Great Baghdad

AL-JAZEERA ???????

2011-02-12T12:34:00.001+03:00

As the Egyptian riot police car went up the Qasr Al Nil bridge, couple of demonstrators throw a Molotov cocktail at the car and set it on blaze. Immediately the Jazeera English cameraman turned away and pointed is lenses on 4 guys walking down the street, in front of the Hilton Hotel, where the cameraman was shooting from one of its rooms. Few seconds later, he turned his camera back on that riot police car. The blazes were now put down and there was a very small tinkling flam near the top hatch of that car. I consider myself a journalist and a reporter, who covered a war zone for years, yet, I was unable to comprehend, why the Jazeera cameraman would turn his Camera away as this action is taking place in front of his eyes. As I was wondering, the Jazeera English studio anchor asked the reporter ( Ayman Mohyaldin) about that Molotov cocktail . Great, so I was not the only one who saw that.

“We have not seen any Molotov cocktails and we could not confirm that” Ayman responded to that question. It was an event that took place in front of him only few Seconds ago. Later that day I saw exactly what happened to that riot police car, in details , but it was shoot by the Cameras of AFP on ( France 24 TV) and also on (Euronews) from exactly the Same angle. 2 men ran next to that car, throw a Molotov cocktail into it, through the top hatch and setting it on fire and tried to open the side door of the car. The policemen inside the car managed to put down the fire immediately. To my surprise I also saw Molotov cocktails being thrown at riot police and burst into blazes as it falls on them. But all that was not on Al-Jazeera. Because Al-Jazeera kept saying that those are “Peaceful demonstrators”. Yes it is true the protesters were peaceful, but those police trucks and cars were not self-ignited. Yes the protesters were not violent, but some did resort to violence. There were clashes, which what happens in every revolution. This s only showed that Al-Jazeera was covering the news with a clear agenda in Mind and the reporters were commentating like political analysts not as objective reporters impartially reporting news. At one point it sounded that the new Vice president Omar Suleiman should actually go and start talks with Ayman Mohyaldin , instead of straining talks with the Muslim brotherhood or any other opposition group.

Few days later after that riot police incident, a Jazeera presenter hosted a renowned Egyptian commentator from London. As that commentator told the presenter that the Name of Al-Tahrir( liberation) Sq. came from the famous incident, when Saad Zaghlool called for the liberation of women and women demonstrated in the Then ( Ismaileyya ) Sq and took off their Vials ( Hijab ) and stepped on it as a sign of women liberation early in the 19^th century . The Jazeera Presenter immediately interrupted the commentator and told him that this is wrong and this is not the right story behind the name. The commentator started laughing and affirmed to the presenter that this is the real story and the presenter could check it, but no, the Jazeera which is posting the Qaida beheadings and promoting an Islamist agenda could not have such ideas carried by its air waves.

Throughout the whole coverage of the events in Egypt, Al- Jazeera Hardly reported that that banks are closed, ATMs are empty, there are lines of people in front of Bakeries, lines at gas stations and that people did not get their salaries at the end of the month. Other highly respected, professional and objective news outlets, like BBC Arabic, did.

I personally get irritated every time I hear the tone and the Language that Al-Jazeera uses in its coverage for any matter, for I believe that it is inciting and provocative. One example one the coverage of the events in Egypt, a presenter asked a western commentator the following question (isn’t it time for the US to stop its back up to Egypt and cut the Money it gives to Mubarak?). Is it just me or dose this this question should be the other way around (back up to Mubarak and money to Egypt)?!

Now that the Egyptians did a marvelous Job that made the entire world bow with respect and admiration, Al – Jazeera started to Name its next target ( Algeria ). Conveniently, the Cameraman turned his Camera on that direction so that he does not have to report what is happening in Syria and Iran.

New Orleans Vs. Baghdad

2010-07-12T06:07:00.002+04:00

News flash, Baghdad biggest lover had to say good bye and move to the United States, at least for a while. When I first arrived to the states in mid April, a TV show Called ( Treme) started on HBO . It tells the story of post Katrina New Orleans. As I watched Treme’s episode go one by one, I could not help but notice the similarities between New Orleans and my old beloved city… Baghdad.

Just like New Orleans, Baghdad was devastated by a nameless hurricane. Iraqis refer to it by simply “The Fall” in reference to the fall of Baghdad in April 9^th 2003. Many Baghdad lovers, including me, prefer to think of it as the fall of Saddam’s regime rather than the fall of their magnificent city .

The thousands, who had to leave their houses , neighborhoods and friends and move to other states like Texas, reminds me of all the Iraqis, who were scattered inside and outside Iraq due to the violence and blind Killing and hatred that enclave their country. It is the most devastating thing that you leave your own home, which you own, and go somewhere else. I know it firsthand because it happened to me ...twice actually. first time was back in late 2006, when I left my house, which I own, and rented a small 2 bed room apartment in Karada, closer to my work, because traveling back and forth to work was getting more life threatening and more scary. And now when I had to leave Baghdad and move as a refugee to the United States.

One scene in Treme in particular immediately took me back to the darkest days of the sectarian violence in Baghdad. The scene where there were lots of white trailers in which dead bodies were kept for people to come and identify their missing family members and loved ones. This immediately took me back to the notorious Baghdad morgue. With an average of over 70 dead bodies retrieved from the streets of Baghdad at a certain period of time in late 2006 and early 2007, Baghdad morgue was so full that they used to have bodies lined up in the front lawn and yard of the morgue. What was even worst, is that the morgue was dominated by Shiat militias loyal to Moqttada Al-Sadr ,who would wrap up the relatives who would come to claim the bodies of their relatives and kill them as well. This forced many families to send only women to claim the bodies, or pay the militia men as much as 1 Million Iraqi Dinnar to get the bodies out to the families. Finally some people volunteered to take pictures of the unidentified bodies and started to bury them in numbered graves in Karbala south of Baghdad. Now there is a room at Baghdad morgue were families are still coming and looking at dozens of pictures in big TV screens trying to identify loved ones, who have been missing for a long time.

Great city with character and soul like New Orleans would never die as long as there are great New Orleans ‘s Lovers who would make sure that they will have The Jazz and Blues be heard all over the cafes and bars of their city. People making sure that the Mont Grow take place and Indians dance in the streets of New Orleans. So is the case with Arabian Nights’ Baghdad. Every time I went and covered a theater group, or Movie lovers setting up screens to project Iraqi Movies produced after the war, at the sites of bombings in Baghdad. What gives me more Hope is that all those Iraqi artists and movie makers are in their twenties and doing a marvelous job, against all odds.

I do not need to go through how well the US military handled the situation in both cities.

The Only difference between New Orleans and Baghdad is that Katrina took place in a single day and people had to deal with its consequences for a long time and the city of New Orleans is trying to recover from that single blow. Baghdad is living its Katrina for over 6 years now, and as people got exhausted from hearing about what happened in New Orleans and about Katrina and they decided that they want to hear no more, same is with Iraq, no matter how many Ktrinas or people die in Iraq no one wants to hear about it.

VICTORY AND DEFEAT WITH MALIKI

2009-12-14T23:10:00.000+03:00

The Iraqi council of representatives met last Tuesday after the 5 bombings in Baghdad which claimed the Lives of over 120 people and left over 500 wounded, to discus what went wrong and how such thing could happen.

Most of the parliamentarians were very critical of the security forces. Most of them demanded to summon the security ministers and the prime minister, since he is the commander in chief of the armed forces, to the parliament and hold them accountable. The parliamentarians were so fired up and passionate about that issue especially the general election is only 3 months away. So they all agreed to bring the Minister of interior, Defense and Prime Minister Al-Maliki on Thursday Dec 10^th.

On Thursday PM Maliki came to the Parliament, where he was welcomed by the deputy speaker (Khalid Al-Attiya) at the entrance to the parliament and then they headed to the office of the deputy speaker were they stayed for half an hour. Then Maliki headed to the parliament.

The parliament voted at the beginning on making the session closed and secret. Maliki said that it would be OK if the session is Open but he would be freer to talk about security issues in details when it is closed.

The first news that came out of that closed session was that the Prime minister agreed with the presidency that Thursday session would be for him by himself and the Parliament could meet with the security ministers later. Maliki made a preemptive step before coming to the parliament on Wednesday by replacing the commander of Baghdad security plan (staff General Aboud Qanbar) with the deputy chief of Staff.

Maliki started talking about the achievements in the fields of security in Baghdad that his government has made. Something that he has been talking about a lot lately. He said that there are 2 stages in security" lost security" and "infiltrated security". .

The lost security was when entire neighborhoods in Baghdad were under the control of the armed factions and not the state. While now, his Government, and thanks to Baghdad security command, which reports to him directly, the control has been regained over those neighborhoods.

The infiltrated security is what happened on the bombings in August, October and Finally on December 8^th. Maliki said that every one is responsible. The Government, the council of representatives all the state offices and "even the citizens" are responsible according to Samira Al-Mossawi, a shiat Parliament member, who gave reporters a briefing on what was going inside the Parliament session..

" Mr. prime minister through the Ball at the Parliament field saying that you should issue legislations that facilitate the work of the security forces " said Eman Al-Asadi , a another shiat parliamentarian.

In another word, Maliki is crediting the successes that took place in the field of security to him and ho his national Unity government and not even crediting the US military surge, while the responsibility of the 100+ casualties bombings are the responsibility of every one.

" Mr prime Minister is the direct executive supervisor on all the security departments in Iraq , . he defended him self by saying that this is the work of the specialized ministries and his office only supervises the plans of these ministries and coordinate between them" Said Mohammed Salman a sonni parliamentarian

" he put the blame on the Iraqi Ministries and hold them directly responsible, while he did not bear the responsibility" Salman added.

Mr. Maliki just twisted the saying "Victory has a thousand fathers, but defeat is an orphan" and making it "victory is all mine, but defeat is everybody's responsibility" .

Some field notes

2009-12-09T00:11:00.003+03:00

Last Night on December 7^th 2009 a big explosion took place near school , when the staff of the school decided to burn some trash which piled next to the school, not knowing that IEDs and Ammunitions were hidden underneath that pile of Garbage. Many of the students at that school were injured and at least 6 students were killed. Till a late hour at night, Baghdad Security operation Command, brigadier general Qassim Atta, insisted that no one was killed (which is typical of him). Then late at night the state sponsored TV quoted Atta saying that only 1 child was killed. This morning I woke up early in the morning with an Idea to go to Sadr city east o Baghdad, where that explosion took place, and see how many funeral tents not supposed to be there according to Atta who is Nicknamed now as Qassim Al-Sahaf, after the Iraqi information minister who gave all those ridicules press conferences during the 2003 war.

Unfortunately this idea was interrupted by 5 massive bombings that shook Baghdad. After waiting for some time for things to quite down, and we at the Bureau know where those bombings were. Our team of 3 decided to head to the site of the first bombing in Dura south of Baghdad. We reached a stand still point 2 kilometers from the site of the bombings, when our cars was stranded in the middle of a sea of Cars.

We decided to step out of the cars and walk the 2 Kilometers to the site of the bombing. It has just started to drizzle by then. As we were walking down the road, there were many young men and women, in college students’ uniforms coming down the street. We realized that those were the students of the Technical College by which that bombed car exploded. They had to walk the same 2 kilometers in the rain since no cars were allowed into the area. Cars with Shattered win screens, twisted metal on the side of the Back drove by, coming from the direction of the College.

We reached the site pf the bombing to see a big yellow shuffle burying the 2 meters deep crater of the bombing at the center of the street and a scrambled mini Bus right behind it. Couple of meters to the north of it, lies some twisted metal which used to be a police Patrol SUV. The only indication to it that it was a police car, is a small piece of a green and yellow stripe twisted metal lying next to it, that hardly can be seen.

As we were standing there the police found a human sobered bear foot lying in the middle of the dirt on the side of the road. They were wondering how they could miss that while they collected human flesh from 2 blocks from the site. one of the National Police elements lifted the foot by holding 2 pieces of twisted metal sheets stripped from the cars by the blast and put it next to a 1987 Volkswagen Passat engine, which was lying by it self in the middle of the opposite direction of the street, more than 20 meters from the bombing site.

At least 9 people were killed in that bombing, including the 3 policemen, who were inside that patrol car. We hitched a ride back to our cars with a police car which was going around the sites of the bombings. They have just came from the site of another bombing in Mansour, which they described as “beyond disastrous”.

By the time we left the bureau the Death toll was 63 killed, by the time we got back, it has reached 112. Later the wire service reported that the casualties have gone beyond 120.

While the Iraqi Parliament united for the first time , which is really a rare thing to see, on condemning and calling for dismissing Baghdad security commanders, at the top of which is Atta’s boss, general Aboud Qanbar, Atta issued a statement saying that the weirs’ casualties reports are not true and another statement saying that Baghdad security command will sue an Iraqi TV station for “ defaming, insult and agitating violence” and a third statement saying that the number of people killed in the bombings were 77.

Unanswered Questions

2009-08-20T00:38:00.001+04:00

Once again, hell opens its gates and windows on Baghdad and claims the Lives of over 100 Iraqi men, women and Children, and leaving hundreds wounded. From the dust, rubble and the water mixed with soot and blood, a big question mark emerges preceded by the words “ Why ” and More Importantly who is behind it.

In order to try to answer these questions, we should look to what preceded those bloody bombings and then, we try to get a suspect or even do the Impossible and understand what stands behind this Madness.

Earlier this Month there was a bank robbery, which took place in Baghdad. 8 guards were killed and the robbers turned up to be lead by the Iraqi Vice president’s security officials. And they even used official security cars in the robbery. The money ( minus300 Million Iraqi Dinnar which was split among the robbers) was retrieved but the guards, even though they were surrounded at the Newspaper office of that Vice president, but they were not handed out to the proper Authorities. The Prime minister said that they should be handed out to the proper Authorities. The Minister of Interior, who refused to do a cover Up for that robbery after knowing that the guards of that Vice president are involved, stood fast so that Justice is served. This incident has occupied the mind of the Iraqi public opinion through out the Past 20 days. An Iraqi Journalist working at the state owned Newspaper Al-Sabah, wrote an Article Under the title ( 800 000 Blankets) suggesting that the 8 billion Iraqi Dinnar, which were robed from the Bank , was enough to Buy 800 000 blankets, to be distributed by the party of that Vice president on voters in preparation to the coming parliamentary elections next January. Were these bombings that took place today, intended to occupy the Iraqi public opinion with a new thing other than the Bank Robbery? Or was it to get revenge from the Minister of Interior, since he will be the first to be blamed over what is going on?

Prime Minister Maliki has said that he might not join the Shiat alliance in the coming elections. He might form his own “national” alliance. He also went to the extent of describing the Sectarian Alliances as “part of History”. Were those bombings intended to bring down Maliki and his National project? Are they to prove that the Maliki Government is unable to provide security after the American withdrawal from the Iraqi cities?

Maliki Just paid Syria a Visit yesterday. Made some security agreements and among the things he asked the Syrian for were handing over some of the Wanted , former regime elements, who are blamed for the insurgency and violence in Iraq, to the Iraqi government. He also wanted Syria to encourage the tens of thousands of Iraqi refugees in Syria, to return to the now safer Iraq. Maliki also met with Iraqi community in Syria and some of those who were initially invited were not let into the reception hall (about 15 of them) to meet Maliki. Were those wanted elements behind the Bombings as a response to Maliki ? was that a message to the Shiat Ministry ( Finance) and the Kurdish Ministry ( Foreign affairs) from the Sonni Arab insurgency?

Finally, many Iraqi officials accused Saudi Arabia lately of standing behind the latest bombings in Iraq. They also said several times that neighboring and regional powers are trying their best to affect the results of the upcoming elections. Maliki also said on the 10th of this month that we should expect more Violence as we get closer to the elections. The Holy Month of Ramadan is only few days away and there will be strict security measures during that month. Did the Islamic fanatic made their strike before the security forces tighten its grip during the Holy Month? Did the crazy Jihadies, who came with Orders from Saudi Arabia (as Iraqi officials said), are blowing them selves in Iraq during the holiest month for more blessings?

If you got any idea or a Clue to answer those questions please write to me for I could not see through the dust, smoke and soot filling the Iraqi Air. So that I can give an answer to those people, whom I saw late this evening searching through the rubble for their loved ones.

Major Event in Baghdad

2009-07-17T18:07:00.002+04:00

For those who did not watch the Late Show with David Letterman last night, I will tell you what happened. The Beatles’ Sir Paul McCartney showed up at the Ed Sullivan Theater for the first time, after decades from the Beatles performance in the late sixties on the same theater. Not only that, Sir Paul McCartney went on the marquee of the Ed Sullivan Theater and preformed to a crowd of hundreds, if not thousands, who spread on all directions on the Broadway street, to see the music icon perform couple of his songs. This is a great by all measures. So big that Bruce Willis came and read the Top 10 list, at the showoff ways he is spending this summer, at the top of which was” I agreed to do a lame top 10 list just to meet Paul McCartney “ . This is how big this event was.

By now, you might be wondering what that got to do with Baghdad, to which this blog is dedicated. Well, as I was enjoying the performance of Sir Paul McCartney on the Ed Sullivan Marquee, along with the hundreds of people on Broadway Street, I was shocked to actually see that there are cars passing in front of the Ed Sullivan Theater. The Taxi cabs were driving among the crowds, who were barricaded by police and behind steel barriers. For a resident of Baghdad to see this large crowd of people and cars are passing freely among them, it is our worst nightmare. For us, any of those cars is a potential bombed car.

In comparison to that great, Ed Sullivan Theater, event, there is a pilgrimage to the Shrine Of Imam Kadhum in Baghdad taking place right now. The preparations to this great Baghdad Event started 3 days ago. Tents were set up on the streets of Baghdad (even on the Major Highways) and I literally mean ON the streets not on the side of it. Major streets were shut down. Entire neighborhoods were sealed off, including my neighborhood, just because they are unfortunate enough to be on the route to the shrine. This siege, which will last for another couple of Days, is imposed on over one third of the city of Baghdad. Just to visit a shrine of a guy who died centuries ago. While we are celebrating a guy who died centuries ago, the entire world is celebrating the 40^th anniversary of Apollo 11 mission, which landed a Man on the Moon.

All what I want to say, is that Major events could take place without actually stopping life , traffic and confining people to their houses for days, especially when there are 12 Imams in Shaisim , and their Birth, Death , Arbain ( 40 days after the death) and even the wounds of some Imams are celebrated. I have to disagree with some clergymen, who would answer those who tell them that all of this is causing discomfort and inconvenience to people by saying “the people actually rubbing the dirt off the shoes off the pilgrims and putting it over their heads for Blessing” . No sir, life should not freeze and people should not be locked up, just because there is a pilgrimage taking place. Not even for Sir Paul McCartney.

the Fragile situation

2009-06-25T17:26:00.002+04:00

Living in the buffer zone or what you may call no man’s land between Baghdad’s Sunni -dominated Adhamiyah district and the Sadr City area dominated by the Mahdi Army, which is a Shia militia, I know how bad tensions between the two sides can get. I remember a couple of years ago when sectarian fighting – one might even call it civil war - was at its peak.

At the time, mortars and Russian-made Grad artillery missiles flew back and forth between the two areas in north Baghdad. Whenever there was a bombing in Sadr city, the Mahdi Army would retaliate, lobbing mortars into Adhamiyah. The tit-for-tat assaults eventually led to construction of massive concrete blast walls to separate the two districts and the two sides.

For many Baghdad residents, a string of recent bombings in the city’s neighborhoods has resurrected memories of those bad old days. And those attacks are putting people on edge – again.

The other night, following a major bombing in a busy Sadr City market that killed more than 60 people and injured 120 others, I went to dinner at an open-air café in Adhamiyah near the Grand Mosque of Abu Hanifa. It was a couple of hours before the midnight curfew. Unlike other nights, when procedures at the checkpoints leading to Adhamiyah tend to be relaxed by this late hour, Iraqi Army soldiers were asking almost every driver to step out of his car and open the trunk for checking.

Just ahead of me, some men in a white 1988 Chevrolet Celebrity started throwing beer cans out windows and pouring out glasses of Scotch, as they got closer to the checkpoint. They clearly feared they might get in trouble for drinking.

Later, as we sat at the café having our dinner, we noticed an Iraqi soldier with a nickel-coated AK47, standing nearby, nervous but vigilant. “Whose GMC is this?” he shouted, pointing to a large, shiny Suburban parked at the curb a couple meters from us. “We’ll be done in a minute,” a customer sitting at a table with some friends yelled back. “Come and have dinner with us.” The soldier was not amused. “You said the you will only pick up some sandwiches,” he barked. “Move it!”

Meanwhile, Iraqi military Humvees drove up and down Adhamiya’s main street. You could tell they were on high alert in the wake of the recent bombings, including one in the Karada district as well as the Sadr City incident. Also, the alert level has been raised ahead of the withdrawal of American combat troops from Iraqi cities, which comes at the end of this month.

Later, as we were leaving Adhamiya, just about a half-hour ahead of curfew, authorities at the checkpoint were still requiring people to leave their cars for a quick check. All the activity was a reminder of how fragile the situation in Baghdad, and Iraq, remains - and how quickly things can go downhill.

Iraqi Count Downs

2009-01-01T18:50:00.003+03:00

Few days ago I noticed that there is couple of count downs and one count up (if there is such a thing as a count up) on the Iraqi TV stations.
The first count down is at Al-Diyar TV one of the Many Iraqi satellite TV stations which emerged right after the war. The count down if for the Iraqi provincial councils’ elections, due for Next February 2009. This election is one of the Major Mile stones n Iraqi politics and the election campaign is really starting strong and the results are really highly anticipated. Even though, the Iraqi people are really frustrated from the performance of both the Local and Central government, and many have expressed that they would never go to another election and vote for any one again, yet they also realize if they do not then they will end up with the same inefficient and corrupt politicians and officials. In addition to that, the result of this elections, if it was fair and not tampered with, will be a good indication for what the picture is gone be like in the coming general elections by the end of 2009.it will be more like the Golden Globe awards which will tell you what you should expect at the Academy awards night.
The count up which I mentioned earlier is how many days the Iaqi Journalist ( Monthadhar Al-Zaidi) , the guy who “assaulted” Bush with his shoe, is being held up by the Iraqi Authorities. Al-Baghdadyia TV , which Zaidi works for, have his picture on the top left corner of the screen. The word “ Waiting” is underneath the Picture and next to it is the Number “ 19” which is how many days have past since the incident. There is a similar count up on the Lebanese Future TV run By Al-Hariri with the Number 1418, which are the days since Rafiq Al-Hariri, the former Lebanese PM, was assassinated and the words “ for Lebanon sake” next to it. Hope that Zaidi’s count up would not reach this figure..Or he might.
The other more interesting count down was the one on Sumaria TV. They had a clock on the screen counting down till it gets to the New Year’s eve. This might not sound really interesting since al the whole world will be counting down the hours, minutes and seconds till the ball drop at Time square announcing the arrival of 2009. What makes this count down special and Unique is what is written next to it. “Till sovereignty” is what was written next to the count down clock. How is that? Because once the clock strikes midnight on Dec 31st the security pact between Iraq and the United States of America becomes in action.
Why would there be a count down for sovereignty, aren’t we already a sovereign Nation? Let me tell you about the one time when I went to the President Office at the Green Zone for a press conference back in 2004. Back then It Was Ghazi Al-Yawir the President. I thought that since he is the president of Iraq, then his office would be at the green domed Iraqi Republican Palace. You could not imagine how surprised and humiliated I was when I was taken to some Building at one corner of the Greene zone which could be nothing but a Gardner house. A kitchen with few rooms in an area, which is not more than 200 Square meters, of the one level house which is called the presidential office. The Iraqi West Wing. While the great and lavished Republican Palace is now the American Embassy. That is probably why when President Talabani became a president of Iraq, e had his office out side the Green Zone, in one of Saddam’s former palaces on the River Tigris. Even Talabani could not humiliate him self and stay at the Gardener House.
Well… not any More. Today January 1st 2009 the Green zone was handed over to the Iraqi authorities. More importantly the republican Palace is No longer the American Embassy. All I can say is this is just another step towards Sovereignty and there are many more to take.

HOW TO DO BUSYINESS IN BAGHDAD

2008-11-28T22:14:00.002+03:00

One night, few years ago I fancied a hand watch at a store in Baghdad. Few days later, I took a friend of mine who was, unlike me, good in Bargaining and went to the store to get that watch. The guy at the store did not budge off his position regarding the price of that watch which was really cheap. My Friends efforts went in Vain, but it was I who actually managed to get that watch in a price less than the asked price. No, I did not “Make him an Offer that he can’t refuse” in Marlon Brando’s tactic at the Godfather. I simply talked to him in the manner that every Iraqi understands. I simply Said to the seller “ do you really expect me to go back home with the watch and tell the people at home that I actually bought the watch for the asked price!”. The Man immediately realized the sense in what I was saying (as an Iraqi) and sold me the watch for 14000 Iraqi Dinnar in stead of the 15000 the guy was asking for in the first place. Back then the difference was less than a Dollar.
You might ask what made me remember this incident. Well when I saw the Iraqi Government sending the back the Final draft of the security draft to Washington for last minute changes, this incident jumped to my mind immediately. The draft was fine for the Iraqi Government and they would have said yes to it at that Moment, but this would have made them look bad that they have actually said yes without a little bargaining.
This security pact, which was initially said that it would organize the presence of the troops in Iraq or as it is known by the name ( SOFA), suddenly changed to become the pact to organize the withdraw of the Foreign troops from Iraq. It set the date of the end of July 2009 for the American troops to pull out of the Iraqi cities, and the date of 31/12/2011 for them to pull out of Iraq.
Well this should come as great news to the people who were calling all along for a withdraw time table of the troops from Iraq, regardless what that time would be. Among those who were calling for this time table where Crazy Moqttada’s group ( the Sadrists), the association of the Muslim scholars and hard line sonnies. Iran and Syria were also were calling for such withdraw. That is why it came as a surprise that all the above mentioned people were against this practically withdraw pact. The Iraqis where split into 2 factions, those who are pro the Pact which would automatically make them Pro American and those who were anti the Pact which would also automatically make them Pro Iranian. Many Iraqi officials where just in the middle of this ordeal, if they said Yes to this pact then they will be stained that they are favoring America and if not then they are taking Iran’s side. That is quite understandable because this agreement would basically make Iraq a strategic Ally of the United States.
When the Government actually approved the final draft of the agreement, after the last minute touches, and sent it to the Iraqi Parliament to ratify it, the Fun started. The Sadrist raised hell during the initial reading of the pact at the parliament by shouting and then beating on the desk with File Boxes and finally physically attacking the other members of Parliament who were reading out the draft of the pact. The scene repeated it self at the voting on the agreement with minor changes, like the Black scarf that the Sadrist MPs wore as sign of mourning and the Banners which each of them , especially the female street venders they call Sadrists MPs, which read “ No, No to the Agreement”. On the other hand, the accordance front ( the sonni block at the parliament) refused to pass the pact without some extra bargaining so they came up with this lame “ political reform document” which they read, voted on and passed right before the security pact.
The security (or the withdraw) pact, since the official Name of it in Arabic is the withdraw pact, by 149 votes.
Now as an Iraqi I feel safer that the security pact has been signed since I woke up on Thursday morning on the sound of an explosion followed by gunshots, and no one reported because they were busy covering the parliament and the Bombay attacks, and was not able to sleep later at night because of the sound of American helicopters hovering over my neighborhood all night till the next morning.

THANK YOU AMERICA

2008-11-06T12:19:00.001+03:00

Since the start of the presidential election campaign I had some reservation on Barak Obama, especially on issues like Iraq. I was more of a Clinton supporter. But once Clinton was out of the picture , it became obvious whom I would rather see at the white house. Probably you would think that this is only because I’m an Iraq and electing a new president at the white house who would have a direct effect on my country and that is why I’m concerned. It is true to an extent. One morning as I was driving to work, had the radio on BBC Arabic. They had a talk show and they were receiving calls and comments from all over the Arab world reflecting on the American elections. One caller from Sudan, as I recall, said that it is gone be impossible for Obama to be elected. “ do you really believe that America is let a black man of a Muslim back ground be elected as its president” the guy said on the radio. “It is impossible” he added.

At that very particular moment I really wished that Obama would win just to prove to that Man in Sudan and the rest of the Arab world how wrong they could be, by making such prejudice remarks and judgments.

Through out the campaign, as the reports were talking about Obama’s double digits lead over the war veteran McCain, that caller from Sudan was always in the back of My mind. And when one day in the streets of Manhattan , during my visit to the US, I saw a black man who had to wait for 20 minutes to get a taxi and Taxi drivers refuses to stop for him just because he is black , and this is in 2008, that man from Sudan was in the back of my mind. Seeing that first hand shock my faith in all what America stands for. That is other what we, as Iraqis, have seen through out the past 8 Bush’s years on the white house.

On November 4^th, what was considered impossible by many, did happen. A black man called Barak Hussein Obama became the 44^th president of the United state of America. Every body agreed that it was a historical moment. It is not a historical moment Just because an African American man has been elected as a president of the United States. It is a historical moment because you Americans have given the whole world a valuable lesson in democracy and the power of the people’s will , when you all chanted “ yes we can” and proven that man from Sudan wrong . Your march to the polling centers did to democracy what no tanks, fleets or warplanes were able to do. It brought back faith in America as a super power and in democracy. So …Thank you America.

HISTORY LESSON

2008-06-01T23:45:00.005+04:00

For the past 2 days, I have been watching a DVD called “ Hitler- the rise of Evil”. It talks about the rise of the most notorious dictator that the world ever known. As an Iraqi, who lived in Iraq for the past 3 decades, I could not help but notice the remarkable resemblance between the realities I lived, and still living in this little country called Iraq.

I still remember the striking resemblance between the German dictator and our own home grown dictator, Saddam Hussein. The police state he created and the Militarized society and the wars that brought disasters to Iraq and to the entire region. The liberties which were frozen, and most importantly, the psychopath manner of ruling. The one and only feared leader to whom we are supposed to sacrifice our “ souls and blood”.

Ironically, that dictator was removed by almost the same Allies, USA and UK ( with the absence of if not rejection of Russia and Free France) .

This was the most obvious resemblance that any one watching the movie can see. The other resemblance is that those 2 dictators are now long gone and only became part of history and became subjects for historians to study and derive lessons from those eras.

But the lesson that we did not learn is that dictators could come from democratic states and even through elections.

Moqttada Al-Sader another psychopath, just like Hitler managed to get 25 seats in Parliament, after democracy was introduced into Iraq. His SAS ( the Mahdi Army) managed to strengthen its grip on the entire nation, and made every one in Iraq forced to deal with this 28 year old retard , and even giving him 6 ministerial portfolios in the first elected Iraqi Government.

Just like Chancellor Hitler, Moqttada knew how to use democracy for his benefit and put the entire country captive to his will. …Lesson Learned??!!!

You might think that such resemblance is only applicable to little countries like Germany or Iraq, where democracy was only young.

Adolf Hitler decleared “Ability act” after the building of the Reichstag (German parliament) was burnt by a supposedly Dutch communist. Rings any bells? Something like the “Patriot Act” announced by President Bush after 9/11, were some liberties were “ frozen” during the “War on terrorism”.

The DVD end s with a remarkable quotation of the Anglo- Irish statesman, Edmund Burke( 1729 -1797) saying “ the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing” . I hope by writing this blog I did something.

MY SPECIAL PASSPORT

2008-05-09T12:21:00.002+04:00

Last March I started my Trip to the states to Visit Washington DC on a business trip. Naturally, I would need my passport to accompany me through out this Journey. This trip made me realize how special my Iraqi Passport is.

My rout was through Istanbul Turkey where I would Take the Plane from Istanbul to New York in a none stop flight. Once I arrived at Istanbul International airport, we were searched thoroughly and went through metal detectors, since we are coming from Iraq. I thought that this is the normal procedure that the Turkish authorities follow, with every passenger who lands in Turkey, for this is the post 9/11 world.

Earlier when the American embassy, In Amman Jordon , mailed me back My "special" Passport with the American Visa on it ( oh, yes the Biggest over seas American Embassy , in Baghdad , dose not issue Visa's for ordinary Iraqis. there fore you have to go to Amman Jordon or any other country to get your visa), along with a Visa , came a letter with instructions telling me that I should go an register My Self at the (Immigration & naturalization service – INS) once I get to the Airport, because " INS register certain Individuals from the foreigners coming to the United states in consideration for the National security interests or for implementing the laws". So even when I already had a visa on My passport , but since I have a special passport then I have to get a special treatment, like have my picture taken, finger prints and full special forms. The guys at the office were nice and done every thing really quickly, but still the fact that you are treated like a potential terrorist is still there in the back of your mind.

Throughout my stay in the states every body was nice and once they realize that I'm an Iraqi they would express their apology to what their country did to my country.

On My trip back, I was supposed to take an Air France flight to Paris where I would stay in Transit for 4 hours and then take another flight to Istanbul on my way back to Baghdad. First of all, I have to show up again with a Boarding ticket at the Immigration & naturalization service office and register my self out. When I got to the Ai France counter at JFK Airport, I was surprised to know that I need a visa to get to Digul Airport in Paris, so that I change planes. Even though I would not inter Paris and will only spend 4 hours at the transit area. The visa in my case would take 2 weeks. When I asked the Air France official why is that? And why do I have to get a visa just to change planes in Paris, his reply was "because you have a special passport".

Eventually I had to change the whole plan and take a direct; none stop flight all the way from NY to Istanbul.

When I got to Istanbul I was waiting for that long line before the metal detector and that search which I went through when I came from Baghdad last time. To my surprise, none of it took place this time. I immediately went to the passport officer who let me in and the whole thing did not last more than 15 Minutes. I realized that you only get that special treatment only f you come from Baghdad.

I wondered if other Nationalities from Countries from where all those notorious terrorists like Saudi Arabia where 15 of the 19 of the 9/11 hijackers came from, Jordon from where Abu Mosa'ab Al-Zarqwi, the notorious Qayida man was from , Egypt where the Zaerqawi successes Abu Hamzah Al-Muhajir ( AKA Al-Massri) is from, for Al-Qayida dose not put Iraqis on its leadership for some reason, get the same special treatment. But it is us the Iraqis who are suffering from terrorism on daily bases are the ones who should also bear its shame.

GOOD JOB Mr. BUSH

2008-03-03T16:09:00.003+03:00

Yesterday the controversial Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadi Najad arrived in Baghdad in a 2 day official visit. Unlike the visits of the other presidents who came to Iraq after the "liberation", Mr. Najad , got the whole red carpet treatment worthy of a Visiting president. In his joint press conference with President Talabani, Najad said that " A visit to Iraq without the dictator is a truly happy one,".

Happy visit indeed. The only major power in the Region which was facing Iran is now gone, instead Iran have full control over that rival power. And to strengthen their grip over Iraq, Iran is gone sign several agreements and memorandum of Understandings, on all aspects, economic, commercial and security.

The Iranian Minister of Electricity, who is accompanying the Iranian president headed yesterday to Najaf to lay the foundation stone for a 250 Megawatt power plant that Iran is gone build there. This is not the first project in Iraq, for there is also the eye and kidney hospital that Iran built in Najaf and supplied the holly city with Garbage trucks and telecommunication centers.

Prior to the visit, the Mayor of Baghdad announced that he made an agreement with the Mayor of Tehran so that the Later help in reconstructing the infrastructure of the city of Baghdad.

So let us get this straight, there are 120 000 American soldiers on the Iraqi soil today, and up till now over 3800 American soldiers killed in this war, and billions of American dollars were spent. Is all that so Iran can roam and work freely in Iraq???!!!

Well Unlike president Bush, Tony Blair and the Australian Prime Minister John Howard and all the other coalition officials Ministers and secretaries of State or defense, who sneaked into Iraq and left after few hours, just like burglars, Najad stayed for 2 days and got the whole red carpet treatment. Not only that but he said yesterday, from the heavily fortified green zone, that the Iraqi people "do not like the Americans". He also said from the Green zone, which is guarded by the US military, who are also indirectly providing security to Ahmadi Najad, that Iraqis should be careful while Making a long term treaty with the United States.

Today in a press conference, Najad told the " Foreign forces" to leave and go to where they came from", for his the Job is done and mission is accomplished, now his country is a sole major power in the region and Iraq is no longer a threat to his neighbors (and we know whom we got to thank for that) and made Iran the sole threat to the whole region.

So well done President Bush, you single handedly handed over the entire region to Iran through your arrogance and ignorance and now he is telling you that you should pack and leave.

No wander many of the sonni Arabs thinks that America and Iran are allies since America is doing every thing for the best interest of Iran.

No wander that Ahmadi Najad thinks that the Iraqis do not like America, because all they built them is great and huge prisons and filled their country with concrete barriers. Good Job Mr. Bush.

THE NEW IRAQI FLAG (updated)

2008-01-29T22:28:00.005+03:00

Few Days ago, the “Iraqi” parliament passed a law to change the Iraqi Flag. The presidency council ratified that law today and it will become valid starting from the day it is published in the Iraqi Gazette.

I will review with you the history of this particular flag and the reasons behind changing it and also behind my own reservation over that particular change.

If you have read previous posts on this blog , you will see that I have mentioned more than once that the Kurds refuse to raise the Iraqi flag over their “region” under the pretext that the Iraqi Army was carrying that flag when they attacked the Kurds.

The new flag, which the parliament approved, simply removed the 3 green stars from the old Iraqi flag and kept the words ( Allah Akbar) which means (God is great).

Now, first of all the only countries which has the word Allah ( or God) on their Flag in the region( if not the entire world as far as I know) are the Islamic theocracies, Iran And Saudi Arabia. Dose that mean that now we are the 3^rd Islamic theocracy in the region?

The words ( Allah Akbar) were introduce to the Iraqi flag in 1991 by Saddam Hussein when he went into war with America in the 1991 gulf war, in an attempt to win over the Islamic world. Before that, the Iraqi flag was simply red on the top, then whit and the bottom is Black and 3 green stars in the Middle .

The green stars were originally placed there for the proposed, but never-consummated, union of Iraq with Egypt and Syria (United Arab Republic), which both had flags with two stars in the middle at the time. Theirs would have presumably changed into three had the union with Iraq been accomplished. By 1961, however, the Union between Syria and Egypt had already fallen apart.

Then Saddam changed the meaning of the 3 stars to signify the three goals of the Ba’ath Party (Unity, freedom and socialism), that was when he introduced the words ( God is Great) into the Iraqi Flag in 1991, with his own hand writing.

So as you see, the Kurds are not upset because this flag was raised by the Iraqi Army when they were massacred, for thousands of Iraqis also died in order that this flag is not to be brought down, but because of its pan – Arab back ground.

The Kurds changed it because they were facing a dilemma. They will be hosting the Arab parliamentarians meeting in Arbil soon. Since the Kurds refuse to raise the Iraqi flag, and since the Arab Parliamentarians will not approve that they would not see an Iraqi flag raised in the Kurdish region of Iraq, the Kurds pressured into changing the Iraqi flag, and having a temporary Ffag for one year( just to get them through this ordeal) and this is what actually happened.

Once I heard of the new flag, which came suddenly and we were surprised to see, the first thing that came to my mind “ how could they do that?!”. If you wanted to change the flag and get rid of Saddam’s trace on the flag, then remove the words of (God is Great) from the flag and change the meanings of the 3 stars. But to remove the stars, which are the old Characteristics of the Flag, and keeping the Saddam addition of ( God is great) is really uncalled for.

My own conservation over the old Flag (with the words God is Great) is that it is significantly Islamic. No Iraqi Christian or other religious minority could relate to this flag, which is supposed to represent every Iraqi.

This is not the first attempt to change the Iraqi flag after the US led invasion of Iraq. The Governing council, which was set up by the Coalition Provincial Authority (CPA), came out with a

proposed flag in 2004 but it was immediately rejected. The Iraqi people thought that it was too similar to the Israeli flag.

Couple of Days ago, the Kurdish MP Mahmoud Uthman, said on Al-Arabyia TV that the Iraqi people, represented by the parliament members, whom they have elected, are the one who chose this one year flag. He denied what was mentioned on the web sites that the Iraqi people are not welcoming the new flag and that there has been voices coming out rejecting and not recognizing that new flag and that they are holding to the old one.

As a sign of protest and defiance, I fitted today the old Iraqi Flag (with the 3 stars and God is Great) on my car to express my rejection to the new flag and also to see what the reaction of the people would be. The first reaction was from a guy who guards a check point who gave me a thumb up. Another guy asked if it is the new flag and then he checked it and unintentionally exclaimed “oh no it is our flag”.

I got to the house after driving around Baghdad with the flag on my car. I was not alone in doing so, for many of the police cars had the old flag on it as well (one of the police cars had even 3 of them). Once I got to the house my mother saw the flag and she said that I should take it off “because it is an act against the government” My mother said. “Well the Kurds did not raise the official flag of the state and raised another one instead and they are part of the Government” I replied. Then she said “people would think that you are a Saddamist”. “This is the Flag of Iraq and not Saddam’s Flag” my reply was.

I believe if we do not do something about it, then they will change even the name of Iraq, especially now we are hearing form Fouad Ma’asom, another Kurdish member of parliament that there was not something called Iraq up until recently.

PS.

This is an update of the reactions I’m receiving on the second day of raising the Iraqi Flag.

well, there are More thumbs up today.

First of all I drove through the hot A’adhayia main street in Baghdad today, and the majority of cars, bikes, Motor cycles and trucks were doing exactly the same thing I’m doing, which is raising the old Iraqi flag. you would see it every were,on the buildings or even at the checkpoints maned by the US military backed Awakening ( or concerned citizens) and their tents.

In order to prove that the rejection of the new flag is not a strictly sonni position, a shiat guard ( I know he is shiat because he guards one of the main offices of the Shiat endowments) stopped me at a check point. Usually, since the check point is at a side street, they would ask me where I’m going. Today he immediately said “since you are raising this flag, go ahead, with God’s blessing”. Another shiat neighbor asked me when she saw the flag “ what! Are you a Sadrist Now”? Meaning that I have joined the group of the radical shiat clergyman Moqttada Al-Sadr. “No this is the Flag of Iraq not Moqttada Al-Sadr’s flag” my answer was.

The reason why my neighbor thought that I joined the Sadr movement is that, last March 15^th , Moqttada Al-Sadr ordered his followers to raise the Iraqi flag every where in Iraq, as an act of defiance and rejection to the American occupation in the 4^th anniversary of the war on Iraq. The streets of Baghdad became so glamorous when they were filled with the Iraqi flags. Yet, this dose not make the Flag exclusively Sadrist, Ba’athists, shiat, sonnies, Arabs or Kurds. It is still the Iraqi flag.

Day 8

I need not to say that I’m receiving more thumbs-up throughout my travels in the streets of Baghdad. Last Saturday, a Man, in his lat 30s, got his body out of the window of a car up to his waist and he was cheering for me when he saw the flag on my car. Couple of Days ago they raised the New Iraqi flag in front of the convention center, which houses the parliament right now, and it was done quietly. Well since the parliament is the one who passed the law so they should follow it , this is natural and a sensible thing to do, regardless of what I think of that step in the first place.

Today, the Prime minister raised the new flag over his office and gave an order that the new flag should be raised over all the Iraqi Ministries and public offices. No problem with that so far. The problem is when the Prime Minister and the official spokesperson of the Government, Dr.Ali Al-Dabagh, open their mouths to utter the most irritating things.

First the PM said that everybody should raise this new Flag and that “No other Flag should be raised”. He claimed that it is the “democratic” thing to do and this is a matter of respect for the state. Ok, I have one Question, where was Mr. tough, decisive, firm, strong and steady fast Maliki, when the Iraqi flag has no trace to be found in the three Northern Iraqi provinces. Not even when he would visit the region, they would not raise the Iraqi flag in his presence. Why was not he so firm and defended the statues of the Iraqi state??!!

Then he uttered the most stupid thing. “Those 3 stars, which represent the Unity, Freedom and Socialism, those miserable goals”Maliki Said. It is true that they were the declared goals of the Ba’ath Party, yet they as goals by themselves are far from Miserable. I do not think that we do not need Unity at the time being, Unless Mr. Maliki prefers that people remain in Iraq at each other’s throat. As for Freedom, we know where those religious parties stand from such a goal. As for socialism, well you may have the right to agree or disagree with it, depending on your political and Ideological view ….in case you have any.

Then the government spokesperson opened his mouth. “Well if they want to link themselves to the old regime, they may do so” Ali Al-Dabagh Said. So if you defend the symbol of your country, the dearest thing to any patriot, for which many people died defending, then you are from the old regime. Next we will hear that Saddam was the leader of Iraq, and then there should be no Iraq. And since Saddam used to Role the Iraqi people then there should be no Iraqi people and no one should say I’m an Iraqi, because that would mean that you are pro- Saddam. You should say that you are a shait, Sonni, Kurd, Arab, Yazidi, Muslim , Christian, Turkmen or Shebek, but not Iraqi. Unity is a “miserable goal” as you know.

Feb - 24th

Today I was walking down the Mutanabi street, the Famous open air market for books and Stationeries in Baghdad. As you go through the market and Pass by the shops, you will find a large number of Iraqi flags ( the old one) openly displayed for sell. They are in different sizes . one shop had the old Iraqi flag on the right side and the new one on the left .

Since the area is one of the areas which is jointly protected by the Iraqi Army and the Awakening ( Sahwa) forces, or what the American Military calls " the concerned citizens", you can see a large number of the old Iraqi flags hanging every where, since the Awakening forces clearly said that they do not recognize the new Flag and that they are holding to the Old one " this is the State's flag while this one is ours" Said Ali Hatem Al-Salamn the sheikh of the Big Dulaimi tribe, and the senior Figure at the Iraqi Salvation council which established the awakening forces, in a recent TV interview.

It was not a surprise to me to see the golden statue of the old nationalistic Iraqi poet, Ma'arouf Al-Russafi, holding the old Iraqi Flag on his right arm, while his Back is riddled with Bullet holes from recent clashes in the area. And you almost can hear him recite couple of verses from one of his poems, which he wrote during the English occupation of Iraq

" علم ودستور ومجلس امة = كل عن المعنى الصحيح محرف
اسماء ليس لنا سوى الفاظها =اما معانيها فليست تعرف "

"A flag, a Constitution and a Parliament, each has its meaning twisted.

Merely uttered words, while its meanings are unknown".

Reconciliation Vs Revenge

2007-12-18T13:05:00.000+03:00

Primer Minister Maliki asked President Bush to hand over the Iraqi Government the defendants on the Anffal Case, who were sentenced to death, and who are still in the custody of the United States authorities, so that they Iraqi Government could execute them. PM Maliki is saying that, the reason behind his request is because not executing them is a Violation of the law since he is the executive authority and that he should execute the verdict within 30 days from the Verdict gets its final stage, which was a while ago. The defendants are the notorious Chemical Ali, Sultan Hashim Ahmed ( former Minister of Defense ) and Hussein Rasheed who is also a former Iraqi Army commander.

It is nice and really assuring that Prime Minster Maliki is so Keen that the law and Justice takes its coarse, we are all for it 100%, but to be selective in which verdicts and which laws should be a priority is another issue.

Do not get me wrong for I’m not defending Chemical Ali , God forbids, for he is even worst than his cousin Saddam. but to chose this verdict to execute against all the calls which are calling to pardon the former Defense Minster since he was a Military man following orders during a time of war, otherwise he would be executed without even a court marshal. Yet Mr. Maliki is so keen that this verdict must be executed.

Meanwhile, many families in Iraq have lost their houses, because they were driven out of it and many people who fled the country because of the violence returned to find that there are people who have taken over their houses. Those who were urged by the Iraqi government to return back to Iraq, and they were provided with a free ride back by buses from Syria and they were paid 600$ per family and 200$ per person. Yet this 600$ could only pay the rent for 2 months, while they figure out a way to get their houses back.

I heard of some people who were driven out of their houses and they moved to other neighborhoods and took over some of the abandoned houses in those neighborhoods. Defiantly they do not have to pay rent and this will be so convenient for them in the middle of this lawlessness.

This is not the case with individual families; there are tens if not hundreds of them. In the middle of all that, where are the police? Where are the courts and where is the entire executive authority, which is so concerned over the prevail of law and order. The Iraqi people know very well that executing people like Sultan Hashim Ahmed, who enjoys a very good reputation as a professional Military man, is just another chapter of revenge form all those who fought Iran. Many of the Iraqi fighter pilots and bombers have already been assassinated, and so many Iraqi Military commanders.

If you do not know who is Sultan Hashim Ahmed , he is the Minister of Defense who negotiated the end of the gulf war 1n 1991 with US Army general Schwatrtscof.

Such simple things give an indication to the Iraqi people, what are the priorities of the Iraqi government. Is it reconstruction? Reconciliation or is it revenge?.

I would like to ask Mr. Maliki, if you are so concerned over your statues as the executer and protector of law, why you don’t get those hundreds of house which are being looted, and burnt daily, back to their rightful owners. And one more thing Mr, Guardian of the law and order, how come that services and food ration materials were better during Saddam’s time when the price of oil was 17$ – 18$ dollars, while now it has greatly deteriorated and you are now thinking of Canceling the Food Ration, when the price of oil has went over 90$???!!!

THE IRAQI REFUGEES

2007-11-26T10:58:00.000+03:00

Couple of Months ago I went on a trip to Syria to see my uncle, who moved there, like tens of thousands of Iraqis, because of the violence in Baghdad. One day, as we were walking in the market, we went into a store where my uncle doses his Daily shopping. Like any Iraqi man, when My uncle go for shopping he buys every thing that his family might need or like. Then the owner of the store surprised my uncle with a question. “Where do you Iraqis get all that Money from and spend it like that?” the store owner asked. My uncle turned red, and got angry. “Do you ask all your costumers, where do they get their Money from?! Do you ask the Saudis or the Kuwaitis when they come and buy stuff from your Store, where they gat there Money from????” My uncle asked as he was shaking with rage. He took that question as an insult, I knew exactly what was going on his mind, he was thinking that since we came to this country to take refuge from the Violence, then we must be considered like Beggars.

I have visited Syria Last year and I have seen it this summer, the development was so noticeable. the late 70’s Ladas, which were filling the streets of Syria, are now being replaced with band newJaguars. The living standards have been significantly improved. There are almost 1.5 Million Iraqis in Syria, and about 0.5 Million Iraqis in Jordon and the same Number in Egypt. Jordon and Syria Have been complaining because they are suffering from the large number of refugees on their countries, and that they represent a great burden on their amphora structure. Well I would not blame them on that particular point, but there are other things that they forgot to mention as well.

The Iraqis who came to Syria, or Jordon in Particular, are mostly upper middle class families, if not merchants or wealthy families. Most of them fled Iraq so that the kidnapping gangs would not kidnap any one from their families and then ask for Ransom. Many of them started their own businesses and rented or bought good apartments or houses, which made the Jordanians and Syrians complain that the Iraqis have made the prices of the real state go rocket high, beyond the capabilities of the ordinary citizens of those countries.

Most of those Iraqis have money sent to them from Iraq, either from renting their houses, salaries, pension or that one Family member is staying behind in Iraq to run some kind of Business. In my Uncle’s case, he is a retired civil servant and I send him his pension every 2 months, which is enough to pay him the rent and sustain him and his wife.

The Syrians and Jordanians forgot to mentions how much money (mostly hard currency) the Iraqis are pumping into those poor economies. One look at the apartment buildings which suddenly emerged in those countries would show you how much the Iraqis have moved those economies and how many jobs opportunities they have created.

Last Summer, the Jordanian Authorities started to put restrictions on the flow of Iraqis to Jordon, to the level that they forced people to buy return tickets from Baghdad so that if they do not let them in, they would use the same ticket to send them back with it to Baghdad. And they did send back entire plane’s load of Passengers.

Late last October I was in Amman - Jordon and one Taxi Driver surprised me when he did not complain ( like many other Taxi Drivers used to do previously Every time I visit Amman) of the Iraqis and how they raised the praises.

“you Iraqis are the ones who are moving our Economy” the Taxi Driver said and went on talking about how Taxi owners started to buy more Taxis to meet the demand created by the Iraqis and how that create more jobs for Taxi drivers. But now the business is slow because there are less Iraqis coming, which means less work for them.

Another friend of mine told me how many people invested in building new apartment buildings and taking for granted that the Iraqis gone buy or rent them, but now many of them are bankrupt because there are no more Iraqis coming to Amman and they have o Cover the loans they took from the Banks for those investments.

Also last October, the Syrian authorities started to require Visas from the Iraqis, while before they could go in for 3 months and the would have to leave to Next Door Lebanon, spend 3 days there an then return to Syria for another 3 months for merely 100$ per person, or simply drive to the Iraqi boarders, check out of Syria, drive to the Iraqi boarders, check in and then out and then return to Syria for another 3 months. While now, if your 3 months are over you should leave, that is if you do not have a residency permit.

This forced many of the Iraqis to return to Iraq in large numbers, because they no longer can stay there. And Made the Iraq Government brag that the security situation has improved (which is far from true) and now thousands of Families are returning to Iraq.

All what I want to say is that, let Egypt remember, before banning Iraqis from getting into Egypt, that for 10 years there were 2 million Egyptians working in Iraq and sending money to their Families back in Egypt to build houses and apartment buildings while the Iraqi men are fighting in the Iran – Iraq war in the 80s. And let Syria remember the Economic crisis they went through for 2 months when the war was taking place in Iraq in 2003 and they could not send their products to be sold at the Iraqi Markets. Let Jordon remember how much money they got when they were the main entry point for Iraq during the 80s and the years of Embargo. And also how much oil they used to take for free or favorable prices during Saddam’s time and how now they are welcoming the 100 000 barrel or Iraqi oil each day ( at least 18 US$ cheaper than the global market prices) while they do not welcome the Iraqis themselves.

THE FEDRAL STATE OF IRAQ

2007-08-11T13:26:00.001+04:00

Iraq now is being identified as a Federal state. There are many countries in the world that adopt the Federal system of ruling, like the USA, Germany and India. Even though Iraq is not as big as those countries, but the new leaders decided that Iraq ( even though it is as big as California) should be a Federal state. Regardless of what the Constitution states, I'm gone tell you what the Federal system in Iraq really means. I'm gone replace the word Iraq with America, since many of the readers have never been to Iraq, so I will talk about the state Texas as an Example, replacing it with Kurdistan and not the Actual Texas and the united state. So that it will be places that you may relate to.

This State of Texas has its own Flag, Parliament, president,Constitution and Army, which is Called the Guards of the State ( I know that the term used in US is the National Guards). Yet, the state of Texas dose not recognize the Flag of the United States of America, in fact they ban raising the American flag on its territories and the security forces would confiscate the American flag if any one raised it in the Federal state of Texas.

There are check points at the boarders of the Federal state of Texas, which would not let fellow Americans into Texas unless some one inside Texas would vouch for them, or they would send back those whom they do not want into the Federal State of Texas.

The Texas Federal Parliament makes its own legislation, without going back to the central Federal Government. Like they have their Own Hydrocarbon Law, which deals with the oil and Gas investments and revenues of the oil, which stated in the Federal Constitution to which the Texan people voted for overwhelmingly, that the Oil is the property of all the American people(that is the Iraqi People).

At Each America Embassy, there is a representation office for the Federal state of Texas Government. Separate from the work of the Embassy and it is in charge of the Affairs of the Texan people and the Texas State Government......... No comment!

The American Government, when it first designed the electricity power network, it decided that the power network should be one National network and that the power plants built in Texas near the oil fields, would supply the other American States like Alaska with power. But then the Texan State Government decided not to supply other American states and leave them without power because what is produced in Texas remains in Texas.

Oh Yah one more thing, the US Army is not allowed to enter the Federal state of Texas before getting the approval of the Texas authorities. And then when they are threatened by another Neighboring country like Mexico, Texas Government would say that you are not threatening Texas but you are threatening the Entire USA. Yes, now they remembered that they are part of the USA when it is convenient. How could the poor Mexicans know that this is an American soil when there is No American flag raised over it and no American Army present there. Do not they have the right to go in till they find a place with an American flag over it to know that this is actually an American territory???

Probably by now, if you are an American, you might feel a bit upset if not outraged. Well, you know that this is not the case in Texas or the USA but it is the Case in the New Federal state of Iraq where some "regions" (not even states) are acting in this manner. And when you argue against this type of federalism, which I could only see it as separation rather than Federalism, they would argue back and say that Federalism is a good system and it is being applied in several countries in the world. Forgive my ignorance is this is how the Federal system really works in your country, if you live in a Sovereign Federal country???!!

The Lions of Mesopotamia

2007-07-30T11:49:00.000+04:00

First I would like to express my thanks and gratitude to the Real Iraqi Team the Soccer team the only people who are carrying the Iraqi flag on their chest and really work for the sake of Iraq. They are the only people who know what it means that their flag is raised high. It means that their team Effort did not go in vain.

That is said, let us talk now on the Match's after math. First as the the Saudi people started to congratulate the Iraqi people for their win and achievement, the sectarian minded people in Iraq started to chant that " against the Wahabists ( the sonni sect in Saudi) this cup is a shiat". And they say that the others are sectarian!.

The prime minister rushed to reward this team and so did the Iraqi president and no matter what they give them it is not enough, but they have no credit in creating this team. This was the same team which got the Asia youngsters champion ships before the invasion and Uday Saddam Hussein back then decided that this will be the next Olympic team. All the players, but one, are not playing in the Iraqi local league, for they play in clubs all over the region and the world. For the Iraqi football league is now only played in the North of Iraq.

The Iraqi team and the fans who risked their lives when they went out in the streets celebrating and carrying the Iraqi flag, because they were happy for their country. While the Kurdish Security forces in their Kurdistan, confiscated the Iraqi flag and they did not allow any flag to be raised other than their Kurdish flag and not the Iraqi Flag. And then when they get threatened by Turkey they would say that you are not threatening Kurdistan you are threatening Iraq. Well I think it is shameful that they pull out the Iraq Card when ever it is convenient and put it back when it is not, especially when they are practicing a Constitutional violation by filtering those who are allowed into Kurdistan and those who are not. There are like border check points in which they would send back those whom they do not like in Kurdistan ( mostly the Arabs) unless there is some one inside who would sponsor them. This is a violation of the very the constitution that they have voted for and now raising hell against the delay of Article 140 of normalizing the situation in Kirkuk and threatening with a civil war.

Every Body said that the Iraqi Team united the Iraqi people behind them and did what the politicians failed to do which is bringing the Iraqis together. I think the Correct statement is that the Iraqi National team fixed what the politicians are trying to do which is dividing the already United Iraqi people.

Another letter

2007-07-19T15:32:00.000+04:00

Hi. the follwoing is another Letter that I wanted to share with you. hope you find it informative . I talked about the sectarian warfare in Iraq, politics and oil. hope you like it and I would be interested to hear your comments.

" ...there are No problems among Iraqis ( as people) whither they are sonnies, shiat, Kurds or Turkmmen. the problem is that the Iraqi politics after 9/4/2003 was built on sectarian and ethnic bases. When you bring Kurdish parties and Shiat parties and Soni Parties you are building politics on sectarian and ethnic bases. They are not social parties or liberal democrat parties. So it became a matter of Rivalry between sects and when there are elections there would be winners and losers.
The Bases on which the whole political process is wrong. Iraqis were not at each other's throat before the war, but they became like that when sectarian polarizations started and each sect felt threatened by the other.
The American administration is the one who laid those bases and after the structure came up they discovered the grave mistake they made and now they have to put down that Ugly structure that they have been building and supporting for 4 years and start from the scratch, which is making them face tow options the sweetest of which is bitter. either to keep it as ugly as it is or bring it down and start all over again.
As for the Oil, in order to invest that oil you need a safe atmosphere. The Importance of the Iraqi oil lies in 3 crucial facts.1st, according to the oil excavations ( which stopped in the 70s of the last century), Iraq is the 2nd largest oil reserve in the world After Saudia Arabia ( which means it could easily be number one, once we really figure out how much oil we actually got).The point is that we have lots of oil. 2nd the Iraqi oil is cheap and easy to get out from the ground. 3rd, and most importantly, is that the Iraqi oil dose not have to be exported through the Gulf. It could be exported to Europe and the rest of the western world through the Mediterranean , through the pipe lines which gose through

Turkey

or any other country like

Syria

. Why all that is important?? because if any gulf country fell in the hand of Extremists or for example Iran wanted to stop all the oil Tankers from getting out of the region by closing the Gulf ( which can easily be done) there would be a global fuel crisis, and then Iraq would be the Safety valve with its abundant, easy to get out and deliverable oil that dose not have to go through the Gulf.
This is the strategic importance of

Iraq

's oil and that is why the whole world would not mind, not only thousands but even hundred of thousands die to keep that safety valve under control. but the question is HOW??!! and on what expense??

Once again .............please let it be known to you and to all the American people, the Iraqi people are not religious Fanatics, and they are not against the west, other wise you would not find millions of them leaving their dear country and escaping this sectarian and violent hell".

the American withdraw from Iraq

2007-07-15T14:02:00.000+04:00

A friend of Mine from America asked yesterday wither I think that the American Military should leave or not and below you will find My Answer to that question

" ……As for the American army , they should stay. we do not have an Army (just some boy scouts with AK 47on Pick up trucks) no Air force what so ever (not a single fighter jet) only 4 or 6 Hewe Helicopters with no real fire power and only being used to Taxi officers to the south and the north for it is out of the question that they drive through some areas. As for the Government it is totally dysfunctional, no services what so ever and it is getting worst. No law enforcement and the real power in the street is for the insurgency and the Militias, who scares the shit out of the Army and the police . People are being killed and kidnapped in front of the police and the police are doing nothing, either because they are affiliated with them or they simply fear for their life.
Now the Americans are planning to blame it on the Iraqis and just leave. They could not do that for it will simply be punishing the Iraqi people. Those politicians who are now in the Government were brought by the Americans in the first place and now the Iraqis are paying the price and they will be the one bearing the consequences because those people who were brought by the Americans did a bad job. As I see it, they should fix what they destroyed in the first place and then we will be more than happy to see them leave. But to say sorry we have suffered too much in the mess that we have created and we will leave you to handle that mess that we created for you, this is outrageous".

we have a saying in Arabic ( the one who took the donkey up the Minatare, is the one who should brings it down)

This is what I said, and please tell me what you think about it.

The New Iraqi Army

2007-05-18T15:59:00.000+04:00

The Iraqi Army Just announced few days ago that they will be replacing the AK-47 Assault rifle, (widely known as the Kalashnikov after its Russian designer Michael Kalashnikov) which has been the standard issue weapon of the Iraqi Army since the 60s, with the American Made M-16 and M- 4.

So, what is wrong with this news?

Since I have been in Iraq all my life I know for a fact that almost every Iraqi Youngman, and boy, knows how to deal and maintain the AK-47. This came as a result of an 8 year long war with Iran, during which the AK was the constant and trusted companion of the Iraqi Soldier in the Battle field. Then it was widely used by almost every Iraqi on August 8^th 1988, when the seize fire was announced between Iraq and Iran, marking the end of the war between the 2 countries. People went out in the streets firing their AKs to celebrate the great announcement for days. The AK was ululating for them.

Then Came the Days of the war with America, Saddam decided to train the Iraqis, all the Iraqis, and young, Old, men and woman on using the Ak-47 to "defend Iraq". So as you can see there is a long history between the Iraqis and the AK-47.

For those who have never used or even seen a gun, the Ak-47 is considered the most practical assault rifle ever. It hardly jams and it has been battle tested and it came out with flying colors. I still remember when J. Garner ( the first American civil administrator in Iraq after the war) when his body guards came to the press room carrying all kinds of Semi Automatic rifles and guns. The next press conference they all came Carrying AKs. I was surprised then, but the camera man who was with me that day, who happen to be an Ex-Marine, was not.

"Are you kidding, it is our dream weapon" he said when I pointed out that the American PSDs (private security detail) are carrying AKs.

So why the Iraqi Army would switch from the weapon which is most efficient, well trained on and never had problem with, to another weapon that they are totally unfamiliar with and known for its problems and how much maintenance it requires.

The Ministry said that they want to do that in order to put an end to the weapons being stolen and sold at the Black market, which means that now we would find the M-16 and M-4 in the black market, but no one will buy them for 2 reasons. 1^st they are not as good and reliable as the Ak so the Iraqis are smart enough not to buy them, 2^nd where do you think the Aks that the Iraqi Army abandoned will go, they will definitely end up at the Black market which will reduce its current price( which is around 300$). The Ministry also said that they almost got those rifles for free; well we did not want them in the first place. What the Iraqi Military need is new Modern tanks instead of the T-52 second hand Tanks which are imported after the war form former Soviet republics and eastern Europe. We want new fighter jets, and modern warship helicopters like the Cobra, Apache or the Chinook, so that we have a real Military force in stead of the Current boy scouts who are being slaughtered on the hands of more powerful and better equipped terrorists and militias. Then we will be able to say to the foreign forces, now you can go back home safely for your "Mission" is really "accomplished" and you do not need to fear for us any more. So in stead of sending us Junk, send some F- 16 s in stead. It is only one letter different but it makes all the diffrance at the Battle field.

DRINKING BEER IN BAGHDAD

2007-05-08T18:53:00.000+04:00

For those who fancy a cold can of BEER in the middle of the heat of Baghdad, the following is a guide to where you can find BEER now in the free, democratic and liberated Baghdad.

For those who live in the northern part of the city, there is always the liquor stores compound which is right behind the concrete Blast Barriers around the Italian Embassy in Wazziryia. For the thirsty people of Central Baghdad you can either get it across the street from the Famous Baghdad Hotel. Right across the street from the other concrete Barriers protecting the residents of Baghdad hotel with its high guard towers that provides protection to those liquor stores ( later you will know from what).

As for the poor people across the river in the side, which we Iraqis Call Kerkh, now dominated by the extremist Islamist, as far as I know you can only get liquor from the liquor stores at Karadat Maryam area, situated between the 2 check points guarding the entrances to the heavily fortified Green Zone in Baghdad.

You may now wonder why all the above mentioned liquor stores are situated in areas close or inside heavily guarded and fortified places. Why you no longer could go and Buy them from the other liquor stores like the Honey Market, the liquor stores in Arrasat, Karada, Sadoun Street or from the Many liquor stores and whole sell merchants at street 52 in Al-Ellwyia? Well the answer is very simple, because they all closed their liquor businesses after receiving threats or actually attacked or had their shops blown up and burnt.

That is why you need protection and that is why you need guns and gunmen inside the shops to protect you. The only exception to this role is a shop in Karada (I will not say exactly where so that it remains open) where they have at least 3 – 4 guards with AK-47 machine guns and BKCs ( a more powerful and bigger Machine Gun) on the roof of the store. No front windows for they were sealed off with a brick walls. No signs announcing the name of the store or promoting a brands of Beer or Johnny walker whiskey or the local Drink Arak ( kind like the Greek OUZO). Just a narrow front door which takes you inside that store.

The liquor store would wrap what you bought in a black plastic bag or a big Cartoon box so that you do not get in trouble while you carry what you just bought which either could get you killed or save your life. If some of the police members caught you with a can of beer or any kind of liquor they just might beat you like hell for that , even though it is legally Ok to have, move or consume liquor and there is no law against that, and the constitution which Many of those people voted yes to guarantee such right. Some Islamic fundamentalists, who are now separating the cucumber from Tomato at the Markets just because they have a twisted mind that looks at vegetables like human mating organs, might kill you for drinking liquor. It might also save your life for it proves that you have no religious or sectarian affiliation so none of the sects or religious extremists groups would target you and they do not look at you as a source of threat.

Since the real power in the streets of Baghdad is the Militias and the terrorists and not the government, they are the ones who set the rules. And they even have clever ways to get to their victims (unlike the Government). In Iraq, people who drink costumary eats Pacha ( boiled sheep head) a traditional Iraqi dish, because they think that the meat would absorb the alcohol that they just consumed. So Militia elements started to hang around the Pacha restaurants to catch those who were drinking. Some times those Militia elements come in the form of a police patrol car, for the police is already infiltrated by the Militias. Those are the Law enforcement elements but the question is that which law they enforce???!!.

During the past decades till the early years of the 90s, you would have been able to drink liqoure practically every where in Baghdad. There were bars, night clubs and at hotels. In addition to that there were many liquor stores every where. But on the Early 90s Saddam launched his religious Campaign to win the Back-warded Arab and Islamic world on his side in his stupid confrontation with the west, So he closed Bars, night clubs and banned drinking in 5-star Hotels, but not the liquor stores. The liquor stores remained open and no one messed with them. Even Saddam did not go that far.

Right after the war there was too much freedom that street vender's would have a scotch with rocks ready for you that you can pick it up while driving down the Aa'adhmyia Cornish. But now since there is a Government dominated by Islamists extremists ( Sonnies and Shia) and parliament which more dominated by Islamists groups ( also Sonnies and Shiat) we will never have a legislation nor an executive power which will guarantee the Iraqi thirsty man have a cold beer in a hot summer day without Having to build a concrete Blast Barrier around him.

The IRAQI Prime Minister :

2007-05-02T18:07:00.000+04:00

Today the Newspapers in Baghdad delivered the good news that Prime Minster Maliki will be Granting 2 Million Iraqi Dinnars ( = 1562 $) to every Family of the victims from the Kerbala Bombing which took place couple days ago. This generosity is not the first of its kind from the "Iraqi" prime Minister. Last week Prime Minister Maliki distributed money on the victims and shop owners in Karad which witnessed bombings on January 25^th of this year. And he also gave 2 Millions to the Families of those who were killed in Sadr City bombings late June 2006 and one Million to those who were injured.

Before that Prime Minister Ja'afari also ordered generous financial compensations to the Victims of the Shiat stampede on the 2 Imams Bridge between Kadhumyia and A'adhamyia over 18 months ago. He was so generous that people started to wish if their wife or Mother died in that stampede.

Do not get me wrong, I'm not against generosity, I'm all for it. I'm even more pro generosity when the Prime Minister is involved and innocent Victims are benefiting from it. But when all that generosity is heading in one direction only and the simple rights of others are not granted, then questions should be asked.

Has not been there MAJOR bombings as well in Kirkuk ( at least twice) with many people getting killed there. Have not there been Major Bombed Trucks with Chloride gas, in Amiryiat Al-Falluja. Have not been there Major Bombing in Telafar whose Sonies and shiat Killed in the same time? Are those people killed on those bombings less human than the first group?! Why the " Iraqi " Prime Minister is always Generous with his compensations when the area is Purely shait and the Victims are Mainly Shiat. Are they Afraid that this Money would Go To sonnies (God Forbids).

In order to be fear and Call your self an " Iraqi Prime Minister" and head of a " National Unity Government" you should be just in your generosity with all the Iraqis, so that all the Iraqis consider you as their Prime Minster and not look at you as the SHIAT Prime Minster. You are seeking recognition from the entire world while your own people do not recognize you as their Prime Minister.

So you either be equally generous to every one or do not call your self "Iraqi" Prime Minster.

PLASTIC DATE PALM TREES IN THE HEART OF DATE PALM TREES LAND

2007-05-01T17:54:00.000+04:00

Through out history Date Palm Tree was always a revered symbol for the Middle East societies in general, and Iraq in particular. You can trace that respect and love all the way back to the old civilizations which flourished in Mesopotamia. Iraq is considered the No.1 country in Date Palm trees and the Best (that is up till the 80 of the Last century) in Date production.

It really aches the Heart of every Iraqi who looks to this great Generous if Not sacred tree, to see Plastic palm trees Made in Iran, filing the streets of Baghdad and Najaf ( the Heart of Palm tree Land) and replacing the Ever green, Beautiful, tall and glorious trees .

Being Made in Iran dose Not Make them more holy and more revered than the original Date Palm Trees which provides, food through its nutritious sweet Dates, wood through its strong trunk, furniture and baskets from its leafs and I could go on for pages and pages and not to give it justice.

This is the Blessed tree In Judaism, Christianity and Islam " Shake the trunk of the palm tree towards thee: it will drop fresh, ripe dates upon thee. Eat, then, and drink, and let thine eye be gladdened!" (Qur'an 19:25-26). And that is why you see Dates on the Christmas Banquets in some Christian societies. And the Palm tree leafs is what is carried as part of a ceremony in Jerusalem. Fronds used on Palm Sunday, commemorating the entry of Jesus in Jerusalem (Lion's Gate or east entrance to Jerusalem, through which Jesus is supposed to have entered the city).

All of this! and now we are replacing this magnificent, always giving tree, which Prophet Mohamed Said " honor your Mother the Palm tree" because it is just like a mother which gives so much with unconditional love. We replace it with a plastic mother just because it came from Sacred Iran??!!... Shame on you. The Iranians made Plastic palm trees because they simply do not have it and they Envy you because you (I mean the Iraqis) do have it.

Why should you blindly imitate the Iranians in every thing. Isn't it enough that you brought from over there all the beating and Chains wiping, which is the ugliest thing ever and it got nothing to do with Islam? Why you did not bring from over there the clean street and the highest nationalistic spirit to your Nationality (and not theirs because you are already good in that).

Wake Up and respect your Country, your identity and your Mother… the Date Palm Tree ( Al-Nakhlah).

THE GREAT WALL OF A'ADHAMYIA

2007-04-30T12:52:00.000+04:00

For those who do not know what I'm Talking about, the American Army announced that they will be building a concrete wall that separates the Sonni Dominated city of A'adhamyia in Baghdad from the Entire shiat Dominated Eastern Part of Baghdad. The Americans, and the Shiat dominated Iraqi government are claiming that this wall is a "protective security wall and Not a separation wall".

Through out what I will state now, I think you will come to the same conclusion that I have reached which is that all of this is a big Piece of Crap.

According to the American and Iraqi Security forces, this wall was built in order to protect the People of A'adhmayia from Car bombs and Militias attacks as well. Can any body tell me when was the Last bombed car in A'adhmyia??? And when was the Last Militia attack in A'adhmyia taking place?? For I could not remember the last time there was a bombed car in A'adhmyia ( it was like several Months ago). And the Last Militia attack on A'adhmyia took place at Al-Ja'afri government when Solagh was still the Minister of interior, which is way over a year ago.

I'm Not saying that A'adhmyia is the Virtues city, for there are lots of criminal gangs that are killing people there ( especially Shiat) and Now the Islamic State of Iraq ( another Name for Al-Qayida) has moved in Town and started to kill all the other insurgency organizations in A'adhamyia.

To say that this wall is to protect the people of Aadhmyia is a lie, it is simply that the Government is not able to get there to root out the terrorism there, and at the same time they do not want terrorism to spread out to the rest of the city. The government has simply tagged the entire city of A'adhmayia with Terrorism, which is outrageous and it also shows how incompetent this government is in cracking down terrorism.

So the solution they came up with is that they just imprison the whole city there and let every one eat the other. And they stay out of it. So much for law enforcement security plan!. This is just another phase of tagging the sonnies with Terrorism, something the Iraqi People do not approve but the sectarian government is doing that. And do not be surprised if another Wall emerged separating the Shiat dominated Kadhumyia city from the rest of the sonni dominated western part of Baghdad.

Just one question, if those walls are to protect people from Bombed car why they do not put one around Karada where bombed cars explode at least twice a week.

With all those divisions the government make, they claim that they are all for a reconciliation…..Right!! A separation wall or a protection wall it is still a wall.

WHY NOW?

2007-04-27T19:04:00.000+04:00

Hi, since I'm a journalist and also a resident of war torn Iraq. and since I have been seeing lots of things which I feel allegiant to the city which I was born, raised and grown loving, that Is Baghdad. I decided to put down my thoughts and sightings of what is going on in Iraq in General and Baghdad in particular . hope you will be able to see Baghdad through the eyes of some one who consider him self to be one among millions of Baghdad's Lovers.