Today all Iraqis have become politicians. They see that anyone, with qualification - or without, may become a politician. It is the best occupation.

It has become "all the rage". The fashion.

But the self appointed politicians on our streets are at least not funded by "outside" powers.

We have more than 400 "political entities". We cannot call them "parties" because we don't have legislation for "political parties". The biggest obstacle that faces this legislation is an item that regulates the funding of political parties that may operate inside the country: No foreign funding is permitted!

Can our government accept that?

Who are the ruling parties in Iraq today?

How are they funded??

Will they accept and pass such a law??? Can they afford to?

How many parties are funded by Iran? What about Saudi Arabia? Is Turkey to become another active player in this arena? Syria?? Others?

Who – amongst the scores of politicians, has the best interests of the Iraqi citizen in his mind and heart? He who is funded by Iran? Saudi?? Syria???

Iraq has become a playground for regional forces and the Iraqi people are paying the price.

Elections are being pushed back and transparency has become just a word in the dictionary.

At last, after a long, long drive and tens of checkpoints we reach the entry point to Erbil province, where the capital city of Kurdistan – Iraq, the city of Erbil is situated.

After looking at our "Baghdad" number plates, we are waivedby the security force manning the checkpoint to a secured area to our right where there was a large, covered search-checkpoint where tens of cars take turn in being searched in three parallel lanes.

Oh, it's just a checkpoint, I thought.

We drive in, stop the car, and are told to take our papers – all of us, and walk over to the sheds, about a hundred meters away. I hoped we would be on our way quickly, the tourism season was over and it was gray and cold. There was only one family before us in line.

First window: The officers behind the desk asked us for identification.

Then they asked us how we were related to each other and demanded proof: if we were work colleagues: show proof, and what is your mission? – If it was a married couple: show contract – If it was a family: show ration card. After we showed our proofs, we were waved to another window.

Second window: The information was entered by an officer at this desk into a database. He waited a bit and waved us to another window.

Third window: The officer entered some more information into his computer and waited for a while and waved us to yet another window.

Fourth window: The officer wrote out a slip of paper, put our names on it, asked us for the duration of our stay, and recorded that on the slip too. He entered this information into his computer, handed over the permit and waved us to yet another window.

Fifth window: This senior officer looked us up and down, checked our information and then signed and stamped the permit.

AT LAST! We get to enter Kurdistan – Iraq.

At every checkpoint we passed through inside the Kurdish region, we were asked to show our permit and some form of identification with it. Our names would be compared to the slip and we would be waved on our way.

Leaving Kurdistan – Iraq, our slip was stamped by the last checkpoint we passed through before returning to the sheds once again. We handed over the stamped permit to the officer; he checked the date of the stamp from the last checkpoint, and sent us on our way out of the "region".

As we drove out of Kurdistan - Iraq, I wondered whether people coming into "the rest of Iraq" from that region would be processed the same way. But there were no sheds on the other side of that "border", no federal forces to check documents or give visiting permits for stated durations of time after thorough investigations.

For a few days now, going out in the streets of Karkh, which is Baghdad west of the Tigris, has been a very difficult task – especially if you wanted to reach your destination at a pre-set time. The checkpoints have long, long lines; hundreds of cars waiting to pass one by one by the soldier holding the explosive detector – only to reach another checkpoint and another long wait. Sometimes for hours there is no progress.

The reason for the extra vigilance turned out to be the opening of the 36^th exhibition of Baghdad International Fair, today.

I remember going to the Fair every year, during the seventies and eighties. The exhibition grounds are very wide and tens of countries, including almost all the Arab states participated, in addition to dozens of independent international companies. It used to be so exciting.

We would visit all the pavilions; see all sorts of products and artifacts from all over the world, many of which were very artful. The Korean pavilion was especially popular.  Some participants used to sell their products to visitors before the end of the fair – it was great! Thousands and thousands of people would go every day. Popcorn – crisps – sandwiches – soft drinks and, of course: Iraqi tea; all to be had at every corner.

All the young people wore their most attractive clothes so they could show off! The young men trying to catch the attention of the young women - sparks flying!

At eleven p.m. the horns would start sounding and everyone would shout out loud, "NO!" and people had to be urged to leave.

We had such a time!

Today only four countries are participating: Iran, France, Brazil and Sweden; and 300 independent companies. No Arab states at all.

Iraqi security officials said that the streets around the fair ground, which is located in Mansour, central Baghdad, will be blocked to "provide a secure environment for the participants and their Iraqi counterparts". They also said that "detours" would be provided…

I'm sure I don't know how I would feel after ten or fifteen days of main thoroughfares blocked in the Mansour area, a vital, central area; no one will be very happy. People won't be able to reach their work places and schools.

I wonder why the security officials still believe that blocking the streets will provide security. Is this the only solution our security commanders have? Block the roads!

We know that the issue of violence in Iraq is political. And it follows that the solution should also be political.

When is our government going to take serious steps towards reconciliation? So long as the politicians sitting at the top table are working against each other as competitors instead of working together as partners, the violence will not end – blocked roads or no.