Baghdad to crack down on beggars

After three recent bombings carried out by women who appeared to be either paupers or mentally disabled, Iraqi authorities have announced plans to round up beggars, the homeless and the mentally ill.

“These kinds of people belong in either social welfare institutes or hospitals,” says Abdul-Kareem Khalaf, Interior Ministry spokesman. In addition, people pretending to be down on their luck, either to dupe people or to disguise criminal intentions, will face prosecution, Khalaf says.

Begging is against the law, but police have been too busy to pay much attention, said Tariq Harb, a prominent Baghdad attorney.

With U.S. and Iraqi officials accusing insurgents of recruiting juveniles and women, Harb and Khalaf say it makes sense to start cracking down. But enforcing the law will be difficult. Beggars and street people are part of life here, and their numbers have grown dramatically since the war.

In addition, the Koran encourages people to help the needy, and Iraqis see nothing wrong with giving money to those who ask for it. Beggars here often go door to door seeking handouts, or hit up people in passing cars.

One problem for Iraqis is figuring out who is genuinely needy and who is merely stuffing their pockets. “I know many men who sit in cheap motels smoking water pipes . . . while their wives and kids roam in the streets of Baghdad begging for money,” Harb said.

Skeptics question whether Baghdad has the facilities to care for throngs of mentally ill and homeless people.