Straight from the source
July 13, 2004 10:53 AM Subscribe
"When two Iraqis sit together to talk then politics will be there."
Quite a powerful weblog post by Baghdad citizen 'Mohammed' who tries to focus on the positive side of things against ever increasing frustration. Just one of a number of Iraqi weblogs that are beginning to pop up now that both the Internet and freedom of speech is available to the commoners.
Quite a powerful weblog post by Baghdad citizen 'Mohammed' who tries to focus on the positive side of things against ever increasing frustration. Just one of a number of Iraqi weblogs that are beginning to pop up now that both the Internet and freedom of speech is available to the commoners.
great stuff, self-publishing has always been at the center of democratic revolutions... be careful of course to read many sources and take all of them with a grain of salt, it would be foolish to make prognostications based on one blogger's opinions.
posted by chaz at 11:58 AM on July 13, 2004
posted by chaz at 11:58 AM on July 13, 2004
Fascinating... nice to get some real specific information on what's happening, literally within a kilometer of his home.
Also saw on Al-Jazeera that the Iraqi police have been making their first large-scale arrests of criminals today. Quite rare to see a positive tone in an Iraq story from them.
posted by TheophileEscargot at 12:05 PM on July 13, 2004
Also saw on Al-Jazeera that the Iraqi police have been making their first large-scale arrests of criminals today. Quite rare to see a positive tone in an Iraq story from them.
posted by TheophileEscargot at 12:05 PM on July 13, 2004
From Healing Iraq:
Saturday, July 03, 2004
According to this report, the 3 soldiers who forced Zaydun and his cousin Marwan into the Tigris at Sammara resulting in the drowning of Zaydun are now facing charges of manslaughter, assault, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy. A fourth soldier was charged with assault and making false official statements. A court hearing has been scheduled next Thursday, and further charges may be waiting the soldiers. Here is Reuter's story, and I have been told that the story was mentioned today on several news channels, nothing in the Arab channels yet.
This following an Army CID investigation which took about 6 months. Zaydun and Marwan returning from a business trip at Baghdad were arrested just outside Sammara minutes before the night curfew last January, they were released at the Tharthar dam gates on the Tigris and were forced into the river by the soldiers even though Zaydun pleaded with them that he couldn't swim. Zaydun drowned and Marwan who was picked up by the Sammara ICDC force survived to tell the story. Zaydun's corpse was recovered from the river days later, his family was denied an investigation so his mother wrote a letter to president Bush which was published on this blog. Days later a full investigation commenced, press reporters and journalists picked up the story...
Another very positive report on interactions with American troops.
posted by y2karl at 12:56 PM on July 13, 2004
Saturday, July 03, 2004
According to this report, the 3 soldiers who forced Zaydun and his cousin Marwan into the Tigris at Sammara resulting in the drowning of Zaydun are now facing charges of manslaughter, assault, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy. A fourth soldier was charged with assault and making false official statements. A court hearing has been scheduled next Thursday, and further charges may be waiting the soldiers. Here is Reuter's story, and I have been told that the story was mentioned today on several news channels, nothing in the Arab channels yet.
This following an Army CID investigation which took about 6 months. Zaydun and Marwan returning from a business trip at Baghdad were arrested just outside Sammara minutes before the night curfew last January, they were released at the Tharthar dam gates on the Tigris and were forced into the river by the soldiers even though Zaydun pleaded with them that he couldn't swim. Zaydun drowned and Marwan who was picked up by the Sammara ICDC force survived to tell the story. Zaydun's corpse was recovered from the river days later, his family was denied an investigation so his mother wrote a letter to president Bush which was published on this blog. Days later a full investigation commenced, press reporters and journalists picked up the story...
Another very positive report on interactions with American troops.
posted by y2karl at 12:56 PM on July 13, 2004
^Doesn't sound like something a right-winger type would "plant" in a blog.
posted by dhoyt at 1:12 PM on July 13, 2004
posted by dhoyt at 1:12 PM on July 13, 2004
Well, they have the Internet, anyway.
posted by FormlessOne at 3:05 PM on July 13, 2004
posted by FormlessOne at 3:05 PM on July 13, 2004
Apparently, some of these folks are working for or doing business with the coalition. They have better power inside the Green Zone.
posted by y2karl at 8:04 PM on July 13, 2004
posted by y2karl at 8:04 PM on July 13, 2004
Hammorabi, the number above is in the UK, at least according to the Future Of Iraq Portal , which has a number of Iraqi weblogs--among many other things--from within and without Iraq linked from across the political spectrum. Now there is a resource.
posted by y2karl at 8:10 PM on July 13, 2004
posted by y2karl at 8:10 PM on July 13, 2004
Expect more of this rather than less: a treat, actually, because Iraqis have a great reputation as storytellers. I mean "storytellers" in the traditional sense, when a person would sit in the corner of a coffee house (or bar) and tell stories for the entertainment of customers.
Sir Richard Burton's 'The Arabian Nights' were to a large extent gleaned from such tales found in the region. And the Iraqis are a highly literate people.
When things settle down over there, hopefully into peace and prosperity, I hope that their grand literary tradition is reawakened and translated into English. Theirs is a reputation of prose and poetry of the highest quality, long before they were called Iraqis.
posted by kablam at 8:25 PM on July 13, 2004
Sir Richard Burton's 'The Arabian Nights' were to a large extent gleaned from such tales found in the region. And the Iraqis are a highly literate people.
When things settle down over there, hopefully into peace and prosperity, I hope that their grand literary tradition is reawakened and translated into English. Theirs is a reputation of prose and poetry of the highest quality, long before they were called Iraqis.
posted by kablam at 8:25 PM on July 13, 2004
(from Hammorabi)
The new report by the US Senate regarding intelligence failure about WMD may be part of the war against GWB!
I'm glad they aren't using the "newly freed" press over there to spread propaganda.
posted by swell at 8:41 PM on July 13, 2004
The new report by the US Senate regarding intelligence failure about WMD may be part of the war against GWB!
I'm glad they aren't using the "newly freed" press over there to spread propaganda.
posted by swell at 8:41 PM on July 13, 2004
Wow. Let's link to a bunch of well known weblogs with no new news and call it a FPP.
Hey, did you see this Iraqi weblog? Neat, huh?!
posted by insomnia_lj at 4:51 AM on July 14, 2004
Hey, did you see this Iraqi weblog? Neat, huh?!
posted by insomnia_lj at 4:51 AM on July 14, 2004
Wow. Let's link to a bunch of well known weblogs with no new news and call it a FPP.
LOL! If I'm not mistaken, linking "news" generally results in people whinging "Newsfilter!!". Would you prefer I post something facinating like this? Moron.
posted by Jase_B at 8:06 AM on July 14, 2004
LOL! If I'm not mistaken, linking "news" generally results in people whinging "Newsfilter!!". Would you prefer I post something facinating like this? Moron.
posted by Jase_B at 8:06 AM on July 14, 2004
That the rightwingers try to claim victory at the existence of a few happy Iraqis means they themselves know they're wrong.
posted by Space Coyote at 10:06 AM on July 14, 2004
posted by Space Coyote at 10:06 AM on July 14, 2004
« Older Roadless Act under attack. | S&M Barbie Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
On a side note, he also links to Chief Wiggles under the heading "Soldiers' Blogs", and Chief Wiggles is none other than our very own, big-hearted, no nonsense, Korea-lovin', Right-Wingin' great guy Plunge.
I wondered where he had been, now I know it was Iraq.
posted by hama7 at 11:18 AM on July 13, 2004