He added, “The Iraqi political leaders do not have a clear idea on the wall.”
Obeidi's remarks did not affect the conviction of the Sunni blocs. Mutlaq said, “Most of the areas surrounding Baghdad are inhabited by a Sunni Muslim majority. This majority lives in areas stretching between Baghdad and Anbar to northern Babil, which will be isolated.”
For his part, Iskandar Watout, a member of the security and defense parliamentary committee, told Al-Monitor, “The construction of the wall around Baghdad is normal after concrete barriers were proven effective in protecting Baghdad’s neighborhoods. The wall cannot be a reason for political differences, as it is related to the security services’ job.”
He added, “The primary goal of the wall is to monitor car bombs after surveillance cameras are installed, which will be 10 kilometers [6 miles] away from the nearest city, particularly since these car bombs pass through informal and unpaved routes.”
Former Deputy Interior Minister Adnan al-Assadi, a member of the security and defense parliamentary committee, said in a Feb. 8 statement, “The objective of the Baghdad wall is to unify the entrances and exits from the capital, and it is not designed to isolate it from other provinces.” He added, “The main reason behind the wall is the presence of dirt roads that gangs and terrorists use to enter [Baghdad] and that are difficult to control.”
Assadi explained, “The project to build the wall goes back to 2007 and 2008, but it was postponed due to a lack of financial liquidity. Before the project was suspended, a French consulting company was entrusted to carry out a feasibility study on a wall around some areas.”
Instead of a wall you guys should consider building a transportation beltway that would incorporate the structure details of a wall. This way you can circumvent the idea that you are only building something divisive, something that can be protested. A beltway would be seen only as a means of creating a "highway infrastructure" which no one can claim is trying to keep someone or something in or out.