Inside Iraq - McClatchy Newspapers

          My first memories of the Olympic Game are from 1980 when the games were held in the USSR. I was only ten years old. i kept waiting for the Olympic Games. Getting older made me realize a very important fact. Big goals need iron will. The ongoing Olympic Games confirmed this truth to me.

Breaking Promises

Today Iraqis remember the anniversary of the greatest day of Iraq history the day of "great victory". In such day before twenty years Iraqis get rid of the ghost of Iranian war. This war harvested the lives of hundreds thousands of Iraqis innocent people. Eight years of sorrow and grief, eight years Iraqi mothers are losing their loved sons, husbands, and even innocent children.

          Since the last week until now, we have been waiting for the news about approving the provincial election law but our great parliament couldn't reach a deal that end the disagreements about this law.

Yesterday afternoon I went to the International Zone(IZ) in central Baghdad where the government and Coalition headquarters are  located, not to meet an official nor to attend a press conference for them, but to go to Diyala.

I can not understand why our government tries to bring back abroadIraqis. This is something very strange. Thousands of Iraqis insideIraq like me ignore the reasons of these demands.

          One of the gifts of God to Iraqis is their ability to make fun of everything. Without this great gift, I think there would be no Iraqi people because we are the nation that has the best relation with Sadness and pain.

Was I the only one who had any expectations regarding Barak Obama's visit to Baghdad?

Yesterday Sadr city; before that Amara; tomorrow God knows what place we would look at only to find people in different states of misery, poverty and fear.

At last, all the problems of Iraqis will end. All the suffering of the poor families will vanish. The tears of the hungry families will be smiles. the fear of the displaced families will be safety and tranquility. the lack of services will be not more than an old memory. Cheer up poors and dance with joy because the big achievements are coming.

     Taxi drivers and barbers are well known for having the variety of customers from the poor and the rich of the society they live in. For that reason dictators recruited some taxi drivers and few barbers to keep them in touch with what is happening in their society.

          Today is the 14th of July, the anniversary of the revolution which put Iraqi on the path of Republican rule. The revolution which was led by the former Iraqi president Abdul Kareem Qasim or as my father always loves to call him the most honest Iraqi president. I'm sure only some American politicians and few history lecturers who studied the Middle East history know this name.

Article 140 in Iraqi constitution was put to normalize situation indisputed areas especially Kirkuk the city of the black gold as Iraqislike to call it because it is one of the richest oil cities.

         Since 1995 until the American invasion, the former Iraqi government depended on the oil for food program to provide the food substances for Iraqis. We were not satisfied with that program although the ration food was always available on time and we never missed it for more than one day although many substances were very bad quality like the flour, oil and cleaning substances.

To enter, live and sometimes to leave Fallujah you have to have a Fallujah resident badge issued by U.S. marines.

        Iraqi and American officials are busy with the joint security agreement known as SOFA (status of forces agreement). Thetwo sides are working hard to win as much as possible in the negotiations and to lose as little as possible.        I'm talking about politicians as if they are the masters and people of the two countries are no more than slaves who the leaders think they can sell and buy.  I dont know why politicians are always think they have brilliant golden brains while people have damaged rusty copper brains which can do nothing but obey the great masters. Why American politicians think they can keep thousands of American soldiers in Iraq away from their families while the politicians enjoy the days and nights with their families, going to parties or on vacation?

Do you believe that Iraq will become a donor country again?

At last!

Today there was a meeting held to give more information and detailsabout the resettlement program in the USA. Many journalists who thinkof applying to this program or who already applied attended themeeting.

After five long hours on the road we reached Haditha, a beautiful town of stone houses and steep inclines all in the direction of the river Euphrates, a stretch of the bluest blue sparkling in the midmorning sun. But my heart was heavy – we were here to speak to survivors of a tragedy.

Dear All Honest and Patriotic Americans.

I heard rumors three months ago that the final examinations of the high schools in Baghdad wouldn't be held in schools where the students were supposed to have taken those tests.  This rumor proved true when the Ministry of Education announced that universities and institutions were to be the sites for the final examinations. The minstry said the reason behind change is a "security matter."

It was only 90 minutes till sunset, and  my brother and I decided to go to Shaab neighborhood.

Yesterday was my day off, so off I went to see my parents and who should I meet there but a cousin I hadn't seen for a loooooooong time. She didn't look very happy.

Four days ago I went with my boss, Hannah Allam, to the Taji camp north of Baghdad .  We traveled in style--by helicopter.

Karbala , a city held sacred by millions of Iraqis, a city certified able to keep its own security by the powers that be – the Americans, wakes up to a very strange story. 

    During the last week I had the chance to stay at home to live the hidden misery that the Iraqi families suffer from. I had a seven day holiday indoors which I supposed to spend outside Baghdad , but something happened that made me postpone that trip for another time.