Pools help normalcy make splash in Iraq

BAGHDAD — Muntadhar al-Sharify stood shivering Saturday in Baghdad's searing heat, a smile on his young face.

The Iraqi boy had just completed a rite of passage known to children around the world — his first swim. But his fun also marked something broader: Another small step in Baghdad's halting progress from violence to more normal life.

Across the city, parks and pools are opening to the public. And places like Zawra Park, where three swimming pools opened Saturday after repairs financed by the U.S. military, are drawing crowds of families.

For years, sectarian violence after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 kept Iraqis inside their houses for fear any trip out the door could be their last.

The U.S. military hopes the recent ebb in violence will allow Iraqis to begin restoring their lives to normal.

It's encouraging the process with projects like the refurbishment of the pools at Zawra, one of the city's main parks.

Iraqi families now often spend the entire day in the park, said Salah al-Mandalawy, the assistant general manager of the park in western Baghdad.

With temperatures regularly over 100 degrees, the parks provide a much needed respite.

Muntadhar al-Tammimi, 10, on Saturday jumped into one of Zawra's pools, still wearing jeans. "I feel good!” he said.