Grenades and rifles are sold on the street in Baghdad

Grenades and rifles are sold on the street in Baghdad

First Published: 2016-07-11

No control over deployed in Baghdad arms markets, even though it sells military equipment and police and the popular crowd.



One of lawlessness taxes in Baghdad

BAGHDAD - Masked describes their wares on tables that they put in front of them as vegetables vendor describes his goods in various fruits and crops markets sometimes whispering words not heard passers-by in the arms market months in Baghdad's Sadr City.

Grenades placed in stalls on both sides of the market lined into its own rockets, mortars, weapons and materiel for weapons of variety and of the origins of global, manages these stalls men, some masked and others wearing glasses and hats to hide their physical appearance, so the case appears to specialist arms Maridi market.

Despite the fact that this market is in Baghdad for months, but not the only, as in the capital, Baghdad, the phenomenon of selling weapons of all kinds in the popular areas characterized by tribal influence what makes them immune from the raids of the security services.

The phenomenon of the arms market widened and arms trafficking after 2003 Maridi market is in Sadr City as Iraqi Stock Exchange financed the types of light and heavy weapons.

The market is witnessing increasing demand by wanting to buy all kinds of weapons to be used as a personal weapon or to stave off or even just bravado to carry weapons.

He says arms seller in the door anal market Alaa Zamel that access to weapons is not difficult, there are many ways to get it.

Zamel confirms that the most important ways to get weapons of border crossings that do not have control, including the Kurdistan outlets are bringing weapons from Turkey through Kurdistan and then up arms to Baghdad.

He adds that the security checkpoints scattered in the roads leading to Baghdad did not mind the entry of weapons and can be deceived by the use of "special identities," or bribed with money if needed.

Zamil pointed out that most of these weapons are obtained through leakage from stores and army units, especially those of military units stationed on the battlefield as soldiers are not held accountable for the missing weapons on the battlefield.

In the case of the death of one of the fighters, it is recorded types of weapons are withdrawn his name and number of weapons from the stores and record owed by the deceased are then leaked to the arms dealers, said Zamel.

He adds that the third way to get a weapon is purchased from the resistance factions that they receive from the fronts fighters.

Zamel describes these weapons as many and much of the finest weapons in the Ministry of Defense, pointing out that some military officers attending the arms market for the acquisition of what they need from the weapon.

He continues, it is used the weapons currently in the tribal conflicts and personal protection rarely find a house in Baghdad, without arms.

And he continues to reap with his fellow vendors and arms dealers a lot of money up to thousands of dollars a day, and these amounts can not be secured without the profession.

With regard to demand people to buy arms Zamel say they have customers asking for the types of weapons and ammunition through social networking sites or by contacting If you can not arriving to the market for various reasons.

The lists, saying that with the emergence of a wave of illegal immigration in the past year, the number of employees of the security ministries to sell their weapons in order to get the money and leave the country.

The good Yasiri is the other works in the arms trade and sold in Maridi market, he says that the weapon prices rise and demand for weapons when heightened security and political crises, and the weapon prices fall in economic crises.

He adds we sell light weapons including pistol Algluck and machine guns including Kalashnikov machine gun and my KC mortars, rockets and bullets in all its types and mortars and grenades defensive and offensive.

Yassiri said that the arms market customers are not just ordinary people as intended market officers and state officials as well as ordinary people.

He adds that customers increasingly demand on light weapons such as a pistol Bernh 16 mm which army officers and members of the personal protections are particularly holds and can fetch up to $ 1,300.

Continues Yasiri types of weapons listed in the market says that the handgun Sezer, 13 mm and 16 mm of the best types of pistols and can fetch up to $ 1400.

Pistol and liters carried by the army and police officers is one of the best types pistols in Iraq and prevent him for non-members of the security services and can fetch up to $ 1800.

The machine gun, there are several types of weapons including Kalashnikov What is a Russian and a Belgian, a Romanian and an Iranian and Yugoslavian and exceed the price of a single gun ten million dinars.

He adds that there are other types of weapons including RPG AK-47, a weapon penetrates the regular shields and frequently used in tribal conflicts.

As for my KC weapon Veugd including two in the arms market says Yasiri the Russian and Iranian and a single rate of which two thousand dollars.

There are also "pomegranates" an explosive hand grenades are thrown by hand but with the development of the weapon is not confined to the way throwing hand grenades only, but can also throw it by Venice and prices up to $ 50 for regular hand grenade or Iraqis as "pomegranate" call.

It continues Yasiri that there are types of mortar shells sold in the arms market and used by armed groups as mild and easily concealable and the popular ones on the market are the RPG launcher and a price per shell thousand dollars or a little more.

Yasiri stressed that most of the weapons are sold weapons law prevents pregnancy by ordinary people, but he says that the sellers provide arms to their clients forged license leave through offices located in Maridi market which includes offices persons professionals in fraud.

He says al-Haj Ahmed Khashan, a man we met, which examines the weapons in the market that the instability experienced by the Iraqis and the absence of state law and the security situation deteriorating in the capital Baghdad, the Iraqis paid to the acquisition of weapons and supply it to protect themselves.

Haj Khashan adds that the presence of armed groups and factions in Iraq and the security situation in neighboring Syria spawned a flourishing arms market and the proliferation of weapons in homes and state institutions of security and non-security.

He pointed out that the continued fighting and fighting between clans drives people to buy a gun and keep it for self-defense as long as it is needed.

He pointed out that most of the weapons displayed in Maridi market in the eastern door and places of sale of other weapon can be obtained from the soldiers who are selling their weapons sometimes because of destitution, or those who fall in battle.

He adds that the employees of the security ministries are selling weapons on the black market after being registered in the missing record in order to get money in the absence of accountability and oversight.

It seems that what al-Hajj said Khashan identical to detect the source of the popular crowd for some people to use the crowd and interface for the arms trade.

The source, who preferred anonymity, said that there are members of the leadership of the crowd asking for the arms of the state and when they get selling it on the black market.

He adds that one of the arms sales markets are located in Abu Kamal area has been closed this market by the government Besbat concrete.

He noted that there are markets for the sale of weapons on the border between Syria and Iraq and sold them cut US and Russian arms.

The source asserts that the security services do not amount to selling arms market because they are located mostly in popular areas absent from the eyes of the security forces is creative as arms dealers hide their wares in elaborate ways.

He concludes the source speech that if the tighter security controls on the sale of arms market, the traders engaged in their work through the means of social communication through a private sale and purchase of arms closed groups.

In light of the widespread sale of arms and trade openly, not hide, spokesman for Baghdad operations, Brigadier General Saad Maan concern about this phenomenon, indicating that the security authorities arrest anyone who violates gun laws, or sell and trade.

Maan pointed out that the crime Police Directorate in Baghdad conducting continuous raids of the markets, which is suspected of selling weapons.

He pointed out that the crime police department arrested a number of those who sell arms or carrying illegal weapons and seized large quantities of various weapons and that it is serious work to end this dangerous phenomenon that threatens the security of citizens.

On the smuggling of weapons from the battlefronts by fighters and weapons registration Kmvcodat of fighters who fall in the fronts Maan said that "the weapon that was owed by the fall in the battle back to Almhjb through the platoon commander for patent discharged recording."

He denied smuggling soldiers and fighters of different weapons from the battlefront to the presence of checkpoints and tightened security detachments in the inspection of the fighters returned to Baghdad and the southern provinces and prevent the passage of arms.

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