Stories about Iraq from November, 2006
Arabisc: Arrested Blogger Released and the Civilisation of Terrorism
Egyptian blogger Ramy Siyam – aka Ayoub – is out of jail, after spending an eventful 108 hours being moved from one detention centre to the other. According to fellow blogger Alaa Abdelfattah: “He was arrested in a sweep in downtown while securing the area for the President's visit to...
Kurdistance: It's Quiet Out Here
One of the hardest things about reporting on various blogospheres is the natural ebb and flow of people's writings. The past two weeks in the Kurdish blogosphere have been strangely quiet, the kind of quiet that is found before a great storm. Hiwa from Hiwa Hopes writes about the rampant...
Arabisc: Bahraini Elections, Dying Children and Confusing Freedom!
Bahrain held its second Parliamentary elections in its modern history this week, with about 300,000 voters going to the polls. Amongst them was Bahraini blogger Haythoo, who hoped his ‘party’ would emerge victorious. أنا الأن متوجه لتغطية العملية الأنتخابية.. أتمنى أن يحالفنا الحظ و نفوز بأكثرية نيابية.. يجب أن نعمل...
Iraq: Uncle Saddam
All what you wanted to know about Saddam Hussein can be seen in ‘Uncle-Saddam’ documentary. “Uncle Saddam gives a feel for what it was like to be around the man and what sort of a man Saddam Hussein was, what he did inside the unfair system of dictatorship with checks...
Flying Over the Iraqi Blogodrome
Literally this time. I am writing this as my flight to Dubai is actually flying over Iraqi airspace. First time ever. If I were to give a true summary of the Iraqi blogs these past weeks it would be one of sadness, death, and violence. But I am not going...
Egypt: Shias Love and Hate Al Jazeera
The Big Pharoah, from Egypt, says that Qatari-backed Al Jazeera channel is loved by the Shia of Lebanon and hated by the Shia of Iraq. In return, he claims that the Sunnis of Iraq love Al Jazeera while the Sunnis of Lebanon hate it.
Iraq: Bloodbath in Baghdad
At least 160 people were killed and 260 wounded in a series of coordinated car bombings and mortar attacks in the Shi’ite district of Sadr City, northeast of Baghdad, writes blogger Zeyad in Healing Iraq. He says the death toll is likely to increase as hospitals in Baghdad struggle to...
Arabisc: Culprits, Democracy and the Rule of Law
Choosing links from 22 different Arab countries for translation is no easy feat..for however much you try and be selective, you cannot be doing the region and its bloggers any justice. Today I have selected the following links, each highlighting a different woe Arab bloggers have to deal with. Our...
Kurdistance: Picking up the pieces
After a month's hiatus, Kurdistance is back up and running…and attempting to pick up the pieces of Kurdish opinion floating out there in the blogosphere. The big issues this month have been the Saddam Hussein verdict, the US in Iraq, and the flooding in Northern Kurdistan/Southeast Turkey. The Saddam Verdict:...
Landing at the Iraqi Blogodrome
Crimson rain,vermillion maneAnd few people walking, few people sane From Carmine and Cardinal to Persian Red To Falu to Gules to just a Red, plain! From Scarlett of screens and the Five of Maroon Alluding all voices and blurring your noon You wonder and ponder then what to do It...
Arabisc: Best Blog Awards Winners and Recurring Nightmares
Arabic blogs are making their mark on the international blogging scene, with more writers and commentators taking to their keyboards and enjoying the thrill of the instant publication of their ideas away from government censorship, newspaper censorship and self-censorship! The BOBS – Best of the Blogs Awards 2006 highlighted a...
Saddam at the Iraqi Blogodrome
Goodbye Iraq's butcher; may you never grow in our dreams. You were the farce that placed itself where lives were torn apart. You called out to our country, and you tormented those already in pain. Now you belong to hell, and in shame we spell out your name. …And even...
Arabisc: How did Arab bloggers react to Saddam Hussein's verdict?
While Arab bloggers writing in English jumped on the opportunity to comment on Saddam Hussein‘s death sentence, those writing in Arabic seemed to be slower to react. Among the few commenting on the story making the headlines yesterday and today, Batir Wardam from Jordan, says what is more important than...
Landing at the Iraqi Blogodrome
If you read no other blog posts this week read these Today I present a series of must-reads from the Iraqi blogodrome. Each one is powerful and not to be missed in its own way. It took a huge email exchange between Iraqi bloggers, but the rumble over the Lancet...