Since 2003, large concrete blocks in front of government and party buildings have occupied the visual landscape of urban centers in the Kurdistan Region and the rest of Iraq.

It is an image that serves as a reminder of the violence and insurgent attacks that have gripped Iraq, and occasionally the Kurdistan Region, on a daily basis for several years.

For most people, the sight of these concrete blast walls invokes a sense of instability.

But in Erbil, the capital city of the autonomous Kurdistan Region, authorities have started removing these blocks, perhaps the most reassuring sign that the security situation is improving.

The plan involves removing the concrete blocks from all locations, including government buildings, some public institutions and party headquarters.

So far, they have been working on removing blocks from outside the office of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK); those surrounding the main bureau of Khabat, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) newspaper, have been removed.

Although the authorities say there is no set deadline for their removal, a large number have already been removed.

Deputy head of the region’s security department, Asayish, Mohammed Saleem, told Rudaw, “The security situation has improved … our security forces are able to fully protect and secure the city, and so the security committee with the governor of Erbil made the decision to remove them.”

Following the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime in 2003, Iraq became a bloody stage of violence, bombings and terrorist attacks.

Sectarian conflict and armed insurgency were directed at both civilians and security forces.

“After the liberation of Iraq in 2003, there was a lack of security defense, which is why the decision was made to place these concrete defenses in sensitive areas, such as outside ministries and government buildings,” said Saleem. “Now, day by day, the security situation is on the path to stability – it is improving.”

In 2004, Erbil suffered its most severe insurgent attack when two suicide bombers simultaneously struck the offices of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and killed dozens of senior party officials.

A few smaller attacks followed. But Erbil has largely escaped the violence that the rest of Iraq has been going through since 2003.

The KDP and PUK are the two major Kurdish parties in Iraq and control the Kurdistan Regional Government.

Aso Mamand, head of the Erbil branch of the PUK, believes the security situation is heading in a positive direction.

“Since the Feb. 1 (2004) terrorist attacks in Erbil, security has really improved,” he said.

Some see the placement of the concrete blast walls as a source of anxiety, creating feelings of fear and anticipation of bombings. 

“It affects the public’s psychological wellbeing, making them feel there is always a security threat,” Saleem said. “The aim is to make the people of the city psychologically feel at ease and secure. The sight of these walls invokes fear.”

However, as Iraq is still generally an unsafe place, many wonder if it is not too soon to remove these protective walls.

“Removing these walls is not a guarantee that there will not be any attacks,” Tahir Abdulla, Erbil’s deputy governor said.

For an ever advancing city, the concrete barricades are aesthetically unsightly and often take up an entire road. City officials see their removal as a step in cultivating a more harmonious capital.

“It (concrete barriers) caused problems for the walkways, creating pedestrian traffic and busy pavements,” Abdullah said. “In terms of image, they were very ugly.”

Deputy Security Chief Saleem believes removing the blast walls does not have anything to do with the region’s efforts to draw more local and international investment.

“Attracting foreign investors and companies is not really related to the removal of the concrete walls,” he said.

The authorities reiterate that the removal of the concrete walls is solely a result of improved security, making the public feel at ease and creating a more presentable city.

This also comes at a time when Iraq’s Ministry of Tourism has nominated Erbil for the “Arab Tourism Capital” award for 2014-2015.
With the removal of these blockades and the steady rise in international investment and tourism, the city might well be on its way to a future far removed from its cautious past.