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Petraeus and Crocker Testimony Off the Radar of Most in Baghdad
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He listed grievances: blocked sewage drains, militias attacking residents in the street, a dysfunctional government and frequent electricity outages. As he spoke, the power in the electronics shop he was standing in went out, leaving the room pitch black.
"I am so sick and tired of all this," he said. "We just want the Americans to go, and we will try to fix things ourselves."
Still, some people worried about even greater problems that might ensue if U.S. troops left.
Hajji Abdul Kareem, 62, a businessman, said he was impressed with the testimony given by Petraeus, the top American commander in Iraq. "He was telling the truth and sending a clear message: that a sudden withdrawal from Iraq will make a big problem inside Iraq," he said.
But Abdul Kareem refused to say whether he wanted U.S. troops to remain. "If I support them or not, the Americans will stay," he said as he shook his head. "They will stay here for a long, long time."
Many had other things on their mind.
"I don't even know who Petraeus and Crocker are," said Yasser Kadhoum al-Khafaji, 31, a shop owner. "I think these sorts of things are more important for Americans than they are for Iraqis."
Special correspondents Saad al-Izzi and Naseer Nouri in Baghdad and Saad Sarhan in Najaf contributed to this report.
