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One
unlikely side-effect of the downfall of Saddam
Hussein's regime has been the sad fate of Iraq's
hard-working donkeys.
These beasts of burden once commanded the same price
and prestige as a good second-hand car, but their
value has dropped dramatically after the overthrow
of Saddam led to an influx of used and stolen
vehicles into Iraq. For years strictly a luxury
item, cars were suddenly affordable to the masses.
In northern Iraq, donkeys once commanded a price tag
of around $300US, but many have now been abandoned.
A good number can be found grazing at the side of
the Kirkuk to Sulymania highway. Some of these
strays – who are affectionately known as Abu Sabr,
or "father of patience" in Iraq – have been killed
after wandering into the heavily mined hills and
valleys of Kurdistan in search of food.
In Sulaimaniyah, horse- and donkey-drawn carts have
become a thing of the past. Instead, locals buy
cheap vehicles – many former government cars stolen
in Baghdad and driven north – from the makeshift car
auctions that have sprung up on the outskirts of the
city.
Ahmed Salih, from the village of Sarkent near
Shoorbache on the Iranian border, said donkeys had
been invaluable during the time of Saddam's
sanctions, which led to a fuel shortage. "Wood from
the mountains was our only means of cooking and
heating. Because we relied on donkeys so much, the
price for each animal rose sharply," he explained.
The animals aren't entirely redundant, however.
"There are still some places that cars cannot get to
and so we use donkeys and horses, especially now
that you can buy a donkey for only two dollars," he
continued.
Many smugglers who live and work in the Kurdish
mountains still prefer to stick to the more
traditional modes of transport.
"Horses are fine," said Bakr Hassan, sitting on his
doorstep in the shade of an immense satellite dish.
"They're fast and carry heavy loads."
Hassan said horses can change hands for as much as
$1,500 each. Further north, in the hills of Qash
Mach, smugglers were leading a convoy of horses
loaded with crates of beer towards the Iranian
border.
Kareem Jamali, a 19-year-old Iranian Kurd, said he
had bought his horse for $400. "He can follow the
trails without me so I don't get arrested," he said
proudly. "It's common practice."
But villagers and shepherds can hardly wait to
abandon their animals in favor of a new set of
wheels. On the Malka Awa pass in the Azmar
mountains, shepherd Abdool Haj Ahmed was making slow
progress along the road with his sheep, in the
company of a donkey laden with his belongings. He
has tried to get rid of his donkey a number of
times, he said, but the loyal animal won't take the
hint.
"If you want my donkey, I'll give you him for free,"
he said. "I've left him more than once, but he
always comes back to me."
Ahmed planned to buy a looted car when he reached
the town of Shahrazoore, leaving his former constant
companion to an uncertain fate by the side of the
road.
This article originally appeared in Iraq Crisis
Report, produced by the Institute for War and Peace
Reporting. Hazim al-Sharaa is a trainee with the
IWPR.
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