Alive in Baghdad

Iraq Baghdad The gas and the fuel for cars has always been a problem for Iraqis inside Iraq, the irony that Iraq has one of the worlds largest reservoirs of oil is not lost on Iraqis.The problem started in the year 2003 after the invasion, when the majority of oil refineries stopped due to the lake of equipment and spare parts. Iraq was left having to import its cars, fuel, and oil products from Jordan. These shipments were frequently left often open to attacks from insurgents which slowed things down even further.Most Iraqis need fuel not only for their cars but also for their home generators that provide them with electricity. This dual consumption helped create the Fuel shortage all over Iraq. The Iraqi government was left standing by watching, only able to make false promises of fixing it.The price for fuel multiplied 500 times after the war began. The price of one gallon of benzene can range from $70 to $150, the financial burden of this is almost unimaginable for the average Iraqi. The cost of fuel, and the waiting periods between availability are not the only problem.Many attacks have hit gas stations in Iraq. The Iraqi National Guards organize the lines in the Gas Stations, the ING s arrive on a regular time to the Gas Stations in order to control the process of the Gas Distribution, and as we all know that the ING are targeted by many different militias, attacks were happing on some ING s were taking a shift on a Gas Station and the random gun firing accused deaths injuries and sometimes car were exploding, the biggest attack was happing ever was the one that targeted Abu Ja afar Al-Masnor Gas Station 17 Iraqis were killed 6 ING s were burned to death and 70 were injured, a bomb were exploding there that day and two snipers started to attack the ING s the ING s started to shot randomly and that accused the biggest number in deaths and injuries Some oil refineries returned to work again after the year 2006, but still did not solve the problem of Gas, one day you can see no one in the Gas line, next day you go and you find 200 cars waiting in the gas line in front of you , and this is the situation since 2003 the people started to store gas in there houses and that accused some accidents that happened and kills some people because of getting burned in their house.

Iraq, Samarra- the City of Samarra is in the governorate of Salah Al-Din, 135 kilometers north of Baghdad. The city of Samarra lies on the east side of Dejla River, the city occupies an important place in Islamic history, due to the shrines that have been in the city for centuries.The two important shrines in Samarra are the shrines of Imam Al-Hadi and Imam Al-Askary. Those two shrines are considered as two of the most important shrines for Sunni and Shi a Muslims, you can also see in the city the Malwiyyah which is one of most important historical figures in Iraq, the Malwiyyah is a part of the mosque that was bulled in the year 895 and it was built during the time of Imam Al-Ma amon, and the mosque is still standing today in Samarra.The two shrines in Samarra were destroyed by a bombing in the year 2006, this bombing exacerbated many of the problems between different militias, and lead to different battles between militias and between militias and the US military. The situation in the city of Samarra was at the worst in late 2006 and early 2007 the Mahdi army was trying to take control of the city, Al-Qaeda was trying to take control of the city as well, but without success. However, the destruction of the Imam Al-Askari Shrine helped Al-Qa eda succeed in their stated goal of civil war between Sunnis and Shi as, and has been considered the spark for sectarian battles everywhere in Iraq. A few weeks after the bombing, unidentified dead bodies started to show up in the streets of Baghdad and in other areas in Iraq. Some of those bodies were related to Sunni and some to Shi a people, some of those bodies were related even to former police officers. There were many rumors going around the blast that targeted the Shrine of Imam Askary, the most famous rumor was spread everywhere in the city of Samarra and elsewhere. This rumor said, There were Iraqi National Guards vehicles entering the Shrine of Imam Askary in hours before the blast. There is another rumor that says, Al-Qa eda bombed the shrine and kidnapped the workers and the security guards in there. These rumors and others lead to many doubts within Iraqi society, and encouraged many people to join different militias under the guise of defending their sect. The Iraqi government tried to move quickly to save the situation by releasing a statement declaring that Al-Qa eda was responsible for the destruction. Unfortunately this was not enough, many Sheikhs and Imams working in the mosques around Iraq were killed. Many students were kidnapped from their colleges, tortured, and found dead later. Until now, no one has definitively found the real reasons behind the blast of the Imam Al-Askary shrine, but what is well known, is that the blast moved the Iraqi security situation to the worst that it had been since 2003.Now many Iraqis are working on rebuilding the Shrine of Imam Al-Askary, in order to avoid any more sectarian conflicts. Also the Iraqi government is working on securing the road to Samarra and the places around the shrine to prevent any further attacks from happening, by installing checkpoints, security cameras, and deploying forces around the Shrine and other shrines all over Iraq.

Iraq, Baghdad - The international media broadcast news of the creation of a new tribal force in Iraq, the Al-Sahwa, or Awakening Forces, with much fanfare. It has been repeatedly said that they are the newest, if not last best, hope to repair the security situation in Iraq generally, and Sunni areas particularly. However, one thing the international media has not paid much attention to is the age of the Fighters in the new Al-Sahwa Forces.Many towns around Al-Anbar and Baghdad Provinces as well as others have witnessed the creation of Al-Sahwa Councils. The aim of this force is to protect the people living in these areas and to force Al-Qaeda out of their areas by working side by side with American forces, and according to tribal traditions everyone from any tribe taking part in the council should participate in this force. Some interpretations of Islamic tradition consider individuals as young as 15 to be an adult. Sources have told Alive in Baghdad that they have witnessed children between the age of 12 and 17 taking part in the Al-Sahwa forces, particularly in Adhamiya and Taji. These children are not believed to have any military training prior to joining Al-Sahwa, but are now paid up to 300 US dollars per month to carry a gun and take shifts at checkpoints or on various patrols, depending on the area.In other areas like Najaf and Karbala where you can see a great existence of Al-Mahdi Army , you can also observe a high number of young age fighters, those fighters were trained by the hands of the Mahdi Army on using the Russian Rifle (AK-47), the age of them is between 13 and 18 years old, the Mahdi army named this forces Aosood Al-Hussain witch it means the lions of Hussain, the aim of this brigade is to protect some neighborhoods and some religious areasBoth of Mahdi Army and the Sahwa force considers those kids are heroes protecting their country and helping their families finicality, some families of those kids are thinking the same way, unfortunately they don t look to the risk that is surrounding them from the car bomb attacks of being killed by other militias, any teenage joining the Mahdi army receive a salary that is between 150$ and 300$ depending on their position or what do they work and the same amount for the Sahwa forcesAlive in Baghdad brings you some interviews with those kids, and the questions Is dose 300$ worth to work in a risky place instead of getting educated and going to school

Damascus, Syria - The situation in Iraq forced many Iraqis to flee to nearby countries such as Syria and Jordan. Many of them fled between the years 2003 and late 2007. When a family flees to one of the nearby countries, often part of the family will remain in Iraq to provide money and financial support. Many families send the father or a brother back to Iraq to help them collect money and support their life in Damascus or Amman. The reason behind that is Iraqis are not allowed to work in those countries, the only visa the are permitted to apply for is the tourist visa, and if you will look at the visa stamp which says Not allowed to work. Unfortunately, some fathers and brothers returned to Iraq and they never came back, either killed or kidnapped or detained somewhere, families were forced to return to Iraq because they cannot afford living in Syria or Jordan any more, and some remained rather than returning to the potential dangers in Iraq. Some families were lucky and found a job under the table that helped them to remain in their new country and to afford living in the lowest life standards. Others were forced to take difficult or unappealing jobs that do not cover all their expenses. Iraqis without sponsors were forced to do work that no human would wish to do, such a working in drug trafficking or prostitution. Some of the sex workers are under the age of 16, those sex workers are afraid of being hunted down by their families in Iraq for the work they performed in Syria or Jordan, and at the same time they are afraid of being deported from their new country. Some sex workers committed suicide, and a number of them began to consider doing the same. In Damascus the average payment for sex workers is approximately 500 Syrian Pounds (10 US dollars) to 1000 Syrian Pounds (20 US dollars) per night. The customers are from all different nationalities, others get paid much less, even just 100 Syrian Pounds (2 US Dollars) to 250 Syrian Pounds (5 US Dollars) which is barely enough money for food. Alive in Baghdad has been informed that in several cases a sex worker has been killed after returning to Baghdad. Many militias such as the Islamic Army decided on killing some of them because they consider prostitution to be a great sin and the punishment is death.***If you appreciate the insightful content provided by Alive in Baghdad, which you won t find anywhere else, please consider becoming a paying subscriber, or making a donation to Alive in Baghdad. You can also purchase Alive in Baghdad T-shirts and DVDs to spread the word!

Iraq, Baghdad - Neighborhoods in Baghdad such as Hay Al-Jama'a and Ameriyah had some stability and security side after the Sahwa took control of those neighborhoods, others were not that lucky and still face problems with security. There have been many rumors circulating about the Sahwa Councils, in particular, many Iraqis have begun to believe that some of the Sahwa members were previously members of Al-Qa'eda. These rumors have begun to increase suspicions about the Sahwa and Iraqi civilians have begun wondering whether they are really trying to help make neighborhoods safer or are just working for money. The US military were has blown up some house in neighborhoods such as Hay Al-Jama'a, a house sitting next to Baghdad Highway was blown up by the Sahwa and US forces. One neighbor living next to the destroyed house, who requested to remain anonymous, told Alive in Baghdad that the owner of this house were traveling abroad to Amman, Jordan and the house was destroyed without his knowledge. There were also rumors that this particular house was being used by Al-Qa'eda, although neighbors have said they were unsubstantiated. Another blast took place in Baghdad Al-Jadeeda, when US military blew up a building that belonged to a merchant who was traveling in Syria when his building was demolished, this according to a neighbor who asked to be known only by his first name, Abbas. Neighborhoods like Adhamiya face similar doubts about the Sahwa Councils as well. Although Adhamiya residents overall seemed to be generally happy about the appearance of the Sahwa and the re-establishment of security, there have been some mistakes. In Adhamiya the Sahwa found some suspicious cars in a parking lot next to an important medical clinic in Adhamiya. This clinic served much of Adhamiya and provided treatment to many patients with chronic diseases. According to the caretaker of the parking lot, some members of the Sahwa came to take the cars, which are believed to have been left by members of Al-Qa'eda. He asked them to check the cars first to see whether they belonged to someone, and after searching the cars they found many of the cars wired with bombs or storing weapons. When the Sahwa and US troops demolished the cars, there was an accident with destroyed much of the clinic as well as two generators belonging to local residents. Alive in Baghdad spoke with the caretaker of the lot and the director of the clinic to get their perspective on the impact of the Sahwa in Adhamiya. *** If you appreciate the insightful content provided by Alive in Baghdad, which you won t find anywhere else, please consider becoming a paying subscriber, or making a donation to Alive in Baghdad. You can also purchase Alive in Baghdad T-shirts and DVDs to spread the word!

Iraq, Baghdad / Taji Another neighborhood in the north of Baghdad named Taji is suffering from weak security since the beginning of 2004. Taji was a very dangerous area and overrun by militias. Further, one of the largest joint US/Iraqi military bases in Iraq is in Taji. Because of this there have been many attacks on the convoys coming in and out, attacks on the trucks and drivers delivering supplies to the Taji base. Lots of raids and firefights were happening in Taji in order to control the security situation. Until late 2007, if you will ask a cab driver to take you to Taji they would refuse because it's too dangerous for them. If they were Shi'a they may reasonably be afraid of being kidnapped by one of the Sunni militias and found dead a few days later. The Iraqi Ministry of I established more than 100 police checkpoints in the area of Taji along with checkpoints from the Iraqi National Guard in order to control militias and unknown groups. Another well known problem in the area of Taji were the gangs. It is very common in Iraq that if you are driving a modern car and you are driving in a dangerous area such as that around Taji, there is a high possibility that you will return home on foot, if you were lucky and not killed. Tribes in Taji such as Al-Tammimi decided to fight Al-Qa'eda and all groups that were related to them. Sheikh Nadeem Hatem Sultan Al-Tammimi, the head of Al-Tammimi tribe in Taji, asked all the sons of the Al-Tammimi tribe to fight Al-Qaeda and to join Al-Sahwa Council in order to restore security in the area. One of the first things this tribe did was to establish checkpoints to search the cars coming in and out of the area around Taji. These new checkpoints were established because there were doubts about the checkpoints belonging to the Iraqi MOI. There were many rumors about the MOI checkpoints not interfering with the work of Al-Qa'eda or stopping cars that were laden with guns or explosives. Shops and some schools were closed due to the lack of security, students were killed as well as headmasters and teachers. Many families living there decided to stop sending their children to school in Taji in order to keep them alive. Families became especially worried after 50 students were killed on a road near Taji that lead to the area around the Taji military base. Even for students coming from colleges like Baghdad University or others used to be stopped at fake checkpoints and asked for their identity to know if they were Sunni or Shi'a. If they were found to be Shi'a they might be taken to an unknown area and killed the next day, something that happened many times frome 2006 to 2007. *** If you appreciate the insightful content provided by Alive in Baghdad, which you won t find anywhere else, please consider becoming a paying subscriber, or making a donation to Alive in Baghdad. You can also purchase Alive in Baghdad T-shirts and DVDs to spread the word!

BAGHDAD, IRAQ When members of the National Evangelical Baptist Church in Baghdad celebrated Christmas at the end of 2007, they were also closing their fourth year of existence in Iraq. While many news stories today focus on the dissolution of Iraq s 2000-year old Christian communities, today there are few articles examining the activities of evangelicals.A recent report again denominated the many dangers facing Iraq s Christians, death, kidnapping, extortion, and torture among them. However, the nearly complete absence of mention of Christians other than Iraq s traditional Chaldean, Assyrian, and Syriac sects is telling. Although it is clear to any observer that these communities are the largest and thus those most at risk, it is also clear that there continues to be underlying conflict between Iraq s traditional Christians and newcomers, evangelical or otherwise.One report gave a 100% breakdown of Iraq s Christians that included only the three main groups in its numbers: Of the remaining 800,000 Christians, 65 percent are Chaldeans, 25 percent Syriacs, and 10 percent Assyrians. Statements such as this, and the vast disparities in total population of Iraqi Christians quoted by the many reports and articles about the dangers they face further muddy a complicated situation. The estimates of Christians remaining in Iraq since the American invasion range from 800,000 to less than 300,000. Even more dramatic, numbers of Christians living in Iraq prior to 2003 range from 800,000 to 1.35 million or slightly more.Although there have been many articles in 2008 examining the ongoing struggles of Iraq s Christian minority, they focus almost entirely on the largest portions of the minority, Assyrians and Chaldeans, as well as examining almost exclusively their future in Iraq s north and the potential for a protected autonomous area for Iraq s historic Christians. It appears that Evangelicals and other newcomers have not been investigated in depth since early in the war, between 2003 and 2005. This hole in reporting on Iraq s Christians is made even more dramatic given the veracity, if infrequence, of reporting on the repression of Iraq s larger Christian communities.Alive in Baghdad s depiction of Iraqi Evangelical Baptists celebrating Christmas mass and discussing their hopes and difficulties does not aim to provide a wide depiction of Christian life in Baghdad or Iraq, but will hopefully provide further insight into one of Iraq s newest Christian minorities.

Damascus, Syria - The Mahdi Army, is an army that was created by the Sadr Movement in Iraq and the name "Mahdi" refers to the Imam Mahdi whom the Shia Islamic texts expect will return before Judgment Day. The Mahdi Army consists of more then two hundred thousand fighters all over Iraq. They are distributed around Baghdad, Najaf, Karbala, and Basra, as well as elsewhere in the country. The main purpose for the creation of the Mahdi Army is to support Imam Mahdi when he appears. The Sadr Movement established offices all over Iraq and in most of Baghdad's neighborhoods, the main purpose of these offices is to recruit young Iraqis to join the Mahdi Army, in order to increase the control of the Mahdi Army within the capital. Many Iraqis have been found dead after being tortured, they were found without identification. Many Iraqis have accused the Mahdi Army of killing these Iraqis. The reason for these accusations came after the blasts that destroyed the Imam Askariya Shrine. Many Shia militias related to the Mahdi Army threatened to avenge those explosions, and withing days of the attack, many Sunni Iraqis were kidnapped and found dead. Some eyewitnesses claimed that the kidnappers wore a black uniform that is similar to the uniform of the Mahdi Army. Muqtada Al-Sadr, the leader of the Sadr Movement and the Mahdi Army declared in early 2007 that the Mahdi army is clean from killing any Iraqi Sunni in Baghdad or elsewhere in Iraq, and there are groups taking the name of the Mahdi Army that have been recruited by a separate force from outside Iraq to keep the security situation unstable. However, many families in Baghdad living in areas such as Al-Khadar'a, Ameriya, and Karrada have received death threats from groups such as " Al-Hussein Brigades," or "Sraiya Al-Imam Ali " asking them either to leave theor house and move to another neighborhoods or face death, and both of these groups have been connected to the Mahdi Army. The Iraqi government in the year 2007 asked the Mahdi Army to drop there weapons and become a non-armed group. The Sadr Movement refused to give up their weapons and they asked the Iraqi Government forces to remove their weapons from Basra in early 2008.

Baghdad/Adhamiya, Iraq - It became common in Baghdad that if a Sunni family lived in a Shia neighborhood they may be forced to leave and vice versa. Many families were forced by militias to leave their homes if they lived in a neighborhood that was predominantly made up of the other sect. Some of them lost a family member by the hands of militias which pushed them to leave their neighborhood or fled to a nearby country such as Syria or Jordan. The Iraqi government has been working on assisting some of these displaced families to return to their houses either by providing them an amount of money, or utilizing the growing Iraqi military and police to provide security in the neighborhoods they used to live in. So far the efforts of the Iraqi government have yielded only small results. It remains to be seen whether the current security situation will remain stable. Due to ongoing worries about their security, thousands of families are still living far from their neighborhood and many continue to reside outside of Iraq. One of the many areas hit hard by internal displacement is Adhamiya. More than 1000 families have been displaced from this neighborhood under the threat of death. Most of them were Shia but some of them were Sunni. The Shia families there were given the choice to become Sunni or die. For some Sunni families the reasons were different. Perhaps one of their family members worked with the Iraqi government or the United States, in some cases simply working with any foreign NGO may cause displacement. Organizations such as the Muslim Scholar's Association and the Sahwa or "Awakening" councils are endeavoring to find their own solutions to the problem in Adhamiya. The Sahwa Councils are attempting to provide security and eliminate the control of other militias or insurgents within Adhamiya, in order to provide a safe place for displaced or threatened families and encourage them to return home. The current situation in Baghdad appears to be better than it has been between 2006 and 2007, but continues to be haunted by the worries of its residents. After years of violence and uncertainty, it seems that many people simply don t have much faith that their government or other groups, whether the United States, Sahwa Forces, or others will be able to keep the peace. *** If you appreciate the insightful content provided by Alive in Baghdad, which you won t find anywhere else, please consider becoming a paying subscriber, or making a donation to Alive in Baghdad. You can also purchase Alive in Baghdad T-shirts and DVDs to spread the word!

Lutufiyah, Iraq - Although there are competing theories about Iraq s current status, rarely does the public hear from the soldiers or officers themselves. This week Nabeel Kamal speaks with Brigadier General Ali Al-Furaiji, a spokesman for Iraq s 25th Brigade of the 6th Division of the Iraqi Army, formerly known as the 4th Brigade of the 6th Division.Al-Furaiji discusses his frustration with Arab media s portrayal of the Iraqi Army, despite what he considers to be many huge successes during 2008. The army has been accused of being involved in massacres and complicit in violence against civilians. Although it appears few if any detailed accounts have surfaced which clearly demonstrate the complicity of the army, rumors have a long life in Iraq.In the US media the portrayals of Iraqi soldiers are no more detailed and complex, but primarily that is because they are few and far between. Although there has been a resurgence of Iraq coverage in line with the resurgence in violence, it tends to focus on statistics and death tolls, with the personal stories of military life generally focused on the experiences of American soldiers. Admittedly, it is difficult to interview Iraqi soldiers about their personal experiences, and dangerous to travel with them on patrol. This week we have brought you an interview with the spokesman, which carries the weight of potential propaganda. We have endeavored, however, to provide a personal look at one high-ranking officer of the Iraqi military, and hope it will provide an insight which might otherwise be missed.Just as we have begun to bring you more accounts of the Sahwa forces than are easy to find elsewhere, we hope also to begin shedding light on the personal stories of Iraqi soldiers working to defend and rebuild their country. For another recent interview with Brigadier General Ali Al-Furaiji, you can read this recent article from Time Magazine.

[Editor s Note: We are happy to announce the marriage of Brian Conley, the founder of Alive in Baghdad, to Eowyn Rieke. As they are currently celebrating their recent union, we ask that readers and viewers please excuse any delays or website issues over the next two weeks.]Mujahideen Khalq Iran (MEK) is an organization that was established in 1965 by educated Iranians after the fall of the Shah government. In the year 1979 the Islamic Revolution Movement (IRM) became the ruling government of the country. IRM executed many leaders of MEK inside Iran, and the conflict between the Iranian government and MEK became worse. By the year 1980, many of MEK s members were executed and the remaining members of the organization were lead by Mas od and Merriam Rajaowi.In 1980 MEK moved outside of Iran to surrounding countries, such as Iraq, in an attempt to fight back against the Iranian government. In Iraq, they established a military base in Diyala (north of Baghdad) and seized some buildings as offices.After the fall of Baghdad, MEK was afraid of being removed from Iraq or labeled as a terrorist organization. They left all the buildings and the places used during Saddam Hussein s rule, and consolidated in Diyala. Families from all over Iraq moved into the vacated buildings to flee death and violence from the war.MEK has since been recognized as not being a terrorist organization, and wants to return to their buildings in order to reopen their offices again. However, the current Iraqi government did not approve the removal of families occupying the buildings, and there is no clear sign that the families will be moved out.Hyperlinks:MEK1979 1980Considered as a terrorist organizationSources:Muslim scholar association***If you appreciate the insightful content provided by Alive in Baghdad, which you won t find anywhere else, please consider making a recurring donation, or one-time donation to Alive in Baghdad. You can also purchase Alive in Baghdad T-shirts or DVDs to spread the word!

Damascus, Syria - Maybe one of the of most difficult situations that an Iraqi could be in is to be gay, the Iraqi society in general discriminate against the gay and transsexual people, normally they consider them as people who left their gender and changed for sexual want. Even though most gay people of Iraq have managed to live their lives, being born gay is almost the same as being born with an assurance of death. Most Iraqis don't accept that homosexuality is something you're born with, or which is assigned by your genes. Due to the Iraqi cultural and religious beliefs, homosexuality is forbidden and considered a mortal sin, and in many cases the penalty of death is assigned as the solution for it. Some of the Iraqi homosexuals used to live in the Karrada neighborhood, practicing there life normally but still in secret. Although before the war as well they could not show that they are gay, due to the risk of being attacked verbally by the neighbors or the people they live with. No Iraqi organization or NGO was taking care of gay Iraqis before or after the war. Many of them were killed by the hands of militias after the war, some militias were considering killing gay people as a great thing you can do to satisfy God. Because of this many homosexuals and transsexuals tried to leave Iraq, and some managed to flee to countries with less violence against gays, or to Europe. International organizations such as Amnesty International are working on helping the gay and lesbian Iraqi people, other Iraqis outside the country have created Iraqi organizations that are trying to help gay Iraqis like the Iraqi LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender), this organization used to have about 40 members in Iraq but after the attacks and raids on these groups in Najaf, Kerbala, and other areas by militias these organizations lost most of their contacts inside Iraq. The three Iraqis now living in Syria interviewed by Alive in Baghdad are just a few people affected by prejudice and hatred aimed at gay and transsexual Iraqis and those who dare offer them assistance. *** If you appreciate the insightful content provided by Alive in Baghdad, which you won t find anywhere else, please consider making a recurring donation, or one-time donation to Alive in Baghdad. You can also purchase Alive in Baghdad T-shirts or DVDs to spread the word!

Baghdad, Iraq - Some of the people among Iraqi society most affected by the war are the students; there are about five million students all over Iraq. These students are facing a great danger because they go out in the streets regularly, heading to their schools, colleges, or universities. The girls are facing the risk of being kidnapped or attacked if they don t wear a veil or scarf, the boys facing the risk of being kidnapped by the militias controlling the area around their school. Unfortunately many accidents happened between the years of 2004 and 2007, such as the blast that took place in the Mustansariya University and killed 22 student and left more than 40 wounded, or the blast that took place at Al-Nahrein University and killed 15 and left about 50 wounded.The other problems facing the students is transportation. For some students living in areas like Abu Ghraib or Ghazaliya, it s too difficult for them to get to Baghdad University or any other university in the middle of Baghdad, because sometimes the roads are blocked due to the constant problems happening in those neighborhoods, such as car bomb attacks or battles occurring between insurgents and the US military. When an attack happens, normally the US military or the Iraqi forces block the road or the neighborhood after a car bomb attack or a battle as a security and safety measure. In this situation, the students have to wait until the road is open again in order to continue on theri way to school. It became normal for a student to miss the first and the second class of the day due to the difficulties of the transportation and the road blocks.Some students fled Iraq after they received death threats or were kidnapped by one of the militias. Some of them were lucky and have been able to continue their studies in Jordan or Syria. The majority were not because most of them could not afford it or lost their high school or college certificates. Some projects such as the Iraqi Student Project are helping Iraqi students to get full scholarships in the US in order to continue their studies in the United States.The security condition now in Baghdad appears to be much better than before. The Sahwa forces have helped with restoring security in some neighborhoods in and around Baghdad, and that helped the students improve the chance to go on with their studies. However there are still a large number of students whom cannot reach their school, due to where they live in Baghdad or what school they are attending now. For example the schools in Sadr City are still controlled by the fear of being attacked or the risk of explosions and ongoing operations there. Overall, the situation appears to be improving, and as this school year ends many are hopeful that the autumn will bring a more stable and comfortable learning environment.***If you appreciate the insightful content provided by Alive in Baghdad, which you won t find anywhere else, please consider making a recurring donation, or one-time donation to Alive in Baghdad. You can also purchase Alive in Baghdad T-shirts or DVDs to spread the word!

Iraq, Baghdad/Abu Dsheer - This memorial day, as citizens of the United States, and perhaps elsewhere, are remembering the fallen soldiers of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as previous conflicts, Alive in Baghdad asks you to remember the civilian fallen as well. It's been estimated that 1.3 million women have been widowed in Iraq due to war, ranging from the Iran-Iraq war to the most recent conflict which is still going on today. Although its difficult to be certain if this number is accurate, or to know just how many have been widowed in the most recent conflict, Iraq's acting Minister of Womens' Affairs, Narmeen Othman, suggests that at least 70,000 women have been widowed due to the most recent war. However, these numbers are disputed widely, and while a government committee on women's affairs has claimed there are just 1.3 million widows in Iraq, others have reported drastically different numbers. One source in the Ministry of Women's Affairs told an NBC staffer in 2007 that there were 3 million widows in Iraq due to the various wars of the last two decades. Despite this already shocking number, the United Nations news service, IRIN, reported in 2006 that there are 8 million widows nation-wide, with upwards of 330,000 in Baghdad alone. To put that in perspective, if true, it would mean that as much as 6-7 percent of Baghdad's population may be made up of widows, suggesting that the number of children with only one parent left is likely to be double, or triple this, if not more. The primary cause for women to be widowed today is sectarian violence and terrorism. Areas such as Abu Dsheer, Hawr Rajab, and other tumultuous districts that have seen some of the worst internecine fighting understandably have some of the most prevalent populations of widows and orphans. Abu Dsheer has been considered one of the bloodiest conflict areas in Baghdad, due to the influence militias have held there. Abu Dsheer is located in the south of Baghdad near Al-Saha neighborhood. Since 2004, Abu Dsheer was controlled by Al-Qa'eda on one side and the Sadr Movement on the other side, Many people was assassinated due to their sect whether they were Sunni or Shi'a. The Iraqi government tried many times along with Coalition forces to restore security in Abu Dsheer with no success. In 2006 there were many bombings taking place in Abu Dsheer, in addition to the battles between the Iraqi or Coalition forces and the militias. The civilian casualties were very high in Abu Dsheer, and the families living there faced grave financial difficulties due to the bad security conditions which prevent them from going to work or looking for jobs within Abu Dsheer. There are NGOs trying to help the people living there, by providing them with medical and financial aid according to their abilities. NGOs such as Al-Tathamon Social Organization (Social Solidarity Organization) are trying to fix some of the problems in areas like Abu Dsheer. The Organization was created on the 10th of July 2007 in order to help families or individuals whom having medical or financial problems. They also help the families whom lost there provider, like the father of that family or the mother. The Social Solidarity Organization has offices located in several areas such as Kadhimiya, Sadr City, Al-Husseiniya and Al-Nahrawan, as well as Abu Dsheer. Due to the difficulty these organization have finding funding, many such as the Social Solidarity Organization and Al-Yateem Charity, which help the women interviewed by Alive in Baghdad, receive support from the Sadr Movement. Although they claim to have sought financial support from the Iraqi government, both the organization, and the widows interviewed by Alive in Baghdad say they have not received any support from the government. *** If you appreciate the insightful content provided by Alive in Baghdad, which you won t find anywhere else, please consider making a recurring donation, or one-time donation to Alive in Baghdad. You can also purchase Alive in Baghdad T-shirts or DVDs to spread the word!

Baghdad, Iraq - The number of Iraqi refugees in Syria and elsewhere surpassed 2 million refuges in the last few years according UNHCR statistics. They began to move to Syria and elsewhere after the security situation in Iraqi became exceedingly difficult to endure, beginning with the rising insurgency in 2004, and the number increased steadily until late in 2007. Although there have been claims by the Iraqi government that Iraqis are returning in large numbers, the latest report by UNHCR suggests that entirely the opposite is true. According to UNHCR s report, only 4 percent of those interviewed are planning to return to Iraq.Most Iraqis were unable to find jobs to support their lives in Syria, due to the difficult economic situation that Syria is experiencing. Many of them decided to leave between the years of 2005 and in particular 2006 while Iraq was still undergoing a very bad security situation. Now many are returning simply because they could not afford to continue living in Syria without work. Given the reports that the Iraqi government was offering one million Iraqi dinars to any refugee family that returns to Iraq, it begs the question whether some returned to Iraq for a short period to collect the money, visit family, and immediately returned to Syria. Other reports suggested that Iraq was not yet ready for a massive repatriation of its citizens, and the UNHCR appeared to agree.In the middle of 2007 the Sahwa forces started to control some of the areas in Baghdad and the western governorates, restoring at least the appearance of security in many tumultuous and predominantly Sunni areas of Iraq. These events encouraged a great number of Iraqis to return to their homes and attempt to regain some semblance of their normal lives. Although the Iraqi government has claimed that many returned home, the UNHCR recently declared that there are still more than 1 million refugees in Syria, and that the Iraqi government is not doing enough to support internally-displaced Iraqis, much less those abroad.***If you appreciate the insightful content provided by Alive in Baghdad, which you won t find anywhere else, please consider making a recurring donation, or one-time donation to Alive in Baghdad. You can also purchase Alive in Baghdad T-shirts or DVDs to spread the word!

Baghdad/Adhamiya, Iraq - After Al-Qa'eda controlled several places in Iraq such as Fallujah, Ramadi, and several neighborhoods in the west of Baghdad, there were many atrocities committed by Al-Qa'eda. This caused the people living in those areas to vehemently reject them. Some of the actions done by Al-Qa'eda were to ask the young men not to wear short trousers or colored T-shirts, or any other shirt with English writing. As for women in these regions, they demanded that they wear a headscarf, or a veil, and never go out of their houses without covering their head, and those who didn't obey the strict instructions were facing the threat of being beheaded, killed, or otherwise assassinated by the several militias that were controlled by Al-Qa'eda. The Sahwa Councils were first created in Anbar after some Iraqi tribes agreed to work together with the US forces against the actions of Al-Qa'eda, and in order to wipe out all the elements of Al-Qa'eda in their areas. The first Sahwa council was created under the leadership of Abu Risha. He claimed to organize the first Sahwa council in Anbar against Al-Qa'eda. After Abu Risha's example, other Iraqi tribes were inspired by his work and created Sahwa councils in their areas in order to eliminate Al-Qa'eda cells in their neighborhoods. Some of the areas where Sahwa councils were formed are Mosul, Kirkuk, Diyala, Tikrit, Hawr Rajab, and several neighborhoods in Baghdad, such as Ameriya, Adhamiya, Al-Khadra'a, and Ghazaliya. And what made those councils more dedicated to fighting Al-Qa'eda was the assassination of Abu Risha because they started to consider him a symbol of the fight Al-Qa'eda. The Sahwa Council in Adhamiya After assassinating a huge number of men in Adhamiya due to the things they wear or who they belong, few people agreed on creating a Sahwa council in Adhamiya in late 2007, the Sahwa council was lead by Reyad Al-Samarra'ie at the beginning, whom was assassinated by two suicide bombers in the north of Baghdad which killed 14 Sahwa members along with Reyad Al-Samarra'ie. After the murder of Al-Samarra'ie Abu Al-Abed was took the place of A-Samarra'ie as the leader of the Sahwa Council in Adhamiya, some families claimthat the situation calmed down in Adhamiya after the creation of the Sahwa council.

The number of Iraqi orphans increased in the last few years due to the war. According to official Iraqi government statistics released in December 2007, the number of Iraqi orphans had reached at least five million over the last three years. Many due to the Sunni-Shia conflict. There are several social organizations caring for a small number of these Iraqi orphans, such as Child Aid International. There are approximately 26 orphanages that Alive in Baghdad has been able to locate around Iraq. Eight orphanages are in Baghdad and another 18 are distributed all over Iraq and generally they accept kids between the age of 6 and 18 years old.One of the biggest scandals that happened in the history of the Iraq conflict is the one that happened in Al-Hanan orphanage. There were many pictures distributed online and by television of Iraqi orphans lying on the floor naked, with no food for weeks, sick and nearly dying. After this the Iraqi government began to show more attention for the orphans, there were many stories being reported regarding Al-Hanan Orphanage, like sexual abuses and bad treatment of the kids living there.Al-A'ssal House is one of the rare orphanages that still take care of the young children who have a dead father or who are orphans due to losing both parents. The house has a special method and it's opposed to the toy guns due to Iraq's situation and the reason behind it, which is the constant conflict that Iraq is undergoing. Another organization was also created by this house, and it's called the Sazan organization. This organization is taking in orphans for free, with no payment at all. Also this house employs Iraq widows in order to help the Iraqi women support themselves during the war. Despite all their hard work, this orphanage has not yet received any funding from the Iraqi government or sponsorship by a bigger humanitarian aid organization while other orphanages such as Al-Hanan orphanage received funds from the Iraqi government without oversight.***If you appreciate the insightful content provided by Alive in Baghdad, which you won t find anywhere else, please consider making a recurring donation, or one-time donation to Alive in Baghdad. You can also purchase Alive in Baghdad T-shirts to spread the word!

Baghdad/Abu Dsheer, Iraq - There are many Sunni Families living in Hawr Rajab, and a great number were attacked by people wearing black uniforms similar to the uniform that the Mehdi Army is known to wear, which is also considered similar to the uniform worn by members of Al-Qaeda in Iraq. The Sahwa forces are gathered in Hawr Rajab trying to protect those families from being attacked during the night or the early hours of the morning. Several attacks happened to families living in Hawr Rajab occurring like raids. When men in black uniforms attack a family they often kidnap the father or the brother or sometimes the whole family, and it is normal to find the family member dead after several days. These actions pushed some families to flee Hawr Rajab and move to a nearby area called Abu Dsheer which seems to be demonstrating ongoing solidarity within Iraq society, as the families who spoke with Alive in Baghdad are Sunni families that fled from Hawr Rajab to Abu Dsheer, which is known to be a majority Shi'a neighborhood. Since the Sahwa force was established in Hawr Rajab there have been a number of massacres, demonstrating the ongoing instability that discourages many displaced families from returning home. Hawr Rajab was controlled by Al-Qaeda and used to be known as a major area under Al-Qaeda's control. In the beginning they targeted anyone who worked with the United States military, and after awhile, Al-Qaeda started to establish rules to be followed by the people living therem like men are not allowed to wear shorts have a short beard, and for all women they must wear a veil on their head when they go out of their homes. The people lof Hawr Rajab liked the idea of the Sahwa Forces and many people joined that force in order to get Al-Qaeda out of their area. Al-Qaeda decided to retaliate against this behavior of people living there and to show them that Al-Qaeda is still strong and still controlling the area. Members Al-Qaeda began to assassinate heads of the tribes that joined Al-Sahwa, and the young people that joined, in order to push them away from the Sahwa. One of the methods of assassinations was to behead the kidnapped person and put the victim's head on their chest, and leave the body in front of their family's ho,e By early 2008 Al-Qaeda had burned and destroyed some houses for random people and killed people only for belonging to a certain tribe that agreed with the Sahwa method and that reason pushed people to flee to anywhere and made many go to a Shi'a neighborhood just to stay alive. *** If you appreciate the insightful content provided by Alive in Baghdad, which you won t find anywhere else, please consider becoming a paying subscriber, or making a donation to Alive in Baghdad. You can also purchase Alive in Baghdad T-shirts to spread the word!

Baghdad, Iraq - The Faili Kurds are one of the most oppressed groups of Kurds. Like other Kurds, they were abused during Saddam Hussein's regime. Statistics from the United Nations show that more than 450 thousand Faili Kurds were deported to Iran in the 1980s and nearly 10 thousand Faili Kurds between the ages of 13 and 30 years old are still missing until the current moment. A large number of this Kurdish minority fled out of Iraq to a number of other countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, and France. They were fleeing the bad circumstances they endured under several governments that ruled Iraq. Now, despite the fall of Saddam Hussein and the work of many citizens toward establishing a democratic Iraq, the Faili Kurds still face several difficulties. Among others, until now, they did not receive the same rights as other Iraqis. The Charitable Liberated Faili Kurds Organization works in Baghdad to attempt to redress these wrongs. They work in particular to support displaced Faili Kurds to enable them to return to their homes in Baghdad and elsewhere. They also advocate for the approval of full citizenship for Failis. Due to the inadequate social services available to Failis and other poor Iraqis, they also run a medical clinic on Palestine St. in Baghdad which is available to all needy Iraqis. For more information about Faili Kurds, please see this site ostensibly run by Faili Kurds, or you can read a range of research on Wikipedia. Global Security also has a breakdown of differences between Kurdish groups, or you can read a discussion of Kurdish identity and the place of Faili Kurds. Lastly another Faili Kurd describes the meaning of being Faili. *** If you appreciate the insightful content provided by Alive in Baghdad, which you won t find anywhere else, please consider becoming a paying subscriber, or making a donation to Alive in Baghdad. You can also purchase Alive in Baghdad T-shirts to spread the word!

The refinery in the Doura District of Baghdad was built in 1953. The refinery began operating in 1955. It is located in the south of Baghdad and specializes in refining oil into several products such as benzene, white oil, and cooking gas. The refinery receives oil from Kirkuk, Basra, Khana, and the south of Baghdad. The Doura oil refinery is regarded as the number one provider of oil products for Baghdad residents. The refinery also assists in water purification for Baghdad s many residents. The Doura refinery was attacked by a mortar bombardment on December 11th, 2007. The attack caused a huge fire and destroyed nearly 40% of the refinery.The Doura refinery is located in Doura neighborhood which has been considered one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Baghdad. The workers in the refinery are constantly facing the risk of being killed by the extremist militias, the risk they are facing is not only the fake checkpoints, but also the blasts that are taking place on the road to the refinery.Most of the drivers who deliver the unrefined oil to the refinery are facing a great likelihood of being killed, due the belief that the oil is going just to the US, and not being provided to the Iraqis. Because of the violence against these workers, Baghdad has been going though several severe oil crises, and until now the Iraqi government is trying to provide security for the refinery.***If you appreciate the insightful content provided by Alive in Baghdad, which you won t find anywhere else, please consider becoming a paying subscriber, or making a donation to Alive in Baghdad. You can also purchase Alive in Baghdad T-shirts to spread the word!

Baghdad/Sadr City, Iraq - Broken sewers continue to be an issue all over Iraq and Baghdad, and in many neighborhoods are in similar disrepair to those in Shama iya. However, in some parts of Sadr City and elsewhere, citizens are getting support from local municipal councils to repair and replace the sewer system with something more modern.The project in Sadr City to improve the quality of their sewer system involves completely removing the old system, and performing a complete renovation. There were not only problems with the system do to damage from the ongoing conflict in Iraq, but previously there were long-standing capacity issues, and the sewer system is not able to handle all of the homes depending on it.The ongoing sanitation problems are exacerbating risks of cholera, among other diseases. Although at least one outbreak appears to have been successfully contained, with sanitation becoming more of a luxury as the conflict has dragged on. The Iraqi government has declared 2008 to be the year of services, unfortunately, Iraqi citizens seem to have their doubts about the extent to which the government can adequately improve services. ThinkProgress has a poll which paints a dark picture of Iraqi opinions about services of all kinds.At least in sectors 73 and 74, in Sadr City, the sewer system appears to be on its way toward complete renovation. If the Iraqis who spoke with Alive in Baghdad are typical, there is a strong interest and willingness to take the steps necessary to rebuild and improve Iraq s flagging infrastructure.***If you appreciate the insightful content provided by Alive in Baghdad, which you won t find anywhere else, please consider becoming a paying subscriber, or making a donation to Alive in Baghdad. You can also purchase Alive in Baghdad T-shirts to spread the word!

Baghdad, Iraq - Women in Iraq are enduring great hardships. Since the fall of Saddam, despite attempts to improve women's rights, many feel their rights are slipping. Under Saddam women were considered to be equal under the law. With the collapse of the government after the invasion in 2003, militias have gained greater and greater ground. The militias have not only been involved in ongoing criminal activity, many have ties to Islamist groups, such as the Supreme Islamic Council of Iraq, or Al-Qa'eda in Iraq. These groups in particular have targeted women, preventing them from working, and enforcing strict dress codes. This week Hayder Kamal interviews an activist for women's rights who discusses her work improving women's knowledge of their rights. During 2004 and 2005 she worked to encourage women to vote and understand the constitution and the importance of voting and being involved in political life. She, like many members of civil society, reports being targeted repeatedly and nearly killed for her work. Today she is working secretly and her organization continues, but less publicly than before. This has become a necessity with the continuing presence of dire threats to women. The spread of democracy in Iraq has so far assisted the rise of Islamist groups, and has greatly hindered the progression of women's rights. For women to live with security, access to the same rights as men, and equal protection under the law, is going to take more than a new constitution, forced imposition of democracy, and a quota system in the parliament. As the ongoing insecurity and instability in Iraq enters its sixth year, the situation of women sees few signs of improving. *** If you appreciate the insightful content provided by Alive in Baghdad, which you won t find anywhere else, please consider becoming a paying subscriber, or making a donation to Alive in Baghdad. You can now purchase Alive in Baghdad T-shirts to spread the word!

Hawr Rajab, Iraq - If you ve ever wondered what its like to live in a village under the sway of insurgents, criminals, or Al-Qa eda, today you ll hear about it from the survivors themselves. The criminal and terrorist gangs controlling Hawr Rajab imposed tight curfews and justice based on their regressive interpretation of Islam. Civilians told horror stories of being afraid to leave their homes for fear of retribution. According to one member of the Sahwa, those who smoked regularly could have their fingers amputated or their tongue burned. Many other residents, Sunni and Shi a alike, fled the neighborhood to other nearby areas, such as Abu Dsheer and Mahmoudiya. Shekih Al-Ma eini told Nabeel Kamal that the residents of Abu Dsheer and other areas deserved great thanks for their willingness to support the residents of Hawr Rajab with shelter and food.Once the situation had calmed, Sheikh Malik, the district representative of Hawr Rajab worked with Sheikh Al-Ma eini and others to begin implementing a reconstruction plan for the area. Young men who formally fought against the United States or terrorized their neighbors are finding work clearing wreckage and paving main roads in the village.Many of the men working for the Sahwa Councils, or Concerned Local Citizens as the United States military often calls them, openly admit they once fought the United States and Coalition Forces. One of the most interesting things happening in Hawr Rajab is that animosity against the United States appears to have been subsumed by a desire to attain real reconciliation within their communities.Recently much of the media has focused either on the question of how long the honeymoon between Sunni fighters and the Coalition might last, or has provided a simplistic look at brave Iraqis fighting the terrorists. Nabeel Kamal provides another report taking a closer look at the hopes and struggles of the Iraqis themselves. To hear about how residents of Hawr Rajab and Iraqi Army soldiers worked together to secure the neighborhood, please check out last week s episode.

Hawr Rajab, Iraq - If you've ever wondered what its like to live in a village under the sway of insurgents, criminals, or Al-Qa'eda, today you'll hear about it from the survivors themselves. The criminal and terrorist gangs controlling Hawr Rajab imposed tight curfews and "justice" based on their regressive interpretation of Islam. Civilians told horror stories of being afraid to leave their homes for fear of retribution. According to one member of the Sahwa, those who smoked regularly could have their fingers amputated or their tongue burned. Many other residents, Sunni and Shi'a alike, fled the neighborhood to other nearby areas, such as Abu Dsheer and Mahmoudiya. Shekih Al-Ma'eini told Nabeel Kamal that the residents of Abu Dsheer and other areas deserved great thanks for their willingness to support the residents of Hawr Rajab with shelter and food. Once the situation had calmed, Sheikh Malik, the district representative of Hawr Rajab worked with Sheikh Al-Ma'eini and others to begin implementing a reconstruction plan for the area. Young men who formally fought against the United States or terrorized their neighbors are finding work clearing wreckage and paving main roads in the village. Many of the men working for the Sahwa Councils, or "Concerned Local Citizens" as the United States military often calls them, openly admit they once fought the United States and Coalition Forces. One of the most interesting things happening in Hawr Rajab is that animosity against the United States appears to have been subsumed by a desire to attain real reconciliation within their communities. Recently much of the media has focused either on the question of how long the "honeymoon" between Sunni fighters and the Coalition might last, or has provided a simplistic look at "brave Iraqis fighting the terrorists." Nabeel Kamal provides another report taking a closer look at the hopes and struggles of the Iraqis themselves. To hear about how residents of Hawr Rajab and Iraqi Army soldiers worked together to secure the neighborhood, please check out last week's episode. *** If you appreciate the insightful content provided by Alive in Baghdad, which you won t find anywhere else, please consider becoming a paying subscriber, or making a donation to Alive in Baghdad. We ll soon be offering t-shirts for sale to help spread the word, and you can already purchase DVDs from our site!

Hawr Rajab, Iraq - Hawr Rajab is one of the last villages before you reach Baghdad proper from the south of the city. It is a mixed area that was wracked by violence and sectarian conflict until late last year when a tenuous agreement was reached between the Sons of Iraq, an organization related to the Sahwa Councils or Concerned Local Citizens and the United States and Multi-National Forces.Sheikh Ma eini spoke with Nabeel Kamal about how his tribe and others in the region banded together, with some support from the Multi-National Forces, to defeat Al-Qa eda and other terrorists operating in the region. When Iraq s 4th Brigade sent troops to support the Iraqis working to stabilize Hawr Rajab the improvement of the security situation seems to have become inevitable. Each Iraqi who spoke with Alive in Baghdad told of widespread cooperation between Sunnis and Shiites in the region. The solidarity among locals seems to have been an essential element in bridging divisions between groups due to recent or perhaps longstanding disagreements.This week we took a look at how the citizen forces, whom some have referred to as militias, are collaborating with the official security forces of the Iraqi Government, whether police or army troops. It seems that calm will reign in Hawr Rajab so long as the cooperation between local and national forces remains.With the 5th year of the war coming to an end this week, its more important than ever to take a closer look at the United States strategy for fomenting reconciliation and stability around Iraq. First we speak with the citizens, members of the Sahwa or Sons of Iraq, and Iraqi troops in the area about their efforts. In the coming weeks we ll be examining how Al-Qa eda was defeated in the area, and what conditions inevitably lend to the changes on the ground that helped the collaboration of Iraqis on all sides and elimination of terrorism in the region become a reality.Lieutenant Al-Attabi of the 6th division, 4th Brigade thanked the locals for their cooperation and support in locating and eliminating terrorists operating in the region. Ma an Fadhel, one of the local citizens who is not a member of Al-Sahwa, spoke with Nabeel about how he and other citizens became fed up with the violence and terrorism gripping their region, leading to their collaboration with Iraqi Forces.Although the situation in Hawr Rajab seems to have calmed for the time being, and be trending for the better, it remains to be seen where the strategy will lead. If the Iraqi national government does not provide members of the Sahwa Councils with positions in the Iraqi Army or other security forces, the current calm may be just another footnote in a laundry list of ill-fated strategies for securing and rebuilding Iraq.***If you appreciate the insightful content provided by Alive in Baghdad, which you won t find anywhere else, please consider becoming a paying subscriber, or making a donation to Alive in Baghdad. We ll soon be offering t-shirts for sale to help spread the word, and you can already purchase DVDs from our site!

Baghdad, Iraq - It may go without saying that Iraq's passport offices are crowded and their employees overworked. With so many Iraqis leaving the country, passports are at a premium. In 2006 we reported on the difficulties Iraqis were having obtaining passports, and their desperation to flee the country. There are many issues affecting the availability of passports, from the machines and manpower to print them, to the corruption running rampant in the application process The difficulties with Iraq's passport process are not new. Since 2003 there have been recurring problems with criminal influence in Iraqi passports. According to __ the Nationality and Passports Directorate is hard at work solving the capacity problems widely reported in 2007. Although Iraq is attempting to curb counterfeiters by upgrading Iraq's old passports, the changeover to the "G" series passports further exacerbated capacity issues throughout 2007. *** If you appreciate the insightful content provided by Alive in Baghdad, which you won't find anywhere else, please consider becoming a paying subscriber, or making a donation to Alive in Baghdad. We'll soon be offering t-shirts for sale to help spread the word, and you can already purchase DVDs from our site!

Baghdad, Iraq - Shama iya - The Shama iya district is in far east Baghdad, although considered a part of the capital, the sprawling metropolis is perhaps more accurately seen as a series of boroughs than one contiguous city. Shama iya is a relatively new district, and, strangely in the crisis-ridden capital, has been relatively calm since the beginning of the invasion. Shama iya is the home of a large mental hospital, and perhaps the only noteworthy element of the district for many Baghdadis.To Shama iya residents, the most noteworthy element is the ever-present sewage water polluting the streets, filling some roads nearly completely. Although you might not know it on first glance, Shama iya is not simply a neighborhood of the poor and indigent, forgotten by the capital and municipal government. Shama iya is the home of doctors, engineers, and journalists, as well as more mundane peoples.Iraq is undergoing a cholera epidemic, exacerbated by the failing sewer system in the capital and excess of stagnant sewage polluting Baghdad and much of the rest of the country. While security may be improving, there seems to be little movement to improve access to basic necessities such as clean water and electricity.Despite being a calm district, which its residents claim has seen no major disasters, terrorist attacks, or other traumatic events, the Baghdad and 9th April Municipalities claim they cannot assist the residents in repairing the broken sewer system due to security concerns. The residents themselves told Alive in Baghdad the issues are due more to corruption and waste than any actual security issues at hand. While the government fails to rebuild even the calm districts, its left to question how more restive areas can ever hope to get back on their feet.***Alive in Baghdad is running low on funds. Although we are receiving increasing support from monthly subscribers, we need many more of you to help! We depend on you the viewer for our support. Please, if you value this type of in-depth visual coverage that you can find nowhere else, become a paying subscriber today. Make a donation, or purchase a DVD!

Baghdad, Iraq - Sadr City - In October 2007 the US Military claims it raided 3 locations in pursuit of a Shi'a masterminding a kidnapping gang. Iraqi civilians in the area claimed differently. The Coalition forces claim 49 criminals were killed and no civilians were injured in the raid. Iraqi Police and hospital officials reported only 15 deaths including three children. Another report from the Iraqi Ministry of Interior claimed there were 13 killed and 69 injured. In other reports, the shadowy "Task Force 88" or "Task Force Black" was cited as being involved in this raid. The report from Long War Journal suggested that they were involved due to the United States' claim that the raid targeted the so-called "Special Groups," off-shoots of the Mahdi Army who have defied Muqtada Sadr's ceasefire order and are being supplied by Iran. In Esquire, Thomas P.M. Barnett writes that Task Force 88 was sent into Somalia seeking Al-Qa'eda operatives, with orders to "Kill anyone still alive and leave no unidentified bodies behind." Iraqi civilians in Sadr City expressed anger, frustration, and confusion regarding the raid. Ali Al-Dabbagh, spokesman for the Iraqi Government, says that Prime Minister Maliki called General Petraeus to lodge a complaint, and attacked the United States for killing civilians and using excessive force. None of the civilians who spoke with Alive in Baghdad could explain the reason for the attacks, they claimed there were no fighters for the Mahdi Army in their area, and implored the international media to come and examine the neighborhood themselves. Alive in Baghdad correspondent Nabeel Kamal witnessed no evidence of militia activity in the area while producing this story. The US and Iraqi governments have agreed to investigate the incident further, but as this goes to publish, Alive in Baghdad could not determine any new details or information uncovered by the investigation. *** Alive in Baghdad is running low on funds. Although we are receiving increasing support from monthly subscribers, we need many more of you to help! We depend on you the viewer for our support. Please, if you value this type of in-depth visual coverage that you can find nowhere else, become a paying subscriber today. Make a donation, or purchase a DVD!

Baghdad, Iraq - Around Baghdad Iraqi civilians and United States and Iraqi security forces alike are trumpeting the apparent gains of the Surge or Law Imposition Plan respectively. Although Muqtada Sadr s Mahdi Army has put down its arms for the time being, and Sunni insurgents have re-directed their weapons against Islamist hard-liners and Al-Qa eda. While the air on the street is calm, Baghdad s youth will determine the future of the city and the country at large. This week Nabeel Kamal visited a football game for Baghdad s youth in Sadr City s sector 74. Sector 74, like much of Sadr City, is a poor area of Baghdad, with great needs from the city government in all issues. Not only are they hoping for improvement of sewage pipes and electricity, they also dream of football fields with grass and goal nets.Although many may see this as a somewhat frivolous goal, given the adversity facing Iraqis in their everyday lives, the coaches of Sector 74 and other areas would tell you differently. Indeed Iraqis even have a term for this kind of person, a Battran is someone who is dying and asking for ice cream instead of help as one Iraqi colleague has commented. Yet in the case of Sector 74, questions remain as to what happens after the basic city infrastructure has been rebuilt.If the only outlets provided for Iraq s youth are idleness, unemployment, or joining a militia, for many the choice will be clear, and not to the nation s benefit. Although even Iraq s football teams have been the target of violence, by and large it has been a uniting factor. Football is incredibly important to Iraqis across sectarian, ethnic, and regional lines. Today even the deaf in Iraq are getting a chance to enjoy the sport. As we reported previously, Iraq s victory in the Asian Cup in 2007 was met with raucous celebrations all over the country.The young men of Sector 74 will continue rooting for their national team s strive for greatness, and they ll dream not just of goal nets and green fields, but their own chance to make their mark and have their name cheered by Iraqis at home and in the diaspora alike.***Alive in Baghdad is running low on funds. Although we are receiving increasing support from monthly subscribers, we need many more of you to help! We depend on you the viewer for our support. Please, if you value this type of in-depth visual coverage that you can find nowhere else, become a paying subscriber today. Make a donation, or purchase a DVD!

Baghdad, Iraq - A few months back, Iraq's Ministry of Planning reported that Iraq's unemployment rate had dropped to the uninspiring rate of 20%. However, previous to this the rate was quoted at 60-70%, where it's been since 2004. Critics have suggested the rate was still approximately 60-70% as 2007 came to an end, yet still others suggest it is that high now. The website IraqUpdates.com reported in January that Iraq's Minister of Labor and Social Affairs hopes 2008 will be the year of reducing unemployment all around Iraq. Such hopes may ring empty to men like Mohammed and Ahmed, who are concerned not just with the difficulty of finding employment, but also the corruption rampant in the process. We reported in December about the difficulties for Iraqi refugees in Syria looking for work, yet it is perhaps nearly as difficult for Iraqis still at home to find work. Even those who can find work are still beset by the difficulties of security and stability. Those who must travel from their homes to look for work often feel they are taking their lives into their hands each day. Others such as Ahmed find it difficult to complete their work because of the lack of steady electricity or gasoline to fuel generators to make up for the lack of available power. Some Iraqis such as Ahmed, or these Iraqi teens we interviewed previously, have taken to working from home as much as possible, to limit their insecurity, particularly given the chance of traveling a long distance for work only to find their workplace lacks electricity or other resources necessary to operate. *** Alive in Baghdad is running low on funds. We depend on you the viewer for our support. Please, if you value this type of in-depth visual coverage that you can find nowhere else, become a paying subscriber today. Make a donation, or purchase a DVD!