After nearly two months of generating some of the most compelling journalism to come out of Iraq this year, NewStandard correspondent Dahr Jamail has decided to stay on through the June 30 "handover" of partial sovereignty, adding more than a month to his work in Iraq...
Hospitality and Hunger in Baghdad
A friend recently asked me to write some about how Iraqis are getting by in regards to feeding themselves amidst 60% unemployment, the fuel crisis, and the already terrible security situation that continues to degrade. The increased number of women and children...
‘It Is Getting Worse by the Day Here’
Late night writing due to the sweat alarm that has gone off, shortly after the electricity has cut out yet again. The electricity seems to have gotten worse lately, which is not surprising, in that this coincides with the gas shortage – also growing more severe...
A Long, Hot Summer Begins
Sometimes I forget that burnout applies to me too. After nearly two months straight of chasing stories, it was obviously time for a break. Unlike home though, one can't go take in a movie, take a jog or even a casual stroll. Walking around anywhere in Baghdad, being a...
‘There Are So Many People the Americans Have Shot’
Seventeen year-old Amir is crying during much of the interview. "We were coming home from work, and were shot so many times," he says with deep anguish and frustration. "Walid told me to leave the car because he was hurt and needed help." The man he speaks of, Walid...
Sadr’s Militia Grows
While U.S. troops continue to damage mosques in heavy fighting against resistance forces they say are holed up in holy sites of Kufa and Kerbala, men in the Sadr City area of Baghdad rushed yesterday to join the Mehdi Army, a militia force loyal to rebel cleric...
‘I Know Americans Are Very Friendly People’
Decades of smiles have left crinkles on his face that belie the sadness deep within his eyes. His hope and love for America has turned to a despair he is unable to express. "I want to talk to an American general or judge," says Nihad Munir. "I will give them my...
The Seeds Have Been Sown
"Iraq is sitting atop a volcano," says a school teacher in Haditha. "The Americans are aggravating people here, trying to get a reaction. Everyone in this province is against them now!" Most Iraqis I speak with nowadays are seething with rage toward the occupiers of...
Outside the Gates of Abu Ghraib
With the recent court-martial trial of one of the soldiers complicit in the widespread torturing of Iraqis in Abu Ghraib prison having come and gone, Iraqis see the newest promise made by the U.S. – to clean up their act regarding the treatment of detained Iraqis...
Doctors: US Obstructed Care in Fallujah
Doctors from the General Hospital of Fallujah, as well as others involved with clinics throughout the city, are reporting that U.S. Marines obstructed their services during the fighting that engulfed this city in April. They also said U.S. snipers intentionally...