Iraq
Lost Highway
Why is the main route between Erbil and Sulaymaniyah, the Kurdistan Region’s two largest and most important cities, a bumpy, dangerous, two-lane road? The lack of an efficient link between the two cities is a perfect example of the Kurdistan Region’s internal divisions, reflecting its dysfunctional politics in physical form.
Banning Alcohol in Babylonia
Iraq’s alcohol ban is out of step with the direction the Middle East is taking and also runs against the growing secularization of Iraqi society, particularly among its very large youth population.
Ashura Rituals In Iraq Highlight Environmental Crisis
Iraq’s climate conditions are only expected to worsen. In addition, activists, who face daily threats, have limited places to organize. The rituals of Ashura are critical not only in drawing attention to these dire conditions, but also in reaching those Iraqis who will be most affected by environmental degradation.
Saddam Hussein’s Extravagant Birthday Cake Was a Major Event
The celebration hall was vast, with the birthday star placed majestically in its middle. I don’t mean Saddam or even any of his children or grandchildren. The character we all eagerly anticipated was Saddam’s birthday cake.
Iraq’s Marshes Parched as Government Focuses on Oil
Iraq’s marshes in the south are drying out, eroding ecosystems and livelihoods while the government has little to offer. Meanwhile, as climate change and neighboring states have contributed to Iraq’s water woes, environmentalists have been subjected to kidnapping for speaking out.
The Uses and Abuses of the Iraq War
The lesson of Iraq is not to retreat into fatalism and make a virtue of apathy. It is to start from a place of empathy and weigh the human cost of both action and inaction. It is to never initiate a war where there is none, but, should someone else start a war, to ensure that it ends in the aggressor’s defeat.
I Worked in Iraq During the US Occupation. The ‘Rot’ in the Project Was Known to Us All
The sectarian human rights abuses and actions to undermine the democratic structures being put in place were known to us, yet we proved powerless to act. On this 20th anniversary, many are looking for lessons in America’s actions. But what remains inexplicable is that many knew at the time what the issues were.