGHDAD: Several months into occupation, the Arabs of Iraq are as defiant as ever. They may or may not like Saddam Hussein but are very angry with the Americans, visits to some troubled neighbourhoods in Baghdad and Karbala on Sunday and Monday revealed.

This reporter visited on Sunday the part of Baghdad called Azamia because of the presence there of the mausoleum of Imam-i-Azam Hazrat Abu Hanifa — where a fierce gunfight took place between American troops and Arab fighters from Iraq, Egypt and Syria on April 10 — only to find that spirits were as high as ever. “Only Islam will remain,” said a worshipper as he lifted his finger skywards.

“We don’t love Saddam, but we hate America,” said one man who introduced himself simply as Yousuf. Three other Arabs, who were coming out of the mosque of Imam-i-Azam, nodded their heads in agreement.

Standing near a banner which read “Hizbul Islami al-Iraq”, not very far from the graves of 35 fighters who had waged an unequal battle against Americans three months ago, the four declared that Jihad would continue.

The nominal custodian of another big shrine here in Baghdad expressed similar views. He said that it was to benefit Israel that the Americans had waged a battle against Iraq.

“Look, Iraq was the only country in the region which could threaten Israel. That’s why it had to be fixed.”

Several people said Islamic groups and former Baathists had started coming together to mount anti-US operations in Tikrit, Faluja and Haweja. The Baathists, after renaming their party as Aoda or The Return, have started regrouping.

Meanwhile, a drive right from the north of the country near Sulaymaniya and Arbil to its southern parts near Karbala has revealed that the presence of the US troops is limited to certain pockets, mostly in and around Baghdad. Arbil and Sulaymaniya also have a sizable presence.

However, in the other parts of the country US soldiers can often be glimpsed only when taking part in swift patrols. They avoid coming in contact with the local people, it seems.

The Americans are relying too much on technology to get their chores done. For instance, they use the helicopters that fly low and several times an hour over the buildings of Baghdad. These helicopters have close contact with the patrol teams on the ground so that any eventuality can be met quickly.

US troops are relying on tempting people. They wait for tip- offs from them after which they mount a siege and search operation with lightning speed. In Kirkuk, this reporter witnessed such an operation which took the residents by surprise because the family targeted was not considered to be loyal to Saddam.

In Baghdad, too, it is believed that some swoops had revealed nothing.

A visit to Karbala on Monday revealed that the town had largely come to a standstill following the war as most shops were closed there. However, the part of town that thrives on people who come to the mausoleums of Hazrat Abbas (RA) and Hazrat Imam Hussein (RA) was alive with people.

Some residents of the area, when asked to comment on Saddam Hussein’s government, said: “Saddam was bad but he was batal (brave) too”. Another man, who was not much older than 30, was of the view that had Saddam treated his people better, they would have stood by him in his hour of trial.

Some local newspapers reported on Monday that a spanner had been thrown into the works of the New Iraqi Army, the raising of which has been termed a cornerstone of the US policy here. The newspaper “Iraq Today” says that the newly recruited Iraqi soldiers have protested against the possibility of their reporting directly to American and Australian commanders.

Yet another bone of contention, according to the Iraqi newspapers, is the low salary. They are likely to get the equivalent of only $60 per month.

If the raising of the New Iraqi Army falls through at this juncture, the Americans will have a major headache on their hands. They have stated their desire to handover elements of administration likely to come in contact with the locals to the Iraqis.

In other words, they want Iraqis to interact with Iraqis. In the meantime they would want to remote control local policemen and armymen, who in turn will be controlling the locals.

No matter how ingenious this design of theirs, not much will come out of it if issues of command and control and payscales, are not soon resolved, according to newspapers.