by Gao Shan and Fu Yiming

    BAGHDAD, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- With no traffic lights and road medians, several Iraqi soldiers acting as traffic police yelled to drivers and walkers. Two Humvees and three pickup trucks parked on the sidewalks while the soldiers manning the machine guns on top of the vehicles were extremely vigilant. More than a dozen of soldiers with AK assault rifles cordoned off the checkpoint with temporary speed bumps and spike strips to slow down vehicles.

    The heavily secured intersection near the Senak bridge across Tigris river was once among the most dangerous intersections in Baghdad.

    Major Abdul Aziz al-Hekim from Iraqi security forces stood at the middle of an intersection in front of the checkpoint, ordering his soldiers through a walkie-talkie to move a Humvee to block off a side street feeding onto the road. But the intersection was still congested by all kinds of vehicles and crowds.

    People bypassed the checkpoint scrupulously while vehicles were crawling along the direction of concrete barriers in rush hours in the city.

    As the top commander of Iraqi forces in the intersection, Major Hekim welcomed us warmly after two guards checked our satchels and cameras as well as our press cards.

    "Please tell Chinese people that Iraq is becoming a peaceful country now," said Hekim.

    He acknowledged that doubts persist on whether Iraqi forces have in place reliable capabilities to control the security situation. According to the U.S.-Iraq Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) on the U.S. military presence, the U.S. agreed to remove all combat forces from Iraqi cities and towns by the end of June and withdraw from the entire country by the end of 2011.

    But he tried to show self-confidence as commander of Iraqi forces to us. Attacks fell in December to lowest monthly level since the Iraq war began in 2003.

    Pointing to the soldiers around the intersection, he said: "All of them are from Iraqi forces. You can't find even one American here. We are beginning to run our country ourselves."

    Iraqi bystanders obviously turned surprised and curious seeing Chinese journalists at a security checkpoint. Some people said hello to us and others just smiled to us softly.

    We walked around the checkpoint and finally stood behind a fire engine, keeping an awareness of our surroundings. We thought the giant body of fire engine should be a shelter for the shrapnel of bombs in case of sudden attacks.

    Two fire fighters were enjoying the sunshine cozily in the winter morning. We called them faineant in joke.

    "Yes, it's much better for us in recent two months than one or two years before. We can have a rest here because there is no bombing today until now," said the elder fire fighter with smile. Car bombers and suicide bombers are the top killers for Iraqi soldiers and civilians in Baghdad. Fire engines are often used to put out fire after car bombings.

    The younger, however, was reluctant to agree with us. "We engage in one of the most dangerous works in Iraq. Two of our colleagues were killed by the so-called twin bombs designed to endanger rescue teams," he said and added "Another two of our colleagues were shoot dead by American soldiers because they failed to stop their vehicle in time in front of a U.S. forces checkpoint." Both of the fire fighters spoke on condition of anonymity.

    We were a little frightened by the sudden and thunderous roar of two Black Hawk helicopters hovering over the intersection.

    "Americans destroyed our country and our life and they will not leave our country easily," a man passing by pointed at the helicopters and said to us.

    Then he pointed one of his shoes and continued, "It's the gift to Americans. Zaidi is our hero." Muntazer al-Zaidi is an Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at U.S. President George W. Bush at a news conference a month ago.

    Some Iraqi soldiers near us heard his words but just kept silence.

    According to Major Hekim, our visit to the checkpoint was a sign of normality returning and a prove of security improving in Baghdad.

    "Iraq is on its way to lasting peace and state reconstruction," he told us with confidence.

    We hope he is right and peace will not be just another "One Thousand and One Nights" folk tale.