Dahr Jamail

BAGHDAD – US occupation authorities and successive US-backed Iraqi governments have done little to stem the flow of Iraqis fleeing their war-torn country since the beginning of the occupation. Syria, Jordan and Egypt have accepted millions of Iraqis to stay under state controlled regulations that have varied between loose and strict in accordance with whatever … Continue reading “No Refuge Within or Outside the Country”

BAGHDAD – Clashes between rival Shia militias in Karbala have spread across southern Iraq and Baghdad, adding a new dimension to sectarian violence. Clashes between the Mehdi Army militia of Shia anti-occupation cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and the Badr Organization militia of the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council (SIIC) erupted over recent days in the holy city … Continue reading “Fighting Among Shi’ites Adds to Violence”

BAGHDAD – Religious clerics are beginning to play an increasingly powerful role in Iraq. Many Iraqis now fear that they are endangering human rights and religious freedom in the once largely secular country. Clerics began to play a major role since the U.S.-led occupation began in April 2003. Despite the promises of U.S. President George … Continue reading “Clerics Begin to Take Over Iraq”

BAGHDAD – Residents are fleeing Samarra city in the face of fierce fighting between US forces and resistance groups. New defiance is rising against US forces following military "crimes,” fleeing residents say. "On Sunday the 26th of August, there was fierce fighting between armed men and American forces in the Armooshiya district, and I saw … Continue reading “Samarra Under US Attack”

FALLUJAH – A brave new attempt is under way to project that all is well now with Fallujah. Residents know better – or worse. Former Iraqi minister of state for foreign affairs Rafi al-Issawi visited Fallujah, 60 km west of Baghdad, Aug. 22. Issawi, who resigned Aug. 1 when the Sunni Iraqi Accord Front withdrew … Continue reading “With Donkeys for Transport, All Is Well”

BAGHDAD – Hopes are fading for early release of the large number of Iraqis detained under the so-called surge. The "surge" is the new effort by US-led coalition forces to crack down on terror suspects. The number of detainees held by the US military has increased by more than 50 percent since the US administration … Continue reading “Families of Iraqi Detainees Losing Hope”

FALLUJAH – Fallujah is quiet these days. After all the fighting and destruction of 2004, U.S. and Iraqi forces call this success. Many residents are not so sure. Fallujah, 35 mi. west of Baghdad, produced some of the strongest resistance yet to U.S. forces and their Iraqi collaborators. These forces led two severe assaults on … Continue reading “Fallujah Finds a False Peace”

BAGHDAD – New US military operations across Iraq appear to be worsening the situation. On Aug. 13 about 16,000 US and Iraqi troops began a massive new military operation north of Baghdad. According to the US military, the goal of the operation, named Lightning Hammer, is to "target insurgents who have fled a crackdown in … Continue reading “Another US Military Operation, More Unrest”

BAGHDAD – The collapse of Iraq’s infrastructure has created a worsening water crisis that is killing untold numbers of Iraqis. Iraq, with its famous Tigris and Euphrates rivers that run the length of the country, is now unable to provide drinking water to most of its people. "The two rivers are still there, great as … Continue reading “Between the Two Rivers, Lack of Water Kills”

BAGHDAD – Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s increasing ties with Iran have triggered a splintering of his government. Several groups, both Sunni and Shia, have followed the Sunni al-Tawafuq bloc (Iraqi Accord Front) in quitting the U.S.-backed government. But Maliki refuses to make the concessions necessary to bring his "unity" government back together. Spokesman Iyad … Continue reading “Iran Ties Weaken Iraqi Government Further”