Iraqi & Proud عـراقـي وأفـتخـر

Signing off

2009-12-05T00:50:00.002+03:00

Dear Readers,

After about 4 years of blogging, i am sorry to say that i, unfortunately, have to take this blog off the air, at least for the time being, due to other obligations and time restrictions, which made me unable to write more than 2 stories per month since March 2009, and no stories during the past month.

Although it's been great experience, however, it became quite difficult to follow up with it, that is to find even a free couple of hours to write many things that are really worth writing about; and i find that the only options is either to blog in my sleep, or to put this blog to sleep; and while we all know that the first option is not possible, and that the second is more possible.

I would like to thank each and every one of you, who read this blog, or even quoted it. You were the power that made me go on, and you will be the power that would get me back to the keyboard again one day, to re-launch this blog, inshallah (God willing).

I will not say "adieu ", but i will say "au revoir".

Till we meet again.

Best regards.

---

This is "The 13th Peacemaker" (Iraqi And Proud), signing off.

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BBC News Article: Twin Baghdad blasts kill scores

2009-10-28T23:51:00.002+03:00

At least 132 people have been killed and 520 injured in two car bomb attacks in Baghdad, Iraqi officials say.

The blasts hit the ministry of justice and a provincial government office near the heavily fortified Green Zone.

They came in quick succession at 1030 (0730 GMT) as people headed to work during the morning rush hour.

This is the deadliest attack in Iraq since August 2007 and comes three months after the US handed security control of cities to local forces.

The attacks have drawn comparison with those of 19 August, when truck bombs hit two ministry buildings and killed at least 100 people.

Iraq then blamed foreign fighters and accused Syria of involvement, demanding a UN investigation.

The US condemned the latest attacks as "hateful".

'Destructive agenda'

Prime Minister Nouri Maliki visited the site of Sunday's provincial government office attack near Haifa Street and later issued a statement blaming al-Qaeda and supporters of former president Saddam Hussein.

"These cowardly terrorist attacks must not affect the determination of the Iraqi people to continue their struggle against the remnants of the dismantled regime and al-Qaeda terrorists, who committed a brutal crime against civilians," he said.

"They want to cause chaos in the nation, hinder the political process and prevent the parliamentary election."

President Jalal Talabani said: "The perpetrators of these treacherous and despicable acts are no longer hiding their objective... they publicly declare that they are targeting the state."

The White House said President Barack Obama had spoken to Mr Maliki and Mr Talabani to pledge his support.

Mr Obama said the attacks were an attempt to derail the peace process.

"These bombings serve no purpose other than the murder of innocent men, women and children, and they only reveal the hateful and destructive agenda of those who would deny the Iraqi people the future that they deserve," Mr Obama said in a statement.

The UK's Foreign Secretary David Miliband said "such acts of terrorism can have no justification, and must be condemned without reservation".

Plumes of smoke were seen rising in Baghdad on Sunday morning after two vehicles packed with explosives blew up just outside the International Zone, or Green Zone, the administrative heart of the capital.

The Iraqi authorities said the attackers were suicide bombers.

Their vehicles were driven into parking bays and detonated, officials said.

A number of workers for Baghdad's provincial council, which runs the city, were thought to be among the dead.

"I don't know how I'm still alive," local shop owner, Hamid Saadi, told Reuters by telephone from near the justice ministry.

"The explosion destroyed everything... it's like it was an earthquake, nothing is still in its place."

A number of bystanders blamed the security forces and politicians for failing to keep order.

Ambulance driver Adil Sami told Agence France-Presse: "We don't want the parliament any more - let them leave us alone, we can live in peace and solve problems ourselves."

Baghdad provincial council member Mohammed al-Rubaiey said: "This is a political struggle... Every politician is responsible and the government is responsible, as well as security leaders."

The BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse in Baghdad said he felt the force of the explosions, even though he was several miles away.

He says the finger of blame is likely to point to insurgents or foreign fighters trying to destabilise the security situation ahead of Iraqi elections in mid-January.

Overall, violence has dropped dramatically in Iraq compared to a year ago, but sporadic attacks still continue in several parts of the country.

Alsumaria.tv: Fuel crisis looming over in Baghdad

2009-09-27T18:07:00.001+03:00

A fuel crisis is starting to loom over in Baghdad after the Oil Products Distribution Company reduced shares of fuel stations in Baghdad.

This fact has affected fuel distribution for citizens which has left crowds of people queuing for fuel.

Alsumaria.tv Article: 95 killed, 563 wounded in Baghdad bombings

2009-08-20T17:53:00.001+03:00

Victims of Baghdad’s gory day on Wednesday mounted up to 95 killed and 563 wounded. They are victims of terrorism, arbitrary wars and conflict of foreign interests. They are victims of political plots against Iraq which has taken all the pains.

It’s time to say enough! Enough killing and destruction! Stop wasting youth’s future. There should be drastic measures to end this bloody cycle.

Bombings on Wednesday which occurred within few minutes are the worst since a year and a half and the goriest since US Forces withdrawal from Iraqi cities end of June.

McClatchyDC.com Article: Bombs kill dozens on Baghdad's deadliest day in 18 months

2009-08-20T17:49:00.003+03:00

Adam Ashton | McClatchy Newspapers

last updated: August 19, 2009 06:20:15 PM

BAGHDAD — Two trucks loaded with explosives blew up Wednesday near Iraqi government buildings, killing at least 95 people, wounding 543 and marking the bloodiest day in the capital in more than a year.

Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki blamed Sunni Muslim extremists for the attacks, which appeared intended to shake confidence in his government before January's national elections.

The bombings hit the city 50 days after American forces withdrew from urban areas, shifting responsibility for Baghdad's security to Iraq's army and federal police.

Maliki said in a written statement that the attacks would prompt the government to reassess its security tactics. He stressed that Iraqi security forces were performing the jobs that he'd asked of them.

"These events are aimed at destabilizing security and embarrassing security agencies, which have performed very well in reducing violence in the past year," said Sami Askari, one of Maliki's close political advisers.

People who were near the bombings, however, said Iraqi security forces weren't doing enough to protect the city. Before the attacks, Baghdad had been removing checkpoints and bringing down blast walls.

"Where are the police? I lost a brother, and they are sitting in their cars with air conditioning," said Um Khatab, whose 42-year-old brother died when the floor where he worked at the Foreign Ministry collapsed in the day's largest bombing.

Her cries of mourning reverberated in the street while teams of police officers sifted through the site, making their way past burnt-out cars and scorched pavement.

The bomb that took her brother's life exploded next to the Foreign Ministry near a spot where a security checkpoint stood earlier this summer. The attack killed 60 people, wounded 315 and buckled the face of the building.

The other bomb detonated under a traffic bridge near the Finance Ministry. It tore down part of the bridge, killed 35 people and wounded 228.

Another 20 people were wounded in four smaller attacks across Baghdad; two of them were from homemade bombs, while the other two were mortars.

The Interior Ministry announced that it had defused a third truck bomb, which had 1 ton of explosives and was parked near a central Baghdad hospital.

The impact of the truck bombs rattled windows for miles, and a cloud of black smoke rose above the skyline. They were the deadliest strikes in Baghdad since February 2008, according to McClatchy's Iraq violence records

U.S. Ambassador Christopher Hill and Gen. Ray Odierno, the top American military commander in Iraq, said the Foreign Ministry attack appeared intended to prevent Iraq from working with international partners to stabilize the country.

The explosions also showed that attackers who've planted bombs near mosques and religious gatherings since American forces withdrew from Baghdad’s streets June 30 are considering new targets: the pillars of government.

The bombings prompted calls among Iraqi leaders for an investigation into the ranks of the Iraqi police, whom the Interior Ministry governs, and the Iraqi army, which the Defense Ministry oversees.

Many Iraqis assumed that the attacks couldn't have been pulled off without help from someone in those departments. Otherwise, the vehicles would have been searched at any number of checkpoints that still crisscross Baghdad despite recent attempts to scale them down.

"The attacks that have happened lately are well-planned, well-executed and with multiple attacks in locations that are considered to be high-security zones," said Ammar Tuma, a member of parliament. "It is obvious that there are infiltrations and cooperation from high-ranking positions to enable this kind of attack to be carried out."

Hadi al Ameri, the chairman of parliament's Security and Defense Committee, also suspects that someone is helping insurgent groups such as al Qaida in Iraq execute bombings. He said that the third truck bomb — the one the Interior Ministry defused — should be used to find the culprits.

"They must be made an example of," he said. "Unless this happens, do not doubt that the crimes will continue."

Iraqis near the Foreign Ministry think that their government doesn't have the will to stop the attackers.

"They will bomb at the time they want, at the place they want, whenever they want," said Kamal Khamin, who lives near the ministry.

A parking lot across from the ministry was full of crushed cars with broken windows. Some men tried to drive them away, knocking out shards of glass while keeping one hand on the wheel.

"Our house is destroyed. Where are we going to sleep tonight? It would be better if I had died," said Katheema Hanoon, who owned a street vending booth next to the Foreign Ministry where she sold snacks and water. She was buried under her goods and shelves after the bombing. A taxi driver helped her out, and she felt fine an hour after the explosion.

Her rescuer's taxi was wrecked, its hood smashed and its windows broken.

"I didn't hear anything. Everything just fell apart," said the driver, Nissan Jabaar.

Some fear that the heavy days of sectarian violence, in which dozens of people were killed every day in Baghdad, are returning.

"It is brother killing brother, son killing father," said Hanoon, the street vendor.

Ashton reports for The Modesto (Calif.) Bee. McClatchy special correspondents Mohammed al Dulaimy and Sahar Issa contributed to this report.

29 July 2007... Two Years On

2009-07-29T05:35:00.000+03:00

Obama vs Bush

2009-06-10T00:52:00.000+03:00

Courtesy: Al-Watan, Saudi Arabia, 4 Jun. 2009

Iraq 2009: A car with many drivers

2009-06-04T00:50:00.000+03:00

Courtesy: Al Sabaah Newspaper, Iraq, 1 Jun. 2009

Aswat Al-Iraq News Article: Iraq sees off great coach Ammo Baba

2009-05-31T01:04:00.001+03:00

BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: Thousands of sportsmen and officials saw off former Iraqi national soccer coach Ammo Baba on Friday before burying him near al-Shaab international stadium in Baghdad.

Iraqi Vice President Adel Abdulmahdi and a number of sports officials took part in the funeral near the football school, supervised by Ammo Baba.

Aswat al-Iraq news agency correspondent said that the ceremony was attended also by several lawmakers, members of the Iraqi Olympic Committee, defense ministry’s officials and Iraqi players and coaches.

The Iraqi football community is in mourning with the news that the former national team player and coach, Ammo Baba, passed away on Wednesday evening (May 27) at the age of 74 after complications with his health. The legendary figure had been suffering from diabetes for many years and was earlier this year diagnosed with prostate cancer after he fell ill at the Gulf Cup in Muscat.His health took a turn for the worst on Wednesday and he subsequently died.Emmanuel Baba Dawud was born on November 27, 1934, on the RAF base in Hinaidi, Baghdad, where his father was employed by the British.His family moved to the city of Habbaniya in 1937 and it was there that the young Ammo first encountered the game of football, watching British soldiers playing matches on the dusty fields of the RAF base. As there were no balls to kick around at home, he would stuff pieces of fabric into a sock to substitute as a ball.

Ammo became Iraq’s most successful national coach, winning the Gulf Cup on three occasions in 1979, 1984 and 1988, the 1988 Arab Cup and leading team to the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games.

Ammo Baba was one of the greatest Iraqi footballers, if not the greatest Iraqi sportsmen, of all time. It is only when you combine the careers of Bobby Charlton and Alf Ramsey into one that you can grasp the magnitude of what Ammo Baba achieved for his country.

AFP News Article: Iraq-born teen cracks maths puzzle

2009-05-30T09:03:00.000+03:00

STOCKHOLM (AFP) – A 16-year-old Iraqi immigrant living in Sweden has cracked a maths puzzle that has stumped experts for more than 300 years, Swedish media reported on Thursday.

In just four months, Mohamed Altoumaimi has found a formula to explain and simplify the so-called Bernoulli numbers, a sequence of calculations named after the 17th century Swiss mathematician Jacob Bernoulli, the Dagens Nyheter daily said.

Altoumaimi, who came to Sweden six years ago, said teachers at his high school in Falun, central Sweden were not convinced about his work at first.

"When I first showed it to my teachers, none of them thought the formula I had written down really worked," Altoumaimi told the Falu Kuriren newspaper.

He then got in touch with professors at Uppsala University, one of Sweden's top institutions, to ask them to check his work.

After going through his notebooks, the professors found his work was indeed correct and offered him a place in Uppsala.

But for now, Altoumaimi is focusing on his school studies and plans to take summer classes in advanced mathematics and physics this year.

"I wanted to be a researcher in physics or mathematics; I really like those subjects. But I have to improve in English and social sciences," he told the Falu Kuriren.

BBC News Article: Funeral held for Iraq football legend

2009-05-29T20:52:00.000+03:00

Iraq's legendary football player and coach Emmanuel Baba Dawud has been buried at the country's biggest stadium in the capital Baghdad.

Dawud, better known as Ammo (uncle) Baba, died on Wednesday after suffering complications from diabetes. He was 74.

He scored Iraq's first goal in an international match in 1957, and was admired for his attacking flair.

After his retirement in 1970, he led the national football team to the Olympics in 1984 and 1988.

The coffin draped in an Iraqi national flag was lowered into a grave at Baghdad's al-Shaab football stadium compound - as Dawud had requested before his death.

"We loved Ammo Baba from our heart, as a player, trainer and a teacher," Iraqi Vice-President Abel Abdel Mahdi was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.

"We loved him and bid him farewell with our hearts, and he will always be in the Iraqi people's hearts."

NYT Article: Iraq’s False Spring

2009-04-27T00:09:00.000+03:00

STIRRINGS A week that began with a flower show ended in bombings.

By ROD NORDLAND

Published: April 25, 2009

BAGHDAD — It has often been said, on those rare occasions when the brutal climate eased up a bit, that a beautiful day is wasted on Iraq.

After a wartime winter made colder than it really was by the scarcity of central heating, there would be the false spring of a desert land. Marred by sandstorms, it never seemed more than about three days long. Abruptly the furnace door would swing open and the triple-digit summer would roar out.

Then when that rare fine day did happen, there was little to see but landscapes marred by T-walls, those huge concrete blast barriers shaped like upside-down T’s. There was a prevailing attitude of can’t-be-bothered, as seen in the buildings that went unpainted, crisscrossed by tangled wires from generators and satellite dishes, or the bomb debris just left lying. Outside it smelled always of generator diesel and often of dead dogs, which rotted by the roadside untouched for fear they hid an I.E.D. Even when there was a splotch of green it was covered with thick dust. Iraq seemed a place painted in desolation, and decorated with despair.

This year it has been noticeably different. Partly it’s because superb spring weather has endured for an amazing five weeks, with scarcely a sandstorm; sunny and 60 degrees to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s been something more though. For the first time in years, on any sort of serious scale, Iraqis have been taking a visible pride in their surroundings. Returning after an absence of some six months makes this pride now seem the most striking thing about the place. The improving security, the hundreds of checkpoints in Baghdad, the latent but diminishing risk of terrorist attack — all that was already the case last year.

Driving in on the Airport Highway once was a trembling quarter-hour on a road that defied taming. Now it’s getting landscaping. Neighborhoods like Jihad alongside it once treated the highway like a carnival duck shoot. Now they’re pacified behind anti-sniper walls painted in bold diagonal stripes: yellow, orange, white, pale blue, purple, pink and green.

No one will argue that these initiatives are always in the best of taste, but anything is an improvement on concrete-colored T-walls with reinforcement bars sticking out of them. For years there have been some efforts here and there to paint the blast walls as they became more permanent features of the cityscape. Now T-wall paint jobs are the norm in some areas, often with elaborate murals.

The blast-proofing in front of the Defense Ministry has a long mural of Humvees and helicopters, little Iraqi Air Force cargo planes, patrol boats and obsolete Russian tanks. There’s a certain wistfulness to it, since the Iraqi military so far has precious little or nothing in the way of heavy weapons, modern tanks, fighter aircraft or combat choppers.

In many places, T-wall murals depict sculptures and monuments from Mesopotamia’s ancient civilizations, Babylon, Sumer, Assyria. At the government’s Council of Ministers compound, the scenes range from Sumerian through Greco-Roman to abstract Arabic. That compound used to be a shabby place, but now its buildings and walkways are trimmed by meticulously cared-for flower beds, with laurel hedges in geometric shapes, and so many roses that the breeze is fragrantly cloying.

All over, fountains have started to spout again after years of disuse, including the magnificent one in front of Al Rashid Hotel. Made by the famous Iraqi sculptor Khalid Rahal, it depicts a parched man summoning a djinn from a jug, with water spouting in wanton abundance from many clay pots.

At Zawra Park, once best known for its sorry zoo and its suicide bomb craters, the first Baghdad Flower Show was underway last week, until it ended Wednesday. There was an impressive variety of offerings, including some elaborate designs mimicking ziggurats and Al Shaheed monument in Baghdad, two giant blue half-shells.

No doubt there are many better flower shows, but this one stunned with its incongruity. Flowers were almost as rare as beautiful days before, and as wasted on Iraq.

This is not at all to say that the ugliness of a war zone isn’t still present. It’s pretty hard to make towering blast walls into a thing of beauty, no matter how much paint is deployed. Mad Max fortifications are still often the rule. Hescos — antiblast protection consisting of big wire containers of rubble — defy all attempts at decoration. They’re just huge piles of dirt. There are still many areas of the city where no one seems to have figured out whose job it is to pick up the trash.

One such area is the Green Zone. There, a series of murals of Iraqi landscapes, each stretching over three to six sections of blast wall, have been moved to protect an Iraqi Army camp, with no effort to keep them in the right order. The result is a crane-size jigsaw puzzle.

Yet in such fine spring weather it has been easy to overlook all that. Even the customary pessimism that afflicts recidivist visitors has been hard to sustain against an onslaught of good news.

In an interview on Wednesday, Maj. Gen. David Perkins, the American military’s top spokesman in Iraq, ventured an optimistic analysis of the decline in what the military labels high-profile attacks. “They’re much less sophisticated,” he said. “We’re seeing that complexity is much less. Obviously very devastating to people who are wounded and killed, but we’re not seeing the 50 and 60 dead we used to see.”

Over the next two days, Thursday and Friday, five suicide bombers killed at least 140 people in attacks both complex and sophisticated. They targeted Shiite pilgrims in Baghdad and Iranian tourists in Diyala and refugee women and children in line to receive food donations. The killer at the food line was a woman who reportedly slipped past security by holding a young child’s hand.

Recalling a very different false spring in Paris in “A Moveable Feast,” Ernest Hemingway wrote this: “When the cold rains kept on and killed the spring, it was as though a young person had died for no reason.”

Here in Baghdad it is the summer heat, rather than the rain, but just as surely it vexes spring and takes “a season out of your life.” On Thursday for the first time the thermometer soared toward 100 degrees. Then on Friday a sandstorm blew in that will sully all attempts at beauty and make the fountains run with mud.

BBC.co.uk Article: Viewpoint: Laughter in the dark

2009-04-04T00:27:00.001+03:00

An Iraqi member of staff at the BBC Baghdad bureau has been sending his impressions of life in his hometown. In this instalment he considers the lighter side of an often dark situation. For security reasons, the author's name is not being published.

There is a special intensity to the experience of life in Iraq. You laugh more and cry more. And as often as not, you find yourself doing both at the same time.

The humour of the people of Egypt is well-known in the Middle East. Some believe it is born of crippling poverty - if you've no other choice, you have to laugh the hardships away.

The same is true in Iraq. Except that, in addition to poverty, we have daily, random violence, foreign soldiers all over the place, a state sector riddled with corruption, and public services that have fallen to pieces.

So we laugh all the harder.

The other day, a colleague went to the computer market in the centre of Baghdad. When he got back he told us he had been scared stiff.

As he walked among the stalls, a taxi screeched to a halt and three men plus the driver leapt from the vehicle.

Everyone scattered in panic, thinking it was bound to be a car bomb and the men were about to detonate it by remote control. Chaos followed.

It turned out the men had simply stopped their car in a no-parking zone and were hurrying to do their shopping before the traffic police showed up.

Humour amid discomfort

It's like another story I heard recently; a young guy was staring lasciviously at a pretty girl on a public minibus.

An older man, indignant at the youth's shameless behaviour, but not knowing how to intervene, called out "Allahu akbar" (God is great) in an attempt to bring the youth's mind back to more pious thoughts.

Of course, all the other passengers drew the natural conclusion, that the old man must be a suicide bomber and the shout of "Allahu akbar" meant he, and they, were about to meet their maker.

The bus driver pumped the brakes and the passengers fled screaming in all directions.

Should we laugh at their discomfort? I don't know. But what else can you do?

Here are some of the jokes doing the rounds in Baghdad these days. You may find them funny, you may not.

- A guy stoned on drugs is driving his car when he's stopped by the traffic police enforcing the new traffic rules. "Why aren't you wearing your belt?" they ask him. "Because I'm not wearing any trousers," he replies.

- A guy with cross-eyes volunteers to join a militia group. They assign him to the random bombing unit.

- A Jordanian finds a magic lamp. A genie appears and asks him what is his heart's desire. "Send all these Iraqi refugees back across the border," the man says. "Why?" asks the genie. "Whatever have we done to you?"

- A Indian man is tossing and turning in his bed in the middle of the night in his hovel in the country's poorest slum, and then he wakes up screaming. "Oh God! Please! No!!!" he yells. "Calm down, darling. It's just a nightmare," says his wife. "You're right, my love," he says, catching his breath. "But what a nightmare - I dreamt I went to sleep and woke up in Iraq!"

Quite. A nightmare indeed.

Aswat Al-Iraq Article: Kurdish jalli hugs Arab hashmi over Kurdistan mountains in Nawroz 2009

2009-03-22T23:43:00.000+03:00

ARBIL, SULAIMANIYA, DUHUK / Aswat al-Iraq: Non-stop rain since Friday was not reason enough to convince the Kurds to stay indoors and ignore celebrating the Nawroz. The Kurds, who ventured out along with Arabs and Christians, even considered rainfall as a good omen to bring good after years of political drought and deprivation.

Kurds’ garish and flashy colored garments mingled with the colors of the fields and prairies at the foot of the mountain and the valleys of the areas surrounding the Kurdish cities of Sulaimaniya, Arbil and Duhuk as well as Kirkuk, forming a paining that even hundred Picassos, Dalis and Cézannes would fail to depict on their sketches.

The scene was emphasized by the sounds of music and traditional Kurdish dabaka stomp dancing with a merry atmosphere of celebrations and faces full of grins of freedom and optimism for a better tomorrow.

In Arbil, 349 km northeast of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, several families and young people went out of town on Saturday as there were thousands of vehicles bound for the northern part of the cit, namely Kuwaysanjaq, where women are clad in their traditional jalli and men in their traditional colored attire to celebrate the spring season.

“Nawroz is a national day for us. We have been preparing for it for a few days now as we go out with our folks and friends,” Raffan Ahmed, a Kurd, told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

Kurds celebrate the Nawroz, which marks the beginning of the new Kurdish year, on March 21. Kurds all over the world deem Nawroz as a national day.

In the evening of March 20 every year, Kurds in the Iraqi Kurdistan region rush to mountain and hill tops to set fire to celebrate the Nawroz and the advent of spring season.

According to the old Kurdish legends, Kurds, thousands of years ago, used to suffer under the tyrant Dahak, who killed two young people each day and used their heads to treat some malicious disease on his shoulders. One day a Kurdish young man of the name Kawa the Blacksmith challenged the tyrant and killed him. Kawa then told his friends to set fire over mountaintops to express their won freedom and joy over the end of an unjust era.

Saleem Ali, a Kurd who was accompanying an Arab family, told Aswat al-Iraq that his friends came from Mosul “to share us our joys and celebrations for Nawroz”.

In Duhuk, 460 km north of Baghdad, Kurdish, Arab and Christian families were all celebrating together.

“I feel so great enjoying this occasion with my relatives and friends as well as numerous citizens others after several years deprivation,” said Dilshad Saeed Sadeq, 38, as he was preparing a lunch meal with many others.

“We used to avoid celebrating the Nawroz or even think about lighting a single candle during Saddam’s reign of terror,” Sadeq recollected.

In the resort of Ducan, 60 km northwest of the city of Sulaimaniya, Kurdish dabakas and music were coming out of the hundreds of tents pitched everywhere.

“I have decided to celebrate my engagement during the spring festivities,” Shadi Halkut, a young woman, told Aswat al-Iraq.

She did not talk too much, only drawing away her fiancée saying, “Kakajian, let’s go celebrate; no more talking”.

Tayseer Al-safeer & Nusrat Al-Badir (This is Iraq)

2009-03-17T00:59:00.000+03:00

Iraq is like the Sun
It's light will never fade away

Beautiful song by Tayseer Al-safeer & Nusrat Al-Badir.

The Cat in the Hotel

2009-03-16T23:58:00.000+03:00

I returned to Baghdad on Saturday by land, along with a very dear friend of mine from Sulaimaniya. He had some work to do in Baghdad, therefore we decided to come here together.

We both wanted to check how things are in Baghdad after the sun sets, and since it would be difficult for me to return from downtown Baghdad to my distant district after i show my friend around, therefore i stayed at Babylon hotel where he stayed. We later enjoyed walking down Karrada street at night, and seeing people going out and about. We ate falafel at the famous Falih Restaurant, and drank grape juice from Jabbar some 200 meters (yards) away.

Babylon Hotel, in case you didn't know, is (or let's say it used to be) one of the best hotels in Baghdad. It has about 13 storeys and is built in the shape of an ancient ziggurat. It was (and still is) probably the last known hotel which is accessible to ordinary people, since all the other luxurious hotels are reserved for contractors and journalists.

Now what we first noticed in the pathway was that a plate of food, left by guests who ate chickens for dinner (at least) a day ago, and the leftovers were mainly bread.

Now we expected that a cleaner would pick these things up if not today (it was shortly after 2pm) then the next morning, but these leftovers were left there until next morning!

The next morning, we discovered that the leftovers were scattered by cat, which we heard growling two storeys below us!

The picture in which the leftovers were scattered, was taken *before* the other picture!

Please remember that!!

After that, we went out to finish some business downtown, and two hours later, we came back into the hotel. My friend was ready now to go back to Sulaimaniya, and i was ready to go back home, and we were ready for checking-out of the hotel.

What surprised us, or let's say shocked us, was when we saw that the leftovers which were scattered by the cat when we went out, were now re-arranged, and "neatly" put next to the wall, right at the same place they were left!!!!!

Now please don't get me wrong! I have nothing against cats. In fact i cannot even begin to imagine the world without cats. I just love cats, and appreciate any feline presence in my life; but not in a 4-star hotel i don't!

We went downstairs to settle the account and get out of there, but before we did, i asked the man (or let's say the dude) who was behind the desk. Remember that this was a 4-star hotel, once upon a time. He was definitely born after 1990, and was wearing a t-shirt, unlike the other ones who wear all wearing suits and ties. I greeted him, and asked him:

- "I'm sorry, but i have a couple of questions, please."

- "Sure!"

- "What's the rating of this hotel? Who many stars?"

- "Ummmmm, Aaaaaaaa, Errrrrrrrr... I don't know....." chuckling.

- "Ok, there is another thing. There were some leftovers in the pathway next to our door. They were there since yesterday afternoon, and i don't know for how much time they've been there!"

- "The cleaners would get to them..."

- "Well, it seems that they've already got to that sector. You see, they were scattered this morning, and now they are arranged, so a cleaner must've been there."

Right here, the dude lost track of what i've been saying, so i thought i should change the subject:

- "And what about the cat?"

- "What cat?"

- "There is a cat roaming in the floors! I think there's more than one because one was growling and i think there was a fight!"

- "Yes, we have cats problem in the building, and it is difficult for us to restrict their movements."

At that point, i thought that i cannot continue with this heartaching converation. I was really feeling sad for this hotel in which i stayed in 2004 and 2006, and it was better then, but what i was seeing now was a disaster!

It had definitely turned into a cat hotel, where cats' interests are more important than human interests, although the cats aren't paying $80 a night! The humans are!!!

When I Saw You...

2009-03-08T17:30:00.003+03:00

This is a song by Turkish Singer İbrahim Tatlıses (Gördükçe Seni Tazelenir Sanki Hayatım), translated by me...
(The picture is from one of his old movies in the early 1980s)

Is your beauty that of a moon, o precious beloved one?
Are you an angel or a human, o pain of my soul?
May i be sacrificed for the sake of your name!

When i saw you, i felt as if my life was renewed
Is this soul of mine, or this whole world worth an atom without you?

I wonder, is your face made of daffodil?
Are your cheeks made of roses?
You bear the beauty of God's Creation
Are your lips made of milk and sugar?!
May i be sacrificed for the sake of your name!

Baghdad International... Whatever!

2009-03-07T01:11:00.001+03:00

So here's how the story goes:

A dear friend of mine who hadn't been to Baghdad for about 4 years, felt encouraged by the latest security improvements and felt safe enough to come to Baghdad and see the places and people he missed for so long.

He was as happy as a kid in a candy store as we drove from the Airport to Karrada where he stayed, especially when he saw the shops of Karrada and the night life on the street; something he haven't seen since 2003.

His visit went even better than what he had planned for. He told me how he commuted from Zayyouna to Karrada in Baghdad's eastern side in a 2008 car around midnight. He even went to Kerbala and a portion of his drive towards that city was at night, also in a brand-new car.

The visit was a great success as we can say; except for the last part.
He and i were leaving Baghdad, flying to Sulaimaniya. The ticket read 9:00am as the departure time, and the man at the Iraqi Airways office (which functions definitely worse than its then up-to-date shape it used to work with in the 1980s), strongly insisted that we should be at the Airport *three hours* before the flight. We decided to ignore that point, and it turned out that it was a wise thing to do.

I picked my friend at around 7:30, and we reached the Airport's drop zone at around 8:00am or so. By the time we got to the Terminal it was about 8:30am.

We went to the Iraqi Airways desk, and there we had our first shock of the day!
"No, the Sulaimaniya flight will depart at 2:00pm, but we will take you to the departure hall at midday!"
Great!
It turned out though, that some people were told earlier that it wouldn't leave until 2:00pm, and they even had that written on their tickets which they took from Iraqi Airways offices other than ours.

So, we had no choice but to sit and wait until we would be allowed to enter the more convenient departure hall after getting rid of our bags, and that was supposed to happen around midday.

During this time, there were two airplanefuls of Iranian relegious tourists who were waiting two flights to their country. They were so many, and they were not organized. The place was suddenly overcrowded by people putting rugs on the terminal floor, and sitting as if they were in some picnic!

If that wasn't enough, the Iranian trip organizer brought them lunch bags that had chicken among other things, and the whole terminal started smelling like chicken in no time! The Iranians were eating left and right as we, the Iraqis had to survive on biscuits. The Iranians filled the terminal with stacks of trash and the place was a real mess, and the Airport officials were doing absolutely nothing to control the chaos!

My friend and i managed to take some photos of this unusual situation through our cellphone cameras, and it was really a day to remember. The day Baghdad International Airport was turned to Baghdad Chicken Restaurant!

Now the weather between Baghdad and Amman wasn't very good that day, which caused the Royal Jordanian flight to be delayed. The Airport loudspeakers aired an apology from Royal Jordanian 4 times about the delay of that flight's arrival. As for Iraqi Airways, it never apologized, or perhaps it thought that it was too big to apologize!

You could guess that nothing happened by midday. It was after 1:00pm when they finally allowed us into the departure hall, which was already full of Iranians who entered the departure hall before us.

We were relatively happy that we would fly out of there in an hour's time, but no!

4 other hours would pass before we would!

It seems that we were supposed to fly out of Baghdad at 2:00pm, but a "very high ranking official" (whose name i wouldn't put here for legal reasons) wanted to fly to Erbil. His dark-windshield car parked next to the airplane, while we were waiting this airplane for 8 hours after the time written on our tickets! The plane which usually goes to Sulaimaniya before going to Erbil, was forced to go to Erbil first, then Sulaimaniya. So the whole delay (let's say from 2pm until 5pm) was just for "him" to come and fly whenever it was convenient for him!!!

The story didn't end here! When we landed in Erbil, the security man at the airplane said that they would stay for 30 minutes before taking off again. Their 30 minutes turned into 90!

When we arrived to Sulaimaniya Airport, we were warmly greeted, perhaps because they know of the long delay we had. This arrival was one of the best i've had to Sulaimaniya, but it unfortunately came only after a long, tiresome day.

This makes Iraq the only country in the World where driving up to somewhere is 3 times faster than flying to it!

BBC News Article: Historic Kuwaiti visit to Baghdad

2009-02-26T20:36:00.000+03:00

Kuwait's foreign minister has flown to Iraq for the highest-level visit since Iraq's armed forces invaded its southern neighbour in 1990.

Sheikh Muhammad al-Sabah, who is also Kuwait's deputy prime minister, met Iraq's PM and other top officials.

They discussed joint oilfields, maritime borders and war reparations, exactly 19 years after Iraqi forces were expelled from Kuwait.

Iraqi officials said it was "illogical" to continue paying Kuwait compensation.

Many countries have written off their debts to help Iraq get back on its feet since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein by a US-led invasion in 2003.

However Kuwait, which has so far received $13.3bn in compensation from Iraq, is holding out for more. Iraq currently pays 5% of its oil revenues as compensation to Kuwait.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said the Kuwaiti parliament, and not their government, shown to decide on the matter.

On Wednesday night, Kuwait celebrated its liberation for the first time at a banquet in their Baghdad embassy.

Kuwait's first ambassador to Iraq since the 1990-91 war, Ali al-Momen, said: "It means a great deal to me, to my people, to my leadership, having this celebration on this land."

"We have a great task ahead of us and we will work very hard," he added.

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani visited Kuwait in January for an Arab economic summit.

Menek$e ile Halil (Myrna wa Khalil) Original Soundtrack - Toygar I$ikli ((Ninni))

2009-02-19T01:01:00.001+03:00

The Day I Went to Elections...

2009-02-12T23:29:00.000+03:00

As many of you know by now, i've been in the Northeastern city of Sulaimaniya since the beginning of January, and couldn't get back before the local elections held in Baghdad and other Iraqi provinces due to some business obligations. Just so you know, Kirkuk, Sulaimaniya, Erbil & Duhok provinces didn't get to vote in those elections.

Anyway, now there comes 31 January 2009, and only two days before, the Independant High Electoral Commission says that there is a center for people in Sulaimaniya from other provinces who didn't get to register in the period of time they were given to do so, from mid-July to mid-August 2008. I wasn't registered because i had my mind made up to vote in Baghdad, and i was kind of hoping to be allowed to vote here, since i am nowhere else but here.

So, on the relatively rainy moning of elections day, i went to this center, which was in Jawahiri Arabic School, opposite the Sulaimaniya Governor's offices, and stood on the line. I stood there for 30 minutes or so, and people were debating whether they were allowed to vote or not, since the line was not moving, and there were minibuses taking people someplace and binging others back from that place.

Seeing and hearing what the people on the line were discussing, i decided to go and check with any official there was in (or around) the center. I asked if there was such an official around, and i was told that there is a women sitting inside a tent outside the center. I took a walk around the center, and found that tent. I went inside the tent, and saw a middle-aged Kurdish woman who spoke very good Arabic. She met me with a wide smile. After i greeted her, i stood there explaining my case in brief; that i was planning to vote in Baghdad, but due to some business i had to stay in Sulaimaniya, and here i am trying to vote here. She smiled wider and said:
- "But sir, you are a guest here, and this voting process is only for Internally Displaced People (IDPs)."

I asked here if there was any chance at all for me to vote there, and she said that there wasn't.

I thanked her and left.

Later that day, an Arabic-speaking radio station spoke about how "the elections were great" and how "even mentally-disabled young people were allowed to vote with the help of centers officials."

Now; is a comment really needed on such news item?!?!

Can one really be convinced with the "Iraqi Democracy"?!

Perhaps the only condolence for me, being deprived of my electoral rights, was the outcome of the elections. Maliki's group got the lead. I sort of wanted him (or at least his group) to continue the clean-up they began in 2008. I really respected the man after he kicked both asses, Qaeda & Muqtada.

This is what we get on Yahoo!

2009-01-23T19:48:00.000+03:00

This is how http://webmessenger.yahoo.com/ page looks like if you enter from Iraq.

The thing on the left is an ad for the upcoming Provencial Elections, due on 31 Jan. 2009.

Reuters Article: U.S. troops under Iraq's authority for first time

2009-01-01T13:01:00.000+03:00

BAGHDAD (Reuters) – The U.S. military in Iraq came under Iraqi authority on Thursday for the first time since the U.S.-led invasion ousted Saddam Hussein in 2003, a milestone in the war-weary country's path to restoring sovereignty.

The U.S. force in Iraq, now more than 140,000 strong, had operated since 2003 under a U.N. Security Council resolution which expired at midnight on New Year's Eve. Starting January 1, troops are operating with authority granted by the Iraqi government in a pact agreed by Washington and Baghdad.

The pact gives U.S. troops three years to leave Iraq, revokes their power to detain Iraqis without an Iraqi warrant, and subjects contractors and off-duty U.S. troops to Iraqi law.

The new, tough terms of the U.S. presence here were secured by an increasingly confident Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, emboldened by a maturing democracy, military victories against Shi'ite militias and progress against al Qaeda militants.

U.S. and Iraqi officials were to hold a ceremony on Thursday morning to formally hand over control of the Green Zone, the heavily fortified Baghdad compound from which the United States governed Iraq directly for more than a year after the invasion.

"The role of the coalition forces (in the Green Zone) will be secondary, centered on training Baghdad brigade troops to use equipment to detect explosives and advising Iraqi forces," Qassim Moussawi, spokesman of Iraqi forces in Baghdad, said.

U.S. troops across Iraq remain under U.S. command but their operations must be authorized by a joint U.S.-Iraqi committee and they can detain Iraqis only with a warrant from an Iraqi judge. They are to leave the streets of Iraqi towns and cities by mid-2009 and withdraw from the country by the end of 2011.

Other U.S.-allied troops, including 4,100 British, are to leave Iraq within seven months.

On Wednesday, U.S. officials finished vacating the marble Saddam-era palace in the center of the Green Zone that had been the seat of U.S. power in Iraq since 2003.

Some 15,000 prisoners held at U.S. military detention camps must now be charged with crimes under Iraqi law or, according to the security pact, gradually let go.

VIOLENCE DOWN

Iraqi forces take over a dramatically different Iraq from the one ravaged by sectarian violence in 2006 and 2007.

Attacks have dropped sharply, thanks partly to an increase of troops ordered by President George W. Bush in 2007 and also to newfound cooperation from Sunni Arab tribal leaders.

Militants continue to strike, especially with bomb attacks that frequently target civilians. According to official health ministry figures, 5,379 civilians were killed during the year, less than a third of the 16,232 killed in 2007 but still an average of nearly 15 a day.

In December, the monthly toll was just 238 killed. The monthly tolls ran close to 2,000 at the height of sectarian fighting between Sunnis and Shi'ites from mid-2006 to mid-2007.

This month will see provincial elections that U.S. and Iraqi officials bill as a milestone toward democracy.

But Iraq remains deeply scarred by the war. Baghdad neighborhoods are divided by checkpoints and concrete walls. Millions of people who fled violence have yet to return home.

Many Iraqis still resent what they see as a U.S. military occupation. They are also hungry for basic services, jobs, and lasting peace. Majid Mola, an engineer, dismissed as meaningless the handover billed by Maliki's government as a major victory.

"Where are the government services? Where is the electricity? People want practical things," he said.

In what could become one of the most enduring images of the U.S. military adventure, Iraqi journalist Muntazer al-Zaidi won applause across the Middle East when he threw his shoes at Bush and called him a "dog" at a recent news conference with Maliki.

His trial for assaulting a head of state is pending.

Highest and Lowest Temparatures Recorded Inside & Outside Our Baghdad House During 2008

2008-12-31T21:06:00.003+03:00

Highest temperature recorded outside the house = 44.8 C (112.6 F)

Highest temperature recorded inside the house = 36.6 C (97.9 F)

Lowest temperature recorded outside the house = -1.7 C (28.9 F)

Lowest temperature recorded inside the house = 9.3 C (48.7 F)

"Iraqi & Proud" turns 3 :)

2008-12-26T01:20:00.001+03:00

Isn't that something?!

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The Day The Shoe Flew

2008-12-19T20:28:00.006+03:00

When important news break in our World, i always tune in late. But it is not always my fault if i didn't learn of the story as it unfolded. For example, we had no electricity for about eight hours when i heard about the Baghdad news conference shoe incident. However, i heard Bush's helicopters take him back from the Green Zone to the International Airport.

It took me until 3:30 am local time to see it, when we finally got electricity. There was a channel that kept repeating the incident time after time in an endless loop.

I sat there, alone, at that late hour, and thought...

Some might have thought that what the Iraqi journalist Muntadhar Al-Zeidi did was great. They say that because they believe that he did what he should've done to the no. 1 arrogant in the whole World!

While the best thing that Muntadhar would've done, and still be "elegant", so to try to discuss with Bush, or even yell at him till his heart's content! He would've been respected and respectful at the same time. However, it is somewhat understandable if he came from a background of people who had first hand negative experiences with the occupation forces; or if his father or older brother or next of kin was stepped on by American soldiers sometime during the past 5 years or so.

What if he made a mistake, and hit Maliki, or an Iraqi flag in the background with one of his rocket-shoes?

How disgraceful for Iraq (or the Iraqi Government) would that have been?

Now the funny thing about the Arab stations, or those who cheered for the shoe-thrower to be precise, and how they said that they're ready to buy these shoes with millions of Dollars! Why didn't they ever thought of giving this money to the children of Gaza or Iraq or any other place?! Yet, they are so ready to buy a pair of shoes with millions of Dollars!!!

And they, themselves, say that the shoes of Muntadhar brought back Arab dignity!

They don't say, for example, that the Lebanese steadfastness in the 2006 war brought back Arab dignity, or the Palestinean patience, but they see a pair of shoes hurled at Bush as the ultimate restore of that Arab dignity.

Dignity is not restored by shoes, guys!

However, it is worth noticing and mentioning, that what had brought Bush to be subjected to such maximum insult (at least as seen from this side of the World), was nothing other than the deeds of Bush himself.

The American citizens, and i am absolutely sure that they would, for they are a clever nation (the way ours used to be once upon a time, and before our nation was turned into a vocal phenomenon). The Americans need to think:

Why people hate our President?!

Why is he called a criminal anywhere he goes?!

Is this President really the successor of Roosevelt, Eisenhower, Linclon, and Franklin?! Is he?!?!

Before i go, i would like to quote a very good writer of our times; Haider Hamoudi, who usually writes about "Islamic Law in Our Times" among other issues on his blog. What he wrote commenting on a similar note i wrote there, was:

"I sort of view Muntadhar the Shoe Thrower like Joe the Plumber, not necessarily himself worthy of attention as an individual, but as a phenomenon quite interesting and revealing. So it's more the reaction to Muntadhar the Shoe Thrower than the person himself that I find worthy of investigation."

So, there you see. It is the Sarah Palin's of the Arab Nation who cheer for the Iraqi version of Joe the Plumber! No wonder!

BBC News Article: Iraq rally for Bush shoe attacker

2008-12-15T22:30:00.001+03:00

Thousands of Iraqis have demanded the release of a local TV reporter who threw his shoes at US President George W Bush at a Baghdad news conference.

Crowds gathered in Baghdad's Sadr City district, calling for "hero" Muntadar al-Zaidi to be freed from custody.

Officials at the Iraqi-owned TV station, al-Baghdadiya, called for the release of their journalist, saying he was exercising freedom of expression.

Iraqi officials have described the incident as shameful.

A statement released by the government said Mr Zaidi's actions, which also included him shouting insults at President Bush, "harmed the reputation of Iraqi journalists and Iraqi journalism in general".

Correspondents say the protesters are supporters of Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr - a leading critic of the US presence in Iraq. Smaller protests were reported in Basra and Najaf.

The Iraqi government has demanded an on-air apology from his employer.

An Iraqi official was quoted by the Associated Press as saying that the journalist was being interrogated to determine whether anybody paid him to throw his shoes at President Bush.

He was also being tested for alcohol and drugs, and his shoes were being held as evidence, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The Cairo-based al-Baghdadiya TV channel said Mr Zaidi should be freed because he had been exercising freedom of expression - something which the Americans had promised to Iraqis on the ousting of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

"Any measures against Muntadar will be considered the acts of a dictatorial regime," the firm said in a statement.
The programming director for al-Baghdadiya, Muzhir al-Khafaji, described the journalist as a "proud Arab and an open-minded man".

He said he was afraid for Mr Zaidi's safety, adding that the reporter had been arrested by US officials twice before.

"We fear that our correspondents in Iraq will be arrested. We have 200 correspondents there," he added.

'Proud Arab'

Mr Zaidi leapt from his chair at Sunday's news conference and hurled first one shoe and then the other at Mr Bush, who was joined at the podium by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki.

The shoes missed as Mr Bush ducked, and Mr Zaidi was immediately wrestled to the ground by security guards and frogmarched from the room.

"This is a farewell kiss, you dog," he yelled in Arabic as he threw his shoes. "This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq."

Arabic TV stations have been repeatedly showing footage of the incident, which was also front-page news in many papers.

Correspondents say the journalist's tirade was echoed by Arabs across the Middle East who are fed up with US policy in the region.

"He [George Bush] deserves to be hit with 100, not just one or two shoes. Who wants him to come here?" said a man in Baghdad.

But his view was not expressed by everyone.

"I think this incident is unnecessary, to be honest. That was a press conference, not a war. If someone wants to express his opinion he should do so in the proper manner, not this way," said another Baghdad resident.

Courts criticised

Also on Monday, Human Rights Watch accused Iraq's main criminal court of failing to meet basic international standards of justice.

The New York-based group said torture and abuse of prisoners before trial appeared common, and legal representation was often ineffectual.

Human Rights Watch said some of the court's failings showed disturbing similarities to those that existed during the Saddam Hussein era.

The group called on Iraq to take immediate steps to protect detainees from torture, and ensure they had access to proper defence and received a prompt hearing.

BBC News Article: Bush shoe-ing worst Arab insult

2008-12-15T22:23:00.002+03:00

By Martin Asser BBC News

Around the Arab world, if you want to escalate a situation, by saying for example "I'm going to thump you", add the words "with a shoe" and you're adding serious insult to the threat of possible injury.

It's that cultural significance that has added real sting to the assault by an Iraqi journalist against US President George W Bush at a Baghdad news conference.

In Arab culture it's considered rude even to display the sole of one's shoe to a fellow human being.

Certainly, crossing one's legs ankle-on-knee style should never be done in a public place for fear of offending the person next to you.

The sensitivity is related to the fact shoes are considered ritually unclean in the Muslim faith.

In addition to ritual ablutions before prayer, Muslims must take off their shoes to pray, and wearing shoes inside a mosque is forbidden.

Shoes should either be left at the door of the mosque, or carried (preferably in the left hand with the soles pressed together).

But beyond the Islamic significance, the dirty and degrading implication of the sole of a shoe crosses all religious boundaries in the Middle East.

Following in the footsteps

There has been plenty of droll reaction in the wake of Sunday's shoe attack to experts who have informed the public that "throwing a shoe at someone's face is considered an insult in Islam".

The blog reaction (to articles not unlike the one you are reading) has been a sarcastic, "and in all other religions... it is a sign of affection, friendship, fellowship, and good feeling(!)" to quote chookie on democraticunderground.com.

But it is worth mentioning that there is quite a rich history when it comes to shoe-ing incidents involving Iraq and the Bushes.

The first was the floor mosaic at the front door to Baghdad's Rashid Hotel depicting the first President Bush.
Its location meant visitors to the hotel - frequented by top Baath regime officials and visiting VIPs - had to step on George Bush Snr's likeness, in revenge for alleged "war crimes" committed during the 1991 liberation of Kuwait.

The mosaic was reportedly dug up after the US military took over the hotel, following their overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003.

In that year the Iraqi shoe was much in evidence during popular protests against the fallen Iraqi ruler, being used to hit the posters and statues dedicated to him around the country.

Boot on the other foot

As anger over Washington's policies in the Middle East has grown in some Arab circles, it has been posters of George W Bush that have received the shoe treatment.

His national security advisor and subsequent secretary of state has been given the particularly insulting first name Kundara - meaning shoe - instead of Condoleezza Rice.

Now history will record that Mr Bush's last presidential trip to Iraq, a country his government has left such an indelible mark upon, was greeted with a volley of shoes and cries of "dog" (another extreme insult in Arabic) from Iraqi cameraman Muntadar al-Zaidi.

Fortunately for Mr Bush, who leaves office in just over a month, he was able to duck out of the way of the two shoes Mr Zaidi threw at him - presumably the only weapon the assailant was able to smuggle through the tight security cordon at Prime Minister Nouri Maliki's office.

Many of Mr Bush's supporters will see it as a mean-spirited gesture against a man whose policies liberated the country from a vicious dictator.

To illustrate the point, in a previous age, the perpetrator would be facing a summary, and probably agonising, death if he had dared confront Saddam Hussein's regime in such a way. Instead Mr Bush has been praised for his dignified response.

But others have hailed Mr Zaidi as a hero, for striking a symbolic blow against someone they hold responsible for devastating wars in the Muslim world that have cost hundreds of thousands of lives.

Alsumaria.tv Article: Iraqi reporter throws his shoes at Bush

2008-12-15T18:21:00.001+03:00

He thought that Iraqis will bid him farewell with heartfelt gratitude for bringing freedom and democracy into Iraq. However, US President Georges W Bush never expected to be sent off this way.

In a farewell visit to a nation for which he fully dedicated his second presidential term, US President Bush was put in an awkward situation, he was humiliated on television, in newspapers headlines and news agencies after an Iraqi reporter threw his hoes at him and uttered profanities against him.

In details, as the joint press conference between President Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki has ended by shaking hands, a reporter threw one of his shoes at Bush which missed him and hit the wall behind him. Yet, Bush had to duck to avoid the second shoe the reporter hit at him while Al Maliki tried to ward off the other shoe from hitting Bush.

As he missed the goal, the reporter was leapt on by Iraqi security officials and U.S. secret service agents and dragged from the room screaming and struggling

“It's like going to a political rally and have people yell at you. It's a way for people to draw attention. I don't know what the guy's cause was. I didn't feel the least bit threatened by it”, Bush said.

Iraqi journalist Montazer Al Zaidi, a reporter from Al Baghdadiya TV, has dealt with Bush his own way, expressing his personal point of view of the US war on Iraq. An employee from Al Baghdadiya said his colleague was an extremist national man who has behaved on his own. Al Baghdadiya called to release its reporter.

The consequences of such an incident are hard to be speculated as the shoe-throwing will have great impact on Iraq and US histories and will always be related to the name of US President Georges W Bush.

They'll Go... We'll Stay...

2008-11-30T23:03:00.001+03:00

31 Dec. 2011

Muqtada's MPs Show What They're Really Made of!

2008-11-21T11:57:00.001+03:00

They no nothing but destruction...

SOFA and the "Monkeys"

2008-11-20T01:19:00.000+03:00

I know this is a strange title of sorts... What is the relation between the Status Of Forces Agreement (SOFA) and monkeys?!

As you know, there is so much talking nowadays about the Iraqi-US Agreement that outlines the Status of US Forces in Iraq after the expiration of the UN mandate on 31 Dec. 2008.

Now who are the monkeys, you may wonder.

There is an Iraqi proverb, describing someone whose reactions are not based on principle or common sense, but on narrow perspective of personal interests. The proverb cannot be translated word-for-word without triggering a beeper, if you know what i mean, but you'll find a description of the offensive word in italics.

"They are like a monkey: If you give it, it would put its hand on its head; if you don't, it would put its hand on what's below its tail."

Now this proverb fits two Iraqi "politicians" who wear the fake mask of religion, and who were two of the bloodiest killers who killed tens of thousands of Iraqis since the Invasion. Muqtada Al-Sadr & Harith Al-Dhari.

Although the first is a Shiite, and the second is a Sunni; but each of them orchestrated a stupid, stupid policy.

As for Al-Dhari, many if not all of the Sunnis that i know, blame him for the "marginalization" of Sunnis in the post-war political life in Iraq. When there was a very good chance for the Sunnis to get into the political process, he came with this idea that "no political process is legitimate under the occupation"; and i don't know how he and his bunch of pro-Saddamist turbans who spend their days and months in the luxurious hotels of Amman could not just look to their adjacent West, and see that there was a jolly good political process in occupied (since 1967) Palestine, and that their next of kin Islamists of Hamas have had a good percentage of seats in the Palestinian parliament before the crap hit the fan, and still nonindependent Palestine became North Palestine and South Palestine, or East Palestine and West Palestine, or as we know them as West Bank and Gaza Strip. And they complain of double standards!

As for Muqtada, who is "supposedly" Shiite, he did nothing, absolutely nothing but ruin what the Shiites have gained since the war. He was the reason for distructing Sadr City and Najaf twice. And his gangs, so called the Mahdi Army, were on the verge of distructing on of the holiest Shiite Shrines in Kerbala in August 2007.

Now both Al-Dhari and Muqdata spent about four years of their "oh so very pious" lives, and actually kicked and screamed, demanding for a scheduled withdrawal of US and other Allied Forces from Iraq; and, when such an agreement is closer than ever, they denounce the agreement as a "disgrace".

I have read the first draft of the agreement as published on the official Iraqi newspaper Al-Sabah, and i found that it looks good. No forces will stay in Iraq after the end of 2011. No raids will be launched from or pass through Iraq. No US Army breaking into Iraqi houses without prior judicial approvals. No immunity for the Security Contractors who usually went haywire whenever and however they wanted to without reporting to anyone and without any code of conduct unlike the official Armed Forces.

So what do the "Resistants" want?!

God only knows.

What we, as simple Iraqis know is that we want the best for our country, and we don't really care about what Muqtada or Al-Dhari want if it is not what is good for Iraq. Right now, their hands are way below their tails!

The Other Way Round: President Palin :)

2008-11-07T17:03:00.001+03:00

What would've happened if she would've won!

Election Day - Part 6: How I Woke Up...

2008-11-05T08:44:00.002+03:00

I remember hearing a song on the Voice of America while reporting the Million Man March of 1995.

I woke up this morning, with Freedom on my mind.

It was 7:45 Iraq time, 23:45 ET, when i woke up. The TV was on CNN all night as i slept on the couch. I saw the line "Awaiting President-Elect Obama".

I went to Al-Jazeera, and they mentioned something about the same.

I checked my e-mail, which had about 40 Breaking News alerts, and they confirmed the same.

On the Pan-Arab TV channels, there was a "cautious" optimism that America has begun taking a turn towards the right direction, away from everything Bush did in the last 8 years.

I liked an expression in a beautifully-written report on Al-Jazeera:
"Our (Arab) countries must look for their own (respective) Obamas."

Yes, politician who'd bring youthfulness and change to the 80-years-old-and-is-stuck-to-his-presidential-chair, or my-son-will-inherit-my-presidency kind of Presidency.

So, good night, and good luck.

Election Day - Part 5: We're done!

2008-11-05T08:41:00.000+03:00

John McCain congratulates Barack Obama on his "historic" election as president.

Election Day - Part 4: BBC Breaking News: Obama projected to win presidency

2008-11-05T07:10:00.002+03:00

Democrat Barack Obama is elected first black president of the United States, based on projected electoral college votes.

Election Day - Part 3 :USATODAY.com Breaking News: Obama poised to win presidential election

2008-11-05T07:00:00.001+03:00

***USATODAY.com Breaking News***

Democrat Barack Obama is edging ever closer to winning the 2008presidential election, winning the vital battleground states of Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia while severely damaging the hopes of Republican JohnMcCain.

Election Day - Part 2

2008-11-05T01:57:00.002+03:00

Well, at around 01:00 Iraq time, 17:00 ET, i managed to get into CNN website again. I am also following the usual channels i mentioned in my previous posting.

The "good news" says that the considerable majority of new voters polled so far have voted for Obama.

I think i will hit the sack until 7:00 Iraq time, 23:00 ET, when the West Coast polls closes.

We will see.

Election Day - Part 1

2008-11-04T21:05:00.003+03:00

Well, the US Presidential Elections are here, i mean there.

And based on lessons learned from olden times, that i should watch carefully as history is in the making, (and not be told to copy some papers while CPA was being dissolved back on 28 Jun. 2004), so i decided to keep a watchful eye on the TV and the web (with full attention) during these decisive hours, not only for the US, but probably for the World.

It all got interesting with daybreak on the Eastern coast. During this time, and as i type, i've been zapping through Al-Arabiya, Al-Hurra, Al-Jazeera Arabic, Al-Jazeera English, BBC World, and CNN International.

The best ones, or let's say my favorites were Al-Jazeera Arabic, then CNN International, then Al-Arabiya. What i noticed, however, was that the Arabic-speaking channels fail to understand the structure of the States. They have correspondants in Phoenix, for example, but they write "Live - Arizona". One of the anchors even said "He's joining us live from Phoenix, and from Arizona to be exact"... As if Phoenix is the State, and Arizona is the city!

As for the websites, i was planning to rely on CNN website, but it got clogged around noon ET. So i am trying Yahoo and MSN, and perhaps a sneak peak on BBC or even Fox News.

But anyway, these Elections are really exciting. If i had the chance to vote i would have voted for Obama. Not becuase i dislike McCain. I think he is a cool character, especially after his show on Saturday Night Live, with the exceptionally talented Tina Fey, which made me wonder why on Earth didn't he choose HER for Vice-President?! It's Palin that i don't like. I don't think she is mature enough. If McCain had picked Condoleezza Rice for Vice President, then i would've respected his choice. Although she is evil, but she has big brains, which makes her the lesser of two evils, because there is an Arab Proverb which says "A wise enemy is better than an unwise friend".

I was planning to stay awake all night, but i think an early wake-up is a better option.

Perhaps one of the most beautiful things i heard today was something an Obama supporter somewhere might've said:

"Rosa sat so King could march, King marched so Obama could run, Obama runs so our children could fly..."

Stay tuned...

Palin for Halloween!

2008-10-31T23:51:00.002+03:00

CelebTV.com Video: Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live (SNL)

2008-10-28T00:59:00.000+03:00

So when Sarah was sitting/dancing, i don't really know why i rememberred 1993 when Saddam went dancing with a cigar in his mouth!

AP Article: Al-Qaida-linked Web site backs Senator John McCain as president

2008-10-22T17:58:00.000+03:00

By Pamela Hess, The Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Al-Qaida supporters suggested in a Web site message this week they would welcome a pre-election terror attack on the U.S. as a way to usher in a McCain presidency.

The message was posted Monday on the password-protected al-Hesbah Web site. It says if al-Qaida wants to exhaust the United States militarily and economically, "impetuous" Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain is the better choice.

It says that's because he's more likely to continue the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

SITE Intelligence Group, based in Bethesda, Md., monitors the Web site and translated the message.

The al-Qaida posting says an attack on the U.S. would push Americans to vote for McCain so that he takes revenge for them against al-Qaida, a fight the radicals would welcome.

Mark Salter, a senior McCain adviser, said he had heard about the Web site chatter but had no immediate comment.

The message is credited to a frequent and apparently respected contributor named Muhammad Haafid.

However, Haafid is not believed to have a direct affiliation with al-Qaida plans or knowledge of its operations, according to SITE.

site senior analyst Adam Raisman said this message caught SITE's attention because there has been little other chatter on the forums about the U.S. election.

SITE said it was struck by the message's detailed analysis, and apparent jubilation, about American financial woes.

"What we try to do is get the pulse of the jihadist community," Raisman said. "And it's about the financial crisis."

Al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden issued a videotape just four days before the 2004 U.S. presidential election directly addressing the American people.

Reuters Article: Sarah Palin to step into Tina Fey's satirical den

2008-10-18T17:09:00.001+03:00

By Jill Serjeant

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Sarah Palin steps into the lion's den of political satire on Saturday with an appearance on the comedy show that has mocked the Republican vice-presidential candidate and helped shape the national debate.

Palin's appearance on "Saturday Night Live" follows a series of dead-on impersonations of her by comedian Tina Fey that have sent ratings for the show soaring and become as talked about as the Alaska governor and self-described hockey mom herself.

Actor Josh Brolin, who captures the Texas swagger and twang of President George W. Bush in the new Oliver Stone biopic "W.", is expected to join Palin on Saturday's show, just 17 days before the November 4 election.

"I just want to be there to show Americans that we will rise above the political shots that we take because we're in this serious business for serious challenges that are facing the good American people right now," Palin told Neal Boortz, talking about the forthcoming SNL appearance on his syndicated radio show on Friday.

It was not clear whether Fey, the Emmy-award winning star of the TV show "30 Rock" and the movie "Baby Mama", will reprise her own turn as Palin. Fey's three skits have boosted "Saturday Night Live" ratings by 50 percent in the past month and attracted more than 38 million viewings live or online.

Fey's impersonations have included an "I can see Russia from my house" joke skewering what critics see as Palin's lack of foreign policy knowledge, and a flute-toting bid for a "talent portion" during the vice presidential debate that played on critics' charges that Palin, a one-time beauty pageant contestant, is too shallow for the vice presidency.

The skits have capped a political season in which comedy has played an influential role.

Palin was a surprise pick by Republican presidential candidate John McCain in August as his running mate, and has been a big hit with conservative Christians who admire her no-nonsense, folksy style. But the choice has been derided by supporters of Democratic candidate Barack Obama, thanks in part to the Fey skits.

"I would expect that the McCain campaign would be much happier if Tina Fey wasn't so popular with her impersonation of Sarah Palin," Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, a political analyst at the University of Southern California, told Reuters.

"It does shape the public perception of Sarah Palin," Jeffe said.

Democrats Obama, Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden have also been lampooned on SNL, and both Obama and McCain have appeared on the show during the long presidential campaign.

GOING WHERE OTHERS DON'T TREAD

Satirical news shows like "The Colbert Report" and Jon Stewart's "The Daily Show" along with jokes by late night chat show hosts David Letterman and Jay Leno have gone where straight news reporting has often feared to tread, according to Robert Thompson, professor of media and popular culture at Syracuse University.

"We are in a period now that journalists are afraid of being accused of picking on people. Comedy is not only influential but lately it has become an important part of the U.S. civic conversation," Thompson said.

"What Jon Stewart and Tina Fey are doing is not only hysterically funny, but they really have used comedy to make us ask questions about the things we should be thinking about."

Thompson said Fey's skit of Palin's rambling television interview with journalist Katie Couric was likely seen by more people than the original, which was broadcast in early October as the global economic crisis was seizing the headlines.

"Tina Fey really became the way the entire nation ended up seeing that interview," he said.

Palin's standing among Republicans is largely unscathed. A poll last week by HCD Research and Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion found that her favorability rating with Republicans dropped only one percent to 79 percent after seeing Fey's latest skit.

Palin's favorability rating among independent voters fell from 37 percent to 33 percent, according to the poll.

Fey has enjoyed the accolades but has said she hopes not to have to play Palin after November 4.

"If she wins, I'm done. I can't do that for four years. And by 'I'm done,' I mean I'm leaving Earth," Fey said this week.

AP Article: 'Saturday Night Live' this week? You betcha Tina Fey doesn't know

2008-10-15T00:05:00.001+03:00

By Frazier Moore,

The Associated Press

NEW YORK - It's the question dominating the political scene: When will Tina Fey be back on "Saturday Night Live"?

"I don't know," Fey said.

Over coffee Tuesday during a rare morning off from her NBC sitcom, "30 Rock," Fey noted that "SNL" will be on live this Saturday, as well as airing a 9:30 p.m. EDT Thursday edition, but as to whether she will take part in either broadcast, "I haven't heard." (A spokesman for the NBC late-night comedy show echoed her comments.)

The former "SNL" cast member/head writer thus far has been drafted for three appearances as Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. The sketches were a huge hit for the show and Fey alike.

"It's been really fun," she said, "and really freeing since I don't actually work there anymore."

But it's put an extra burden on her already heavy workload at "30 Rock," where she's an executive producer and writer as well as star.

"Thankfully, the 'SNL' schedule is the opposite of the '30 Rock' schedule, so I can go to 'SNL' around 10:30 Friday night and rehearse," she said, explaining that the Palin pieces were written by current "SNL" head writer Seth Meyers. "Then on Saturday, I go in around 4 o'clock."

For her most recent appearance (on Oct. 4) "I had a '30 Rock' writer come for the dress rehearsal. I did my sketch, worked on the '30 Rock' outline with the writer, then did the live show.

"It's not as bad as it sounds," Fey added with a laugh. "But it does catch up with you by Sunday."
Fey hopes the attention drawn to her Palin impersonation will bring more viewers to "30 Rock," which begins its third season Oct. 30.

"When people say, 'Oh, I love you on your show,' I say, '"Saturday Night Live" isn't my show.

But there's another show that will be back on soon, and it's called "30 Rock."'

"I should go to Kinko's and make some fliers," she cracked.

Fey believes her portrayal of the Alaska governor has "been responsible and really pretty gentle."

As demand builds for another Palin spoof, Fey said: "I don't know how much more I should do or could do, so I'm taking it week by week.

"It's getting large, it's getting too large, the question 'Are you gonna show up? Are you gonna do it?'

"I don't know," Fey said. "I've got a lot of '30 Rock' work to do!"

BBC News Article: Palin mimic gets US public's vote

2008-10-11T23:59:00.001+03:00

By Rajini Vaidyanathan

BBC News, Washington

At a campaign rally in Florida, Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin shouts out to the crowd: "I love her, she's a hoot and she's so talented."

She is referring to Tina Fey, who, along with the Alaskan governor, has become one of the most talked about women in this election campaign.

Tina Fey's impersonations of Mrs Palin have generated millions of viewers, website clicks and water cooler conversations.

It is on the hit US comedy show Saturday Night Live that Fey parodies Governor Palin.

The resemblance is uncanny, as are the mannerisms and the accent.

Most of the sketches are direct spoofs of Mrs Palin's television appearances.

In one, Fey sends up the governor's interview with American newsreader Katie Couric in which she was quizzed about foreign policy.

Tina Fey as Mrs Palin: "Every morning, when Alaskans wake up, one of the first things they do, is look outside to see if there are any Russians hanging around.

"And if there are, you gotta go up to them and ask: 'What are you doing here?' And if they can't give you a good reason, it's our responsibility to say, you know, 'Shoo! Get back over there!'"

The fake interview has received rave reviews, but in the real one, Sarah Palin was criticised by many, even from within her own party, for her performance.

Later she admitted she had been "less than successful", but joked there was a reason.

"In response to critics after that interview what I should have told them is, I was trying to keep Tina Fey in business just giving her more information job security for SNL (Saturday Night Live) characters."

Guest star

The spoof Sarah Palin has certainly done wonders for the show.

Ratings for Saturday Night Live have gone up, averaging 8.3 million viewers, and the sketches are drawing as many as 9.3 million hits online.

In fact, Mrs Palin herself has said she would like to guest star.

"It would be fun to meet her, imitate her and keep on giving her new material," she said.

That may even become a reality.

There has been talk that the pair could appear on the show together before November's election.
Lorne Michaels, executive producer of Saturday Night Live, has not ruled it out.

He said that the McCain campaign called after the first sketch to say they enjoyed Tina Fey's take on their candidate.

Tina Fey is a huge star in her own right.

An Emmy award winning comedy actor and writer, she is best known in America for her appearances on the hit comedy 30 Rock as well as Saturday Night Live.

She bears a striking resemblance to Mrs Palin, and it seems that the mimicry is mutual.

Kristan Cole, who has known the Alaskan governor for 38 years, said Sarah Palin had in fact dressed up as Tina Fey a few years ago for Halloween.

She said the reaction back in Mrs Palin's home town of Wasilla to the sketches had been positive.
"Anybody I talk to thinks they're funny, nobody is upset by them," she added.

She also said that Sarah Palin wasn't worried about being sent up and had told her that she thought Tina Fey had her mannerisms dead on.

Credibility 'damaged'

"As someone who is very close to her, I don't like unfair criticism of her but the SNL sketch is not in that category whatsoever.

However, others disagree saying the sketches have damaged Mrs Palin's credibility.

In some sketches Fey get laughs just by directly repeating the governors own words.

Some commentators go as far as to dub the "Tina Fey Factor" one of the biggest challenges the Republican Vice-Presidential candidate faces.

A study from the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion concluded that Sarah Palin's favourability rating dropped after people watched the Saturday Night Live sketches.

It asked 314 Democrats, Republicans and independents how they viewed her before and after the sketches.

All groups said they saw her in a worse light.

But that sample is small, and political analyst Professor Larry Sabato does not believe Tina Fey has hurt Mrs Palin's image, but that the candidate herself has.

"Palin has been lampoonable because of those terrible disastrous interviews.

"She opened herself up to this. It's reinforced the damage that Palin herself did."

Internet copycats

Mr Sabato strongly rejects suggestions that the sketches will have an impact on the election itself.

"It's interesting, it's fun, but it has nothing to do with how people are voting," he said.

One thing the Fey impressions have done, is prompt a whole host of copycats on the internet.

A search on YouTube brings up a whole host of impersonators - a singing Sarah Palin, a gangsta rapping governor and even a man in drag attempting a spoof.

Sara Benincasa, a liberal comedian from New York, stars as Sarah Palin in a video blog, which she started in September.

"Her life is filled with drama and we are satirising that drama," she said.

"She has a pregnant teenage daughter and five kids. She's really into promoting herself as a hockey mom and a conservative Christian.

"We thought all of those things were ripe for lampooning."

Benincasa explained why she felt Sarah Palin was such a popular subject of parody.

"This person was trying to promote herself as an average gal while running for one of the highest offices of the land. The job of a court jester is to make fun of the king."

Situation Update

2008-10-05T23:49:00.002+03:00

Well, it turned out that a house was partially demolished (or lets say was targeted) by the October 4th explosion. That house, which is about 150-200 meters (yards) from our house used to belong to Shiites who were displaced, and was occupied by Sunnis. Now the Shiites wanted to get back to their house, so the Sunnis went out. It seems that the Sunnis who are not very happy to get out of that house had planted an explosive device in the house and detonated it.

Now the situation on the block is calm. This afternoon an Iraqi patrol went into our alley, and it seems that they thought that our alley did not have a deadend, so they reversed their Humvees gears and went right away.

And Kabooom It Went...

2008-10-04T11:01:00.000+03:00

At around 4:30 am early Sat. 4 Oct. 2008, we were sound asleep at home when an explosion rocked the area and shattered some windows in our house.

I took a short walk around 9:30 am, only for 50 meters outside the house trying to see where was the explosion, and i saw two Iraqi Humvees in an adjacent alley, where it seems that the explosion had taken place.

One of our neighbors mentioned that the Iraqi SWAT troops (which some people call "The Dirty Troops") have detained a group of people, some based on a list, and others at random.

Back at home, we tried to mend the damaged windows, and we will try taking care of fixing them as soon as possible.

Just in: Iraqi Army closes many streets in Amiriya

2008-10-01T11:48:00.001+03:00

People in the Baghdad western district of Amiriya woke up on the first day of eid, 30 September 2008 to find many streets in their area blocked by concrete blocks being put by the Iraqi Army, causing heavy traffic in the back streets of the area in search for the few streets that were kept open, which would allow them to reach the main streets in the area.

Some people in the area expected that this comes in preparation for the power shift of supervising the Awakening movement from US to Iraqi control on 1 Oct.

No increase of patrols or military presence was noticed.

Wait! It's not the Eid yet!!!

2008-09-30T23:16:00.005+03:00

Another (rather repeated) mistake has been done Monday night by the Saudi (religious) authorities, by announcing Tuesday as the first day of Eid ul-Fitr, which comes at the end of the Lunar month of the Ramadan, and the beginning of Shawwal, the tenth month in the Islamic lunar calendar.

The scientific resourses, indicated clearly that it was impossible to see the new moon on Monday 29 September 2008 (29 Ramadan 1429AH) simply because it was born right around sunset time, and it would also be difficult to see it on 30 September because the crescent would be so close to the sun, except in the southern hemisphere. But i have no idea how the Saudis (followed by eight other Arab countries) announced that the new moon "was seen", and that Tuesday is the first day of the Eid.

I have to agree with the Shiites this time, since some of them announced Wednesday 1 October as the first day of the Eid; and Sistani's followers decided that Thursday would be the first day; why, because there is no Eid if there is no crescent; and it is not simply because the Saudi fluff said so!

I know what they want! They want a nation that cannot, or doesn't want to think!

They want us to be "the sheikh's sheeps", or the "Sayyid's sheeps" on the other side of the ally; but it was God who gave us brains, not them!

Misusing Religion

2008-09-29T11:31:00.003+03:00

Thanks to Al-Arabiya website, I got the chance to check out some of the latest cartoons published in Arabic newspapers.

Two of those cartoons really drew my attention, and made me think of today’s topic.

The first discussed the (still) developing story about Lebanese singer Suzanne Tameem who was murdered about three months ago in Dubai. Now, of course, there is nothing comic about a brutal murder, but the artist found the “comedy” in the news that an Egyptian businessman is accused of paying an assassin 2 million US$ to carry out that crime. The cartoon shows two terrorists talking to one another with the one holding the newspaper saying to the other: “And they give us 100 US$ to kill 100 Iraqis?! It is true when they say that the Iraqi blood is cheap!” This was and is correct from the terrorists’ perspective. The damned (and rotting) Zarqawi said clearly that it was “ok” to kill civilian Iraqis if they happen to be “in the way”, thus killing scores of thousands of Iraqis. Muqtada’s (the dirty) gangs also killed hundreds and thousands of Iraqis, and they’re as guilty as Al-Qaeda. Yes, they both, and all, made the Iraqi blood cheap.

In another “Islamists” related issue, a (fluffy bearded) clergyman from Saudi Arabia, called “Mohammed Al-Munjid”, was talking on one of the many Arab satellite channels that have religious programs in Ramadan, and he mentioned that the children of our nation have become addicted to “idolizing” Mickey Mouse, whereas the mice and rats are nothing but harmful creatures, and that “they must be killed wherever they were found”, and “Mickey Mouse is no exception”! Here is the link to translated version of this video.

This made an Arab cartoonist present this drawing of “extremist” Cartoon figures carrying out this Fatwa by “beheading” Mickey Mouse!

In my 30 years of life, out of which there are about 20 years of knowledge, I have never found someone who claims to be a “man of knowledge” in religion, or in any field, who cannot really differentiate what is real (a real mouse) and what is imaginary (Mickey Mouse)! If this is “knowledge” then please don’t tell me about ignorance, or let’s say stupidity.

Every Tom, Dick and Harry, comes and fluffs his beard, and we, or other Muslims in our part of the World or elsewhere pay the price. The price may differ from one case of dealing with a fluffy nutcase to the other, but the price that really hurts is that they made this great and most honorable religion a laughingstock for Westerners, and they (the fluffy beards) have verily been the worst possible “Ambassadors” of this religion!

Give me a bearded (or not bearded) Muslim who doesn’t use the word Nasibi (bad word Shiite fundamentalists use to call Sunnis), or Rafidhi (bad word Sunni fundamentalists use to call Shiites); who doesn't judge people prejudicely; someone who knows how to smile and speak kindly to people; someone whose morals follow the kindness and mercy of Prophet Mohammed, and that would be the real ambassador of Islam; certainly not some guy who thinks that killing (innocent) people isn’t enough, so he wants to have a cartoons hit list!!!

Down Memory Lane: 1998: Asala Nasri (I Complain to You)

2008-09-15T23:30:00.000+03:00

This was a song that i used to listen to around 1998, ten years ago, and i still like it very much until this day.

Here is the link to its audio (Real Player) version.

BBC News Article: Saudi judge condemns 'immoral TV'

2008-09-13T21:11:00.001+03:00

The most senior judge in Saudi Arabia has said it is permissible to kill the owners of satellite TV channels which broadcast immoral programmes.

Sheikh Salih Ibn al-Luhaydan said some "evil" entertainment programmes aired by the channels promoted debauchery.

Dozens of satellite television channels broadcast across the Middle East, where they are watched by millions of Arabs every day.

The judge made the comments on a state radio programme.

He was speaking in response to a listener who asked his opinion on the airing of programmes featuring scantily-dressed women during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

"There is no doubt that these programmes are a great evil, and the owners of these channels are as guilty as those who watch them," said the sheikh.

"It is legitimate to kill those who call for corruption if their evil can not be stopped by other penalties."

Royal dilemma

Given his position as the country's most senior judge, the sheikh's views can not be easily dismissed, says BBC Arab affairs analyst, Magdi Abdelhadi.

Clerics like Sheikh al-Luhaydan represent a huge dilemma for the Saudi royal family, our correspondent adds.

On the one hand, Saudi rulers need their support to claim that they rule in the name of Islam.

But on the other hand, fighting militant Islam can be difficult when the country's top judge calls for the beheading of those he views as immoral broadcasters.

3rd Earthquake Hits S Iraq, No Casualties Reported

2008-09-08T22:13:00.000+03:00

A third earthquake had hit S Iraq pre-dawn Sunday 7 Sep. 2008, measuring 4.2.

The epicenter of this latest earthquake was only 20 kms N of Amara, the capital of Misan Province.

It was also 135 kms ESE of Kut, also 295 kms ESE of Baghdad.

No casualties or damage were reported although this is the closest earthquake to residential areas.

Hands off Iraq!

2008-09-06T23:15:00.000+03:00

Each time the Holy month of Ramadan begins, TV stations in the Arab World enter a very crazy race that includes brand-new soap operas and shows which are almost impossible to track due to their close or even simultaneous times. To make a long story short, it is the 6th day of Ramadan, but i missed the major soap operas, namely "Abu Jaafar Al-Mansour", "Asmahan" & the light hearted "Beini wa Beinak" (=Between You & Me).

However, as i was zapping through the channels, an intro of a soap opera stopped me, unlike any other!

The channel was (Oscar Drama), and the series name was "Qalb Al-Dounia" (=Heart of the World). Why did it stop me this way?! Well, there were some American Hummers and tanks, along with heavily edited footage from Iraq. Well, here is something interesting to watch now, is it not?!

I honestly swear to God that i really couldn't continue watch for more than 5 minutes. Yes, 5 minutes were more than enough to make me extremely disgusted! Disgusted to see such a good cast of Egyptian actors and actresses whom i adored once, but definitely not anymore.

One may wonder here: Why the big fuss?

Well, i am going to quote an Egyptian website here ( www.filfan.com ) in describing this thing they call "series about Iraq". It says here that Ehab Fahmi, plays the character of Malik, an Iraqi "mujahid" from Falluja who starts a resistance group against the US occupation.

Now that all seems nice... On paper!

On the screen, it superbly sucked!

First, the actors were all talking in Egyptian slang, but that's not a problem!

Secondly, the actors were not wearing Iraqi clothes. Even their yashmak camouflage wasn't convincing.

Thirdly, the houses didn't look anything like Iraqi houses. In all of the Iraqi center and south, and in many cases in the Iraqi north; an Iraqi house is not a house unless it had a garden, no matter how small it was. The Egyptian workers who came to Iraq in the 1980s used to say to Iraqis that they should be proud for their houses are "villas"!

Fourthly, Not all the Tom, Dick and Harry of the "Iraqi Resistance" were taken to the notorious Abu Ghraib Prison. It just happens to be the most famous one. There are, just for the information of non-Iraqi wannabe-Iraqis, many prisons &/or US camps, such as: Boca, Crooper, Justice, Victory; just to name a few. Not all of them have witnessed horrific acts as Abu Ghraib, although acts there could have been different and less known.

This, among many other notes, made the series totally not convincing for me as an Iraqi viewer. I mean, seriously, this series really sucked mainly because it was written totally without knowing the Iraqi perspective. This, in addition to many other lines in the story that are even more silly to the extent i can't even begin to mention here, is nothing but a new crime against the Iraqi people, just as similar as the US, terrorism and militia crimes! Why not, since it's also done by people who have no idea what is Iraq and what's it about!

The writer, Ahmed Abu Baker, wrote this series of his probably while he was sitting on the golden coasts of Sharm El-Sheikh or Marina, with air conditioning on and all that he wants at hand; and neither he nor the actors have tasted the bitter experience of living under the terrible conditions of Iraq, where there is no electricity and the temperature is about 50 C / 122 F!

As for the actors and actresses Tayseer Fahmi, Ula Ghanim, Tamir Hagras, Rania Farid Shawqi, Izzet Abu Auf, Sameer Sabri, Nada Bassiouni, Mona Abdul-Ghani..... I say to them: I am terribly sorry for i spent a jolly good part of my lifetime as a fan of yours... You guys are not worth it anymore!

Oh, and... We say to you the same we say to Occupiers, Terrorists and Militia:- Hands off Iraq!

2nd Earthquake in a Week's time shakes S Iraq

2008-09-04T23:39:00.003+03:00

USGS reported again that a 5.3 earthquake had hit the Iraq-Iran border region; the 2nd in a week. The earthquake which took place Wed. - Thu. night at 01:43 Iraq time had an epicenter almost the same place of the earlier earthquake's epicenter (28 Aug., measuring 5.7). It hit almost the same time of day as well.

The epicenter of 4 Sep. Earthquake was only 68 kms NNE of Amara, 143 kms E of Kut, and 293 kms ESE of Baghdad.

Aswat Al-Iraq (Voices of Iraq) News Agency reported that the Earthquake strength was measured as 4.9 according to the Basra Seismological Center. The Agency also mentioned that no damage other than some broken glass was worth mentioning. It is also clear that there were no casualties because of the Earthquake.

Waiting for "Viola"...

2008-09-02T21:46:00.004+03:00

Those who know me well enough know that i like cats very much. I am what you'd call a Cat Person. In fact, one of my first photos walking as i was a 2 year-old was that of me running after a big fluffy cat. Cats and i, therefore, share a historical relation, as ultra-Nationalists around this neck of the wood may put it.

I had a cat at our house all along my life, except for 3 months before the 2003 War, and then this tradition was restored. Unfortunately, there is a cut in this tradition when i am in Sulaimaniya. Over there, there are very few cats, perhaps because there are no gardens, or maybe because it's a mountainous city, but the latter reason may not be right because Amman has more mountains, and there are many cats there.

Anyhow, there was a cat that used to visit the residence where i live in Sulaimaniya, and friends mentioned that she used to come pretty often (while i was in Baghdad). I have seen her a couple of times and was able to snap a photo or two of her. I kept hoping that she could be somehow domesticated one way or another, but i admit failing at this. I even tried "Wara psheela" which is the Kurdish for "Here kitty" a couple of times, but it didn't work.

However, i have given her a name which is "Viola", which is from one of Shakespeare's plays.

This time, while i am in Sulaimaniya, i didn't see Viola, but i was told about her route, and i put a piece of cheese right on her passage, hoping that she would come and grab a bite over there. She hasn't come as of yet, and i keep waiting and waiting for that psheela to show up.

I hope that waiting for Viola would not be something like Waiting for Godot !

5.7 earthquake shakes parts of S Iraq

2008-08-29T23:05:00.006+03:00

United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported that a 5.7 earhquake shook parts of Southern Iraq shortly after Wed.-Thu. midnight.

USGS website mentioned that the epicenter of the earthquake was 70 kms NNE from Amara, 140 kms E from Kut, and 290 kms ESE from Baghdad, right on the the borderline between Iraq and Iran.

Three Iraqi websites mentioned some details about it.

It was mentioned that the earthquake was clearly felt in Amara, where the major earthquake was followed by another one shortly afterwards. Radio Nawa website reported that families went out of their homes after ceiling fans began to shake and vases started shaking and falling as the ground shook around 00:52 local time on 28 Aug.

Further east in Thi Qar Province, and its capital Nasiriya, it was reported that the Northern areas of the Province (which are closer to the epicenter) shook stronger than the Southern areas.

Voices of Iraq website mentioned that a source in Basra Seismological Center was quoted saying that the earthquake was followed by other smaller quakes.

There were no reports of human casualties.

Down Memory Lane: 1993: Samantha Fox (My True Devotion)

2008-08-23T14:12:00.001+03:00

Mahmoud Darwish (Rita and the Rifle)

2008-08-17T15:34:00.001+03:00

Between Rita and my eyes there is a rifle
And whoever knows Rita kneels
and prays
To the divinity in those honey-colored eyes
And I kissed Rita
When she was young
And I remember how she approached
And how my arm covered the loveliest of braids
And I remember Rita
The way a sparrow remembers its stream

Ah, Rita

Between us there are a million sparrows and images
And many a rendezvous
Fired at by a rifle
Rita's name was a feast in my mouth
Rita's body was a wedding in my blood
And I was lost in Rita for two years
And for two years she slept on my arm
And we made promises
Over the most beautiful of cups
And we burned in the wine of our lips
And we were born again

Ah, Rita!

What before this rifle could have turned my eyes from yours
Except a nap or two or honey-colored clouds?
Once upon a time
Oh, the silence of dusk
In the morning my moon migrated to a far place
Towards those honey-colored eyes

And the city swept away all the singers
And Rita
Between Rita and my eyes — A rifle

"This Airbort is not smoking"!!!

2008-08-16T20:05:00.000+03:00

And here i am supposed to go through a new journey from Baghdad back to Sulaimaniya. The beginning went well, until i arrived at the Terminal, when they said (not through loudspeakers, of course) that the Iraqi Airways flight to Sulaimaniya will be delayed till 15:30 instead of its original 11:30 time. There was a TV reporter and his cameraman and they were also planning to travel to Sulaimaniya, and they decided to make a report about the case, and i left their vicinity while they were still at the research phase, and when one of the Airport officials was explaining to them that this was because of the lack of airplanes to cover the flights, so the same airplane that was about to take us to Sulaimaniya had to go to Damascus, then back from Damascus, and the probably to and back from another place before taking us to Sulaimaniya; which is totally crazy!

If that wasn't crazy enough, i ran into 3 people that know me, in about 15 minutes time. The last of them, and he was the only one who noticed that i was there, came and spoke to me (in Arabic):

- "Excuse me, aren't you .....?!"

I had to use a trick to get rid of him. This guy was like one year with me in elementary school and probably wanted tons of catching up while i was already on the edge of my patience because of this crazy flight delay.

- "I don't speak Arabic. I'm sorry..."

I said in the most perfect English i could pull together for the unexpected occasion. Thank God that it was more than enough to send him on his way.

Now, speaking of the accent, there were two things i witnessed this morning; the first was a young lady with a reddish-mahogany colored passport in her hard which i couldn't distinguish the writings on its cover, but i think it was British, and he accent make me think so too. Anyway, she was accompanied by an older Iraqi man, who was in his late thirties. Anyway, i was standing there waiting for the baggage check procedures to end, while they were talking. The guy was telling her stories about Baghdad in the past, and despite the jolly good British "waaaaaaaaads" (=words) that he was munching in his mouth like a Macintosh candy, but the story he told really sucked to the extent that i decided to delete it from my memory at once. Now, my understanding, and i may well be wrong in this, but i do hope that i am right, that you need to represent the best that is in your country, religion and culture while talking to, or dealing with foreigners. By doing that, you could be an ambassador for your country, religion, and culture. The young lady could -unfortunately- believe what that man said, which could actually be a little disaster in itself!

Despite the fact that the guy didn't speak with an accent, but he was definitely thinking with one!

Back to the Airport, and the original craziness of the day. The Airport announcer did not only have the worse English accent possible (she actually says "this Airbort is not smoking" meaning that smoking is not allowed anywhere at the Airport!!); but her Arabic is also horrible! I, and every Arab or Arabic speaker knows for sure that the Syrian capital Damascus is pronounced "Dimashq" in Arabic. She kept saying Dimishq, which doesn't really make any sense in Arabic.

Also, she was really, really bugging in her way of saying "This is the final call for the Iraqi Airways flight to Damascus". She could've almost said, "I really mean it. If you don't believe me then blame no one but yourselves!"

And to finish this episode, the way Jon Stewart ends his Daily Show with the Moment of Zen, here is how she announced the departure of the Flying Carpet Airlines to Beirut:

"Baghdad Interrnationall Airrporrt announce the debarture of Flying Carbit to Beirut. All bassenger arrre kindly requestedd to go to gate forty-fife. Thang you!"

That's our Moment of Zen for today! Thank you very much everybody!!

Iraqi Sprinter Out of 100m First Round

2008-08-16T19:59:00.000+03:00

http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/beijing/track_field/results/ATW001/8;_ylt=An0YKjSRl4UciknEehvLRW41o5N4#ATW001802

TucsonCitizen.com Article: Despite the danger, Iraqi sprinter keeps running

2008-08-14T18:45:00.000+03:00

By: Mike Lopresti

BEIJING — Back home in Iraq, where the athletes have died like everyone else, there are two running tracks Dana Abdul-Razak can use to make herself a sprinter. One requires ignoring the scars from the mortar shells. The other is two hours away.

This is the route a woman must take, dashing through a war to get to the Olympics.

Her official Olympic bio mentions that her coach and fiance sometimes have had to cut deals with Shiite militiamen and Sunni insurgents to get her to practice. Money for safety, in a place where life can be cheap.

It is a last resort to be able to run, and even then, sniper shells still occasionally whizzed by.

The Iraqi Olympic team coach was asked Monday if that is true. Mohammad Al-Hagami shrugged, admitted maybe there had been days like that. Just as there have been days, as he pointed maybe 20 yards away, "where bombs are there and we are here. We are not afraid from that."

What they do is pause a moment, and then get back to the speed work. Later, they might go shopping.

"This," he said, "is our life."

Scrape away the corporate sponsors and television rights, and the Olympics are still supposed to be about hope.

Here, for example, comes the team from Iraq.

The president of the Olympic Committee is a Kurd.

The chef de mission is Christian.

The woman in the 100-meter dash is Sunni.

The coach is Shiite.

That doesn't sound like an Olympic team. That sounds like a firefight on a Baghdad street. It's a small world, after all.

"Is he? I didn't know that," Tiras Anwaya said, of his coach being Shiite. "It means nothing to me."

So the Olympic team of Iraq stands for something, even if it was banned from these Games until 10 days before the Opening Ceremony because of a dispute with the IOC over Iraqi government interference.

Suits in high offices worked it out. Good thing. Is any nation more in need of an Olympic ideal transfusion?

"It was a full heart to be feeling," Al-Hagami said. "Sometimes, you are tearing when the flag goes up."

The New York Times reported nearly 100 athletes, coaches and sport officials have been killed in Iraq since the Athens Olympics of 2004. According to numerous reports, the head of the National Olympic Committee has been missing since 2006, and the deputy was killed in a bus station.

Two years ago, according to the Associated Press, two tennis players and a coach were gunned down, apparently for wearing shorts, after being warned in a pamphlet by Islamic extremists.
From this killing ground, Abdul-Razak has come to the Olympics. A picture online shows her working out. In long pants.

"She is very courageous," Anwaya said. "She is a symbol."

The symbol Monday was wearing jeans, eight earrings, two necklaces and had a cell phone handy. She had little enthusiasm to be quoted because, according to a website called Islamonline.net, she has been threatened after past publicity.

No, she had nothing to say about what part the United States has played in her fate. "We do not need to talk about politics," she said through a translator.

Yes, she was unnerved initially when the bombs exploded near her. "The first time I was afraid, maybe 10 minutes, maybe 20 minutes. It was gone. No big deal."

Chances are, she will not last past the first round of the 100 meters. But why talk track odds to a woman who has dodged sniper fire? Her race is a plea. Someday, this all has to end.

"She feels good for our people to watch her. Not Shiite, not Sunni. Our people," Al-Hagami said.

"And if she is good, for other people and other nations to make their eyes on our flag."

There must be fear, too. What does it a say, that a 22-year-old Olympic sprinter must worry that she is not faster than a speeding bullet?

She mentioned as much to Islamonline.net. "Now this dream could end any time, if for one second I lose my concentration and a bullet comes across my body fired by groups that don't really understand the importance of this."

Iraq, with only a handful of athletes here, wants a stronger Olympic team. "First of all," Anwaya said, "you need peace."

Which is why Abdul-Razak is different than many who will line up next to her Saturday.

Their triumph will be to finish a race. Hers is to start.

AP Article: Soap opera shakes customs of Arab married life

2008-08-13T02:39:00.002+03:00

By KARIN LAUB and DALIA NAMMARI, Associated Press Writers

Every evening for the past four months, a tall young man with soulful blue eyes has been stealing hearts across the Middle East, from the refugee camps of the Gaza Strip to the gated mansions of Riyadh.

But it's not just the striking good looks of Mohannad, hero of the hugely popular Turkish TV soap "Noor," that appeal to female viewers. He's romantic, attentive to his wife, Noor, supportive of her independence and ambitions as a fashion designer — in short, a rare gem for women in conservative, male-dominated surroundings.

"Noor" delivers an idealized portrayal of modern married life as equal partnership — clashing with the norms of traditional Middle Eastern societies where elders often have the final word on whom a woman should marry and many are still confined to the role of wife and mother.

Some Muslim preachers in the West Bank and Saudi Arabia have taken notice, saying the show is un-Islamic and urging the faithful to change channels. But all the same, the show may be planting seeds of change.

"I told my husband, `learn from him (Mohannad) how he treats her, how he loves her, how he cares about her," said Heba Hamdan, 24, a housewife visiting the West Bank from Amman, Jordan. Married straight out of college, she said the show inspired her to go out and look for a job.

"Noor" seems particularly effective in changing attitudes because it offers new content in a familiar setting: Turkey is a Muslim country, inviting stronger viewer identification than Western TV imports. The characters in "Noor" observe the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, and Mohannad and Noor were married in a match arranged by his grandfather.

But it also upholds secular liberties: Protagonists have a drink with dinner and sex outside marriage. Mohannad, while faithful to Noor, had a child with a former girlfriend, and a cousin underwent an abortion.

The nightly soap opera "shows that there are Muslims who live differently," said Islah Jad, a professor of women's studies at the West Bank's Bir Zeit University.

The show's Turkish producer, Kemal Uzun, added: "We are a little more open, not as conservative as some of these countries, and I think this might have some appeal for the audience."

Even though some of the racier scenes are sanitized for Arab consumption, clerics have been sermonizing against "Noor." "This series collides with our Islamic religion, values and traditions," warned Hamed Bitawi, a lawmaker of the Islamic militant Hamas and preacher in the West Bank city of Nablus.

But the purists seem powerless to halt the "Noor" craze.

In Saudi Arabia, the only country with ratings, about three to four million people watch daily, out of a population of nearly 28 million, according to MBC, the Saudi-owned satellite channel that airs the show dubbed into Arabic for Middle East audiences.

In the West Bank and Gaza, streets are deserted during show time and socializing is timed around it. In Riyadh, the Saudi capital, and in Hebron, the West Bank's most conservative city, maternity wards report a rise in babies named Noor and Mohannad. A West Bank poster vendor has ditched Yasser Arafat and Saddam Hussein for Noor and Mohannad.

Jaro's Clothing Store in Gaza City is doing brisk business in copies of blouses seen on the show, including a sleeveless metallic number adapted to Gaza standards by being worn over a long-sleeved leotard.

Producer Uzun said the Istanbul villa on the Bosporus, fictional home of Mohannad's upper-class clan, has been rented by tour operators and turned into a temporary museum for Arab visitors.

A recent cartoon in the Saudi paper Al-Riyadh showed a plain-looking man marching into a plastic surgeon's office with a picture of Mohannad with his designer stubble. (Kivanc Tatlitug, who plays Mohannad, is an ex-basketball player who won the 2002 "Best Model of the World" award.)

In the West Bank city of Nablus, civil servant Mohammed Daraghmeh said he had MBC blocked at home so his kids couldn't watch, but the family vowed to watch it at an uncle's house and he backed down.
In Hamas-ruled Gaza, keeping up with "Noor" is a challenge.

Power goes out frequently because of a yearlong blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt after the violent Hamas takeover. When a blackout disrupts viewing, many set their alarms to catch the pre-dawn repeat.

In the Shati refugee camp, several teenage girls huddled around an old TV set recently, trying to follow the action despite overflights by pilotless Israeli aircraft that can scramble reception.

Ala Hamami, 17, wearing a black robe and head scarf, said she looks up to Noor because she is independent.
"This series gives strength to women in the future," said Hamami, although she was set on a very traditional path — she had just gotten engaged in an arranged match.

The cultural divide between modern Turkey and traditional Gaza became apparent in a scene where Mohannad and Noor, played by Songul Oden, both end up hospitalized. The girls giggled and Hamami quickly changed channels when Mohannad entered his wife's room and lay beside her to comfort her. The display of physical contact clearly made her uncomfortable.

Whether the "Noor" effect will be lasting is not known. The season finale falls Aug. 30, the day before Ramadan begins and religious fervor intensifies. Next up on MBC will be "Bab al-Hara," a Ramadan favorite that looks nostalgically at traditional Arab life.

___
Associated Press writers Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey; Diaa Hadid in Jerusalem, Barbara Surk in Dubai and Donna Abu Nasr in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia contributed to this report.

Mahmoud Darwish (I Long for My Mother's Bread)

2008-08-10T01:15:00.001+03:00

I long for my mother's bread
My mother's coffee
Her touch
Childhood memories grow up in me
Day after day
I must be worth my life
At the hour of my death
Worth the tears of my mother.

And if I come back one day
Take me as a veil to your eyelashes
Cover my bones with the grass
Blessed by your footsteps
Bind us together
With a lock of your hair
With a thread that trails from the back of your dress
I might become immortal
If I touch the depths of your heart.

If I come back
Use me as wood to feed your fire
As the clothesline on the roof of your house
Without your blessing
I am too weak to stand.

I am old
Give me back the star maps of childhood
So that I
Along with the swallows
Can chart the path
Back to your waiting nest.

AP Article: Iraqis Excited About Olympics, Regret Small Team

2008-08-08T23:59:00.000+03:00

By SAMEER N. YACOUB,

Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD (AP)—Iraqis powered their generators and gathered with friends Friday as excitement grew over the Olympics. But many were disappointed that their national team was represented by only four athletes after a dispute with the International Olympic Committee.

The IOC suspended the Iraqi team in May over alleged government interference in

Iraq’s national committee.

The decision was reversed last month, allowing four—two rowers and two track and field athletes—of the original seven qualified athletes to compete. The three others missed deadlines for their sports because of the dispute.

“We are happy to share with the world in these joyful moments. But I am sad to see the big teams of many countries, while our country is left behind with one of the smallest teams in the Olympics,” said Saif Osama, a 22-year-old Christian college student in Baghdad.

Omar Ali, a 35-year-old teacher from the Sunni district of Azamiyah, also expressed regret that Iraq wasn’t better represented in the Beijing Games.

“We had hoped that our country will participate with a large team in order to get good results in the games. Our interest in the Olympics would have been greater,” he said. “Anyhow, I will try not to miss the events they are in.”
Many Iraqis said the games would provide a much-needed respite from security concerns and other problems that persist despite a steep decline in violence after more than five years of warfare.

“We have waiting eagerly for this world event. In Iraq, we are in desperate need for such issues in order to entertain ourselves and forget the miseries,” said Ahmed Khadum, a 21-year-old college student in the mainly Shiite neighborhood of Baladiyat.

He and five friends planned to watch the games every night and had collected enough money to run a generator throughout the competition to avoid the frequent power outages that plague Baghdad.

Many Iraqis said they would watch events with friends on TVs set up in cafes — a tradition that had been sharply curtailed during past sporting events because of fears of bombings.

Olympics fan Alaa Abbas, a 32-year-old student from Diwaniyah, 80 miles south of Baghdad, said he and his friends planned to gather in a cafe and stay up late to watch the competition.

“We are eager to watch the games,” Abbas said.

Akram Kamil, a 31-year-old engineer in the capital, however, said he feared the security situation was still too fragile so he planned to watch the games at home “rather than risking a trip to the cafe.”

Ali Muhsin, a 32-year-old education ministry employee, said he was hopeful the Iraqi athletes would perform well.

“I am happy that our athletes are participating in the Olympic games. I pray to God that our countrymen will win medals in their events,” he said.

Partial Solar Eclipse & Stupidity of the Iraqi Media

2008-08-05T19:35:00.000+03:00

Although the Solar Eclipse of Friday 1 August 2008 was partial over Iraq and didn't exceed 15%, but i so much enjoyed it; and i also enjoyed the media coverage, especially from Al-Arabiya and Al-Jazeera.

The good thing that was in those two channels, as well as a couple of other channels was that they gave accurate information as to where it was going to affect, with what percentage, and for how long.

But the Iraqi TV stations had a different story of sorts. Just so you know, Iraqi channels are close to 20, give or take. Only a quarter or so of those channels carried Live coverage of the event. The best coverage was on Al-Forat & Al-Sumeria, where they carried Live images from Baghdad skies.

Al-Iraqiya followed, and they had coverage from Baghdad as well as Basra in the South, which was the good side. The bad side was that the news anchor who was "running the show" so to speak was extremely stupid. She didn't know what causes the Eclipse; she didn't know that adjacent countries see it on relatively close scales; she didn't know that it is a normal natural phenomenon; she didn't know how long it would last; she thought that it was scary; and last but not least, she didn't notice that this Eclipse didn't affect the illumination on the ground and in the sky.

She was not the only one who made this terribly ignorant mistake. A reporter on al-Iraqiya later that day mentioned on his report that all the Middle East countries witnessed a Partial Solar Eclipse, except Jordan! Now i have no idea how that would've happened!! The Total Eclipse was on Russia and China alright, but Jordan?! In fact, Jordan had a smaller Eclipse than Iraq, that is if it was ever seen in Jordan in the first place!

So, this calls for teaching people (and especially the media people, and even more especially Al-Iraqiya) about scientific issues, hopefully before the next Partial Solar Eclipse that Iraq will have on 15 January 2010. Media is not all about Imams and shining the Government's image, otherwise it would make no difference from Saddam's media!

Olympic.org Article: International Olympic Committee Brokers Agreement with Iraqi Government

2008-07-30T01:59:00.001+03:00

Lausanne, Switzerland – An agreement between the Iraqi government and the International Olympic Committee on Tuesday clears the way for Iraqi participation in the Olympic Games in Beijing.

In a productive meeting at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, the IOC and the Government of Iraq agreed on a series of steps that will lead to a fully functioning, independent National Olympic Committee in Iraq. The agreement re-establishes the independent NOC of Iraq which will be allowed to take part in the Beijing Games.

Iraqi athletes will compete in Beijing under the Iraqi flag, led by coaches and team leaders selected by the independent Iraqi National Olympic Committee. Five government representatives will be invited by the IOC as observers to the Games in Beijing. The agreement also calls for the transparent and fair election of a new, independent Iraqi National Olympic Committee, no later than the end of November 2008. This process will be overseen by the IOC and the Olympic Council of Asia and will be held in cooperation with the Government of Iraq, and in accordance with the Olympic Charter.

“I commend the government of Iraq for reaching an agreement that serves the long-term interest of Iraqi athletes,” IOC President Jacques Rogge said. “We have said all along that we want to see Iraqi athletes in Beijing.”

The IOC helped establish an independent Iraqi National Olympic Committee in February 2004, and has provided substantial financial support and other assistance to Iraqi athletes. In May this year, the Iraqi government sought to disband the independent NOC and replace it with one headed by a government official — a clear violation of the Olympic Charter regarding government interference.

The IOC responded on 4 June by suspending the government-imposed committee. The IOC urged Iraqi officials to resolve the matter and issued an open invitation for a meeting in Lausanne.

The deadline for competitors entering the Beijing Olympic Games for all events except athletics passed on 23 July. As a result, the slots for five Iraqi athletes have been redistributed, but two Iraqi athletics competitors will have the opportunity to compete in Beijing.

“We look forward to seeing the Iraqi flag in Beijing,” Rogge said.

29 July 2007: One Year Later

2008-07-29T00:01:00.000+03:00

1 Aug. 2008 Solar Eclipse Visible in Iraq

2008-07-27T19:30:00.000+03:00

The Solar Eclipse taking place on Fri. 1 Aug. 2008 will be visible in Iraq, getting better as you go Northeast, so Sulaimaniya (where i was until 24 Jul.) will be the best place to watch it in Iraq with a sun coverage of 15%.

Baghdad (where i am right now) will have a coverage of 10% , but still, it is the only Arab capital that would get to see it, at least partially, since its totality is taking place over the North Pole and Russia.

I will keep you posted with what i find.

Space.com Article: Viewer's Guide: Aug. 1 Solar Eclipse

2008-07-27T18:11:00.000+03:00

Joe Rao
SPACE.com Skywatching Columnist
SPACE.com

Friday, August 1 is a red-letter day for eclipse enthusiasts. On that date, the sun will be partially eclipsed over an immense area that includes western and central Asia, parts of northern and central Europe, all of Greenland and even a small slice of northeastern North America.

A total solar eclipse — the first in nearly two and a half years — will be visible along a narrow track that will start over the Northwest Passage of Canada, gives a glancing blow to northern Greenland, then shifts southeast through Siberia and western Mongolia and before ending near the famed Silk Route of China.

The path of totality for this upcoming eclipse is never more than 157 miles (252 km) wide.

Where it's visible

The total eclipse begins at sunrise over Northern Canada's Queen Maud Gulf, where the moon's umbra will first touch down on the Earth, resulting in Canada's hosting its first total solar eclipse since February 26, 1979.

As the sun comes into view over the north-northeast horizon its disk will become completely blocked by the moon. This is in the area of the famous Northwest Passage, a sea route connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through the Arctic archipelago of Canada. The various islands of the archipelago are separated from one another and the Canadian mainland by a series of Arctic waterways collectively known as the Northwestern Passages. Politically, this region belongs to Nunavut, the largest and newest of the territories of Canada; it was separated officially from the vast Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999.

Although the umbral shadow narrowly misses the towns of Cambridge Bay on Victoria Island, and Resolute on Cornwallis Island, its northern edge just clips the northernmost permanently inhabited place in the world: Canada's remote outpost of Alert, which lies just 508 miles (817 km) from the North Pole and has a population of just 5. Here, totality will last 43 seconds.
Crossing the open Arctic, the southern half of the totality path slides across the many fjords of northermost Greenland, coming to within 450 miles (720 km) of the North Pole at 9:38 UT over the Arctic Ocean before turning southeast. Totality sweeps over the Norwegian island group of Svalbard, while the northern edge of the umbra's path just grazes Russia's Franz Josef Land island group, then cuts across the crescent-shaped island of Novaya Zemlya on its way to central Asia. The umbra first touches the Russian coast on the Yamal Peninsula. Not far inland, greatest eclipse, producing 2 minutes 27 seconds of totality, is attained near the town of Nadym (pop. ~46,000), just inland from the boot-shaped Gulf of Obskaja.

Spending part of your summer in Siberia may sound a bit more appealing upon hearing that the central path passes almost directly over the city of Novosibirsk, Russia's third most populous city (pop. ~1.4 million) where totality begins at 10:44 UT and will last 2 minutes 18 seconds. The center of the path will then follow the Mongolia-China border for several hundred kilometers, with Olgij, Mongolia getting 1 min 36s of totality. Totality finally whisks into north-central China, crossing the west end of the Great Wall before leaving the Earth at a point northeast of the major city of Xi'an (pop. 3.9 million).

The northern half of Maine as well as the Canadian Maritime Provinces will experience a partial eclipse at sunrise.

Eclipse expedition

A most unusual attempt to rendezvous with the moon's shadow will be made by an Airbus A330-200 twin-engine long-range aircraft. Following a flight plan optimized specifically for the purpose of viewing this eclipse, all of the many unusual requirements of this flight have been evaluated and satisfied with arrangements by the air charter company Deutsche Polarflug (AirEvents) which has previously operated successful over-flights of the North Pole with this same aircraft.

Glenn Schneider, from the University of Arizona's Steward Observatory and a veteran of 26 total eclipses, has worked out the detailed formulation of the flight plan. He is targeting a point from the high polar north, at approximately +83-degrees latitude and about 440 nautical miles from the North Pole at an altitude of 37,000 feet above the Arctic Ocean.

This will be a unique event in the annals of solar eclipse-chasing since there are no records of any total solar eclipse observations as far north as this. While total solar eclipses in the polar regions are not rare, accessibility is very difficult. Until this juncture in time (and technology) very high-latitude (north or south) total solar eclipses have been elusive. The total solar eclipse of 23 November 2003 was the first in history to have been observed from the Antarctic.

Once again it needs repeating: to look at the sun without proper eye protection is dangerous. Even if you are in the path of the total eclipse you will need to protect your eyes during the partial phases.

Reuters Article: Iraqis say they like Obama, divided on his policies

2008-07-21T16:58:00.004+03:00

By Khaled al-Ansary and Mohammed Abbas

U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is popular among Iraqis.

In two dozen interviews across the country, many told Reuters a black man would understand their plight.

Obama arrived in Iraq on Monday on only his second trip to the country. He wants to bolster his foreign policy credentials and counter accusations from Republican presidential rival John McCain that he has not seen conditions in Iraq for himself.

"I support Obama. I think he is the best for Iraq and for the world ... if McCain wins I will be devastated," said Mustafa Salah, an office worker in the southern city of Basra.

Hisham Fadhil, a doctor in northern Kirkuk added: "He is much better than others because he is black and black people were tyrannized in America. I think he will feel our suffering."

Obama is the son of a white mother and a black Kenyan father. He refers to himself as black and often talks of his multi-cultural background.

Ordinary Iraqis are unlikely to get a glimpse of Obama, who will spend most of his time surrounded by heavy security.

While violence is at a four-year low and some efforts have been made toward national reconciliation, the threat of car bomb attacks and kidnapping has not disappeared.

Indeed, Iraqis are divided over Obama's plan to withdraw U.S. combat troops within 16 months if he wins office. Some say the policy is overdue while others are opposed because they feel Iraq's security forces are not ready.

"What Obama said about pulling out U.S. forces is just for political gains. It is unrealistic," said Munadhil al-Mayyahi, an independent politician in Basra.

Kamiran Mohammed, from Kirkuk, said he visited the United States recently as part of a polling watchdog to study elections. Obama would be good for Iraq, not McCain, he said.

"When I was in the United States I found Democrats are more peaceful and avoid wars," Mohammed said.

OBAMA OPPOSED INVASION

Obama made his opposition to the U.S.-led invasion five years ago a centerpiece of his election campaign.

McCain supported President George W. Bush's decision to go to war, and also his troop "surge" last year, which helped pull Iraq back from the brink of sectarian civil war.

"The face of America was spoilt by the Republicans and Bush. A McCain win means Bush stays," said Zainab Riyad, a teacher.

Questions about Obama's heritage -- he is a Protestant Christian but his Kenyan father was raised a Muslim -- and whether this background would lead to better U.S. policy in the Middle East drew a cynical response from most Iraqis.

Obama's campaign has sought to dispel rumors he is Muslim.

"Frankly, Muslims in our society have not done anything for us," said Mohammed Sadeq, who owns a mobile telephone store in Baghdad. Another Iraqi pointed to wars between fellow Muslims.

Others were dismissive of the U.S. presidential election in general, more concerned with the struggle of daily life in Iraq.

"For the moment I'm thinking about getting enough electricity. I do not believe either candidate will change the situation in Iraq," said Abdul-Mahdi Hadi, a Basra teacher.

(Reporting by reporters in Baghdad, Basra, Kirkuk and Kerbala, Writing by Mohammed Abbas: Editing by Dean Yates and Matthew Jones)

The Hollywood Dental Clinic!

2008-07-20T01:45:00.000+03:00

Last night, I was eating when i felt a "crack" in my mouth. I had broke a tooth.

It didn't hurt me at all, and it never did. I take good care of my teeth, but teeth sometimes have a mind of their own.

I called a friend, and another, and they gave me the details on how to go to the Dental Clinic in Sulaimaniya's Piramerd Street.

"You'd enter the center, pay the rate, then go to room #1. There, you'll find a doctor who looks like Jennifer Lopez, only whiter and a bit fat. She would check your tooth and decide what would happen next."

I went in the morning, and there wasn't any Jennifer Lopezes. There was a young dentist and he told me to come back in the afternoon because my tooth needed to be extracted.

I went in the afternoon, only to find the place very crowded, and there was a man sitting at the door of the Examination room organizing the entry process. He told some of the male patients that they must wait for the male dentist to finish a male patient before they would get to enter, for the male dentist was to see the male patients, and the female dentist was to see the female dentists! This sounded as if it wasn't the somewhat progressive Sulaimaniya, but something like Kabul under the Taliban!

Anyway... My name was finally called and i entered the Examination Room which had a completely different / meaningless name in English... Something that was like "The looking-into-your-mouth Dept."! Dr. "Jennifer Lopez" was in the next booth and she had a sort of resemblance to J.Lo's serious roles like the one in Angel Eyes movie plus the glasses. The male dentist was someone like Robin Williams in the movie Nine Months. He, just like the young dentist in the morning knew almost no Arabic, so i had to speak with him in English. His English had a funny accent of sorts, again just like Robin Williams in Nine Months!

He sent me to the Dental X-Ray unit, where i waited for some 20 more minutes before getting to the device, and more English followed with the X-Ray doctor.

Finally, I went back to "Jennifer Lopez" & "Robin Williams'" room, where "Robin Williams" said to me that there was almost no option other than to get rid of the tooth.

I would've, but the problem was that i couldn't let them take the tooth off that day because of a visit to some friends that i was making about two hours later, so i asked "Robin Williams" to try finding a solution for this tooth's problem; and he said that i should check room #22, and see if they could fill it.

I went to room #22 as he said, and there was no Taliban rule that a patient must be examined by a doctor of the same sex. There was a male doctor along with two female doctors. The doctor that examined me looked a little bit like Selma Hayek, although she was whiter and not so Latino unlike Selma.

Dr. "Selma Hayek " had the best English of the day. She said to me the very same thing that "Robin Williams" said earlier, that this tooth has to go. I told her of my time restriction and she said that i will have to go to Room #5 the next time to get the tooth pulled. I thanked "Selma Hayek", and left the building, hoping to come back in the next few days to finish what i couldn't finish today.

God knows which movie star i would run into in this Trip to Hollywood to get rid of my broken tooth!!!

One final note to my father:

Dad! B.D.S. is not Baghdad Dental School! B.D.S. is Bachelor in Dental Surgery!! Otherwise, all of those movie stars would've known Arabic!!!

Two Kurdish Drivers

2008-07-19T11:53:00.004+03:00

The group i deal with the most, day in day out, while being in Sulaimaniya is the taxi drivers.

I rarely use the cheaper buses mainly because i don't know their exact routes, or to avoid going into the busy bus stations; but i use taxis at least twice a day.

I don't tend to speak with taxi drivers, not in Sulaimaniya, not in Baghdad, and not anywhere i've been to. I believe that i should not distract the driver from his job, which is to drive, of course.

But i do really recall two conversations i had with two drivers who were very different from one another.

The first conversation was about a year ago with a young driver, who was looking in awe at the high buildings built (or being built) on both sides of Salim Street, when he said to me with a wide smile:
- "Kak-e gian! (My dear sir!) Sulaimaniya is Europe!!!"

There was one thing i learned from living in Iraq for a long time under Saddam: Never trust what taxi drivers say to you because you don't know their motives to say that, and whether they were Security apparatus agents (wakeel Eminn) or someone who is speaking honestly.

So didn't argue with the young driver. I would've said to him:
- "Excuse me! But does Europe have 8-10 hours electricity blackouts per day?! Does Europe have water shortages several times a week?! Does Europe have unsolvable traffic jams on streets full of potholes?! And finally, if Sulaimaniya is Europe, then what is Dubai?!?!"

But i chose to remain silent, for if words were made of silver then silence is made of gold (at least in that case).

However, the driver that i met today spoke in a way that was genuine, honest and true. We almost witnessed an accident by a reckless driver in a new car, on of many (cars and reckless drivers) filling Sulaimaniya streets.

The driver said:

- "You know, kak-e (Sir), this country astonishes me! You see drivers like this in a car like that and cannot stop yourself from thinking that someone must take that car from him and give him a donkey instead!"

Today, it was early in the morning so i was in a mood to turn his monologue into a dialogue.

- "But you know something? I met a driver last year, and he said to me that Sulaimaniya is Europe!"

- "Europe?! Take a look around you!!! What kind of 'Europe' is this?! This is the land of (administrative) corruption! And i mean all of Iraq!! This is not Iraq! This is Gandalistan!!! (The land of corruption)"

He went on:
- "You know what?! Despite the fact that there is corruption and money-pocketing everywhere in Iraq, but i believe that Nuri Al-Maliki is a real man! He is a man more than anyone here in the Kurdistan Regional Government!!! You know why?! Because whenever there is peace in any part which was volatile in the past, construction and services rush to that place, and people's lives go back to normal in no time; whereas we in Kurdistan have lived in stability for like 10 years now, or lets say five since Saddam's threat was gone, and the services remain the same if not worse!"

There was even more:
- "You know?! I don't care who comes and rules what! I don't care even if it was the Devil himself! But the most important thing is that he, as a ruler, would make his people live in dignity without poverty or need, and give people their God-given and Iraq-given rights!!!"

There, i was silent again; not because that i disagreed, but because of what he said, which was soo good that made adding anything else rather useless.

As i went out of his car after reaching my destination, i wondered if any Iraqi politician or Member of Parliament, living in their Air Conditioned environment, and riding their brand-new cars, would ever think of listening to "their" people, and the voice of a taxi driver who simply thinks that his city in Iraq is light years away from being close to Europe!

BBC ON THIS DAY: 14 July 1958

2008-07-14T13:42:00.000+03:00

Coup in Iraq sparks jitters in Middle East

A group of Iraqi army officers have staged a coup in Iraq and overthrown the monarchy.

Baghdad Radio announced the Army has liberated the Iraqi people from domination by a corrupt group put in power by "imperialism".

From now on Iraq would be a republic that would "maintain ties with other Arab countries". It said some 12,000 Iraqi troops based in neighbouring Jordan have been ordered to return.

Major-General Abdul Karim el Qasim is Iraq's new prime minister, defence minister and commander-in-chief.

Baghdad Radio also announced that Crown Prince Abdul Illah and Nuri es Said, prime minister of the Iraq-Jordan Federation, had been assassinated.

King Faisal reported killed

It said the body of the Crown Prince, the powerful uncle of 23-year-old King Faisal, was hanging outside the Defence Ministry for all to see.

Reports from the US Embassy in Baghdad say the British Embassy has been ransacked and set on fire. The ambassador, Sir Michael Wright, and his wife were held at the embassy until late this afternoon when they were released. They are now in a Baghdad hotel.

Unconfirmed reports suggest King Faisal himself has also been killed.

His cousin, King Hussein of Jordan, has declared himself head of the Arab Federation - the five-month alliance between Iraq and Jordan - in the "absence" of King Faisal.

In a broadcast to his subjects, King Hussein condemned the coup as the work of outsiders.

While Iraqis are celebrating on the streets of Baghdad, the news is a cause for concern for western powers worried about their oil interests and instability in the region.

Mixed reaction in Arab world

The insurrection was probably inspired by a similar uprising staged in Egypt by Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser six years ago. In February this year he formed a political union between Egypt and Syria known as the United Arab Republic (UAR).

Radio stations in the UAR are naturally delighted by news of the Iraq coup.

But leaders of Jordan and Lebanon fear it might inspire Arab nationalist rebellions in their own states and have appealed to Britain and the United States to send troops to their countries.

The US President Dwight D Eisenhower is said to be "extremely disturbed" by the Iraqi revolt and has called for an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council.

Officials in Washington fear the Iraqi coup will mean the end of the Baghdad Pact whose members include Turkey, Persia and Pakistan. It was intended to stem the influence of the Soviet Union in the region.

There are fears the Iraq coup will have a domino effect and that the pro-Western oil regimes of Kuwait, Bahrain and the Trucial States may fall to Arab nationalists.

AFP Article: 'World's oldest blogger' dies in Australia

2008-07-13T23:55:00.000+03:00

An Australian woman described as the world's oldest Internet blogger has died at the age of 108 after posting a final message about singing "a happy song" in her nursing home.

Olive Riley "passed away peacefully on July 12 and will be mourned by thousands of Internet friends and hundreds of descendants and other relatives," a note on her website said.

Riley had posted more than 70 entries on her blog from Woy Woy on the east coast since February last year, sharing her thoughts on modern life and her experiences living through the entire 20th century.

Born in the outback town of Broken Hill on October 20 1899, she lived through two world wars and raised three children while doing various jobs, including ranch cook and barmaid.

In her final post on June 26, she wrote: "I can't believe I've been here in this nursing home for more than a week.

"How the days have flown, even though I've been in bed most of the time. I still feel weak, and can't shake off that bad cough.

"Penny, who's in the next bed to mine, had a visit one day this week from her daughter, who's a professional singer. Guess what happened! She and I sang a happy song, as I do every day, and before long we were joined by several nurses, who sang along too. It was quite a concert!"

Riley's blog, initially on www.allaboutolive.com.au and more recently at http://worldsoldestblogger.blogspot.com, was "mind-blowing to her," her great grandson Darren Stone said.

"She had people communicating with her from as far away as Russia and America on a continual basis, not just once in a while," he told the national AAP news agency.

"She enjoyed the notoriety -- it kept her mind fresh."

Down Memory Lane: 1993: My Favorite Song/Movie

2008-07-12T20:32:00.002+03:00

This was my favorite song "Leylim Ley" by Ibrahim Tatlises, from the movie "Mavi Mavi" 15 years ago in 1993.

Voices of Iraq Article: Shiites and Sunnis hold joint prayer in Baghdad

2008-07-11T20:09:00.004+03:00

KARBALA, July 9 (VOI) - A Shiite Shrine official on Wednesday said a delegation of Karbala clerics and tribal chieftains held a prayer with Sunnis in Baghdad in a bid of sectarian unity after two years of revenge killings between the two denominations.

"The delegation met an invitation, sent by the Sunni endowments chief, to visit Baghdad," a Shiite spokesman from al-Hussein shrine's administration, who requested anonymity, told Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq - (VOI).

The spokesman noted "the two sides held a joint prayer led by Sunni endowments chief, Abdel Ghafour al-Samarrai."

"The two agreed to renounce killing and displacing operations carried out by groups claiming affiliation to Sunnis and/or Shiites," he added.

In February 2006, Iraq witnessed rising sectarian killings and displacing operations that stripped thousands of their houses and properties after Shiite shrines in Samarra were bombed.

The spokesman pointed out "Karbala's delegation included 85 figures comprised of clerics, tribal chieftains and provincial officials."

Earlier, 40 spokesmen from the predominantly Sunni district of Adhamiya visited Karbala for two days in April in response to an invitation sent by the Shiite province clerics.

Karbala, the capital city of Karbala province and the second holiest Shiite province after Najaf, lies 108 km south of Baghdad

Shatha Hassoun (Iddeysh Kan Fi Nas)

2008-07-07T23:51:00.000+03:00

Song originally by Feyrouz, sung here by Iraqi singer Shatha Hassoun.

"Yes, But Sometimes No!"

2008-06-30T23:36:00.003+03:00

The title line above is taken from an Arab movie, Morgan Ahmed Morgan, starring the famous Egyptian actor Adel Imam.

The reason i am using this title today is that it really expresses my idea about what takes place in Iraqi Kurdistan and other parts of Iraq every once in a while.

The reason behind today's topic is how a news item is used in different ways to serve different agendas that had nothing to do with the original news item. For example; two of my friends who are from the Iraqi Kurdish city of Sulaimaniya, took part in an International Legal competition some months ago, representing Iraq in this competition which was held in the USA.

They managed to get two good wins against an American and a New Zealander University, and they also won a special prize for representing the true Spirit of that Competition.

Again, we need to remember here that they were representing Iraq (as a whole), and they were both ladies from Sulaimaniya. They have gone through lots of difficulties to get the recently adopted starless Iraqi flag, and they managed to get it, and i highly commend them for that, yet it is not strange, because they know and believe that they represent Iraq, all of Iraq; or at least that's what i believe.

The team was supposed to consist of more participants from Basra as well, but due to logistic difficulties on both the Iraqi and US sides, it consisted only of those two young women.

Now, what happened is that the Arabic-speaking Iraqi media, which is always very busy with the violence that has been going on for the last years in Iraq, and also very busy with praising the sect or political group that media channel is connected to; what happened is that the Arabic-speaking media did not mention the Legal team's achievement whatsoever. So, the Kurdish-speaking media, and especially what is based in Sulaimaniya carried several reports about this, but in its own way.

The Kurdish media reports and articles that i read, agreed on one point: Not to mention that the two women have travelled those thousands of miles NOT to represent Kurdistan, BUT to represent Iraq from Zakho to Fao!

You see some reports, and they praise the "great Kurdish victory", while other reports used the occasion to criticize the Kurdish Regional Government for not taking better care of such talents.

Well, "yes", the two ladies are Kurds. They are proud of that, and we (even though we are not Kurds) also strongly encourage them to be proud of that, because there is no good in one who is not proud of his/her origin; but the "no" here is only to remind, point out, and emphasize that they represented all of Iraq, and all of its people, whether they were Kurds, Arabs, Turkomen, Sunnis, Shiites, Chrsitians, etc... Those newspapers and websites forgot, or perhaps never knew how they went to the US, and why; and that if there was no Iraq (as the newspapers and websites are implying) then there would have been no team, no win, and no prize to begin with!

I mean, come on... Imagine if those two women were Shiites... Wouldn't it be sort of silly to see the Shiite websites or channels cheer to them as "the two great representatives of Ahl-ul-Bayt's Shiites", who went to the end of the Earth and got the Muwalees this glory, which didn't come except under the shining light of the Ayatollahs!

Or, if they were Sunnis, then the Sunni websites and channels would have sung in praise of them as "the two blossoms of the blessed Sunna tree", and the grand-daughters of the Caliphs Omar and Othman who brought us the grand grandeur and won against the Americans and Kiwis with high foreheads!

Do you even find any flavour in that?!
Yes, the flavour of isolating one's self in a fully connected World. Anyone must never forget that they are part of a bigger picture, without which the smaller picture is not clear; and at the same time, the bigger picture is never complete without all parts of the mosaic.

But, if we come and say:
Here are those two Iraqi young women, who represented Iraq and honored its name amongst other countries, on the other side of the Planet; then think how nice it sounds, and how honoring it is, not only for them, but for everything they stand for, beginning from their being women and not ending at their being Kurds.

Seriously though; each of us must choose the right thing, not in a case like this, but in everything that is related to Iraq. Either we become big babies and deprive our partners in homeland the chance to rejoice our victories; or we become mature people who would take a step back and see the big picture in a full scale view.

It is needless to say that every Iraqi is dear to Iraq, whether this Iraqi was an old Kurdish man sitting under a tree in the Northernmost tip of Kurdistan, or a little girl playing under a datepalm tree south of Basra. They are Iraq's wealth, pride and honor.

So, "yes!". I am proud of any Iraqi achievement, for each Iraqi needs to be proud of what their countrymen and countrywomen achieve on any aspect; but "no!" when someone tries to show what a nation of many colors (a garden of many flowers) could be proud of as an ethnic or provincial achievement whereas it definitely isn't.

Think the Swiss way, and don't think the Yugoslav way!

Sevcan Orhan (Nazli Yar)

2008-06-27T20:41:00.000+03:00

Soccer Disappointment

2008-06-26T23:09:00.000+03:00

This week was a sad week on the world of Soccer. Iraq had lost a decisive match against Qatar (0-1); and Turkey (a favorite team of mine) lost 2-3 against Germany at the Euro2008 Semi-Finals.

Of course, there is no comparison between the way the Turks played (which was sort of miracoulus) and the way the Iraqis played.

It is a rule in Iraqi soccer that whenever our team needed getting out of the match with a draw, that we'd lose the match; and that is what happened on our match against Qatar on 22 Jun.

Going Up North

2008-06-21T11:59:00.001+03:00

So, i will finally be going to Sulaimaniya tomorrow to meet all my friends there.
I am happy to go there and meet them all.
I miss the city, its people and residents.

It's nice to be back there again to visit Sulaimaniya, and just in time for the soccer match between Iraq & Qatar!

Iraq 2-1 China

2008-06-14T23:57:00.000+03:00

We win again...

I Miss You All...

2008-06-10T23:21:00.001+03:00

Nali, the famous Kurdish poet (1798-1855), was exiled away from his homeland, Kurdistan, when he wrote a poem as a letter to his friend, another famous Kurdish poet, Salim (1800-1866), in which he expressed his longing to be back to Kurdistan.

Explaining the pain of exile, this burning fire of separation inside
Melts my heart, slowly dripping like tears

Tell me has the day for my return now come,
or must I remain in this place forever?
"

This is a tribute to all my dear friends in Sulaimaniya, Kurds and Arabs; with a prayer that i may be able to see you again soon, as long and as often as you and i would please...

Until then, Khwa Hafeez / Massalama...

Iraq 1-0 Australia

2008-06-08T11:55:00.000+03:00

We finally got a win!
Bravo Iraq!!!

BBC News Article: Flood threat to Iraq Shia shrines

2008-06-04T23:04:00.001+03:00

Officials in the Iraqi city of Karbala say the mausoleum of Shia Islam's most revered leader is threatened with structural damage from flooding.

Engineers say water from leaking pipes has already reached the mausoleums of Imam Hussein and Imam Abbas.

The shrines lie about two and a half metres below the surrounding streets.

Research in 2000 revealed damage to the drinking water and sewerage systems inflicted in 1991 when Karbala was bombed during a Shia uprising.

Iraqi government engineers initially tried injecting 1,000 tonnes of cement around the two shrines to protect them from the water, says BBC religious affairs reporter Frances Harrison.

However, cavities in the soil meant the cement flowed in the wrong direction.

In 2003 a project was proposed to replace the old water and sewerage system near the shrines and build a huge underground wall around the shrines.

Officials from the Shia endowment department, which runs the shrines, refused government funds to finance the project saying they would pay for it themselves.

Asked why the work has not gone ahead yet the Director of Finance for the Imam Hussein shrine said he was still waiting for a complete design for the project.

Christy Carlson Romano (Dive In)

2008-05-31T23:50:00.002+03:00

2 out of 30 Million!

2008-05-25T01:13:00.002+03:00

Tonight was a night that i wait every year. It was the night of the Eurovision Song Contest final, which was held in Belgrade this year.

This contest is never ever mentioned in the Arab media, for one specific reason, which is the participation of Israel in it every year. It is worth mentioning that Morocco participated in 1980 when the Eurovision was held in Holland, and only when Israel didn't participate. The 1980 Moroccan entry was the only Arab & African entry ever. It was sung by a singer who became one of the famous voices in the Arab World, Samira Said.

But anyways, one might wonder here how do i, a guy in Iraq, know about the Eurovision Song Contest?

Here is the answer:

A VHS video tape (do you remember them?) passed by me around the year 1989, and it was the Eurovision Song Contest of 1986 which was held in Norway. This was the first contact with the ESC. I didn't know much about it at that time, but thanks to the BBC Commentator Sir Terry Wogan on that contest, who gave valuable information about the previous contests, i managed to put together pieces of the Eurovision history. There was a long cut until the year 2003, when it was possible for the first time to own a satellite and watch the event live.

Well, this year, i watched the event along with my father, and i am absolutely sure that we were the only people watching this all across Iraq. I bet that nobody knew about it, except those who watch Spanish, Turkish, Russian, or other European channels that are not English speaking. And with the news addiction and/or localization (vs. globalization) that was and is sweeping Iraq, i really don't think that anyone have turned away from their nice NileSat, which has all the channels you'd need on a daily basis, and dug into any channel that carried the event. I assure you!

So, if the Iraqi jury (consisting of us 2) would have ever voted, then it would have strongly disagreed with the 43 countries that took part and voted, and made the Russian song that we didn't like much, win the Contest. My father picked Greece and Ukraine as second, while i picked Armenia and Spain as second.

Let's hope that a good song would make it as a winner in the Eurovision Song Contest in Moscow 2009!

IraqiAndProud Exclusive: Int'l Space Station over Baghdad, 21 May 2008

2008-05-23T16:18:00.001+03:00

Well Done!

2008-05-22T11:43:00.001+03:00

Watching today's regional politics could drive you to the verge of pulling your hair, but it could still be amuzing and perhaps even amazing...

The past two weeks were sad to be honest, because of the situation in Lebanon. Lebanon, is the most beautiful Arab country in so many ways. If you go and ask any Arab this question:
- "What is beautiful about Lebanon?"

The answers would come in accordance with the person's background. Some would say its poets, some would say its natural beauty, others would say its music, while others would say its apples if they didn't know anything else about Lebanon!

All in all, it is the most beautiful country in the Arab Middle East. There is no Arab who does not have a part of his or her heart with Lebanon for one or more of the above reasons; thus the sadness of what happened recently in Lebanon.

Of course, the escalation that went on for a long time (from both sides) until it reached the latest point which was about to be "the point of no return" (God forbid), had made it obvious that there were some regional interferences, despite the statements of neutrality coming from this country or that.

I don't want to discuss the past, or the present, except one point.

Someone who is neutral might have expected that countries like Saudi Arabia or Iran should have acted more maturally so to speak, and moved at their allies there to stop and escalation and do the very best in order to calm things down, but they didn't. Both countries in fact, have proven that they were totally immature, and that they wanted to do the same thing they did in Iraq, and not to do the same thing they did in Iraq at the same time! And the result was a mess.

With the situation being like this, there was a despirate need that someone should rise to the occasion and stop what was going on.

Qatar came.

Although i have many notes to make regarding Qatar, which has a strange policy (inviting Hamas leaders one day, then inviting Tzipi Livni the other day!; being home to Al-Jazeera, as well as two huge US bases right next door!!), but despite all that, I really respected Qatar for its role in Lebanon this time in difusing the bomb that might have blown up that beautiful country apart for the benefit of regional powers, and for the loss of all the Lebanese people.

Qatar had proven this time that it is a mature country despite its tiny size, while the big ones were childish.

At the end of the day, an agreement was reached, and we hope it works permanently.
And at the end of the day, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt and Syria came out with an ashful face. Qatar had a shining clean face. Something which makes me say: Well done, Qatar!

The Problem With Iraqis, Well some of them...

2008-05-18T12:17:00.007+03:00

When i was younger, about 13 years ago, i remember going to a tribal meeting that my paternal relatives had one evening at an orchard North of Baghdad, and in that meeting i remember seeing an old man who was a tribal leader of sorts, and he was talking back then about another family from outside the tribe that was perplexed whether to connect itself to this tribe or to that tribe. To be honest, i find some Iraqis in a somewhat similar situation.

But first, there is one thing to be made clear... This may not be what the average people think. Those who think this way are either ignorant, or politicians, or -even worse- ignorant politicians!

So here's how the story goes:

You take a look at some of the Shiites, of the above-mentioned three categories, and you find them drowned in the love of the Islamic Republic of Iran! I have tried researching this myself, and was really angry. There is a website which is close to the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (formerly SCIRI), and the site is Buratha News . I noticed one day that an official who was quoted on a daily basis on that website, made some comments on finding Iranian-made weapons caches in several places all over Iraq. I (the innocent one) thought that the site would quote the man like they do every time, but they didn't. I waited for a whole day, and they didn't! Other officials made similar comments, yet none of them were mentioned!! However, they never fall short from cursing anybody (especially Iraqis) who would disagree with them; however you cannot, should not, and must not criticize the Humongously Holy Islamic Republic of Iran!
Well, with all due respect, Iran is not God, and will never be anything but a theocratic dictatorship that does nothing but weep, hit its chest in vain, and enjoy the quarrels of and blast from the 7th Century AD past.

You take a look at some Sunnis, and their situations differ... Some that cry on the days of Saddam, to those who label everything in Iraq nowadays as wrong... They won't spare an effort to call the Shiites names; however you cannot, should not, and must not criticize the Dear Brotherly Syrian Arab Republic, the castle of Arabism, or the Humongously Holy Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Some go to the craziest extent in defending Saudi Arabia, perhaps more than the Saudis themselves. Here's what happened with me: One day, i was trying to buy Pepsi cans, and this was like last month, which was 4/2008 AD (which was also 4/1429 AH). I found Pepsi cans at a local small shop with an expiry date of (8/1428 AH) which was 8/2007!!! I said that to the shop owner, explaining that we are now in this month in AH and AD, etc... First he said, "No problem, Saudi products live longer than their Expiry Date!" then he said, "No i think you are wrong in calculating the date! We are not in 1429 AH now, but we are in 1428 AH!" It was really as if someone is insisting that this year is 2007, and you know of course without any doubt that it's 2008!
Again, although Saudi Arabia houses the Holiest places in the World, but Saudi Arabia is not God, and it is a Monarchy dictatorship where women should do nothing other then cook, do housework and give sex to their men. If you don't believe me, check out the mbc channel commercials! However, i bow in respect to some Saudi women doctors who fought for a lifetime to reach this respectable rank under the rule of big fluffy beards.

Now let's look at some of the Turkomens. They have a different approach. When the Arabs in Kirkuk demand something, they unite with the Arabs. They raised the Iraqi flag next to their light blue flag, which was commended alright. But their Turkomen Front doesn't believe in sharing the cake of Kirkuk with Arabs and Kurds. I thought the contrary until recently, when i heard a song on Turkmeneli TV , the front's TV channel, sung by Fathullah Ahmed (AKA Fathullah Altinses) which described Kirkuk as "It's heart is Turk, It speaks Turkish". It would be like saying that Southern Switzerland is Italian, not of Italian ancestry, which is totally different. Far worse, it would be like saying that New Mexico is part of Mexico. Does it make any sense?!
That said, one must not forget the cultural and ethnic links between the Iraqi Turkomens and Turkey, but to be honest, i think that their connections are stronger to Azerbaijan than to Turkey.
When Turkey wants Kirkuk's oil it calls the Turkomen "Iraq's Turks", but when it doesn't want to deal with their problems it calls them "Iraqi Turkomens". Clever!

As for some of the Kurds, the good thing is that they would love independence, which could be considered as the lesser of two evils if we compare it with what we just mentioned. To rule yourself is better than to stick yourself to somebody else, or to praise that somebody more than your own country. No. The Kurdish authorities concentrate on Kurdistan, or that is what they say, because all of my dear friends in Iraqi Kurdistan tell me that it is just about personal political ambitions the leaders have, and the chances to pocket-in more money if Kurdistan was independent from Iraq, especially if they get Kirkuk!

But after all this, the poor, honest, average Iraqi, is the one who paid, pay, and will pay the price of this big jargon, perhaps with his or her life. He or she would not get a dime from the Iranian, Syrian, Saudi, Turkish, or Kurdish money. The fat cats would!

Smile! You are in Iraq!

Sevcan Orhan (Sen De Gel)

2008-04-26T08:56:00.001+03:00

Visiting The New "Hotbed"

2008-04-25T09:01:00.001+03:00

The other day i went to Kazimiyah neighborhood, which is the holiest Shiite Muslims' site in Baghdad.

First, i asked some people there that i know about what do people say about M and his gang. They told me, and i trust their words, that all the people there dislike what have been done by M, which forced many people to close their shops and stay in their homes out of fear, and over there, most of the people earn their living on a daily basis, so one can easily imagine how would things be if they cannot work for a week.

The M groups filled some parts of Kazimiyah with graffiti and posters, and of course they would keep an eye in case someone dares and tries to tear the posters down, or paint over the graffitis. The posters were nothing but M's picture, a picture so damn close i could even count the acne spots! Yes guys, the "fearless leader" has acne, and lots of it... Yukhkhkh!

On those posters/pictures which were posted every other yard, there was this writing:

"Peace be upon you, O who brought pride to the faithful", and "Their arrogance is under your feet".

When i saw that i honestly couldn't stop a flashback of what was used to be written on Saddam's posters, like "Your name makes America shiver", and stuff like these that anyone who even tries to think would realize that they were written for one reader, who is no one but "the Leader"!

As for the graffitis, they were a different ball game, inn sahha al-taabeer, which means "So to speak", and that italicized phrase is something M says almost every other sentence. The graffitis said "Saddam and Maliki are two sides of the same coin", and "Long live al-Sadr, 'the Council' (= Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq) and 'the Dawa' (=Dawa Party) are infidels"!!

Now the last one is sort of funny, black comedy funny, if we keep in mind that all of the 3, M, Supreme Council, and the Dawa Party are all turbaned and black-robed Shiite clergymen who spent (and are spending) the largest lump of their time in Iran; so what happened?

What happened is that the Supreme Council, and the Dawa Party (of Prime Minister Maliki) decided to crackdown on the criminal gangs that destroyed Basra, the 2nd if not the 3rd largest city in Iraq, and its only seaport. So they were changed in the eyes of the M because they (as part of the Gov't) decided that the Basra ridicule cannot go on much longer. That said, and just so you know, i am certainly and definitely not a supporter of none of the above-mentioned parties, but i respect the Rule of Law, but i wouldn't vote for such religious parties in a million years' time, and same thing applies to atheist parties, too!

But anyway, it is about time the Gov't starts moving against the other aisle of terrorism in Iraq, the M, after hitting Al-Qaeda and its likes on the other side of the aisle; for those on both sides have killed many many innocent Iraqis just because they are Iraqis.

More later!

Pennsylvania in Iraqi!

2008-04-23T22:48:00.001+03:00

Just like any other channel, Al-Iraqiya TV broadcast some reports about the Pennsylvania Democrat primaries between H. Clinton & B. Obama.

I am not going to discuss who won and who lost and why, because it is still too early to determine who will be the big winner who'd go to the finals, but i am going to mention something that made me ROTFL (= Roll On The Floor Laughing)!

This lady (the best-looking on Al-Iraqiya TV), said "Pennsylvania" in a very unique way... Are you ready to know? Drumroll, please!

Pencil-banya !

Of course, you know the "Pencil", but the "Banya" or "Bamya" in case you didn't know, is okra!

So you see, we ARE getting used to American names, 5 years on, after all!

An Engineer's Guide to Cats

2008-04-19T10:46:00.000+03:00

Thick Sandstorm

2008-04-19T08:49:00.001+03:00

We are having a terrible sandstorm for 2 days now. The weather is warm, or relatively cool, but you just cannot see clearly across the living room, or see farther than 200 meters (yards) out side!

This is aside from all the coughing and breathing difficulties.

Jennifer Love Hewitt (Take My Heart Back)

2008-04-15T06:55:00.001+03:00

Evlerinin Önu Boyalı Direk (Öykü & Berk)

2008-04-10T16:42:00.000+03:00

M for Moran!

2008-04-04T17:14:00.000+03:00

M is for Moran...

Moran is the one who destabilizes the most stable provinces in Iraq to protect (his) criminal gangs of theives, killers and rapists!

No need for further comments, and no need for a space scientist to know who is M the Moran...

Just for the Giggles: Heathcliff

2008-03-31T20:04:00.000+03:00