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class="container"> <div class="shadow"> <div class="frame"> <p><strong>Food deprivation in Iraq</strong></p> <p>I recently learnt that there’s a famous saying attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte that armies travel on their stomachs. It should not be surprising that the other type of armies associated with warfare the armies of refugees refuse to travel to back to a place where there is no chronic food insecurity, chronic unemployment, housing shortages, and very shaky security.  </p> <p>A large part of the reason for this marked reluctance to return by refugees is highlighted in the report <strong>"Food deprivation in Iraq" </strong>published yesterday by the government as a condition for getting aid from the UN. Even the executive summary I have posted here paints a picture of a country a significant portion of whose population do not have a reliable source of food. If you take trouble to read the full government report <strong>"</strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/retrieveattachments?openagent&shortid=SNAA-8AC8E9&file=Full_Report.pdf" target="_blank" class="external"><strong>Food deprivation in Iraq" [PDF]</strong></a> the picture becomes even clearer.</p> <p>Today <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.reuters.com/" class="external" target="_blank">Reuters</a> published a report "<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE69I2GU20101019" class="external" target="_blank">Iraqi refugees regret going home, UNHCR survey finds</a>" I’ve posted it underneath the food deprivation report. The first three paragraphs are grim but unsurprising reading:</p> <blockquote><p>A majority of Iraqi refugees who have returned from exile to Baghdad regret their decision, saying they face insecurity, a lack of jobs and inadequate health care, the United Nations refugee agency said on Tuesday. </p> <p>Some 61 percent of those interviewed were sorry they had left Syria and Jordan, while one in three was unsure of staying in Iraq, according to its recently-completed survey of 2,353 Iraqis who returned to the capital between 2007 and 2008. </p> <p>"UNHCR staff were informed by returnees of numerous instances of explosions, harassment, military operations and kidnapping occurring in their areas of return," Melissa Fleming, spokeswoman of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told a news briefing. </p> </blockquote> <p>No jobs, no food, and no safety. No wonder they stay away or regret coming back bad as the situation is for refugees the situation here is worse.</p> <p>Um Thalit</p> </p></div> </p></div> </p></div> </p></div> <blockquote><h3>Food deprivation in Iraq EXECUTIVE SUMMARY </h3> <p>Seven out of every 100 Iraqi individuals are undernourished. This is equivalent to an estimated 2.1 million Iraqis. In light of the history of conflict in Iraq and the current state of instability, this prevalence is rather low especially when compared to the overall prevalence of food deprivation within the Near East and North Africa region (7 percent in Iraq compared to 8 percent in the region). </p> <p>The national prevalence, however, is not equally distributed at the sub national level as disparities exist between the Iraqi governorates. Although food insecure households exist in nearly all governorates of Iraq, they are found to be concentrated in Diyala, Babylon Basrah, Salah al Deen, Kerbala and Muthanna governorates where the prevalence of food deprivation ranges from 51 to 17 percent. The highest level of food deprivation is observed in Diyala governorate, where around one half of people were food deprived. The high prevalence of food deprivation in Diyala is attributed to disruptions in food distributions through the Public Distribution System caused by the incidence of violence and military campaigns during the data collection period. </p> <p>The Public Distribution System (PDS) was established in 1991 to guarantee a provision of a minimum consumption needs to the Iraqi population through distribution of rations comprising of wheat flour, rice, sugar, vegetable oil, pulses, adult milk, infant formula and tea as well as other non food items at a highly subsidized price. The average daily dietary energy consumption in Iraq is 2580 kilocalorie per person, over half of which is acquired through the PDS. </p> <p>At the level of household characteristics, food deprivation is concentrated within population groups characterized by low income, large households, whose head is over 50 years of age and is illiterate, involved in agricultural activities or unemployed. </p> <p>Expenditures on food represents slightly more than one third (35 percent) of total household expenditures, of which, 80 percent is dedicated to commercial food purchases and the remaining twenty percent represents the value of the nominal payment required to receive the PDS food rations, the value of food produced and consumed by households and food purchased and consumed away from the home. </p> <p>Despite having a share of 80 percent of all food expenditures, food purchased from the commercial markets provides only 44 percent of the kilocalorie consumption at the national level. Accordingly, the contribution of dietary energy from the PDS plays a critical role from the food security perspective while the contribution of purchased food plays an important role from the expenditure structure perspective and dietary energy acquired from food from own production is negligible. The high reliance of Iraqis within the lower income strata on food rations renders them vulnerable to any irregularities in the distribution system and market fluctuations. </p> <p>The market price of 1000 kilocalories in Iraq is valued at 610 Iraqi Dinars on average. Accordingly, daily per capita expenditure on food is valued at 1590 Iraqi Dinars. When accounting for actual expenditures, subsidized prices of food provided through the PDS renders the cost of 1000 kilocalories to be 520 Iraqi Dinars on average, bringing daily per capita out of pocket expenditure on food down to 1360 Iraqi Dinars. </p> <p>In general, the Iraqi diet is balanced from the perspective of macro nutrient consumption as the distribution of energy acquired from fat, carbohydrates and proteins is 26, 62 and 12 percent respectively. However, consumption of fat is nearer to the higher bounds and protein nearer the lower bounds of the FAO/WHO/UNU recommendations. Average daily cereal consumption of around 400 grams per person provides 53 percent of total dietary energy consumed, followed by oils and fats (12 percent) and sugar (11 percent). </p> <p>Animal protein (meat, dairy products, eggs and fish) contributes 10 percent to the total dietary energy consumption. Food consumption is not equally distributed amongst all Iraqi households, as households of higher income group consume on average twice the quantity of dietary energy than that consumed by households in the lowest income group. Inequality in total expenditures is higher than food consumption inequality as total expenditures in the lowest income group is seven times less than that of the highest income group. </p> </blockquote> <p>Source: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/SNAA-8AC8E9?OpenDocument" class="external" target="_blank">ReliefWeb » Document » Food deprivation in Iraq</a></p> <p>Download  <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/retrieveattachments?openagent&shortid=SNAA-8AC8E9&file=Full_Report.pdf" class="external" target="_blank">Full_Report</a> (pdf* format – 1.5 Mbytes)</p> <p> </p> <p>Iraqi refugees regret going home, UNHCR survey finds | Reuters</p> <blockquote><p>GENEVA (Reuters) – A majority of Iraqi refugees who have returned from exile to Baghdad regret their decision, saying they face insecurity, a lack of jobs and inadequate health care, the United Nations refugee agency said on Tuesday. </p> <p>Some 61 percent of those interviewed were sorry they had left Syria and Jordan, while one in three was unsure of staying in Iraq, according to its recently-completed survey of 2,353 Iraqis who returned to the capital between 2007 and 2008. </p> <p>"UNHCR staff were informed by returnees of numerous instances of explosions, harassment, military operations and kidnapping occurring in their areas of return," Melissa Fleming, spokeswoman of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told a news briefing. </p> <p>Although many returnees said they had left their host countries because they could no longer afford the cost of living there, some 87 percent said their income in Iraq was insufficient to cover their families’ needs. </p> <p>"One of the principal challenges we found for Iraqi returnees is finding regular employment, making them reliant on irregular jobs, which are often not available," Fleming said. </p> <p>Separate polls of a total of 3,500 Iraqi refugees living in Syria and Jordan, released on October 8, found most still reluctant to return home on a permanent basis, according to the UNHCR. </p> <p>Refugees cited political uncertainty and insecurity in Iraq, as well as poor educational opportunities and housing shortages. Syria and Jordan host some 180,000 registered Iraqi refugees. </p> <h3>FORCED DEPORTATIONS </h3> <p>While violence has plunged from the height of sectarian bloodshed in 2006-2007, explosions and attacks happen daily. Bombs destroyed the home of a senior Iraqi police commander on Tuesday, killing at least 11 people in the northern city of Tikrit, hometown of former dictator Saddam Hussein, police said. </p> <p>The UNHCR does not promote returns to Iraq, due to insecurity, and its guidelines to all governments strongly recommend that Iraqis should not be sent home to five central provinces, including Baghdad, seen as too dangerous. </p> <p>However, it helps refugees who voluntarily want to go home, providing them with transport costs and a small cash grant. </p> <p>Fewer than 3,000 have taken up the offer since 2007, though many have returned without its support, according to the agency. </p> <p>"Iraqi refugees are the best judges of when to go back. Basically they are voting with their feet," said UNHCR spokeswoman Sybella Wilkes. </p> <p>The UNHCR also said that it remained concerned by forced deportations of failed Iraqi asylum seekers from five countries in Europe (Britain, Denmark, Netherlands, Norway and Sweden). </p> <p>It knew of seven chartered flights, coordinated by the European Union border agency FRONTEX, believed to have flown several hundred Iraqis back to their homeland since June. </p> <p>"We would very much like to have a fuller picture of who is being returned and where," Wilkes said. "We hear from various countries that they plan to continue returns but we don’t know when."</p> </blockquote> <p><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE69I2GU20101019" class="external" target="_blank">Iraqi refugees regret going home, UNHCR survey finds</a> | By Stephanie Nebehay | Reuters</p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-10807"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/05/29/%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b9%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%82%d9%8a%d9%88%d9%86-%d9%86%d8%a7%d8%af%d9%85%d9%88%d9%86-%d9%84%d9%85%d8%b4%d8%a7%d8%b1%d9%83%d8%aa%d9%87%d9%85-%d8%a8%d9%81%d8%a7%d8%b9%d9%84%d9%8a%d8%a9-%d9%81/#respond" title="Comment on العراقيون نادمون لمشاركتهم بفاعلية في انتخابات اذار">No Comments</a></span> Posted on May 29th, 2010 by Harith</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/05/29/%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b9%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%82%d9%8a%d9%88%d9%86-%d9%86%d8%a7%d8%af%d9%85%d9%88%d9%86-%d9%84%d9%85%d8%b4%d8%a7%d8%b1%d9%83%d8%aa%d9%87%d9%85-%d8%a8%d9%81%d8%a7%d8%b9%d9%84%d9%8a%d8%a9-%d9%81/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to العراقيون نادمون لمشاركتهم بفاعلية في انتخابات اذار">العراقيون نادمون لمشاركتهم بفاعلية في انتخابات اذار</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/category/iraq/" title="View all posts in News" rel="category tag">News</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/al-sadr/" rel="tag">al sadr</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/assassinations/" rel="tag">Assassinations</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/baghdad/" rel="tag">Baghdad</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/bombing/" rel="tag">bombing</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/bombings/" rel="tag">Bombings</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/elections/" rel="tag">Elections</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/government-formation-failure-to/" rel="tag">Government formation - failure to</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/green-zone/" rel="tag">green zone</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/markets/" rel="tag">markets</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/mcclatchy/" rel="tag">McClatchy</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/parliamentary-elections/" rel="tag">parliamentary elections</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/parliamentary-oversight/" rel="tag">parliamentary oversight</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/pensions/" rel="tag">pensions</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/subsidies/" rel="tag">Subsidies</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/violence/" rel="tag">violence</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <div dir="rtl" align="right"> <p><strong>أزمة تشكيل الحكومة الجديدة "تشل" مؤسسات الدولة ومناحي الحياة</strong></p> <p><a title="20100529_mcclatchy_screenshot" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.flickr.com/photos/27086036@N02/4649585889/" class="external" target="_blank"><img style="border-right: gray 1px solid; border-top: gray 1px solid; display: inline; margin: 5px 15px 5px 0px; border-left: gray 1px solid; border-bottom: gray 1px solid" alt="20100529_mcclatchy_screenshot" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045im_/http://static.flickr.com/4003/4649585889_2504654bf3.jpg" align="left" border="0"/></a>ترسم صحيفة مكلاتشي صورة قاتمة لاوضاع العراقيين في بغداد، لاسيما المتقاعدون او اولئك الذين لديهم معاملات رسمية في دوائر ومؤسسات الدولة التي باتت مشلولة، بفعل تداعيات الفراغ الدستوري وازمة تشكيل الحكومة. وبالرغم من مرور ثلاثة شهور على الانتخابات البرلمانية غير الحاسمة، فانه لا يمكن للعراقيين الحصول على المعاشات التقاعدية أو التأشيرات أو حتى تصاريح البناء، فيما ينتظر العاطلون بفارغ الصبر اطلاق اكثر من 100 الف وظيفة جديدة، كان قد اقرها البرلمان المنصرف. ويشكو بعض العراقيين من ان تصويتهم في السابع من اذار الماضي كان "لا قيمة له". </p> <p>وتقدم مراسلة مكلاتشي هناء علام صورة قلمية لما يجري، من خلال نماذج عراقية.. بينها مواطن اسمه عذاب جبار يحاول اعادة ترميم مسجد كان قد بناه في احد احياء بغداد. وعندما حاول جبار استكمال ملف الأوراق التي من شأنها أن تعيد بناء المسجد الصغير اصطدم باجابة الموظف المختص : فقط بعد أن يتم تشكيل حكومة جديدة. </p> <p>وبالنسبة لمئات الآلاف من العراقيين ، مثل جبار ، فان التأخير في تشكيل الحكومة الجديدة، والتي استغرقت حتى الان ما يقرب من ثلاثة أشهر، أدى إلى تعقيد المهمات اليومية، وزاد من حالة الإحباط لدى المواطنين العراقيين التي يخيم عليها استمرار العنف وانعدام وجود الخدمات الاساسية. </p> <p>وبحسب الصحيفة فان أكثر من 100،الف وظيفة حكومية مازالت معلقة ، الى جانب مهمات يومية اخرى مثل الحصول على التراخيص والاحالة على التقاعد وغيرها من الامور ذات المساس بحياة المواطنين، بانتظار تشكيل الحكومة الجديدة.</p> <p>وفيما يواصل الفرقاء السياسيون الاختلاف والاصطراع على أيهم سيشكل الحكومة الجديدة، تزداد معاناة العراقيين، الذين يتساءلون عن جدوى مشاركتهم في الانتخابات، بينما بدأ العد التنازلي لاستحقاق الحادي والثلاثين من اب المقبل موعد الانسحاب الاميركي المجدول لتمهيد الطريق لانسحاب القوات الاميركية من دون عوائق بحلول نهاية العام المقبل. </p> <p>وألقت حالة الفراغ الدستوري وخلافات السياسيين بظلالها على الوضع الامني الهش، الذي تدهور كثيراً بعد الانتخابات، في جميع انحاء البلاد، وازدياد هجمات التفجيرات والاغتيالات، وعمليات السطو المسلح رفيعة المستوى، التي كان آخرها مقتل 14 من الصاغة في سوق البياع في رابعة النهار. </p> <p>ودفع الصراع على المناصب بين القوى السياسية وسائل الاعلام والصحف الى شن حملة انتقادات واسعة ضد السياسيين، من خلال برامج اذاعية وتلفازية ورسوم كاريكتيرية، يتم فيها تصوير النخب الحاكمة في العراق وسكان المنطقة الخضراء وهم يتنعمون بالكهرباء على مدار 24 ساعة ، ويحظون بحراس شخصيين ، من دون ان يظهرو ولو تعاطفاً قليلا عن معاناة الناس العاديين. يقول عذاب جبار "انهم ليسوا سياسيين.. انهم برابرة" ، هذا المسجد كنت أحلم ببنائه منذ طفولتي. </p> <p>افتتح جبار المسجد المتواضع بقبته الزرقاء في عام 2004، في حي الاعظمية ذي الغالبية السنية، وفي السنة التالية ، فجر مسلحون ناقلة غاز في البوابة الأمامية، ما أسفر عن مقتل أكثر من 50 شخصا. وفي صيف 2007 انفجرت قنبلة أخرى خارج المدخل. الآن ، يريد جبار الحصول على التراخيص المناسبة لاعادة بناء وترميم المسجد والحصول على دعم الحكومة لحمايته او منح حراس المسجد تصاريح حمل السلاح لحمايته. وتوقع جبار، كغيره من العراقيين، ان صعود السياسيين الشيعة وتسلمهم مقاليد الحكم يعني تقديم حماية أكبر للمؤسسات الدينية. </p> <p>ويقول جبار: في هذه الفترة الانتقالية المتوترة لا يزال المسجد عرضة للتدمير، و "ليس لدينا خيار آخر سوى أن يحمل رجالنا السلاح" بينما الساسة العراقيين يختصمون على المناصب الحكومية. </p> <p>واضاف "انهم لم يأتوا لخدمة المواطنين ، وحفظ حقوقهم ، نحن من تحدى كل شيء ، الإرهاب وقذائف الهاون والتفجيرات، للذهاب والتصويت لهؤلاء الناس، وأنا الان وصلت الى قناعة بان تصويتي كان لا قيمة له" .</p> <p>النائب تأخر الحكومة : لقد ‘شل’ الحياة اليومية </p> <p>يقول النائب بهاء الاعرجي ، القيادي في التيار الصدري ان التأخير في تشكيل حكومة تسبب بـ "شل كل سبل الحياة" . ويضيف ان (111) الف درجة وظيفية وافق عليها البرلمان المنتهية ولايته لا يزال يتعين ملؤها لأن البرلمان المقبل عليه ايضا أن يشرع قانون مجلس الخدمة المدنية ليمكن البت بهذه الوظائف.. وهذا أمر خاطئ في بلد تتراوح نسبة البطالة فيه 30 في المئة الى 40 في المئة.</p> <p>وبالنسبة للعراقيين فان جميع مناحي الحياة قد توقفت.. المعاملات العقارية والأسواق التجارية نتيجة القلق من تأخر تشكيل الحكومة الجديدة" ، وقال الاعرجي "حتى اجتماعيا ، تأثر العراقيون بسبب التأخير .. انهم لا يعرفون ما يحمله الغد لنا".</p> <p>وكان السفير الاميركي كريس هيل حث الساسة العراقيين على "ضرورة تقريب وجهات النظر فيما بينهم وبذل المزيد من المساعي والجهود للعمل على تجاوز الخلافات والمساعدة في بناء الديمقراطية في البلاد وتعزيز مسيرتها". </p> <p>ورأى التأخير في تشكيل الحكومة "أمرا ليس بالغريب في الأنظمة البرلمانية التي قد تحتاج للمزيد من الوقت للإتفاق على شكل وطبيعة المرحلة السياسية القادمة وكيفية إختيار الأنسب في قيادة البلاد والنهوض بها في مختلف المجالات"، حسب تعبيره.</p> <p>وتنقل مكلاتشي صورة اخرى من دائرة التقاعد العامة بجانب الكرخ في بغداد حيث تسود الفوضى، اذ يتجمع كبار السن من الموظفين لملء استمارات الحصول على المعاش التقاعدي، إلا أن يقال أنه لا يمكن أن تقبل طلباتهم. والسبب الذي يقدمه الموظفون هو عدم تشكيل حكومة جديدة. </p> <p>" لا يمكني العثور على مسؤول لتقديم شكوى.. ولا يوجد أحدا لتلقي الشكاوى حتى اعتقد لن تكون لدينا حكومة في اشهر" هكذا تذمر محمد موسى ، وهو عقيد متقاعد في الجيش. </p> <p>وقال فايز فالح عبد الجليل ، 30 عاما ، الذين تتمثل مهمتهم في مساعدة طالبي التقاعد لملء طلباتهم ، ان عدد المراجعين قد تقلص هذه الايام لان الناس خائفون جدا من احتمال تعرض حياتهم للخطر بسبب تردي الامن. </p> <p>واضاف فالح "نحن بلد يحتاج إلى إعادة بناء ، نحن بحاجة الى حكومة تعمل بجد من اجل مواطنيها، ولكن ما يحدث هو عكس ذلك" .</p> <p>على ضفاف نهر دجلة ، انخفض منسوب المياه بشكل كبير خلال العامين الماضيين، ويلقي الصياد طارق الهاتف اللوم في تأخير تشكيل الحكومة على السياسيين، ويقول "نحن مستمرون في تنظيف الشوارع من قبل أنفسنا مع أو من دون حكومة ، والكهرباء لا تزال غائبة مع أو من دون حكومة ، والمياه لا تزال غير متوفرة مع أو من دون حكومة ، وأخيرا ، الأمن سيء مع أو من دون حكومة"، ويتساءل الهاتف :"فلماذا يهتم الناس بوجود حكومة؟".</p> <p>ويحث رجال دين وناشطون مدنيون الفرقاء السياسيين الذين يمثلون رؤساء الكتل السياسية الفائزة في الانتخابات البرلمانية بتقديم بعض التنازلات فيما بينهم من اجل تشكيل الحكومة باسرع وقت.</p> <p>ويقولون ان تقديم التنازلات ياتي في باب رد الجميل لأبناء الشعب العراقي الذي تحدى الارهاب وتوجه الى صناديق الانتخابات وصوت لصالح من فازوا بهذه المقاعد البرلمانية، مشيرين الى ان التاخير في تشكيل الحكومة ياتي في باب تقديم المساعدة غير المباشرة الى الجماعات المسلحة والارهابية في تنفيذ مخططاتهم واستغلال الفراغ الدستوري الذي يمكن ان ينتج عن هذا التاخير.</p> <p><strong>المصدر : </strong>   <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://uragency.net/index.php?aa=news&id22=7806" class="external" target="_blank">وكالة اور الاخبارية</a></p> </p></div> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-10505"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/05/15/14th-may-2010-selected-english-language-coverage/#respond" title="Comment on 14th-May-2010 Selected English Language Coverage">No Comments</a></span> Posted on May 15th, 2010 by Suheila Jamil</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/05/15/14th-may-2010-selected-english-language-coverage/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to 14th-May-2010 Selected English Language Coverage">14th-May-2010 Selected English Language Coverage</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/category/english-articles/" title="View all posts in English Language Articles" rel="category tag">English Language Articles</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/agriculture/" rel="tag">Agriculture</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/al-jazeera-english/" rel="tag">al jazeera english</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/america/" rel="tag">America</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/azzaman/" 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rel="tag">Politics and Security</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/qubad-talabani/" rel="tag">qubad talabani</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/radio-netherlands/" rel="tag">radio netherlands</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/red-crescent/" rel="tag">Red Crescent</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/refugees/" rel="tag">Refugees</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/rice/" rel="tag">rice</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/society-and-economy/" rel="tag">Society And Economy</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/suicide-bombers/" rel="tag">suicide bombers</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/sulaimaniya/" rel="tag">Sulaimaniya</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/summaries/" rel="tag">Summaries</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/tal-afar/" rel="tag">Tal Afar</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/talabani/" rel="tag">Talabani</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/tigris-river/" rel="tag">Tigris River</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/turkomen/" rel="tag">Turkomen</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/un/" rel="tag">U.N.</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/vegetables/" rel="tag">vegetables</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/vocational-training/" rel="tag">vocational training</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/vulnerable-families/" rel="tag">vulnerable families</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/wheat/" rel="tag">wheat</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/wheat-harvest/" rel="tag">wheat harvest</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/xinhua/" rel="tag">Xinhua</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <p>There was a lot of coverage of the bombing of the soccer match in Tal Afar´but as far as I can tell only al Jazeera mentioned that this is part of the ongoing ethnic cleanisng campaign against Shia Kurds called <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/fayli/">Fayli</a>. The Hilla Husseiniyah bombing also got a lot of coverage. I have sleected an article about the  Danish Refugee council funding an expansion of help for refugees in rural areas of Syria. (Maryam wrote about the Syrian Red Crescent’s MHUs here -  <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/04/21/red-crescent-mobile-health-clinics-reach-out-to-refugees-and-rural-poor/">Red Crescent Mobile Health Clinics Reach Out To Refugees and Rural Poor</a>). The wheat Harvest should be good this year according to the FAO and I have also picked out two feature articles one is commentary "Mosque and State" from Nikolas K. Gvosdev who lectures at  the U.S. Naval War College, the other is the <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.nytimes.com/" class="external" target="_blank">New york times</a> profile of Hadi al-Mahdi whose talk radio show is very popular because he is so outspoken. </p> <p>Suheila.</p> <h3 style="color: #800000">Human Rights & Humanitarian:</h3> <p><strong>ReliefWeb » Document » Denmark helps Syria cope with the long-lasting Iraqi displacement </strong><strong>: </strong></p> <blockquote><p>The Danish Refugee Council has established a community centre in Dara’a, where a significant number of Iraqi refugees have found temporary settlement. The centre will be opened on a ceremony May 13 attended by the governor of Dara’a and the Danish ambassador.</p> <p>The ceremony will mark the second step in a plan to expand the response of the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) to Iraqi refugees residing outside Damascus and support the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) in the assistance it provides to refugees and Syrian vulnerable families in areas far from the capital city where the international aid remains concentrated.</p> <p>DRC has been providing educational, vocational training and community services support to Iraqi refugees in Damascus since early 2008. Those services have, since late 2009, been expanded to the countryside cities of Homs and Dara’a.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/MYAI-85F3PP?OpenDocument" class="external" target="_blank">read in full</a></strong><strong>: </strong></p> </blockquote> <h3 style="color: #800000">Politics and Security</h3> <p> <strong>Baghdad recount completed, ‘no fraud’ | Radio Netherlands Worldwide</strong><strong>: </strong><br/> <blockquote> <p>A manual recount of votes in Baghdad has been completed and no instances of fraud were found there from the March election, electoral commission spokesman Qassim al-Abboudi said on Friday.</p> <p>"We finished the recount of 11,298 ballot boxes and no violations or fraud have been found," he told a news conference in the capital, adding that the results would be released on Monday.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.rnw.nl/english/bulletin/baghdad-recount-completed-no-fraud" class="external" target="_blank">source</a></strong><strong>: </strong></p> <p><em>See also:</em> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://english.aljazeera.net//news/middleeast/2010/05/2010514154641560714.html" class="external" target="_blank"><strong>Al Jazeera English – Middle East – Iraq vote recount reveals no fraud</strong></a><strong>:</strong> </p> </blockquote> <p><strong>Kurds urge U.S. intervention to end Iraq stalemate – latimes.com</strong><strong>: </strong></p> <blockquote><p>Qubad Talabani, the Kurdish region’s representative in Washington, says the U.S. must ‘look out for its interests’ to ensure Iraq has a stable, democratic government.</p> <p>The spokesman for Iraq’s Kurdish region criticized the Obama administration Thursday in Washington for not doing enough to end the current political impasse and urged American officials to embark on "intense shuttle diplomacy" between the deadlocked political parties.</p> <p>Qubad Talabani, who represents the Kurdish regional government in northern Iraq, said U.S. officials in Iraq have had limited involvement in efforts by political parties to form a government in the two months since the inconclusive national elections in March. <br/>Talabani said the Obama administration appeared determined to avoid the perception that it is "trying to concoct a democratic Iraq." But, he said, the U.S. must "look out for its interests" to ensure the country has a stable, democratic government.</p> <p>"It would be a shame to see an undemocratic government, after all the sacrifices," Talabani said in an interview after an appearance at the Nixon Center think tank in Washington.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/washingtondc/la-fg-us-iraq-20100514,0,7083755,print.story" class="external" target="_blank">read in full</a></strong><strong>: </strong></p> </blockquote> <p> <strong>Iraq’s new al-Qaida leader vows to continue deadly attacks</strong><strong>: Xinhua</strong><br/> <blockquote> <p>BAGHDAD, May 14 (Xinhua) — Iraqi al-Qaida group has nominated its new leader called "minister of war" and vowed to continue deadly attacks with "dark days in blood color," said a statement posted on a militant website on Friday.</p> <p>The so-called "minister of war" of the Islamic State of Iraq was identified as al-Nasser Lideen Allah Abu Suleiman and he will replace Abu Ayyub al-Musri, who was killed in a military operation by Iraqi and U.S. forces last month.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-05/14/c_13295134.htm" class="external" target="_blank">read in full</a></strong><strong>: Xinhua</strong></p> </blockquote> <p><strong>Al Jazeera English – Middle East – Blast hits Iraq football match: </strong></p> <blockquote><p>Suicide bombers have struck a football match in northern Iraq, leaving at least 25 people dead and many more wounded.</p> <p>The blast targeted a game taking place on Friday in the town of Tal Afar, around 60km west of the city of Mosul. </p> <p>A local police official said a car bomb exploded at about 6pm local time (1500GMT) near a crowd of spectators.</p> <p>As people fled the scene of the first blast, two more bombers activated explosive belts in the crowd, the sources said.</p> <p>Local hospital officials put the number of injured at 125.</p> <p>"Many people were gathered to watch the match," Hussein Nashad, who witnessed the attack, told the AFP news agency. </p> <p>"We heard a loud explosion and the people behind me shielded me from the shrapnel. <br/>"I ran away, but then I heard someone shout ‘Allahu-akbar’ [God is greatest], and then there was another explosion," Nashad added, speaking from hospital where he was being treated for shock.</p> <h4>‘Dark days’</h4> <p>Many of the wounded were taken by ambulance to Dahuk, 95km away, because local hospitals were unable to cope with the influx of wounded spectators.</p> <p>Tal Afar is a predominantly Shia Turkomen town and has been a regular target for suicide bombers in the past.</p> <p>The attacks follow blasts in the city last October and July that left dozens of people dead. In March 2007, 152 people were killed when truck bombs targeted markets in the town.</p> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/05/2010514161932327374.html" class="external" target="_blank"><strong>read in full</strong></a><strong>: </strong></p> </blockquote> <p><strong>Blast targeting Shiite mosque leaves 18 injured in Iraq – Monsters and Critics</strong><strong>: </strong></p> <blockquote><p>Hilla, Iraq – At least 18 people were injured by an explosive device that went off after Friday prayers in Hilla, a police source said.</p> <p>The bomb was planted beside the Shiite Imam al-Kadhim mosque in the city, 100 kilometres south of the south of Baghdad. </p> <p><strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/middleeast/news/article_1555771.php/Blast-targeting-Shiite-mosque-leaves-18-injured-in-Iraq" class="external" target="_blank">source</a></strong><strong>: </strong></p> </blockquote> <p><strong>Iran Frees Iraqi Soldier in Border Incident – ABC News</strong><strong>: </strong></p> <blockquote><p>Iran released an Iraqi border patrol officer Friday after he was detained briefly when Iraqi border guards were mistaken for Kurdish rebels on a northern stretch of the two countries’ border, an official said.</p> <p>The guard was released unharmed Friday evening, said Brigadier General Ahmed Gharib, head of Iraq’s border guards in Iraq’s northern Kurdish province of Sulaimaniya.</p> <p>"It was a misunderstanding. It’s not the first time it has happened," Gharib said. <br/>Officials said Iranian troops fired into the air after mistaking the Iraqis for rebels Thursday.</p> <p>There was no exchange of fire between the two sides in the incident, contrary to some reports, said Major General Jabbar Yawar, spokesman for Iraq’s Kurdish peshmerga security forces.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=10650140" class="external" target="_blank">read in full</a></strong><strong>: </strong></p> </blockquote> <p><strong></strong></p> <p><strong></strong></p> <h3 style="color: #800000">Society and Economy:</h3> <p> <strong>Iraq expects bumper wheat harvest this year</strong><strong>: </strong><strong>Azzaman in English</strong><strong>: </strong><br/> <blockquote> <p>Good weather conditions will help Iraq reap up to 2 million tons of wheat this year, according to U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).</p> <p>Last year grain production declined drastically in the country due to severe drought. The drop in yields turned Iraq into one of the world’s largest wheat importers.</p> <p>Last year’s wheat produce was in the range of 1 million tons while Iraq’s needs are estimated at more than 4 million tons.</p> <p>Iraq’s wheat imports just from the U.S. cost the treasury up to $1.4 billion last year. <br/>Iraq’s reliance on food imports has increased and widened. The country currently imports vegetables and fruits as well as grains, meat, chicken, legumes, sugar and tea.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.azzaman.com/english/index.asp?fname=news%5C2010-05-14%5Ckurd.htm" class="external" target="_blank">source</a></strong><strong>: </strong></p> </blockquote> <h3 style="color: #800000">Commentary and Analysis</h3> <p> <strong>Mosque & State</strong><strong>: by Nikolas K. Gvosdev  The National Interest: </strong><br/> <blockquote> <div style="border-right: lightgrey 1px solid; padding-right: 5px; border-top: lightgrey 1px solid; padding-left: 5px; float: right; padding-bottom: 5px; margin: 5px 0px 5px 15px; border-left: lightgrey 1px solid; width: 250px; padding-top: 5px; border-bottom: lightgrey 1px solid"> <p>Nikolas K. Gvosdev, a senior editor at The National Interest, is a professor of national-security studies at the U.S. Naval War College. The views expressed are entirely his own</p> </p></div> <p>The accord signed in recent weeks between the two leading Iraqi Shiite political blocs—the Iraqi National Alliance and the State of Law party—has not only cleared the way for a new government to be formed in Iraq, but also, for the first time, has explicitly guaranteed a role for the senior Shiite clergy. Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani has been named as the final, binding arbiter for any disputes among the members of the governing coalition. “The marjaiya [the assembly of the most senior ayatollahs] has the final say in solving all the disputes between the two sides and its directives and guidance are binding,” the agreement states.</p> <p>Seven years after the fall of Saddam Hussein, the Shiite clergy, who already exercised a great deal of behind-the-scenes influence over the political process, have now been given a more public role. True, this is not a constitutional mandate; the clerics have no formal power to interfere with government policy. And if the current Shiite coalition should dissolve (or lose power in subsequent elections), the agreement would not be binding on future governments. Nevertheless, this development is quite at odds with the vision of a secular Iraq that many Americans believed would be created in the wake of Hussein’s ouster.</p> <p>However, Iraq is not on the verge of being transformed into an Arab version of Iran’s Islamic Republic. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s novel innovation—creating a clerical “guardian” to oversee the state (velayat-e faqih) as an Islamic version of Plato’s philosopher-king—was rejected by the Shiite clergy of Iraq.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.nationalinterest.org/PrinterFriendly.aspx?id=23400" class="external" target="_blank">read in full</a></strong><strong>:</strong></p> </blockquote> <p><strong>Saturday Profile – Hadi al-Mahdi, a Strident Political Voice on Iraqi Radio – NYTimes.com</strong><strong>: </strong></p> <blockquote><p>HADI AL-MAHDI, a man you might call the Rush Limbaugh of Iraq, bounded up the stairs to a radio studio in a converted villa beside the Tigris River. “Today,” he said, with impish determination, “we are going to defend the Sunnis.”</p> <p>For the next hour Mr. Mahdi, a Shiite married to a Kurd, did just that. In a sonorous, sarcastic voice, he ridiculed the murky process that disqualified Sunni candidates in Iraq’s recent elections as an assault on the multiethnic, multifaith democracy Iraq is supposed to be creating.</p> <p>As the sun set on another dusty Baghdad evening rush, he condemned not only the man behind the disqualifications (“He’s illiterate.”) but also Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki (“Is there glue in your chair?”), Mr. Maliki’s main challenger in the election, Ayad Allawi; the ministers of education and electricity, “this dirty Parliament” and the rest of Iraqi officialdom “living in the Green Zone, while your family is living abroad.” <br/>“Who is going to die? Your son?”</p> <p>Mr. Mahdi’s program — “To Whoever Listens” on Radio Demozy, FM 104.1 — is a thrice-weekly, populist jeremiad of all that is wrong with Iraq’s fledgling democracy, and one measure of what the overthrow of Saddam Hussein has done for it.</p> <p>His is not the only radio talk show in Iraq, but it is arguably the most breathtaking exercise of free speech in a place where its limits are still being established. It is, by some accounts, one of the most popular programs on the air in Baghdad. It is, without question, immensely entertaining.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/15/world/middleeast/15mahdi.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&pagewanted=all" class="external" target="_blank">read in full</a></strong><strong>: </strong></p> </blockquote> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-10326"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/05/03/03-05-2010-selected-english-language-coverage/#respond" title="Comment on 03-05-2010 Selected English Language Coverage">No Comments</a></span> Posted on May 3rd, 2010 by Um Thalit</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/05/03/03-05-2010-selected-english-language-coverage/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to 03-05-2010 Selected English Language Coverage">03-05-2010 Selected English Language Coverage</a></h3> <p 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rel="tag">Reporters Without Borders</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/salah-al-din/" rel="tag">Salah al-Din</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/sexual-abuse/" rel="tag">sexual abuse</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/shahristani-hussein-al/" rel="tag">Shahristani Hussein al-</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/situation-in-iraq/" rel="tag">situation in iraq</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/sleep-deprivation/" rel="tag">sleep deprivation</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/society-and-economy/" rel="tag">Society And Economy</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/state-of-law-coalition/" rel="tag">State of Law Coalition</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/summaries/" rel="tag">Summaries</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/torture/" rel="tag">Torture</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/trade-unions/" rel="tag">Trade Unions</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/treatment-of-prisoners/" rel="tag">treatment of prisoners</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/violence/" rel="tag">violence</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/violence-levels/" rel="tag">Violence levels</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/washington-times/" rel="tag">washington times</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <h3 style="color: #800000">The Day In Quotes:</h3> <ul> <li><strong>35 year old man on the experience of being tortured by British troops in Basrah: </p> <p></strong>“The main problem is that my reputation is ruined. The people in our area, when they hear I have been arrested by the British Army, assumed I had been abused by British soldiers. People associate the British Army with sexual abuse.”  </p> <p><strong>Source: </strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article7114602.ece?token=null&offset=0&page=1" class="external" target="_blank"><strong>Britain faces payout shame as hundreds of detainees claim soldiers abused them – Times Online</strong></a><strong>: </strong></li> <li><strong>Qassim al-Abbudi, an official with the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC), to reporters:</strong> <p>"We will count 600 boxes today," </p> <p><strong>Source: </strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2010/05/03/107548.html" class="external" target="_blank"><strong>Al Arabiya.net | Middle East News | Baghdad begins vote recount requested by PM</strong></a><strong>: </strong>  </li> </ul> <h3 style="color: #800000">Human Rights:</h3> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://en.rsf.org/www-rsf-org-predators2010-03-05-2010,37235.html" class="external" target="_blank"><strong>Reporters Sans Frontières – Forty predators of press freedom</strong></a><strong>: </strong></p> <blockquote><p style="padding-bottom: 1em; border-bottom: gray 1px solid">In Iraq, journalists who do their job face real dangers from the conflicts that keep erupting but the situation is slowly improving and the violence is affecting the general population more than journalists in particular. That is why Reporters Without Borders has withdrawn Islamist groups from the ranks of the predators.</p> </blockquote> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article7114602.ece?token=null&offset=0&page=1" class="external" target="_blank"><strong>Britain faces payout shame as hundreds of detainees claim soldiers abused them – Times Online</strong></a><strong>: </strong></p> <blockquote><p>The cash-strapped Ministry of Defence faces the prospect of further compensation payouts as hundreds of Iraqis held in British custody file complaints of abuse, described to The Times by former detainees. </p> <p><em>snip</em></p> <p>The family of Baha Musa, an Iraqi who died in British custody in 2003, shared a £2.83 million MoD settlement with nine others. An inquiry into his death saw evidence suggesting that the illegal treatment of prisoners, such as hooding and sleep deprivation, was widespread. </p> <p>Substantial out-of-court settlements have also been reached with nine men who made allegations of violence and sexual abuse at the hands of British soldiers in 2003 at a base known as Camp Breadbasket. </p> <p>The MoD admitted in 2008 that Iraqis were unlawfully assaulted at the base in Basra. <br/>Leigh Day solicitors, who represented the nine men, said that a further 14 have since come forward. The law firm also represents about 100 other Iraqi citizens in claims against the MoD for alleged maltreatment by British forces, mainly relating to arrest and detention. “Fresh allegations continue to come forward, so the number of cases will undoubtedly rise,” a spokesman for the firm said. </p> <p><em>snip</em></p> <p style="padding-bottom: 1em; border-bottom: gray 1px solid">He said: “The main problem is that my reputation is ruined. The people in our area, when they hear I have been arrested by the British Army, assumed I had been abused by British soldiers. People associate the British Army with sexual abuse.” </p> </blockquote> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://hamptonroads.com/2010/05/military-court-hears-graners-abu-ghraib-appeal" class="external" target="_blank"><strong>Military court hears Graner’s Abu Ghraib appeal | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com</strong></a><strong>: </strong></p> <blockquote><p>The U.S. military’s highest court is considering whether a "Catch-22" prevented the alleged ringleader of detainee abuses at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq from getting a fair trial in 2005. </p> <p>In arguments today in Washington, Army Spc. Charles Graner’s lawyer told the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces that the defense was wrongly denied access to classified documents indicating that some of the harsh treatment of detainees reflected "enhanced interrogation techniques" approved by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. </p> <p>One of the five justices questioned whether the secret nature of the documents made it impossible for the defense to request specific memos — a situation he called a Catch-22. </p> <p>The court is expected to rule by August on Graner’s request for a new trial.</p> </blockquote> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://hamptonroads.com/2010/05/seal-accused-assault-iraq-goes-trial-norfolk" class="external" target="_blank"><strong>SEAL accused of assault in Iraq goes to trial in Norfolk | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com</strong></a><strong>: </strong></p> <blockquote><p>The last of three U.S. Navy SEALs to face court-martial in connection with the alleged abuse of a suspected terrorist in Iraq is scheduled to stand trial this week at Norfolk Naval Station. </p> <p><em>snip</em></p> <p>The SEAL who will stand trial beginning today, Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew McCabe, is the only one who is accused of physically harming Abed. The charges against him include assault for allegedly punching Abed in the midsection; dereliction of duty for not protecting Abed; and making a false statement to an investigator who later interviewed him about the matter.</p> </blockquote> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/may/03/military-defends-prosecution-of-seal/" class="external" target="_blank"><strong>Military defends prosecution of SEAL – Washington Times</strong></a><strong>: </strong></p> <blockquote><p style="padding-bottom: 1em; border-bottom: gray 1px solid">The U.S. military is issuing an extensive defense of its decision to prosecute three Navy SEALs on charges of abusing a terrorism suspect they had captured in Iraq, after two of the servicemen were found not guilty during courts-martial.</p> </blockquote> <h3 style="color: #800000">Politics and Security</h3> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://original.antiwar.com/updates/2010/05/03/monday-6-iraqis-killed-16-wounded/" class="external" target="_blank"><strong>Monday: 6 Iraqis Killed, 16 Wounded — Antiwar.com</strong></a><strong>: </strong></p> <blockquote><p>At least six Iraqis were killed and 16 more were wounded as a manual recount of ballots begin today in Baghdad. The contentious recount was not without its own controversy as the prime minister’s party found fault with the procedures that could help them win more seats in the new parliament.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20100503006020&newsLang=en" class="external" target="_blank"> <br/></a><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2080528&Language=en" class="external" target="_blank"><strong>كونا : Three explosions kill three Iraqis, injured 13 – الدفاع والأمن – 03/05/2010</strong></a><strong>: </strong></p> <blockquote><p>BAGHDAD, May 3 (KUNA) — Three Iraqi civilians wer killed and 13 others injured by explosions at Al-Zafarania, New Baghdad and Al-Kesra, Iraqi military sources said on Monday. <br/>The first explosion took place near Al-Kbaisi cafe at the main road of Al-Zafarania town. The booby-trapped car blast resulted in the wounding of four Iraqis, as well as the destruction of the cafe. <br/>The second explosion occured in Al-Darwesh Bakery in New Baghdad resulted in the death of one Iraqi civilian and the injurey of six others. <br/>At Al-Kesra town, northern Baghdad, an explosive device attached to a parked car killed two civilians, and injured three others.</p></blockquote> <p> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_522069.html" class="external" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/05/20105371714653272.html"> <br/></a> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/middleeast/news/article_1552775.php/Three-killed-in-two-separate-attacks-in-Iraq" class="external" target="_blank"><strong>Three killed in two separate attacks in Iraq – Monsters and Critics</strong></a><strong>: </strong></p> <blockquote><p>An unidentified group of gunmen attacked two employees of the court of first instance in Toz, just south of the city Kirkuk, leaving one dead and the other injured.</p> <p style="padding-bottom: 1em; border-bottom: gray 1px solid">In a separate incident, an Iraqi soldier and a police officer were killed while walking along a road when a remotely controlled bomb exploded in a parked car in the province of Salah al-Din, security forces said. </p> </blockquote> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2080270&Language=en" class="external" target="_blank"><strong>كونا : Iraqi electoral commission: manual re-counting starts officially in Baghdad – الشؤون السياسية – 03/05/2010</strong></a><strong>: </strong></p> <blockquote><p>The Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) announced launch of the manual re-counting and sorting of ballots at Al-Rasheed Hotel in Baghdad, IHEC Spokesman Qassim Al-Abodi said on Monday.</p> <p>It is expected that recount and sorting of 600 ballot stations would be done today and that 800 ballot boxes a day would be counted within the upcoming few days, he told reporters.</p> <p>Recount process is expected to last between 11 to 15 days, he said. </p> </blockquote> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/middleeast/news/article_1552761.php/Al-Maliki-s-coalition-calls-for-halt-to-vote-recount-1st-Lead" class="external" target="_blank"><strong>Al-Maliki’s coalition calls for halt to vote recount (1st Lead) – Monsters and Critics</strong></a></p> <blockquote><p>Baghdad – Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s State of law Coalition Monday called for halting the recount of votes cast in Baghdad, saying ‘it does not comply with the court’s decision’. </p> <p>Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission started earlier on Monday recounting votes of the March parliamentary elections in the capital, as ordered by a court last month. </p> <p>The coalition said it filed a new complaint to the court to say that the ‘commission insists that the results would not reflect the true will of the voters.’ </p> <p><em>snip</em></p> <p>Al-Shahristani said that the process should have started by comparing the number of voters with the number of votes, and if they match, then they would start the manual recount. </p> </blockquote> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=World_News&subsection=Gulf%2C+Middle+East+%26+Africa&month=May2010&file=World_News201005036150.xml" class="external" target="_blank"><strong>Iraq locked in two-man power struggle after vote : The Peninsula On-line: Qatar</strong></a>: </p> <blockquote><p>BAGHDAD: Two months after a general election that produced no outright winner, Iraq has become locked in a battle between two men fighting for power that threatens its fragile security and hopes for stability.</p> <p style="padding-bottom: 1em; border-bottom: gray 1px solid">Whether or not Shia Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki and ex-Prime Minister Iyad Allawi are putting personal ambition ahead of the nation’s good, their battle could stoke sectarian tensions and invite foreign interference, analysts say. “The battle in many ways boils down to the personal antipathy between the two, something which is now threatening political stability,” IHS Global Insight Middle East analyst Gala Riani said.</p> </blockquote> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/03/world/asia/03kurds.html?ref=asia&pagewanted=print" class="external" target="_blank"><strong>Election Victories Help Kurds in Iraq Push for More Sovereignty – NYTimes.com</strong></a><strong>: </strong></p> <blockquote><p>As the deadlock in Baghdad has deepened with the recent disqualification of some winning Sunni candidates and the coming vote recount in the capital, important bloc leaders like the Kurdish president, Massoud Barzani, have been heavily courted for support in forming coalitions.</p> <p style="padding-bottom: 1em; border-bottom: gray 1px solid">But no one has been more openly aggressive in the jockeying for position than Mr. Barzani, and he is being closely watched because the issues he seeks to influence all have stark ramifications for Iraq’s stability. In particular, his demands for a federalist approach to governing Iraq — a weakened national government and stronger regional control — have revived fears that his Iraqi Kurdistan region may eventually try to secede.</p> </blockquote> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.latimes.com/news/custom/topofthetimes/topstories/la-fg-iraq-premier-20100503,0,6654673,print.story" class="external" target="_blank"><strong>An unlikely Iraqi leader emerges – latimes.com</strong></a><strong>: </strong></p> <blockquote><p>Among all the candidates being touted for the prime minister’s job in the next Iraqi government, one stands out for his near-total lack of political experience.</p> <p><em>snip</em></p> <p>But Sadr’s heritage puts him in the ranks of aristocracy, at least by Iraqi Shiite Muslim standards. He is the only son of the revered Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Baqir Sadr, who was executed by Saddam Hussein in 1980 and whose portrait looms large on billboards in almost every Shiite community across the country. And he is a second cousin and brother-in-law of the radical cleric Muqtada Sadr, who commands a vast following among poor Shiites.</p> <p style="padding-bottom: 1em; border-bottom: gray 1px solid">Jaafar Sadr’s pedigree alone was enough to ensure that when he ran from Baghdad on Prime Minister Nouri Maliki’s State of Law list, he received the slate’s most votes after Maliki — albeit with a huge gulf. That secured him a seat in parliament. He also came in second in an advisory referendum Muqtada Sadr supporters held on the prime minister’s post, and he was named one of their two candidates for the job.</p> </blockquote> <h3 style="color: #800000">Society and Economy:</h3> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20100503006020&newsLang=en" class="external" target="_blank"><strong>Scania is back in Iraq | Business Wire</strong></a><strong>: </strong></p> <blockquote><p>Scania has a presence in Iraq again, including both production and sales. Trucks ordered by government customers are being assembled locally there, while an independent distributor is supplying the private sector market with imported vehicles. This distributor is also responsible for the reconstruction of Scania’s sales and service network in the country.</p> <p>“If the situation in Iraq continues to stabilise, within a few years the country can regain its position as Scania’s most important market in the Middle East,” says Martin Lundstedt, Executive Vice President and responsible for the company’s sales and marketing.</p> <p>In the early 1980s, Iraq was one of Scania’s largest markets. At the peak, sales totalled 3,900 trucks in one year (1981).</p> <p>Late in 2009, Iraq’s State Company for Automotive Industry (SCAI) began production of the first of 500 trucks ordered under the terms of an agreement between Scania and Iraq’s Ministry of Industry & Minerals. Production is taking place at the government’s Iskandariyah industrial complex south of Baghdad.</p> <p>“Creating jobs in the country’s industry has been an important aspect of the agreement between Scania and the Iraqi government,” Lundstedt says.</p> <p>Today the SCAI facility in Iskandariyah employs about 300 people in its Scania operations, which not only includes final assembly of truck chassis but also bodywork for delivery of ready-to-drive trucks.</p> <p>So far, SCAI has delivered some 150 fully equipped trucks to various public sector customers, for example tank trucks to the Ministry of Water Protection and Supply.</p> </blockquote> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.dissentmagazine.org/atw.php?id=109" class="external" target="_blank"><strong>Dissent Magazine | Seven Years–And There’s Still No Labor Law in Iraq</strong></a><strong>: </strong></p> <blockquote><p style="padding-bottom: 1em; border-bottom: gray 1px solid">Seven years since the invasion and Iraq still does not have a labor law. Workers in the public sector are denied the right to organise and join trade unions and collective bargaining is almost impossible. It’s a disgrace. The good news that the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) has set up an <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.iraqitradeunions.org/cgi-bin/campaign1.cgi" class="external" target="_blank">Iraqi Labour Campaign</a>: For a Fair and Just Labour Law.  For a short history of the Iraqi unions before and after the invasion order <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.tuc.org.uk/international/tuc-12149-f0.cfm" class="external" target="_blank">this rather splendid pamphlet</a> from the TUC. </p> </blockquote> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=359092&version=1&template_id=36&parent_id=16" class="external" target="_blank"><strong>Gulf Times – Qatar’s top-selling English daily newspaper – Qatar</strong></a><strong>: </strong></p> <blockquote><p style="padding-bottom: 1em; border-bottom: gray 1px solid">The Iraqi Cultural Week got under way on Saturday as part of the ‘Doha, Capital of Arab Culture 2010’ celebrations. The week, featuring exhibitions and folk performances, will run until Wednesday at the Qatar National Theatre. </p> </blockquote> <h3 style="color: #800000">Commentary and Analysis</h3> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=2&id=20816" class="external" target="_blank"><strong>Intimidating the Iraqis Asharq Alawsat Newspaper (English)</strong></a><strong>: </strong></p> <blockquote style="padding-bottom: 1em; border-bottom: gray 1px solid"><p>It is not strange for al-Maliki to try to hold onto his position – for this is the case with most Arab rulers – but by doing so he is threatening the political process and putting all of Iraq in danger. Al-Maliki is today trying to scare the Iraqis with the prospect of UN interference; however the UN is the chief election monitor and observer, and Iraq remains under the purview of Chapter VII of the UN Chapter which gives the UN Security Council the final say in this matter. Al-Maliki is right that there is no need to involve the UN, but the problem is that by trying to change the announced election results he has caused the elector bloc that originally won the most number of seats to call for help from the authorities in charge of supervising the elections. Al-Maliki has also called for a recount without first guaranteeing that this will take place in a transparent atmosphere and under the supervision of a party that is acceptable to all electoral blocs, not just his own. We do not understand what has afflicted al-Maliki to cause him to raise all of these obstacles, especially as there is no clear victor that would be able to form a government on their own, and al-Maliki or Allawi or anybody else cannot form a government or become Prime Minister without first allying with other parties.</p> </blockquote> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-10209"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/04/30/30-04-2010-selected-english-language-coverage/#respond" title="Comment on 30-04-2010 Selected English Language Coverage">No Comments</a></span> Posted on April 30th, 2010 by Ali</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/04/30/30-04-2010-selected-english-language-coverage/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to 30-04-2010 Selected English Language Coverage">30-04-2010 Selected English Language Coverage</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/category/english-articles/" title="View all posts in English Language Articles" rel="category tag">English Language Articles</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/baath/" rel="tag">Ba'ath</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/baghdad-markets/" rel="tag">Baghdad Markets</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/bombing-campaigns/" rel="tag">Bombing campaigns</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/casualty-levels/" rel="tag">Casualty levels</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/djelloul-marbrook/" rel="tag">Djelloul Marbrook</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/human-rights-abuses/" rel="tag">human rights abuses</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/judaism/" rel="tag">Judaism</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/maliki-secret-prisons/" rel="tag">Maliki - "secret" prisons</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/maliki-military-office/" rel="tag">Maliki - military office</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/markets/" rel="tag">markets</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/security-situation/" rel="tag">security situation</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/shopping/" rel="tag">shopping</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/summaries/" rel="tag">Summaries</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <ul> <li><strong>Djelloul Marbrook citing </strong><strong>The Modernists of Al Andalus to refute the idea that Jews and Arabs are natural enemies </p> <p></strong>"Today pundits who speak all too knowingly of the ancient enmity between Arab and Jew conveniently or ignorantly overlook the Convivencia, during which Muslim, Jew and Christian lived in peace and startling creativity. Nothing is as it seems. Certainly both Sufis and the Qaballists would say so. Nothing is as it seems, especially history: another reason to celebrate the genius of King Juan Carlos." </p> <p><strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=38727" class="external" target="_blank">Read in full</a></strong><strong>: </strong></li> <li><strong>Nouri al-Maliki who returned from exile on the back of an American tank going for the 2010 stand up comdians prize in Karbala</strong> <p>"We will not allow any foreign interference in our internal affairs that will breach our sovereignty," </p> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/iraq/complete/la-fg-iraq-elections-20100501,0,5542976.story" class="external" target="_blank"><strong>Source</strong></a><strong>: </strong></li> </ul> <h3><font color="#800000">Political Coverage:</font></h3> <p><strong>كونا : Iraq PM alarms about looming chaos – الشؤون السياسية – 30/04/2010</strong><strong>: </strong></p> <blockquote><p>Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki has ripped to shreds some Iraqi political blocs for sending envoys to the Arab League and some regional countries against the backdrop of recent election challenges.</p> <p>Addressing a rally in Karbala on Friday, Al-Maliki rejected those blocs’ calls for interference in the country’s domestic issues, and voiced surprise at the current uproar against Iraqi judiciary over the recent polls.</p> <p><strong>.</strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2079745&Language=en" class="external" target="_blank"><strong>Read in full</strong></a><strong>: </strong></p> </blockquote> <p> <strong>Iraq prime minister lashes out at political rival – latimes.com</strong><strong>: </strong><br/> <blockquote> <p>Iraq’s prime minister dismissed his rival’s call for international help to resolve the country’s post-election political crisis as the dispute over the country’s recent balloting threatens to inflame the country’s rifts and undermine American plans for withdrawal. <br/>Prime Minister Nouri Maliki, whose political bloc finished second behind former premier Iyad Allawi’s slate in the March 7 elections, alleged in his televised speech Friday that "regional, international" players were attempting at a coup d’etat against his government.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/iraq/complete/la-fg-iraq-elections-20100501,0,5542976.story" class="external" target="_blank">Read in full</a></strong><strong>: </strong> </p> </blockquote> <p> <strong>Iraq demands return of its Jewish archive</strong><strong>: </strong><br/> <blockquote> <p>In the chaotic aftermath of the U.S.-led invasion of 2003, the thousands of sodden documents were spirited out of the country with an assist from then-Vice President Richard B. Cheney’s office and a vague promise of their return once they had been restored. With the materials still sitting in a College Park office building, stabilized but with mold on them, the Iraqi government is demanding that they be shipped back, saying they are the property of the Iraqi people.</p> <p>"They represent part of our history and part of our identity. There was a Jewish community in Iraq for 2,500 years," said Samir Sumaidaie, the Iraqi ambassador to the United States. "It is time for our property to be repatriated." </p> <p><strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/29/AR2010042904584.html?wprss=rss_world/mideast" class="external" target="_blank">Read in full</a></strong><strong>: </strong></p> </blockquote> <p> <strong>Iraq’s banned Baath holds public meeting in Syria</strong><strong>: </strong><br/> <blockquote> <p>DAMASCUS – Iraq’s banned Baath party, booted out of power in the 2003 US-led invasion, held its first public meeting in the Syrian capital on Thursday.</p> <p>“We have launched negotiations to reunite the party,” Ghazwan Qubaissi, the number two in a wing led by Mohammed Yunes al-Ahmad, a former governor of Mosul under now executed dictator and Baath chief Saddam Hussein, told.</p> <p>“There is no difference between Baath party members here and those there (inside Iraq) … All are contributing to the liberation of the country,” he said at a meeting in a Damascus cultural centre attended by 300-500 people. </p> <p><strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2010/April/middleeast_April505.xml&section=middleeast&col=" class="external" target="_blank">Read in full</a></strong><strong>: </strong></p> </blockquote> <h3><font color="#800000">Security Coverage:</font></h3> <p><strong>Friday: 8 Iraqis Killed, 13 Wounded — Margaret Griffis — Antiwar.com</strong><strong>: </strong></p> <blockquote><p>At least eight Iraqis were killed and 13 more were wounded in the latest violence. Also, a U.S. soldier was wounded in a blast in Adhamiya yesterday. Meanwhile, the prime minister criticized the use of international help to end an impasse created by a near dead heat in last month’s parliamentary elections.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://original.antiwar.com/updates/2010/04/30/friday-6-iraqis-killed-13-wounded/" class="external" target="_blank">Read in full</a></strong><strong>: </strong></p> </blockquote> <p> <strong>2 killed in market blast in western Iraq: </strong><br/> <blockquote> <p>Two people were killed and nine wounded when a roadside bomb exploded in a market in western Iraq on Friday, a local police source said. <br/>The blast struck a popular market in Fallujah, some 65 km west of Baghdad, the source told Xinhua.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-04/30/c_13273957.htm" class="external" target="_blank">Source : Xinhua</a></strong><strong> </strong></p> </blockquote> <p><strong>Iraq death toll in April almost same as last year</strong><strong>: </strong></p> <blockquote><p>The number of Iraqis killed in violence in April fell slightly month on month but was almost unchanged from 12 months ago, the government said on Friday.</p> <p>Figures compiled by the health, interior and defence ministries showed that 328 people — 274 civilians, 39 police and 15 soldiers — died as a result of attacks in April, only slightly fewer than the 355 killed 12 months ago.</p> <p>April’s death toll, however, was down slightly on March, when 367 people were killed in unrest.</p> <p>A total of 917 people — 731 civilians, 133 police and 53 soldiers — were wounded last month, the ministries added, an increase on the 747 people who were injured in April 2009.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2010/May/middleeast_May3.xml&section=middleeast&col=" class="external" target="_blank">Source</a></strong><strong>: </strong></p> </blockquote> <h3><font color="#800000">Economic Coverage:</font></h3> <p> <strong>KUNA : Baghdad malls changing Iraqis shopping habits – Population – 29/04/2010</strong><strong>: </strong><br/> <blockquote> <p>The increasing popularity of large modern malls in Baghdad is seen changing the shopping habits of Iraqi families of late, as they save time and effort.</p> <p>Amid an improving economy, more and more Iraqi are flocking to the modern structures instead of time-honored traditional markets, such as Al-Shurjah, where the aromas of perfume and spice fills the nostrils. They now seek to do all their shopping at once, in one place, and stay away from typically scorching summer heat in the meanwhile</p> <p><strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2079464&Language=en" class="external" target="_blank">Read in full</a></strong><strong>: </strong></p> </blockquote> <h3><font color="#800000">Commentary and Analysis</font></h3> <p> <strong>The Modernists of Al Andalus | Djelloul Marbrook | Middle East Online</strong><strong>: </strong><br/> <blockquote> <p>Today pundits who speak all too knowingly of the ancient enmity between Arab and Jew conveniently or ignorantly overlook the Convivencia, during which Muslim, Jew and Christian lived in peace and startling creativity. Nothing is as it seems. Certainly both Sufis and the Qaballists would say so. Nothing is as it seems, especially history: another reason to celebrate the genius of King Juan Carlos.</p> <p>Jewish poetry in the medieval Arab world—remember, if you will, there was nothing medieval about it to the Arabs, who live by a different clock—exhibits the plain speech and grittiness of a tolerated people who are nevertheless not overlords. Like Arab poetry it assumes that language doesn’t need to be dressed up. This poetry shares a common ground with today’s rap in America, with the rai of North Africa and immigrant Europe and with Arab ideas of horticulture and architecture, but it has less in common with Arab decorative art.</p> <p>The Jewish poetry of Arab Spain, especially when it is not Qaballistic, is bold, in your face, sometimes raunchy, and determined to speak plainly, testifying not only testament to the tolerance of the times but also to the confidence of medieval Spanish Jewry in their ability to create a society to rival King David’s. They understood their times in a way the Christians did not. They understood they were living in the artistic and intellectual powerhouse of the era, but as a colonized people, they saw the clouds of the Reconquista gathering. They felt a darkness descending. They were to be expelled from a garden once more, a second Eden, this time along with their tolerant masters. </p> <p><strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=38727" class="external" target="_blank">Read in full</a></strong><strong>: </strong></p> </blockquote> <p> <strong>Obama leaves Iraq teetering on the brink of the abyss</strong><strong>: </strong><br/> <blockquote> <p>BARACK OBAMA is determined to withdraw all but 50,000 of his troops from Iraq in the coming months – despite rising diplomatic disquiet over a post-election power struggle and a possible return to the brutal sectarian chaos that seized the nation in the aftermath of the US-led invasion in 2003.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/world/obama-leaves-iraq-teetering-on-the-brink-of-the-abyss-20100430-tzc0.html" class="external" target="_blank">Read in full</a></strong><strong>: </strong></p> </blockquote> <p><strong>Still mired in Hussein’s legacy – The Boston Globe</strong><strong>: </strong></p> <blockquote><p>The horrors inflicted on some 300 of 430 inmates at the prison on an Iraqi air base replicated the inhumanity of Hussein’s regime. The victims were beaten with cables and burned with acid; had their toenails and fingernails pulled out; were raped and sodomized; and were forced to sign confessions they often could not read. All the while, they were denied legal counsel and visits from family members.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2010/04/30/still_mired_in_husseins_legacy/" class="external" target="_blank">Read in full</a></strong><strong>: </strong></p> </blockquote> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-10200"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/04/30/baghdad-malls-changing-iraqis-shopping-habits/#comments" title="Comment on Baghdad malls changing Iraqis shopping habits">1 Comment</a></span> Posted on April 30th, 2010 by Harith</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/04/30/baghdad-malls-changing-iraqis-shopping-habits/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Baghdad malls changing Iraqis shopping habits">Baghdad malls changing Iraqis shopping habits</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/category/english-articles/" title="View all posts in English Language Articles" rel="category tag">English Language Articles</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/category/features/" title="View all posts in Features" rel="category tag">Features</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/al-karkh/" rel="tag">al Karkh</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/al-mansour/" rel="tag">al Mansour</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/al-karadah/" rel="tag">Al-Karadah</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/al-rusafah/" rel="tag">Al-Rusafah</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/al-shorja/" rel="tag">al-Shorja</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/al-shurjah/" rel="tag">Al-Shurjah</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/baghdad/" rel="tag">Baghdad</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/baghdad-al-jadidah/" rel="tag">Baghdad Al-Jadidah</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/baghdad-markets/" rel="tag">Baghdad Markets</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/carrefour/" rel="tag">Carrefour</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/features/" rel="tag">Features</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/karkh/" rel="tag">Karkh</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/kuna/" rel="tag">KUNA</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/markets/" rel="tag">markets</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/palestine-street/" rel="tag">Palestine Street</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/rusafa/" rel="tag">Rusafa</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/shopping/" rel="tag">shopping</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/shorja/" rel="tag">Shorja</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <p>The increasing popularity of large modern malls in Baghdad is seen changing the shopping habits of Iraqi families of late, as they save time and effort. </p> <p>Amid an improving economy, more and more Iraqi are flocking to the modern structures instead of time-honored traditional markets, such as Al-Shurjah, where the aromas of perfume and spice fills the nostrils. They now seek to do all their shopping at once, in one place, and stay away from typically scorching summer heat in the meanwhile. </p> <p>Baghdad Governorate Council member Mohammad Al-Rubeiei told KUNA the opening of malls has the advantage of stemming the chaotic spread of shops within originally residential areas that are now turning into hap-hazard unregulated shopping areas. </p> <p>Still, the new destinations cannot take the place of important traditional shopping areas such as the markets in Al-Shurjah, Al-Karadah, Baghdad Al-Jadidah, Al-Mansour, and Palestine Road, which are ever-engraved in Iraqis hearts and memories. </p> <p>The official said the increase in number of new malls is a positive sign of security improvement, but added there is a need for more effort to maintain Iraqi cultural identity and Baghdad’s architectural identity as the new structures overtake the capital. </p> <p>Though the new complexes "we talk about are best described ‘mini-malls’, they are still a good sign that the situation overall is heading in the right direction," the figure noted. </p> <p>Al-Rubei said international franchises are seeking to tap this budding market, with Carrefour company planning two branches in Al-Karkh and Al-Rusafah, with a branch set to open in Irbil in September this year. </p> <p>He said another franchise, a British one, is also planning a major mall project in Baghdad which includes five cinema theatres, parks, restaurants, and other facilities. Work on this project is to start in 2011. </p> <p>Baghdad got its first major shopping facility early this year with the opening of the Baghdad Vegetable and Produce Marketing Center. </p> <p>Tourism authority official Mahmoud Al-Yaqoubi told KUNA the center was an important project for the authority and has potential for marketing more items including meat and poultry. </p> <p>The center overlooks many highways connecting Baghdad with the middle Euphrates governorates and the southern governorates. With a storage facility as well, the center includes a hotel to accommodate shoppers and green grocers who come from all parts of Iraq, Al-Yaqoubi pointed out. </p> <p>Karim Hamzah, Board Chairman of the company which executed the project, said the center cost 22 billion Iraqi Dinar and was executed over 243 days. In addition to the 50 distribution points, it includes 100 coolers warehousing areas, 32 services centers, a bank, restaurants, communication centers, and all facilities and services one could possibly need. </p> <p>Back to Baghdad Governorate Council member Mohammad Al-Rubeiei, he said the Iraqi Commerce Ministry sees potential for many mega malls in form of smaller shops areas and markets that are now abandoned. The new facilities would be more organized and better serve Baghdad and other Governorates, he stressed. </p> <p>The ministry recently announced plans to invest dozens such buildings and areas. The commerce chambers and other concerned authorities have echoed this call for investment and tenders throughout the world through the economic attaches to attract Arab as well as foreign companies, said Commerce Ministry official Hani Jaddou’.</p> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2079464&Language=en" class="external" target="_blank">KUNA : Baghdad malls changing Iraqis shopping habits – Population – 29/04/2010</a></p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-9718"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/04/11/security-as-a-policy/#respond" title="Comment on Security as a policy">No Comments</a></span> Posted on April 11th, 2010 by Diya al din</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/04/11/security-as-a-policy/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Security as a policy">Security as a policy</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/category/english-articles/" title="View all posts in English Language Articles" rel="category tag">English Language Articles</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/al-anbar-governorate/" rel="tag">Al Anbar (Governorate)</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/allawi/" rel="tag">Allawi</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/america/" rel="tag">America</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/artisans/" rel="tag">Artisans</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/baghdad/" rel="tag">Baghdad</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/basra/" rel="tag">Basra</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/basrah/" rel="tag">Basrah</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/christians/" rel="tag">Christians</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/dams/" rel="tag">Dams</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/democracy/" rel="tag">Democracy</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/education/" rel="tag">Education</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/elections/" rel="tag">Elections</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/fallujah/" rel="tag">Fallujah</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/features/" rel="tag">Features</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/invasion/" rel="tag">invasion</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/karbala/" rel="tag">Karbala</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/markets/" rel="tag">markets</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/nadezhda-kevorkova/" rel="tag">Nadezhda Kevorkova</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/russia/" rel="tag">Russia</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/security-checkpoints/" rel="tag">security checkpoints</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/shock/" rel="tag">shock</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/students/" rel="tag">Students</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/syria/" rel="tag">Syria</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/traffic-jams/" rel="tag">Traffic jams</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/water/" rel="tag">Water</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/widows/" rel="tag">Widows</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/%d8%a8%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d8%b3%d9%8a%d8%ad%d9%8a%d9%8a%d9%86/" rel="tag">بالمسيحيين</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <p><a title="checkpoint_baghdad_captioned" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.flickr.com/photos/27086036@N02/4510836510/" class="external" target="_blank"><img style="display: inline; margin: 5px 0px 5px 15px" alt="checkpoint_baghdad_captioned" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045im_/http://static.flickr.com/2134/4510836510_caa4b742ce.jpg" align="right"/></a>What does the opposition in Iraq want? </p> <p>One day, Ali addressed his sheikh: “Oh, honorable sheikh, I was walking through the market, and I ran into Death there. It shook its finger at me. I’ve been unable to allay my fear since then. Allow me to leave and go to Basrah.” </p> <p>The Sheikh nodded. Soon he was walking through the market, and he also met Death there. “Why did you threaten my friend Ali? He was so scared he left for Basrah.” And Death replied: “I was very surprised that he was just walking through Baghdad, while I had an appointment with him in Basrah.”</p> <p>In Iraq, one can “meet death” anytime and any place. Today, its schedule is very tight, and it has no time to walk through markets. </p> <p>“We don’t know what could happen any moment.” </p> <p>People were using such phrases to describe their perception of life to me. </p> <p>Many of them had miraculously survived blasts and shelling. Many of them witnessed their family members being blown up into tiny pieces. On the road to Karbala, there is a special cemetery for those whose bodies were torn into pieces. </p> <p>Therefore, this parable is a sort of a remedy: death will make an appointment with everyone; it’s just that nobody knows where it will be. </p> <p>Most residents, except for the contingents headed by General Petraeus, know this parable. But General Petraeus is the one who has been developing ways of providing life security in Iraq. This is the paradox of the Iraqi situation. Sometimes this story is told not about Basrah in the South, but rather about Samara in the North. Today, these two famous cities are considered very dangerous. Personally, I didn’t make it there, as all drivers that my acquaintances talked to refused to take me there even for a good fee. </p> <p>In Iraq, if they refuse to drive you somewhere even for good money, it means this really is dangerous.</p> <h3>Security as an election program</h3> <p>People who don’t scold the authorities are very rare in Iraq. I met two people, both related to the former Prime Minister Maliki. He had lost the election, therefore by now my acquaintances had become the opposition. </p> <p>Thus, most Iraqis are the opposition. Quite a number of people hope that the new authorities will change something. At the same time, there are absolutely no political ideas in Iraq. All this is happening against the background of 298 political parties that the authorities are so proud of, as the main and the only sign of democracy.</p> <p>People have a rather basic demand regarding all politicians and political parties: to stop the destruction. Nobody knows how to do it though. Whoever achieves this will become a hero. It’s a paradox that anyone falling greedily on power never has a plan of improving anyone’s life other than their own, and that of their family. </p> <p>Most people that I talked to in Iraq are united by a longing for security. This was the only thing they were willing to participate in the election for. Not for the sake of an abstract democracy or a victory of their candidates originating from their tribes; but rather for the sake of security which MAYBE their newly-elected would provide somehow. </p> <p>“How can they provide it?” I would ask. </p> <p>“This is true; so far, the deputies have been maintaining their own security only,” such was the sad reply of former deputies and ministers, of illiterate and professors, of security guards and partisans. And then they would continue rambling on security being their priority, and other things being secondary.</p> <h3>The good old days</h3> <p>Iraqi people wait eagerly for a calm life to return. They remember that just some seven years ago, life used to be calm. They remember its pace and its smell. Like in small American towns. </p> <p>For many, it is voiced as “Like it was under Saddam”. </p> <p>Some want for their previous life back, but without Saddam. Others are concerned that the new authorities have too many new “Saddams”, but they are lacking order and security. </p> <p>This is exactly what Azhar Al-Sheikhly says: “It’s not that politicians don’t have programs; but their programs are all the same. They all keep talking about the same thing: that we need security.” </p> <p>When I talked to Azhar, she was the opposition. As a result of the election, she is now a part of the future ruling party. </p> <p>Just a short while ago, Azhar was the power; she was the Minister of Women’s Affairs under former Prime Minister Jaafari (2005-2006). During this recent election, she was running next to Ayad Allawi, the first interim Prime Minister of the invasion authorities. </p> <p>At the election, Allawi won 91 seats, and Maliki’s bloc won 89. It may seem from a distance that the democracy is obvious; that these people won their seats through a struggle. </p> <p>However things are much more prosaic. They both are Shiites; all they were competing in was their allegiance to Americans. </p> <p>Iraq’s Parliament has 325 seats altogether. Azhar Al-Sheikhly was among few who had been elected for their deeds. </p> <p>She is a famous woman in Iraq; she is educated; she is a professor of political science and a former Prime Minister of Women’s Affairs. She has organized assistance for widows and she has been teaching various professions to young women to help them survive in the destroyed country. </p> <p>Now she will enter the Parliament. What does it mean? She will again have several cars, security guards and US$12,000 a month to maintain her own security. In this country, not everyone has $3 to spend daily. </p> <p>Most women rely on themselves only. In Baghdad, hardly anyone leaves home unarmed. Female students are even encouraged to carry weapon. However, just seven years ago this used to be a society of people who were more or less provided with food, jobs, medical services and education. And weapons weren’t needed.</p> <p>“What’s the most important thing now?” </p> <p>“Security, for sure.” </p> <p>I asked Azhar how to achieve security in the country. Not only for deputies. </p> <p>She gave me a charming smile and read out points of her excellent program that was hardly any different from others. Nonsense as a political tribute.</p> <h3>Religious fabric of society</h3> <p> Iraq is a religious country. When a bus from Syria enters Iraq, all women passengers put scarves on their heads and take them off on the way out only. The only women who don’t cover their heads are Christians and those brought up by Saddam’s old regime. The same applies to length of their skirts. <p>I have read American papers about some Iraqi women in mini-skirts. I haven’t seen them. Just like in issues of democracy, Americans have wishful thinking about daily life in their invaded countries. The longer they stay in Iraq, the less democracy there is, as well as women in short skirts. The more damage, the more large-scale it gets. </p> <p>Sunni and Shiite partisan groups are the most powerful opposition in the country. </p> <p>Americans either pretend not to see them or to label them Al-Qaeda. One day, they are trying to find an approach to them, and then they suddenly switch to purging. They’re putting pressure on Iraqis to make them agree; but with their actions, they destroy all agreements. </p> <p>I talked to a young engineer. He is a Sunni. He is 27 and he has a job, numerous family members and a young wife, whom he forbids from working. A degree of his hatred toward Iraq’s politicians is compared to feelings of his peers toward politics in Russia or Europe. </p> <p>He mocks all manifestations of the modern “democratic Iraq”. He doesn’t believe in elections. He is shocked that the Sunni deputies were just thrown off the candidates list under some made-up pretext. </p> <p>No, he isn’t a fan of Saddam; he just feels ashamed for the current state of the country which I see. He doesn’t like the way streets look, with all filth and concrete fences. He is embarrassed that he cannot invite me in to meet his family, because they have little space and many people; they have no light or water; and it would be threatening if neighbors saw a foreign woman visit them. </p> <p>He doesn’t want to escape; he is waiting for the invasion to end; only then will a talk on politics be possible. However he doesn’t really believe that Americans will leave his country alone. He despises today’s rulers of the country. </p> <p>I talked to a technical student. He is 20; his hometown is Fallujah. None of his several dozen family members went to vote. Compared to what life used to be like in 2004, he sees today’s situation as more optimistic. His optimism vanishes however, as soon as we start talking about specific details of living. Their house has been destroyed. There is neither money nor means for fixing it, as he cannot even bring building materials to his place. He’d have to undergo numerous extensive inspections to bring them to his residential area. </p> <h3>Checkpoint chaos</h3> <p>Today, checkpoints located every 100 to 500 meters throughout Baghdad and everywhere outside Baghdad are the only visible measure of achieving security. Devices for searching for explosives and metal items in cars were purchased in Great Britain. A scandal broke out in the previous parliament when it turned out that the equipment was fake. Nobody was convicted for it; and nobody is rushing to supply new metal detectors to Iraq. </p> <p>So far, the only thing that checkpoints have achieved is huge traffic jams. Sitting in this traffic is really uncomfortable, as you’re sitting in a car like helpless cannon-fodder. </p> <p>Every morning in Baghdad, nobody knows how long it will take them to make their regular trip, whether it’s 15 minutes or several hours. Nobody knows when it will end, or how to make this situation at least begin to improve. </p> <p>There’s only one novelty in Baghdad: several street lamps on solar batteries located in some places; since the city doesn’t have electric power, but it does have a curfew and ration stamps. </p> <p>In Iraq, many people have decided to wait for the time when Americans leave the country. That’s when the real Iraqi politics will begin. </p> <p><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://rt.com/Top_News/2010-04-11/iraq-security-opposition.html?fullstory" class="external" target="_blank">Security as a policy</a> – by Nadezhda Kevorkova for RT  – <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://rt.com/" class="external" target="_blank">RT</a> – <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://rt.com/Top_News.html" class="external" target="_blank">Top Stories</a></p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-9212"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/03/18/%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%83%d8%b4%d9%81-%d8%b9%d9%86-%d8%a3%d8%b2%d9%85%d8%a9-%d8%a5%d9%86%d8%b3%d8%a7%d9%86%d9%8a%d8%a9-%d8%ae%d8%b7%d9%8a%d8%b1%d8%a9-%d8%aa%d9%88%d8%a7%d8%ac%d9%87-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%86%d8%a7/#respond" title="Comment on الكشف عن أزمة إنسانية خطيرة تواجه النازحين العراقيين">No Comments</a></span> Posted on March 18th, 2010 by markfromireland</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/03/18/%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%83%d8%b4%d9%81-%d8%b9%d9%86-%d8%a3%d8%b2%d9%85%d8%a9-%d8%a5%d9%86%d8%b3%d8%a7%d9%86%d9%8a%d8%a9-%d8%ae%d8%b7%d9%8a%d8%b1%d8%a9-%d8%aa%d9%88%d8%a7%d8%ac%d9%87-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%86%d8%a7/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to الكشف عن أزمة إنسانية خطيرة تواجه النازحين العراقيين">الكشف عن أزمة إنسانية خطيرة تواجه النازحين العراقيين</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/category/children/" title="View all posts in Children" rel="category tag">Children</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/category/human-rights/" title="View all posts in Human Rights" rel="category tag">Human Rights</a>, <a 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Din (Governorate)</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/sanitation/" rel="tag">sanitation</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/security-concerns/" rel="tag">security concerns</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/squatters/" rel="tag">Squatters</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/squatters-evictions-halted/" rel="tag">Squatters -evictions halted</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/syria/" rel="tag">Syria</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/unami/" rel="tag">UNAMI</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/unhcr/" rel="tag">UNHCR</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/unhcr-funding-shortfalls/" rel="tag">UNHCR Funding shortfalls</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/vulnerable-communities/" rel="tag">vulnerable communities</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/water/" rel="tag">Water</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <p>افادت منظمة لاجئون دوليون " ريفوجيز انترناشيونال(<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.refugeesinternational.org/" target="_blank" class="external">Refugees International</a>) " غير الحكومية ان مئات الاف العراقيين الذين نزحوا من ديارهم بسبب الحرب الى مخيمات يعمها البؤس, يعانون من ازمة انسانية خطيرة. وكشفت المنظمة ان بين المليون ونصف المليون عراقي الذين اضطروا الى مغادرة منازلهم في العام الفين وستة والفين وسبعة زهاء خمسمئة الف, يعيشون في الاكواخ". وافاد تقرير للمنظمة ان الحكومة لا تبذل الكثير وربما لا تفعل شيئا لمساعدة النازحين داعية الولايات المتحدة "التي تتحمل مسؤولية خاصة" في هذه الازمة الانسانية الى الاهتمام بهم وفق التقرير . من جانبه، دعا سفير العراق في الولايات المتحدة سمير شاكر الصميدعي الحكومة الى بذل المزيد من اجل العراقيين النازحين داخل وخارج البلاد وقال ان "بلدا يقوم على بحر من النفط لا يجب ان يعيش سكانه في مثل هذه الظروف". </p> <p dir="rtl" align="right">( <strong>روابط ذات علاقة </strong>- <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/03/18/iraq-humanitarian-needs-persist-refugees-international/">Iraq: Humanitarian Needs Persist | Refugees International | Gorilla’s Guides</a>  )</p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-9198"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/03/18/iraq-humanitarian-needs-persist-refugees-international/#respond" title="Comment on Iraq: Humanitarian Needs Persist | Refugees International">No Comments</a></span> Posted on March 18th, 2010 by markfromireland</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/03/18/iraq-humanitarian-needs-persist-refugees-international/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Iraq: Humanitarian Needs Persist | Refugees International">Iraq: Humanitarian Needs Persist | Refugees International</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/category/children/" title="View all posts in Children" rel="category tag">Children</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/category/english-articles/" title="View all posts in English Language Articles" rel="category tag">English Language Articles</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/category/human-rights/" title="View all posts in Human Rights" rel="category tag">Human Rights</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/category/women/" 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href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/reintegration/" rel="tag">reintegration</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/resettlement/" rel="tag">resettlement</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/resources/" rel="tag">Resources</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/restitution/" rel="tag">restitution</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/returnees/" rel="tag">returnees</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/salah-ad-din-governorate/" rel="tag">Salah ad Din (Governorate)</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/sanitation/" rel="tag">sanitation</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/security-concerns/" rel="tag">security concerns</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/squatters/" rel="tag">Squatters</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/squatters-evictions-halted/" rel="tag">Squatters -evictions halted</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/syria/" rel="tag">Syria</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/unami/" rel="tag">UNAMI</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/unhcr/" rel="tag">UNHCR</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/unhcr-funding-shortfalls/" rel="tag">UNHCR Funding shortfalls</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/vulnerable-communities/" rel="tag">vulnerable communities</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/water/" rel="tag">Water</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <ul> <li> <blockquote style="border-bottom: 1px solid black; padding-bottom: 1em;">As the U.S. continues to draw down its military forces and eventually end its occupation in Iraq, the U.S. and other donors must increase their humanitarian and development assistance and commitment to finding long-term solutions for displaced Iraqis. Millions of people are still displaced without access to shelter, food, health care or other basics. It is too soon for the U.S. government and other donors to abandon the needs of the Iraqi people. Likewise, the UN must seek to increase its presence and resources inside the country and throughout the region, ensuring that Iraq’s most vulnerable are protected and assisted until durable solutions are available.</p></blockquote> </li> <li> <blockquote>On the one hand the U.S., the UN, and the entire international community often champion the considerable security progress inside Iraq. On the other hand, these same entities continue to be extremely constrained by highly restrictive security protocols. These protocols no longer reflect the realities in the country, and the lack of access continues to severely hamper the humanitarian response of the UN and the U.S. The zero-risk mentality of the burgeoning security industry has hijacked more rational and creative thinking that might help guarantee staff safety while allowing for greater mobility in a more low-profile manner. </p></blockquote> </li> </ul> <div style="border-right: black 1px solid; padding-right: 5px; border-top: black 1px solid; padding-left: 5px; float: right; padding-bottom: 5px; margin: 5px 0px 5px 15px; border-left: black 1px solid; width: 300px; padding-top: 5px; border-bottom: black 1px solid"> <p><strong>Policy recommendations</strong></p> <ul> <li> <p>The U.S. should continue to fund current and future UN appeals at no less than 50% and seek to dramatically increase its support for community development programs.</p> </li> <li> <p>The UN and the U.S. should review and adapt their security measures in Iraq to allow staff greater freedom of movement and access to vulnerable communities.</p> </li> <li> <p>The Government of Iraq should develop a detailed plan to implement the solutions included in its 2008 National Policy on Displacement.</p> </li> <li> <p>UNHCR should dramatically and rapidly increase its number of staff working in the field inside Iraq.</p> </li> <li> <p>The U.S. and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) should urge the Government of Iraq to create a process for IDPs to voluntarily integrate into the local communities in which they have been displaced.</p> </li> <li> <p>UNHCR should conduct a thorough needs assessment of the Palestinian refugee community in Iraq and seek durable solutions for those living in Iraq and Syria, including third country resettlement.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Download File:</h3> <ul> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.refugeesinternational.org/sites/default/files/031710_iraq.pdf" class="external" target="_blank">Iraq: Humanitarian Needs Persist</a> File Size 136.03 KB (PDF)</li> </ul> <h4>About:</h4> <ul> <li><em>Refugees International Senior Advocate Elizabeth Campbell and consultant Nir Rosen assessed the situation for displaced Iraqis in Iraq and Syria in February 2010.</em></li> </ul></div> <p>The humanitarian situation facing Iraqi refugees and internally displaced people is quickly becoming a protracted one for which the U.S. bears special responsibility. Though the country is well positioned to generate vast sums of revenue from its oil, it will take many years before the government is able to rebuild the country’s infrastructure and provide basic services to its people. Ongoing political and security concerns continue to challenge development efforts. It is thus critical that the U.S. and other donors continue to support a strong and expanded humanitarian program, working hand-in-hand with a variety of community development initiatives. </p> </p> <h3>Iraqis Living as Squatters in Slums </h3> <p>UNHCR estimates that of the 1.5 million internally displaced people (IDPs) forced from their homes in 2006 and 2007, 33% or 500,000 live as squatters in slum areas. Refugees International visited about 20 different squatter settlements in various parts of Baghdad, Diyala, and Salah al-Din. These people have no legal title to the land. Many fear returning to their original homes. Most are too poor to relocate. The settlements all lack basic services, including water, sanitation, and electricity and are built in precarious places—under bridges, alongside railroad tracks, and amongst garbage dumps. In 2009 the Iraqi Government issued a directive calling upon all squatters to vacate public buildings. This directive has since been postponed, but they all remain at risk of eviction. UNHCR will have to liaise closely with other UN agencies and international and national NGOs to provide assistance to these communities and to urge the Government of Iraq to create programs of land grants and housing for these people. </p> <p>Refugees International met several Iraqis who left Syria, because they could no longer afford to live there, and are now living as internally displaced squatters in these slum areas. As one squatter told the RI team, “We used to own a home in Abu Ghraib. Now we have lost everything. It is too dangerous for us to return there, so we are living here, hoping that the government will give us a small piece of land.” </p> <p>These families are among the most vulnerable in Iraq. Most have not received assistance from the government, UN agencies, or NGOs. Since they live illegally, the government is reluctant to improve their living conditions and address their basic needs. UNHCR is aware of many of these squatter settlements and is in the process of conducting a more comprehensive survey of them. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) also has a list of the settlements in which the internally displaced live. IOM and UNHCR should work together to develop a single, comprehensive list so that humanitarian interventions can be targeted and coordinated. </p> <p>If UNHCR is going to have any impact addressing the needs of these especially vulnerable displaced people and the larger communities, they will have to dramatically increase the number of UNHCR staff people with the responsibility of reaching out to them. For those at risk of eviction in the near future, the UN should work closely with the Government of Iraq to begin to devise a contingency plan. As outlined in Iraq’s July 2008 National Policy on Displacement, displaced people and host communities should be involved in planning, designing and implementing appropriate strategies and programs concerning their return, integration or relocation. </p> <h3>Increasing Humanitarian Access in Iraq </h3> <p>On the one hand the U.S., the UN, and the entire international community often champion the considerable security progress inside Iraq. On the other hand, these same entities continue to be extremely constrained by highly restrictive security protocols. These protocols no longer reflect the realities in the country, and the lack of access continues to severely hamper the humanitarian response of the UN and the U.S. The zero-risk mentality of the burgeoning security industry has hijacked more rational and creative thinking that might help guarantee staff safety while allowing for greater mobility in a more low-profile manner. </p> <p>The UN Department for Safety and Security and the Resident Security Officers for the U.S. must adapt their security protocols to the new and changing realities and allow greater access for humanitarian workers. The northern and southern governorates of Iraq are widely recognized as being safe. Many parts of the central governorates can also be accessed daily for field visits. Refugees International staff was able to travel alone without security escorts throughout most of Baghdad and multiple locations within Diyala, Salah al-Din and Babel. Iraqis of all types and backgrounds interviewed by Refugees International expressed a strong desire to see the UN and international actors return and fully function in the country. </p> <p>Currently the U.S. government and the UN are completely dependent upon the U.S. military to provide access outside of the international zone. Access to Iraqi communities occurs irregularly and in a very limited fashion. Plans have to be made months in advance to coordinate trips. This already limited access will be further reduced with the impending U.S. military withdrawal. </p> <p>Furthermore, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), led by the Department of Political Affairs (DPA), often does not prioritize humanitarian issues. They tend to take a back seat to UNAMI’s political agenda. Political affairs officials are often given priority over humanitarian actors when it comes to dividing the limited number of slots available for staff to travel outside of the international zone. </p> <p>While international UN staff and diplomatic missions have limited access to Iraqi communities, an increasing number of international NGOs are accessing vulnerable Iraqis in Baghdad and other parts of the country. There is also a plethora of Iraqi NGOs who are making significant humanitarian contributions, without which much of the work could not take place. UNHCR’s efforts to enhance the capacity of over 100 national NGOs should be supported. </p> <h3>Returns and the Prospects for Local Integration </h3> <p>Though the Government of Iraq, the U.S., and other governments continue to push for displaced people to return home, much of the current displacement is likely to be permanent. UNHCR estimates that only 426,000 people have returned, the overwhelming majority of whom were internally displaced people. People will continue to return home, but only at a trickle. Lack of security and jobs continues to be a strong deterrent. Others are simply too traumatized to return to their places of origin. Long-term solutions must be found for these people. </p> <p>If given the option, IOM estimates that 25% of IDPs would be interested in local integration. This would be an important step forward in the protection of some IDPs, as they would then presumably be granted residency cards reflecting their new place of habitual residence. Such cards would allow them full and fair access to all services at the local and governorate level. They would be able to vote like other Iraqis in future elections, attend schools without facing discrimination, and seek employment without impediments. The U.S. and international community should urge the Government of Iraq to create a process for IDPs to voluntarily integrate locally if they so choose. </p> <p>Those wishing to return to their original homes and lands, but who are unwilling or unable to do so at this time, should continue to be afforded this opportunity when the conditions warrant safe and voluntary returns. Efforts to ensure that such people are able to retrieve their properties should continue to be made. This includes urging the Government of Iraq to expand its property restitution mechanism to all of the governorates and to ensure that those displaced between 2003 and 2005 are also provided a mechanism to reclaim or be compensated for their lost properties. The Iraqi government should at least quadruple the $850 return compensation grant currently available.</p> <p>Although few people have returned home, the Government of Iraq, the UN, and several donors have supported a successful return and reintegration program in the Governorate of Diyala, a place that suffered some of the most severe violence and the displacement of some 300,000 individuals. The objective is to support the voluntary return and reintegration of at least 27,500 families while rebuilding their communities. Assistance has been provided to both returnees and local residents in the understanding that communities as a whole must be engaged if resentments are to be avoided and returns sustained. Targeting some 400 largely destroyed villages, the project aims to provide urgent life-saving services and rebuild homes, infrastructure, and livelihoods. </p> <p>The Government of Iraq has pledged some $78 million dollars for reconstruction of destroyed homes, but the disbursement of these funds is lagging. Despite this, 3,000 starter homes have been constructed with 6,000 more planned for 2010 if funding is made available. </p> <p>The success of this initiative stems in part from the strong political commitment and financial pledge from the central government, the coordination and participation of most of the UN agencies and many international and national NGOs, and the strong support of the local authorities and communities. It is also successful because humanitarian actors are able to work closely with development actors, ensuring that the returns and the rebuilding of communities are long-term and sustainable. When Refugees International visited the project in villages near Khan Bani Saad, it was a rare but positive example of long-term development efforts working hand-in-hand with humanitarian intervention, benefitting a much larger number of people than those directly targeted for assistance. This model is successful and could be replicated in other parts of Iraq, but it is very costly. Donors should be willing to support these efforts. </p> <h3>Protecting Refugees in Syria </h3> <p>Most Iraqi refugees in Syria have benefited from generous government policies and hospitable neighbors. The government’s recent efforts to extend residency permits for six months, their commitment to issue some work permits, and their engagement in drafting legislation that will address the presence of Iraqis in Syria are all positive steps that help to advance the protection of refugees. </p> <p>Still, the overall situation for Iraqi refugees continues to deteriorate. It is therefore essential that the U.S. and other donors maintain their humanitarian commitment to this increasingly protracted refugee caseload. There are approximately 3,000 new individuals registering for refugee status each month. Most are unable to work. Families continue to be torn apart as men seek employment opportunities outside of Syria. Rents continue to increase. Families are forced to move in together and share small apartments. This year there are 30% fewer Iraqi children enrolled in school. In some cases the costs of books and school uniforms are prohibitive for families. There has been an increase in detention and deportation, due in part to petty crime and prostitution. Opportunities for local integration have not materialized, and the majority of refugees have no plans to return. While most refugees dream of third country resettlement, this solution will not be afforded to most of the 218,000 refugees currently registered with UNHCR. </p> <p>Almost 13,000 vulnerable Iraqi families now receive cash assistance in the amount of approximately $150 every month (plus $15 per dependent) through the use of ATM cards. This creative program is efficient, effective and dignified—and a preferred form of assistance for most refugees. The ATM card system has an overhead of approximately 2.3%, whereas the overhead cost for assistance distributed through partner agencies can be as high as 23%. In urban contexts like Damascus, cash assistance cuts down on otherwise costly outreach and distribution efforts. Without more funding, UNHCR will be forced to scale back this life-saving program. </p> <p>Similarly, refugees with chronic but treatable illnesses like diabetes and cancer are at risk of losing UNHCR’s support due to funding shortfalls. Thousands of refugees’ lives will be at stake if UNHCR and its partners are no longer able to help subsidize tertiary health care. </p> <p>The World Food Program has also responded to the particular needs of delivering assistance in an urban environment through a recently introduced pilot program. Each family receives a SMS text message on his or her mobile phone with the voucher number and the amount of the entitlement. Families are then able to redeem the voucher for food from a list of nine items in any one of the selected stores participating in the program. Such a program directly benefits the local and national economy and supports Syrian-run markets. Refugees feel empowered to make their own food selections. Overhead costs are drastically reduced. This innovative model should be expanded in Syria and replicated in other parts of the world. </p> <p>While these two innovative programs should be strengthened, more emphasis needs to be placed on skills training so that refugees are able to become self-sufficient. Information technology programs are particularly useful, as they have utility in resettlement countries, the country of asylum, and the country of origin. </p> <p>Today, UNHCR has one of the most sophisticated and accurate registration systems in the world operating in Syria. The numbers of refugees registered with UNHCR as well as the needs of many of the most vulnerable are well known. Donors have not been able to even meet the needs of registered refugees let alone those who choose not to register. The U.S. especially has a special responsibility to help host governments ensure that the basic assistance and protection needs of this population continue to be met until durable solutions are readily available. </p> <h3><b>Refugees in Iraq Need Durable Solutions</b> </h3> <p>There are some 35,000 refugees in Iraq. One of the largest and most vulnerable populations is the stateless Palestinians. Though successful efforts have been made to resettle Palestinians from three border camps, the needs of those in Damascus, Al Hol Refugee Camp in Syria and Baghdad must be urgently addressed. Unlike Iraqis, Palestinian refugees from Iraq have been denied access to asylum in neighboring countries and subjected to forced encampment. In Baghdad they continue to be subjected to arbitrary arrest and detention, raids by the police and army, and armed violence. Their recently issued identification documents are noticeably different from Iraqi documents, making them easy targets at checkpoints. Most Palestinians attempt to acquire Iraqi documentation, and the men regularly travel with women to help protect them against arbitrary arrest and detention. Hiding their Palestinian identity is a matter of survival for these refugees. </p> <p>At the start of the war in 2003 there were an estimated 35,000 Palestinian refugees in Baghdad. Today there are only 11,000. Left behind are the elderly, the disabled, and some of the most destitute families. Even if they attempted to flee, there is nowhere for them to run—the Jordanian and Syrian borders are closed to them and UNHCR actively turns away Palestinians attempting to flee to Al Waleed Camp on the border. </p> <p>Many of the families are in need of urgent assistance. UNHCR needs to conduct a full assessment of this population and develop criteria for resettlement. In Syria UNHCR needs to immediately refer Palestinian cases in Damascus for resettlement and continue resettlement out of Al Hol Camp. </p> <h3><b>Conclusion</b> </h3> <p>As the U.S. continues to draw down its military forces and eventually end its occupation in Iraq, the U.S. and other donors must increase their humanitarian and development assistance and commitment to finding long-term solutions for displaced Iraqis. Millions of people are still displaced without access to shelter, food, health care or other basics. It is too soon for the U.S. government and other donors to abandon the needs of the Iraqi people. Likewise, the UN must seek to increase its presence and resources inside the country and throughout the region, ensuring that Iraq’s most vulnerable are protected and assisted until durable solutions are available. </p> </p> <p><em>Refugees International Senior Advocate Elizabeth Campbell and consultant Nir Rosen assessed the situation for displaced Iraqis in Iraq and Syria in February 2010.</em> </p> </p> <p><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.refugeesinternational.org/policy/field-report/iraq-humanitarian-needs-persist" class="external" target="_blank">Iraq: Humanitarian Needs Persist</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://www.refugeesinternational.org/" target="_blank" class="external">Refugees International</a></p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-8185"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/01/04/%d8%b9%d8%b4%d8%b1%d8%a9-%d8%ac%d8%b1%d8%ad%d9%89-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%ad%d8%b5%d9%8a%d9%84%d8%a9-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%86%d9%87%d8%a7%d8%a6%d9%8a%d8%a9-%d9%84%d8%a7%d9%86%d9%81%d8%ac%d8%a7%d8%b1-%d9%86%d8%a7/#respond" title="Comment on عشرة جرحى الحصيلة النهائية لانفجار ناحية برطلة شرق الموصل">No Comments</a></span> Posted on January 4th, 2010 by Editors</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/01/04/%d8%b9%d8%b4%d8%b1%d8%a9-%d8%ac%d8%b1%d8%ad%d9%89-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%ad%d8%b5%d9%8a%d9%84%d8%a9-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%86%d9%87%d8%a7%d8%a6%d9%8a%d8%a9-%d9%84%d8%a7%d9%86%d9%81%d8%ac%d8%a7%d8%b1-%d9%86%d8%a7/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to عشرة جرحى الحصيلة النهائية لانفجار ناحية برطلة شرق الموصل">عشرة جرحى الحصيلة النهائية لانفجار ناحية برطلة شرق الموصل</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/category/iraq/" title="View all posts in News" rel="category tag">News</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/attacks-on-green-zone-government-police/" rel="tag">Attacks on green zone government police</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/bartala/" rel="tag">Bartala</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/bombings/" rel="tag">Bombings</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/casualty-levels/" rel="tag">Casualty levels</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/kirkuk/" rel="tag">Kirkuk</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/markets/" rel="tag">markets</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/markets-attacks-on/" rel="tag">markets - attacks on</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <p dir="rtl" align="right">قال مصدر في شرطة نينوى اليوم الاثنين إن الحصيلة النهائية لإنفجار السيارة المفخخة وسط سوق في ناحية برطلة شرق الموصل وصلت الى عشرة جرحى جميعهم من المدنيين. <br/>وكان المصدر ذاته قد ذكر في وقت سابق ان خمسة مدنيين اصيبوا بجروح بانفجار سيارة مفخخة وسط سوق في ناحية برطلة شرق الموصل. <br/>وفي كركوك لقي اثنان من عناصر الشرطة مصرعهما اليوم الاثنين واصيب خمسة اخرون بجروح اثر انفجار عبوة ناسفة على جانب الطريق في مدينة كركوك شمالي العراق. <br/>وقال مصدر امني ان عبوة ناسفة انفجرت في حي دوميس ما ادى الى مصرع اثنيين من عناصر الشرطة واصابة خمسة اخرين بجروح.</p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="navigation"> <div class="alignleft"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127072045/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/markets/page/2/">« Previous Entries</a></div> <div class="alignright"></div> </div> 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