By Jamie Watt
Drone attacks in recent days have disrupted many of our lives, particularly through the cancellation of school. The threat of further incidents creates psychological pressure, disrupting daily life and undermining our plans. Even when no attack occurs nearby, the sense of threat can still shape how we, as residents of Erbil, move through our days, and the implications can unfortunately lead to a reduction in social and economic activity.
That psychological effect is precisely the goal of terrorism.
These drone attacks from Iranian-backed militias rarely aim for massive destruction (and frankly aren’t even capable of it). Their purpose is disruption—of daily rhythms, of economic activity, of public confidence. When people stop gathering, investing, working, and engaging in normal life, the attackers accomplish far more than any single strike could achieve. The real target is not infrastructure but society itself.
For this reason, the most effective response available to ordinary citizens is surprisingly straightforward: continue living.
The Kurdistan Region has faced this pressure before. When ISIS threatened the region, they relied heavily on fear—hoping to intimidate the Kurds. They designed their media and violent attacks to convince societies that normal life was impossible. Yet across much of Kurdistan, the opposite happened: cafés stayed open, families gathered, businesses operated, people built, and planned for the future. We made it through by continuing as normal, even though things weren’t exactly normal.
That resilience had tangible effects. It protected the economy during regional instability, preserved mental health in communities that could have easily succumbed to fear, and enabled security forces to operate without society collapsing into panic. ISIS was defeated not only militarily but ideologically—the Kurds refused to surrender their way of life.
History provides a striking parallel. During World War II’s Blitz, Britain underwent sustained bombing campaigns that killed approximately 40,000 civilians and destroyed large areas of its key cities. London faced nightly attacks for months at a time.
The British strategy for the public was encapsulated in a simple phrase: “Keep Calm and Carry On.” The government’s message was clear—citizens could best support their country by maintaining composure and continuing their responsibilities despite the threat. Shops opened. Factories produced. Trains ran. People gathered in homes and cafés.
Daily life itself became resistance. Britain maintained industrial production and social stability during what was, at the time, one of the most intense bombing campaigns in history. By refusing to let fear destroy public life, society preserved the economic, mental, and social strength that allowed it to survive the depths of WWII.
Erbil today faces a threat different from the one London faced during the Blitz. But the psychological dynamic is similar. Sporadic attacks aim to magnify their impact by spreading anxiety and panic. If fear causes people to retreat from public life, the attackers achieve their goal. If fear causes economic harm by reducing spending, investment, and (in time) employment, the attackers win.
This is why continuing normal rhythms matters: people gathering with friends, families going out, businesses staying open, entrepreneurs investing, workers showing up. Each of these actions contributes to stability—economic, social, and psychological. Together, they form a response more powerful than any single security measure.
Calm need not mean carelessness. Prudence matters. By all means, it would be wise to stay indoors at night (and away from windows, which ideally are blocked by curtains—statistically, glass is a far bigger danger in a drone incident than the drone itself). But prudence and panic are not the same. A society that remains steady is far stronger than one that retreats from its own daily life.
Erbil has become one of the region’s most resilient and dynamic cities because its people have consistently chosen forward movement over fear.
Terrorism in the form of these drone attacks is seeking to interrupt our momentum. The best way to combat it, as the British adage says, is to Keep Calm and Carry On.