Iraqi soldiers stand watch on the outskirts of the group as Renforth and Rubaie mingle with Iraqis in the street. Mootaz Sami/AP Images for NPR
NPR: A U.S. Commander Went For A Rare Stroll In Baghdad. Many Iraqis Just Shrugged
It had been years since anyone had seen an American military commander walking around the streets of downtown Baghdad.
So when Marine Brig. Gen. Austin Renforth went with his Iraqi counterpart for a tour of the city's most crowded neighborhoods on Friday, it wasn't clear what kind of reception he would get.
Sixteen years after the United States and its coalition partners invaded Iraq, most Iraqis still blame the U.S. for disbanding the Iraqi army and for the security vacuum and devastating civil war that followed.
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WNU Editor: If it was safe the heavily armed bodyguards would not be there.
