It is an all too familiar site for the residents of Baghdad. Tailbacks and gridlocked traffic caused by government ministers who close the streets of the capital in order to move around safely.
However, in footage which went viral in Iraq yesterday, one traffic officer can be seen taking a stand.
In the following video, the officer, named on social media simply as Brigadier Ammar, is shown arguing with members of the personal security team for Hassan Janabi, the Minister of Water Resources. Their words are nearly drowned out by the horns of cars forced to stop by the “ministerial protection” vehicles.
Kind wishes to this upright man, Brigadier Ammar, who took the honorable position and confronted the ministerial protection which closed the road and insulted the people who have been sitting in traffic for hours. An upright person has to be brave.
In the video, the traffic policeman is shown confronting the security personnel before they return to their cars and leave, clearing the way for the traffic to pass. As the vehicles drive off, a speaker behind the camera, part of a professional television crew that happened to be filming in the area, shouts that the Minister and his team should "go to Mosul" if they want to make themselves out to be brave.
The video has so far been watched well over a million times since it was shared yesterday morning, with the post above post alone receiving 12,000 shares in just 24 hours.
Among the over 4,000 comments were the following words of praise for the actions of Brigadier Ammar.
Truly a hero
Iraq is in need of such men, greetings of love and esteem to Mr. Brigadier.
Hassan Janabi, the minister at the center of the incident, released this statement from his Facebook account:
Offering an apology for any inconvenience caused by his movement around Baghdad, the Minister added that the termporary road closure took place 30 meters from the entrance to his ministry, and lasted no longer than a minute-and-a-half while vehicles were leaving.
Janabi continued by praising the work of the traffic police, and indicating that he had spoken to Brigadier Ammar following the dispute. The Minister concluded that all work for the nation was of equal value, expressing his hope for a country without motorcades or need for extra security due to the threat of explosions.
More than 13 years on since the US-led invasion of Iraq, Baghdad continues to face security issues. The Iraqi capital has already been subject to a number of deadly bombings since the beginning of the year, as forces fight to liberate the northern city of Mosul from the clutches of Daesh.
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