The Two Iraqs: Leaked Memo Paints Darker Image Than Bush, Officials Portrayed

June 20, 2006 — -- Iraq's central government does not provide security for many of its citizens, according to an internal memo sent from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad to the State Department in Washington.

Instead, unofficial "neighborhood governments" are responsible for ensuring the safety of ordinary Iraqis, according to the cable, which cites staff members as saying so.

The June 6 memo entitled "Snapshots from the Office" was sent by the Public Affairs Office staff at the American Embassy in Baghdad to the State Department in Washington and painted a bleak picture of the security situation in and around Baghdad.

The six-page message, obtained by ABC News and whose authenticity has been confirmed by the State Department, is in stark contrast to the rosy image of Iraq frequently depicted by American and Iraqi government officials.

"Personal safety depends on good relations with the 'neighborhood' governments, who barricade streets and ward off outsiders," the cable says. It adds: "The central government, our staff says, is not relevant; even local mukhtars [authorities] have been displaced or coopted by militias. People no longer trust most neighbors."

The memo compiles a string of vignettes from the lives of Iraqis who work in the U.S. Embassy. It describes the extra precautions these workers take to avoid being discovered as employees of the American government -- something that would mean certain persecution at the hands of some groups.

According to the cable, many of the workers do not take their American cell phones home for fear of being detected. Similarly, others avoid speaking in English when called at home so as not to raise suspicion.

One line from the message illustrates this best: "Of nine employees in March only four had family members who knew they worked at the embassy."

In one example outlined in the cable, an embassy worker had to flee the country after her family members were threatened.

Furthermore, the memo warns of increasing sectarian violence in the city, threats against embassy workers, deteriorating womens' rights, and many specific cases of dangers faced by embassy workers and ordinary Iraqis every day.