Ahmed Ali

BAQUBA – The Awakening Councils in Diyala province are stepping up their protests against the government in Baghdad. The Awakening Councils, or the Sahwa as they are called, are a mostly Sunni Muslim force set up by the US to draw in resistance fighters into their ranks, and then to help US forces fight other … Continue reading “A New Force Called Sahwa Shows Its Muscle”

BAQUBA – University professors now enjoy increased pay, but in the face of threats and isolation, there is little they are able to do in the world of academics. All that has gotten better is the pay. Under the regime of former dictator Saddam Hussein – and primarily because of the U.S.-backed and UN-enforced economic … Continue reading “In Iraq, Learning Can Be Dangerous”

BAQUBA – U.S.-backed Sunni militants have challenged the U.S.-backed Iraqi government in Baghdad and demanded political power after two women were killed by government forces. Tensions rose earlier this month when men dressed in Iraqi security personnel uniforms kidnapped two women. Their naked bodies were found later. After the incident, the "Awakening Groups" in Baquba, … Continue reading “US-Backed Groups Challenge Iraqi Government”

BAQUBA – Conditions are particularly difficult for women in Baquba, despite the relative lull in violence. The city, about 40 km northeast of Baghdad, is capital of Diyala province, amongst the most troubled regions of Iraq in recent months. As in all conflict areas, women, along with children and the elderly, have suffered most. A … Continue reading “Violence Draws Veil Over Women”

BAQUBA – Broken promises have brought a dramatic increase in anti-US sentiment across the capital city of Iraq’s Diyala province. Many people in Baquba, capital of Diyala 40 km northeast of Baghdad, had supported US forces when they ousted former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. But failed reconstruction projects and muddled policies mean the US has … Continue reading “Iraqis: ‘US the Biggest Producer of Terror’”

BAQUBA – Continuing curfew has brought normal life to a standstill in Baquba, capital of the restive Diyala province north of Baghdad. Through nearly three decades of rule under Saddam Hussein, Iraqis witnessed only two curfews; for the census in the 1970s and 1980s. Under the US-led occupation of Iraq, curfews are commonplace, enforced whenever … Continue reading “Baquba: Under Curfew, This Is No Life”

BAQUBA – It’s turning out to be about the hardest winter Abu Muslih has known. Too often it’s a choice between buying food and medicines, and buying kerosene to keep his children warm. "I see them feeling cold, so I go out to buy kerosene at any price," Muslih, a 49-year-old city employee told IPS. … Continue reading “Fuel Crisis Freezes Iraqi Life”

BAQUBA – The Iraqi government announcement that monthly food rations will be cut by half has left many Iraqis asking how they can survive. The government also wants to reduce the number of people depending on the rationing system by five million by June 2008. Iraq’s food rations system was introduced by the Saddam Hussein … Continue reading “Iraqi Govt to Slash Food Rations Despite Far Higher Budget Than Saddam”

BAQUBA – The alarming security situation in Diyala province north of Baghdad has killed off much of the education system. The U.S.-led invasion of Iraq had at first brought hope. Salaries were increased: a newly appointed primary or secondary school teacher was given 200,000 Iraqi dinars, or about $150 a month. In September 2006, the … Continue reading “Education Is the Latest Casualty in Baquba”

BAQUBA – Facing violence, unemployment and poverty, the capital city of Iraq’s volatile Diyala province now finds itself confronting corruption. This follows the failed promises of reform, reconstruction and rehabilitation at the beginning of the US occupation of Iraq. Billions of dollars of US and Iraqi funds were set aside for rebuilding Iraq, ruined by … Continue reading “Corruption Adds to Baquba’s Problems”