BAQUBA - At least 5 million Iraqis have fled their homes due to the violence under the U.S.-led occupation, but half of them are unable to leave the country, according to well-informed estimates. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR),...
In Baquba, Better Security Brings No Reassurance
BAQUBA - The much touted "surge" of US troops in Baquba has caused more problems that it has solved, residents say. Baquba, capital city of Iraq's Diyala province located 65 km northeast of Baghdad, has long been a volatile city plagued by rampant violence and...
Many Iraqis Search Hopelessly for the Kidnapped
BAQUBA - Amid the violence and chaos in Diyala province, kidnappings continue unabated, bringing an uncertain fate for the abducted and unanswered questions for their families. Kidnapping has become another form of violence, to add to car bombs, assassinations,...
Iraqi Children Robbed of Childhood
BAQUBA - The violence around the continuing U.S. military operations in this city has robbed children of their childhood. Only two provincial schools and one private kindergarten school are functioning in this city of 280,000, located 30 mi. north of Baghdad. Most...
Baquba Caught Between the US and Al-Qaeda
BAQUBA - The major U.S. military operation in Baquba city north of Baghdad has ended, but it has left continuing suffering for residents in its wake. The U.S. military launched Operation Arrowhead Ripper in Baquba, 30 mi. northeast of Baghdad, on June 18. Baquba is...
Sectarianism Splits Security in Diyala
BAQUBA - Militia from the Shia organization Badr have taken over the police force in Diyala province north of Baghdad, residents say. The government led by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is believed to have backed such infiltration, and this has reportedly led to...
Baquba Denied the Healing Touch
BAQUBA - Diyala General Hospital in the provincial capital Baquba has been hit by a severe lack of supplies amid ongoing attacks by militants. Located 50km northeast of Baghdad, the city of Baquba has become known now for both the huge US military operations and the...
Baquba: Living in a Dead City
BAQUBA - Life in the violence-plagued capital city of Iraq's Diyala province has become a struggle for day-to-day survival. Heavy U.S military operations, sectarian death squads, and al-Qaeda militants have combined to make normal life in Baquba, 30 mi. northeast of...
In Baquba, Mass Graves Dug to Deal With Death Toll
BAQUBA - The largest morgue in Diyala province is overflowing daily. Officials told IPS they have had to dig mass graves to dispose of bodies. More and more bodies of victims of the ongoing violence are being found every day in Baquba, capital city of the province, 30...
Iraq: Al-Qaeda Escapes U.S. Assault
Air strikes have destroyed civilian homes rather than al-Qaeda targets under the U.S. military operation in Baquba, residents say. But signs have emerged of an al-Qaeda presence here earlier, and some residents speak of relief that al-Qaeda has been driven out of the...