Iraqis complain and ask outsiders to carry the message to the rest of the world that the embargo is killing their country. But the truth is not that simple. There is, no doubt, much for Iraqis to complain about. The only plentiful item is oil, which can be bought for less than ten cents a gallon. Whoever owns a car is moonlighting as a taxi driver.
Fares are cheap, even for foreigners, if they are willing to bargain.
Thus, one should not be surprised that many educated people who bought their cars in the eighties roam the streets in search of customers. One driver who worked for me for a few days was an engineer with respectable English. After repeatedly getting lost in Baghdad searching for places that I wanted to see, he looked forward to his well-deserved rest. His dream of leaving the country for economic reasons is shared by many, but very few can afford to do so. Even with a passport, they can rarely obtain visas to countries of their interest.