Watermelon Replace Bombs In Iraq's Streets

BAGHDAD-Several years ago, gangs, criminals and insurgents make Uzem city streets, south of Kirkuk, where most do not have the law throughout Iraq. Anyone who is at risk through robbery, murder, and kidnapping.

However, circumstances have changed. On both sides of the same street stalls now stands where farmers sell their harvest watermelons. They stood near the merchandise even though the sun's heat was overpowering.

One of the men was wearing a white robe with a red turban on his head. Watermelon merchandise looks quite old and small. He may not realize that the watermelon-watermelon was not worth it for him to stand in the middle of the hot weather.

One young farmer, Rokan, was 12 years old. He quit school three years ago to sell watermelons. Solar thermal skin burns his face and hands.

In 2003, several days after the U.S. military invaded Iraq, the streets looked deserted. Everyone seemed to not come out of the house, waiting to see what would happen next.

At one time, in the southern region Uzem, the streets suddenly become jammed. Some cars even pulled over and stopped. Apparently the U.S. military has blockaded the road with their trucks.

Know then that the road was forced to close because a group of anti blast wall truck was attacked by a group of armed men. Their vehicles hit by bullets, one of the trucks even burned and toppled into the desert. One of the truck driver was lying on the ground with severe bleeding.

The group was on the way to send the material wall of the factory in Erbil to the city of Baquba, north of Baghdad, to protect the police stations and government institutions that are in Baquba rebel attacks and al Qaeda fighters.

Since the incident a few years ago, Iraq has turned into a bit more calm. Although the U.S. military has withdrawn from a number of large cities, most of them are still stationed in the vicinity of Kirkuk, along the front line filled with tension between ethnic Kurds and Arabs.

The area around Uzem still not completely safe. Most people are still trying to convince that they have no reason to stay out of the house after sunset.

Several years ago, traffic flow is still current. All vehicles moving as fast as possible. But now, several vehicles stopped to "inspect" ripe watermelon that has replaced roadside bombs along this route.