The security officer at one of the major security checkpoints in the Sadr City neighborhood of Baghdad rushes drivers to pass through the checkpoint. Nearly a month ago, this checkpoint caused heavy traffic delays of about an hour. However, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's recent speech changed this situation.

In his weekly speech on March 19, Maliki accused some of the security checkpoints of disrupting traffic to delay citizens and make them resent the government. He called for finding the easiest ways to facilitate traffic and promised to hold accountable whoever is causing traffic jams.

Two days after Maliki's speech, security checkpoints became more flexible in letting vehicles pass through. This prompted the citizens of Baghdad to question the prime minister’s current interest in this issue, almost six years after taking office, especially since the Iraqi media has always addressed it.

At Baghdad International Airport, taxi driver Ahmed al-Khafaji seemed happy with the new security measures implemented at checkpoints, since he no longer has to wait for hours in the cold or heat and withstand all the accompanying stress.