“Stand here on these streets and you will know this is civil war…”27 Nov 2006CNN Baghdad correspondent Michael Ware insists Iraq is experiencing a civil war and refers to a piece from Electronic Iraq’s “Iraq Diaries” to illustrate his point. “You stand here on these streets,” Ware says, “you take shelter in these families’ homes. You dare to try to go out and try to go to work or, indeed, shop at a marketplace and you will know that this is civil war.”
Once upon a time in Iraq27 Nov 2006Iraqi blogger ‘Iraqi Roulette’ provides an intimate glimpse not just at the sorrows of today’s Iraq, but also at the struggles of an era forgotten (or never really understood) by Americans. For more than a decade Iraq’s people suffered through economic sanctions which lasted more than a decade and destroyed Iraq’s economy, much of its infrastructure and, according to UN reports, contributed to the forced deprivation and deaths of hundreds of thousands of children under the age of five. This diary brings that era to life and ties it to Iraq’s present sufferings.
Iraq: The War of the Imagination (Part 2)27 Nov 2006This is part two of Mark Danner’s extensive piece for the December 21 issue of the New York Review of books, reprinted here with permission. Of the piece, Tom Engelhardt writes: “Danner, one of our most incisive writers on Bush’s war, steps back in this moment that he calls “the time of solutions” to consider just how we got from the soaring rhetoric (not to speak of the lies and manipulations) of the Bush administration, from those planet-encompassing dreams of domination, to the most singularly sordid situation imaginable—with the possibility of worse still ahead.”
Bush and Abdullah Must Address Iraqi Refugee Crisis27 Nov 2006Since the war in Iraq began in 2003, more than 1 million Iraqis have fled, but none of Iraq’s neighbors, nor the United States, treats them as refugees. A new HRW report, “The Silent Treatment: Fleeing Iraq, Surviving in Jordan,” documents the hardships faced by Iraqis who have fled persecution and violence in Iraq, but who do not have permission to stay in Jordan.
Thousands of Iraqi Palestinians have been forced out of Iraq27 Nov 2006Of the approximately 30,000 Palestinians who were registered in Iraq in 2003 by the United Nations agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA), an estimated 5,000 to 6,000 are left in the country, according to UNHCR and other organisations. The rest have either been killed or have fled to neighbouring countries. With all borders now closed to them, Palestinians who are forced to stay in Iraq face an almost certain death as they are perceived by many Iraqis to have been favoured by the government of former president Saddam Hussein.
Americans blame Iraqis, Iraqis blame Americans…26 Nov 2006Democrats in Washington are attempting to shake off responsibility for the situation in Iraq and hold fast to their assertion that “American support for Iraq is not unconditional” and “we cannot save Iraqis from themselves.” Iraqis, meanwhile, have not thrown the transformative event-the 2003 invasion and subsequent occupation-down the memory hole.
On Iraq’s message boards, instructions for defending against the militias26 Nov 2006Iraqi blogger Zeyad scours posts to Iraqi message boards in the wake of Thursday’s bombing and finds detailed instructions and intelligence for Iraqis looking to defend their neighborhoods from militia attacks. He translates them here. “To the Mujahideen brothers in all areas,” one message begins. “Attack them and let the initiative be yours so that you can relieve the pressure from other districts. Have no mercy for them. Be careful of their spies in your areas.”
Iraq: The War of the Imagination26 Nov 2006This is part one of Mark Danner’s extensive piece for the December 21 issue of the New York Review of books, reprinted here with permission. Of the piece, Tom Engelhardt writes: “Danner, one of our most incisive writers on Bush’s war, steps back in this moment that he calls “the time of solutions” to consider just how we got from the soaring rhetoric (not to speak of the lies and manipulations) of the Bush administration, from those planet-encompassing dreams of domination, to the most singularly sordid situation imaginable—with the possibility of worse still ahead.”
Young Kurds Escape Economic Gloom26 Nov 2006For Diyar Abdullah, a 28-year-old taxi driver, getting to Europe has become something of an obsession – it’s all he ever talks about with his friends. He came one step closer to realizing his dream recently when he sold his new Nissan car for 11,000 US dollars and bought a Swedish visa with the proceeds. Abdullah is among a growing number of people in this region who are paying huge sums of money for visas to western countries. But those who leave Iraqi Kurdistan are not escaping the violence engulfing the country, as their town and cities have been spared the bloodshed. They’re emigrating because, they say, they’ve had enough of corruption and poverty.
Fighting swords with pens26 Nov 2006Freelance journalist Samir Khairallah, 31, walks a tight line between reporting the news and not becoming the news. With ongoing insurgent attacks and brutal sectarian violence plaguing the country, he must be careful about what he writes and whose ‘side’ he is perceived to be on.
Dujail Pays for Saddam Verdict25 Nov 2006Dujail residents say it’s now very risky for them to commute to Baghdad. The highway is notorious for abductions and assassinations, but they feel particularly vulnerable because of their village’s associations. Mohammed Jawad, a trader from Dujail, was kidnapped on his way to Baghdad near al-Mishahada, a Sunni village close to the village, only a week before the trial verdict. Jawad said his abductors accused Shia from Dujail of treachery.
Tracking the response to Thursday’s bombing…24 Nov 2006Baghdad remains under curfew, Iraq’s airports and seaports remain closed, and violence is ongoing in Iraq after Thursday’s bombing in Sadr City, Baghdad’s largest Shi’ite district. Since Thursday, Juan Cole has keeping close watch on reprisals and reprisals-for-reprisals at his blog Informed Comment. He is also tracking the public statements of religious leaders in Iraq. We share some excerpts here.
Death Toll Rises and Rises24 Nov 2006The worst killings on a single day since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 sent Baghdad reeling Thursday, but they top a casualty toll that has been rising alarmingly. The toll has been rising dramatically already. A United Nations report indicates that violence hit a new high during October. November looks certain to be worse, with preliminary figures indicating a higher toll in November even before the Thursday bombings.
Medical System Becomes Sickening24 Nov 2006After three and a half years of occupation, Iraq’s medical system has sunk to levels lower than seen during the economic sanctions imposed after the first Gulf war in 1990. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said Iraqis are now extremely vulnerable in their health needs.The health situation in Iraq has been in constant decline since the beginning of the U.S.-backed UN-imposed sanctions in 1990. Iraqi doctors were reputed to be the best in the Middle East during the 1980’s, but now they are short of medicines, medical equipment and funding to maintain the hospitals.
More than 3,700 civilians killed in October, UN reports22 Nov 2006The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) said on Wednesday that 3,709 Iraqi civilians were killed in October, describing it as the highest death toll since the beginning of the US-led occupation of the country in March 2003. In its latest human rights report for September and October, UNAMI said the increase was the result of the growing influence of armed militias and rampant torture “despite the Government’s commitment to address human rights abuse.” The report painted a grim picture of Iraq today; from attacks on journalists, judges and lawyers and the worsening situation of women, to displacement, violence against religious minorities and the targeting of schools.
Singing “the devil’s music” will get you killed22 Nov 2006Youssef Jabry, 32, is a singer who loves western music. He sings for a living in parties, weddings and all sorts of gatherings. But what was once a dream job has become a nightmare with the rise of Islamic extremists who say western music is unreligious and must be prohibited.
Women and children at increasing risk from effects of violence in Iraq21 Nov 2006A report published today finds that single women, children, the elderly and the sick who have been displaced by recent sectarian violence in Iraq are most at risk as they are left without adequate support and care with winter now fast approaching. The report on three governorates 11 percent of the displaced are widows left alone to fend for themselves and their children. Lack of economic opportunities for women and the gradual breakdown of a traditional support system means women are facing an increasingly difficult life. The number of Iraqis displaced by violence since the bombing in Samarra in late February has now increased to almost 250,000 individuals in the 15 central and southern governorates with over 1,000 people on average being displaced a day in September, October and November.
Hard lessons for Baghdad teachers21 Nov 2006In this profile of an Iraqi teacher provides an intimate glimpse at Iraq’s crumbling education system. “Many times I’ve found it hard to go to my school,” she says, “either because of violence in the streets or because of attacks on teachers…but I take this risk because if I don’t try to make good students in my class, the streets will get the better of them. Every day I come back home and tell of the latest kidnapping of a teacher or student, the killing of a colleague or the new insults that the students have learned and told me.” Since February this year when sectarian violence began to escalate, nearly 210 teachers have been killed and at least 3,700 have fled Iraq to neighbouring countries, according to the Ministry of Higher Education.
Famous TV comedian shot dead during kidnapping attempt in Baghdad21 Nov 2006Reporters Without Borders today condemned the murder of Iraqi comedian and TV producer Walid Hassan, who was killed as he tried to elude a kidnapping attempt yesterday in Baghdad. The organisation also condemned the murder of newspaper reporter Luma Abdallah Al Karkhi last week in Baquba.
Taxi drivers risk death daily21 Nov 2006This profile of an Iraqi taxi driver stitches together a wide range of Iraq’s woes. When Ali Haydar, 36, stops to pick up a passenger, he has to decide quickly whether the person is a potential threat or not. He looks at their face, checks what they are carrying and thinks about the location they want to go to. He said women and children were always a safe bet. Haydar has been a taxi driver for more than 15 years, but said the days of when it was safe to drive in Baghdad are gone. He worries about it breaking down in crowded places, typical targets for daily bombings.
No Iraq torture debate before elections in the Netherlands20 Nov 2006The three largest political parties in the Dutch parliament, Christian Democrat CDA, Conservative VVD and Labour PvdA want to postpone the debate about alleged abuse of Iraqis by Dutch soldiers until after the national elections. They want to prevent parties winning votes over the affair, which has placed VVD Defence Minister Henk Kamp under extreme pressure. De Volkskrant said Lieutenant Admiral Luuk Kroon, the officer in charge of the suspected torturers, failed to report the incidents to judicial authorities, even though he knew about them in early November 2003.
The Iraqi experience of war20 Nov 2006Our primary objective at Electronic Iraq is to sneak behind the headlines and highlight the Iraqi experience of war. Recent posts to the site have done a remarkable job of meeting that objective and I want to encourage you to take some time out of what is certainly a busy schedule to read the following stories which, taken together, present a picture of Iraq more intimate than you will find anywhere else.
No Exit?: What It Means to “Salvage U.S. Prestige” in Iraq20 Nov 2006Tom Engelhardt looks at the war James Baker, Secretary of State to President George HW Bush, has been called upon to review and notes that Baker “has managed in these months to gather in the wings something like an alternative State Department/National Security Council/CIA-in-waiting in the shell of the Iraq Study Group, which is filled with old movers and shakers going back to the Reagan administration. He’s even begun to conduct something akin to his own foreign policy, meeting with the Syrian foreign minister and Iran’s ambassador to the UN, both no-nos for this administration.”
Education Under Siege20 Nov 2006“Academics, along with other professionals, have been increasingly targeted by sectarian violence which continues unchecked across much of Iraq. Thousands of professors and university researchers have long since fled the war-torn country.” Dahr Jamail and Ali al-Fadhily trace the disintegration of an education system that had been rated by the UN, before the 1991 Gulf War, as one of the best educational systems in the region.
Support Gathers for Sunni Leader20 Nov 2006The arrest warrant issued last week by the Iraqi government for Sunni leader Dr. Harith al-Dhari has sent shockwaves through the government, and galvanised much of the Sunni population. Iraq’s minister for the interior told reporters that al-Dhari was wanted for inciting terrorism and violence. Vice-President Tariq al-Hashimi said the warrant was “destructive to the national reconciliation plan.” Sixty-five-year-old Harith al-Dhari heads the influential Association of Muslim Scholars (AMS), the leading Sunni religious leadership of Iraq. The AMS is known to have contacts with the Iraqi resistance, and has been opposed to the U.S. occupation and the U.S.-backed Iraqi government.
Electronic Iraq