Talk to an Iraqi

Haider Hamza is an Iraqi who goes around the US, with a small wooden booth titled “Talk to an Iraqi”, and he just sits there and lets people come and talk to him.

Philadelphia's Parkway at dusk on Saturday, July 4th

Breathtaking! Philadelphia is the most beautiful city I've ever seen in my life.

Photo by G. Widman for GPTMC (http://twitpic.com/9lpls)

Aljazeera goes live in Washington DC

I’ve long been a huge opponent of the Arabic version of the Qatar-based Aljazeera, a channel I call “Fox News of the Arabs” whose propaganda and hatred-filled sentiments are widely obvious. AJ incites the Arabs/Muslims against the West and Fox does the same with the Americans against the Arabs/Muslims.

However, when Al Jazeera English was launched in November 2006 I started following it to see if it is similar to its sister channel, Aljazeera Arabic. Surprisingly, I saw that it was completely different, in a good way. The standards were high and were similar to that of the BBC World.

On July 1st, AJE has finally made its way to the Washington DC area, after signing its first major U.S. cable deal with non-commercial MHz Networks last week. The channel is now available to 2.3 million subscribers, in addition to 140 million worldwide.

While watching it online most of the time, I became more interested in AJE when I noticed the variety of news the channel presented. Their documentaries and reportage are extremely helpful. They opened the window to viewers to see what is happening in the world, unlike U.S. TV news networks that have failed to do this basic journalistic task.

Now that I have AJE 24/7 on my cable TV channel list, I’ll watch the network even more closely and see if it is adhering to the basic ethical element in journalism, objectivity!

Blogging in Iran

The Daily Show in Iran

Jon Stewart puts things in perspective and sends his colleague Jason Jones to Iran!

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Jason Jones: Behind the Veil - Ayatollah You So
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Jason Jones in Iran

Light at the End of the Tunnel

Nothing in this world is better than seeing my beautiful Baghdad comes back to life after years of horrific occupation and terrorism. The bad news is still flowing everyday from Baghdad but some good news is flowing as well.

Lately, I have been fond of reading a blog by a fellow Iraqi blogger called "Sami" whose blog posts prove that his love to Baghdad and all of Iraq is bigger than anyone can imagine.

One of Sami's posts that moved me the most is titled "Lightening." In it, he expresses the positive attitude that he took in thinking about the future of Iraq. He took a walk in Al-Mutanabi Street, one of Baghdad's oldest neighborhoods where arts and culture always meet. The things he saw were tangible. He saw a revival of life, a definace of the violence that crippled the very same culture for years.

My eyes became tearful as I saw the pictures he took. It reminded me that hope still exists and that some day homecoming may happen. Thank you, Sami for those great posts.

Amazing photos from Iran

It's such a disaster Ahmadinajd 'won' in the elections... Here are some great photos of the demonstrations in Tehran.

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/irans_disputed_election.html

Washington DC's Katrina

Last weekend I saw a new print Ad displayed on the bus stop at the corner of my street. It shows George W. Bush looking out a window of Air Force One at the devastation and aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans with a close up photo of a person’s pair of hands holding tightly onto a piece of a cardboard with the phrase, “AIDS is DC’s Katrina” scribbled in red across the cardboard.

The above picture is a similar print Ad that was also put on a bus stop on 17th and H Streets, just one block from the White House, where I get off the bus to go to work.

It is amazing how Bush has become a symbol of failure in his own country, to the extent that this failure is printed on an Ad that got distributed across his very own country's capital where he once served as a president. So yes, what goes around comes around!

American Jews in Jerusalem use racist words against Obama

Israeli newspaper Haaretz published an op-ed about the shocking footage of the reaction by some Israelis and American Jews in Jerusalem to Obama's speech to the Muslim world.

Read full op-ed here and see the video below.

Unbelievable...

Obama in Cairo: Extending the Olive Branch

Nothing better illustrates the change Obama is trying to do with the U.S. policy towards the Muslim world than his speech today in Cairo.

By addressing the Muslims in Egypt, Obama opened a door that was closed for eight years due to the Bush administration’s horrible approach with the Arab and Muslim countries. Walking through that door, Obama was greeted respectably and lovingly by those who once hated his country to the bone.

The fact that Obama is approaching the Muslim world through such a speech is very similar to someone carrying the olive branch, in my opinion. He is seeking peace for the world, unlike Bush who sent bombs instead, not to mention his administration’s black-or-white attitude that led to ongoing wars.

In this speech, Obama didn’t show signs of weakness or humility like how some conservative republicans view it. In my opinion he was the most powerful person. He initiated approaching the Muslim world by extending his hands to combat the stereotypes and the mistakes committed by his predecessors. In it, I viewed the other good face of America. In fact, I saw that the American administration can actually be nice to the others!

Fair could also describe the speech as well. For instance, when he mentioned how Muslims and the Americans should not perceive each other depending on stereotypes. Another example is when he criticized both Palestinians and Israelis for being responsible for the horror happening in their region. I agree the Israeli settlements should stop and also agree that threatening to destroy Israel will not bring the Palestinians any good and that it should stop.

The other thing that attracted my attention was when Obama indirectly criticized what the Bush administration did. The fact that the American president acknowledges that the Iraq war was “a war of choice” is enough to say that Bush did not have to invade Iraq, yet he did. However, he stated that Iraqis are “better off without the tyranny of Saddam Hussein,” which I agree and disagree with at the same time. It was good to get rid of Saddam, but the life of the Iraqi people was wrecked by the ignorant policies that were made by the Bush administration. We can’t really say that our lives are better off now than under Saddam, because it’s still a complete wreck compared to that before the invasion. I’m hoping that it won’t last like this and by then Obama’s statement would fit.

Bush and his henchmen believed in imposing the Jeffersonian democracy upon the countries they invaded. It’s amazing how for the first time I hear Obama admitting that “no system of government can or should be imposed upon one nation by another.” When I heard that, I said, “THANK YOU!” Was it hard to acknowledge such a simple, yet powerful fact? That’s what Bush did not understand or did not want to understand. You can’t impose democracy; you teach it; you increase people’s awareness of it, but not force it the way you like, ignoring the background of that country.

Overall, I saw that the speech came in a time when tension between the Muslims and the West has reached its peak. It’s very nice to see that Obama took the initiative of extending hands. I know this speech may not leave a big impact on many Muslims and Arabs but I think it’s like baby steps. By course of time, things will change to the better hopefully if Obama continues his positive and peaceful attitudes. It’s a long road but the thousand-mile road starts with one step.

Muslim Americans Serving in the U.S. Government

From the White House YouTube page:

The United States government reflects the rich diversity of the American population. Meet three Muslim Americans who freely retain and express their own faith identities while serving their nation.

Cheney: Oops! Saddam had no link to 9/11. Oh well, I profited from this war!

What is it with all those Bush administration officials? As if it’s a game! Every time their terms end they show up and speak out loud about how they were mistaken regarding certain things. Wait, those things are not just things; they are decisions that created mayhem and horror.

After Bush’s first lying mate Collin Powell admitted on Meet the Press that Iraq did not have WMD, the ruthless former VP Dick Cheney confessed today that even Saddam had no link with al-Qaeda and the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Hold on a sec here: let’s see, the two the main excuses for launching the Iraq war were the WMD and the link to 9/11! So basically the hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and the more than 4,000 Americans who were killed in the war were because of two lies?

And yet, there are still some people who believed that Bush was fighting terror and his henchmen fit the job. I mean Cheney is basically saying, “Screw the Americans. I needed to profit from this war financially and I did”! What else does this thug have to say so that you believe he is a criminal?

47 million-year-old Missing Link Found

Before heading to work every morning, I turn on the TV to watch CNN's American Morning to get the latest news. This morning, I heard the most interesting news ever! The "Missing Link" is found!!!

A discovery of a 47 million-year-old fossil primate that is said to be a human ancestor was announced and unveiled Tuesday at a press conference in New York City.

Known as "Ida," the nearly complete transitional fossil is 20 times older than most fossils that provide evidence for human evolution.

It shows characteristics from the very primitive non-human evolutionary line (prosimians, such as lemurs), but is more related to the human evolutionary line (anthropoids, such as monkeys, apes and humans), said Norwegian paleontologist Jørn Hurum of the University of Oslo Natural History Museum. However, she is not really an anthropoid either, he said.

I have long been trying to find convincing proof of evolution. On one hand, the Quran says "We created man of the best stature," but then you think about the Neanderthal human and read the possibilities that he was not created in the "best stature."

I was leaning more to religion on that issue, but science has been proving several things that religion is not quite clear about.

Anti two-state demonstration in front of the White House

Anti two-state demonstration in front of the White House, originally uploaded by baghdadtreasure.

As I was heading out to get some lunch with my coworkers, I came across this anti two-state solution demonstration in front of the White House.

Click on the picture to see more.

Deputy PM's Tweeting

I'm following Iraqi deputy prime minister Barham Salih (@BarhamSalih) on Twitter and just read his latest tweet. A lot of people are talking about the improvements in Iraq, but there is a little coverage of the latest surge in violence. Apparently, Salih doesn't agree with the Majority now! Here is what he tweeted:

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New York Times Documentary: Girls Banned from School

This is a really interesting and chilling short documentary made by two New York Times reporters in the Swat Valley in Pakistan.

The documentary profiles an 11-year-old Pakistani girl on the last day before the Taliban close down her school. It is a shocking reminder to all of us that the Taliban need to be crushed by all means. Their barbarian actions are far from over.

Warning: this video includes some graphic images of people tortured and beheaded by the Taliban.



blog.bassamsebti@gmail.com

Arabesque

Last night, I attended a concert performed by Iraq’s Maqam singer, Farida. The concert was part of Arabesque Festival: Arts of the Arab World which is organized by the John F. Kennedy Center from February 23 to March 15, 2009.

The below video was taken by my friend Omar.



blog.bassamsebti@gmail.com

Abu Ghraib

After it was handed over to the Iraqi government, the notorious Abu Ghraib prison has been renovated and opened in a new shape. Its ill-remembered name has been changed as well. It is called Baghdad Central Prison now.

On this occasion, The New York Times’ Baghdad Bureau Blog featured its reporters and photographers narrating what they had seen as they covered stories inside that hellish jail from the horrific days when the Iraqi tyrant used to rule and the times when the prison fell in the US military’s control where Iraqi inmates were abused and tortured.

Titled “Abu Ghraib,” The New York Times blog post contains strong graphic images.

blog.bassamsebti@gmail.com

SNL with Pelosi/Reid

I watched this episode of Saturday Night Live last night with a friend of mine and couldn't resist posting it here.



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Look Who’s Talking About Age

The extreme right-wing and go-to-hell-non-Jesus-worshipers-Fox-News-host Bill O'Reilly called White House reporter Helen Thomas the "wicked witch of the east” just because she is old.

*Thinking here* Isn’t he on the verge of being 60 years-old? Does he think he is young? I can’t believe human beings actually watch his show and listen to his nonsense.

Are You Kidding Me?

CNN: Push to put porn star in Senate race is no racy gimmick

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) – Fans of porn star Stormy Daniels are drafting her to run for the U.S. Senate seat in Louisiana now held by Republican David Vitter. And it's no racy gimmick, they say.

"2010 presents the Pelican State with the opportunity to start with a clean slate — to elect a representative that we can be proud of, who will work tirelessly, and who will challenge the status quo," according to the Draft Stormy Web site. "We at the Draft Stormy campaign feel that Baton Rouge native Stormy Daniels is best suited to fulfill these duties."

Fierce Competetion to Shape Iraq's Future

On Saturday, Iraqi people are going to the polling centers to cast their ballots in the country’s provincial elections. I’ve been following the elections news and thought I should share some information I have gathered in that regard.

For those interested in understanding what the ABCs of the elections are, read this MSNBC Q&A report.

As you may all know, violence in Iraq has decreased due to several factors, including the segregation of the cities and the neighborhoods within and the joint Iraqi-American military operations that helped fight the insurgents and militias who almost took over the country. But above all those factors was the fact that the Iraqi people themselves have finally realized that there was no need to fight each other anymore. This, of course, excludes the politicians. And this led to a relative reconciliation that has finally penetrated into the warring Iraqi society.

Saturday’s provincial elections are critical. I believe they will be a new kind of test where Iraqis are going to see if those they are voting for will take the country forward and not backwards. It is a test for Iraqis themselves as well. The results will reveal whether the people have learned their lessons of the past elections. Of course, it is hard to assume they did as democracy is still new and it’ll take them decades to understand how it should work.

In this post, I’ll try to post some of the main concerns and most important issues that are related to the elections:

- Shiites, Maliki and the south

In most of the provinces across the country, the direction nowadays is not religious. People no longer care about the fact that the candidate is the son of the prophet, his grandson, or even the prophet himself. All they need is clean water, electricity, jobs and security. This is a milestone in the road of understanding that religion should be separated from the state. In this regard, Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki, an Islamist and a leader of the Dawa Islamic Party and who runs The State of Law Coalition slate, is not using his party’s religious mottos. In an interview with the Washington Post, a campaign manager for the Shiite coalition said, “Maliki is Islamic as a person, but as a statesman? No, he’s secular.” He added that there are other priorities he and his candidates need to consider.

Ghassan Al-Attiyah, a secular political analyst has noted this change as well. Yet, he told the Post that the important question is if Maliki is sincere in “wearing the mantle of reform instead of Islam.”

In a recent poll conducted by the widely-read independent Azzaman newspaper and Al-Sharqiyah satellite TV, Maliki and his State of Law Coalition are on the top of the charts. According to the Washington Post and the New York Times, Maliki’s popularity these days has risen due to his strong statements regarding the centralization of the Iraqi government, which I think is a tactic he’s using to win the votes because he knows some Iraqis, except the Kurds, do not want the country to be divided into federal regions. This tactic is scaring his Kurdish and other Shiite rivals, of course. Abdul Aziz Al-Hakim, the cancer-ill leader of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, has been calling uninterruptedly for separating southern Iraq from the rest of the country in a federal region that will look hugely like Iran and be run by Mullahs and Ayatollahs. The Kurds on the other hand are not worried about that. They already have their federal region, ruled by them democratically. However, their concern is how much power should the central government own. They have not yet gotten rid of the trauma Saddam had caused in brutalizing them and their rights. The outspoken Kurdish member of the Iraqi parliament told the New York Times that “people think [Maliki] has overreached.” It has even reached the extent that Waleed Salih Sherka told the Post that “[Iraqis] got rid of the dictator and nightmare Saddam Hussein only to get this new dictator wearing the uniform of democracy.” Wow, the competition is fierce. Several Iraqi and American newspapers have also mentioned that there have been some heated discussions recently between the Masoud Barzani and Maliki.

In addition to Maliki’s coalition, other candidates from other political parties are competing to win some seats. Those include the communists, the secularists, members of the Fadhila party, the nationalists, and some independent candidates who gain their support from the tribes in the provinces.

- Anbar, once restive now tries to be democratic

Anbar province was one of the most violent part in the country. Who of us doesn’t know the Fallujah battle? Today, the Sunnis in Anbar are focusing on democracy rather than violence. The Post’s Anthony Shadid reported from Ramadi, the provinces’ capital, that competition is fierce between the tribes-backed candidates and the political parties. Anbaris may find it hard to have technocrats or seculars to rule the province. They are left with the tribes because these tribes revolted against Al-Qaeda and restored the power from the terror organization. The tribes insist that The political parties like the Iraqi Islamic Party are not beneficial for the province. Shadid quote one of the candidates calling the IIP “liars” and “cowards.” They call Harith al-Dhari, head of the Muslim Scholars Association and a strong supporter of al-Qaeda in Iraq, “a barking dog” since all he does is complaining from his comfort zone in Jordan.

In any case, the Post reported that of the 29 candidates in Anbar, 15 are tribal figures.

Believe it or not, a group of secular liberals are also running in this election. The Post reports that “Shiites and Kurds sit on their board. So do a Christian and a Jew, one of the handful left in the country.” The paper said they advocate human rights and transparency, and end of corruption and the rehabilitation of Iraq. However, Shadid observed that “no one seems to be listening [to them]. “No one really can,” writes Shadid.

Against the tribes’ candidates run the Iraqi Islamic Party which created a coalition with some tribes. Called “Coalition of the Educated and Tribes for Development,” the coalition includes four Sunni political blocks, according to the Opinion Web site, Niqash. It also mentioned that violent incidents might occur between the competitive factions. One of the candidates Shadid interviewed was Hamid Al-Hayes who threatened to “kill all of their candidates” if theirs are attacked.

- Nineveh and the Kurd-Arab divide

It’s been continuously reported that the Kurds in the north are trying to include some of the non-Kurdish lands to their region. Their efforts include attempting to control parts of Nineveh province which is the home of Mosul, Iraq’s largest second city after Baghdad.

Since the election campaigns started, violence increased in the restive province. Niqash reported that several members of the competing political factions have been killed since the campaigns started. Observers believe these assassinations aim to destabilize the area.

In the northern province there are basically two slates, one include Arabs and the other include the Kurds. The Washington Post observed that Arabs in the province are looking forward to win in order to “appoint a governor and use their political power to roll back the Kurdish expansion.”

***

In the midst of this race of who will run the provinces, election posters have been stuck on almost every building and electricity post. Since corruption is a disease Iraq is still suffering from, some candidates used several methods to make people vote for them. Azzaman reported that Iraqis have been complaining about pressure and threats carried out by some parties to force them vote for their candidates. The threats varied, including assassinations and kidnappings. The paper added that they have even tried to bribe people to vote for their candidates.

***

I wish I had the time to write more about everything related to the elections. However, I suggest you read the articles I have linked to in this post for a better understanding of how this election is shaped.

blog.bassamsebti@gmail.com

My Heart is full of Obama Hope

Today is a great day in the history of the world. The dark ages of Bush are gone and 'hope' is making its way towards our hearts, filling it with the joy of having Obama leading us -Iraqis and Americans- to the path of change.

Here is what I wrote for the Institute for War and Peace Reporting.

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Perfect Endings!

From The Huffington Post:

President Bush was given an Iraqi-journalist-style sendoff on his last full day in office Monday, as tourists and demonstrators lobbed shoes, pumps, boots, sandals and Crocs from Pennsylvania Avenue onto the White House lawn.

Before launching the operation live, the shoe-chuckers took target practice in Dupont Circle on a 20-foot-tall blow up doll of the outgoing president, decked out in the flight suit he wore aboard the "Mission Accomplished" aircraft carrier.

As for Cheney:

Vice President Dick Cheney pulled a muscle in his back while moving boxes and will be in a wheelchair for Tuesday's inauguration ceremony.

White House press secretary Dana Perino said Cheney was helping to move into his new home outside Washington in McLean, Va., when he injured his back.

His doctor recommended that he needed a wheelchair for the next couple of days.

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"A Chastened Cowboy"

CNN's Campell Brown takes on Bush over Bin Laden. In a recent interview with CNN's Larry King, the soon-to-leave president said he didn't know whether the U.S. had ever come close to capturing bin Laden. Watch here:

Why the children of Gaza don't deserve to be killed?

Simply because they are children...

Watch this video that was made by Saudi blogger, Raed, author of Falsafat.

Reaction on this topic can be found here.

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Seeing Our Past in ‘Betrayed’

It was the same scene playing in my mind as it was on the stage. A young man called Adnan standing between mutilated dead bodies at the Baghdad morgue, looking for his friend’s body. As I was watching, I recalled how I stood in the real morgue back in 2006. The smell of the decaying bodies and the horror of being identified by the militias who were controlling the morgue flashed back into my eyes. I couldn’t but feel the warm tears pouring, watering my cheeks. The whole scene reminded me of the story I covered for the Washington Post when Shiite militiamen killed hundreds of innocents after the Samarra shrine bombing in 2006, an incident that triggered the civil war between the Sunnis and Shiites in the war-torn country.

The horrific scene was performed in Betrayed, a play by the The New Yorker writer George Packer, author of the acclaimed The Assassins' Gate: America in Iraq. Betrayed, which was screened at the Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater, is about the plight of the Iraqis who worked for the Americans who were either killed or threatened to be killed by the extremists who considered them traitors, spying for the occupiers and who were betrayed by their American employers who did not help them survive or flee the country for protection. The idea of the play started as an article in The New Yorker by Mr. Paker who adopted the play's plot and characters from real stories and information he gathered as he reported in the article.
The play was great. The New York Times put it in the best words:

“But the clarity of the writing, the urgency of the story being told and the fine performances give the play a sharp dramatic impact and a plain-spoken beauty. Painful human experience is presented here as just that. Nothing else is necessary to awaken sympathy, despair and awareness of a grave moral failure on the part of the American government.”

Last night was great not only because I watched the play, but also because I had the chance to meet George Paker whom I consider my idol, along with Anthony Shadid. I never want anything in my career life just to achieve at least half of what they achieved. Mr. Paker was a very nice person. We talked about the article, the play and of course his book The Assassins Gate.

Before the play started, my Iraqi friends and I had the chance to speak with celebrity and American actress Sarah Jesscia Parker who was hosting the play along with Matt Dillon, and Refugees International. We had the chance to speak with Sarah Jessica about how we lived and worked for American organizations, be it for the government or for the U.S. newspapers. My friend, B, whom the play was partly based on her story as a young woman working in the Green Zone for the Americans, explained to the superstar the reality of the daily risk she put herself in to do her job. Parker was all ears. It was the second time she attended the play. She said she was ready this time. She brought her tissues.

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Anti-War-On-Gaza Demonstration in Washington D.C.

As I was going to have lunch last Friday Jan. 9, I came across this anti-war-on-Gaza demonstration at the Lafayette Square, across the street from the front of the White House.



blog.bassamsebti@gmail.com

The Luckiest Man Alive

I have long been following Barak Obama's news, having had the hope he would become the president of United States. Even though I’m a non-American I believe studying Obama means studying how the world’s superpower is going to be led. I have been reading dozens of articles about him since I have gotten to be familiar with his name when I first came to the States in 2006. I even remember writing a story for my “Journalism and Politics” class about his decision of announcing his presidential candidacy for 2008. I have also watched TV programs and listened to interviews with and about him on the radio. These have all hooked me up to support him for a better America and hopefully a better world.

However, studying Obama politically is not enough. I felt I needed to study his personal life as well. Thus, and three days after he was elected to be the president, I headed to the nearest bookstore in downtown Washington DC where I go to work and bought his infamous memoir Dreams from My Father. I wanted to see why millions of people around the world, including me, fell in love with this man’s character.

The book sat on my bookcase for a few weeks because I was reading another book I needed to finish, a habit I don’t think I will change. I can’t read a new book unless I finish the one I have in hands. Some of my friends read three books at a time. Anyways, I started reading it recently and lived with Barak Obama the person, his life from childhood to adulthood and marriage.

Legendary Toni Morisson called Obama "a writer in my high esteem" and the book "quite extraordinary.” Indeed, it is an extraordinary account of life. Even though I loved Obama’s political accomplishments, I have never expected him to be such a great writer. His literary style chilled my entire spine with details portrayed with emotions and metaphors not any writer can master.

Every time I read about one of the characters in Obama’s life I feel I got to know him or her. His grandparents, mother, sisters and brothers. I loved how he talked about his sister Kenyan sister, Auma. She reminded me of my sister and how greatly she loves me and cares about me. The brother-sister relationship between the two of them was greatly discussed in the book, despite the fact that they lived oceans away.

As for his achievements, I should no longer be surprised that this man has become the president of the US. His will and strength when he was young and when he started off as a community organizer made me respect him a lot more. He did what no one in the African American Chicago community was able to do. Above all, he believed in what he was doing. He believed it was a good cause that needed to be addressed and dealt with, not ignored.

Throughout the book, Obama was brave enough to talk about what he was really going through as an American with African roots, what his father meant to him, how his relatives lived when Obama Sr. was alive and after his death, his brothers and sisters solidarity in hard times, and how after all of that he was awarded with his wife Michelle and how at the wedding he felt “the luckiest man alive.”

blog.bassamsebti@gmail.com

McCain-Palin Superstar to cover the Gaza War!!!

My colleague at work thought I was reading an article in the Onion. She was shocked when she discovered that the article was actually published on the Web site of a local NBC station.

The article was about Joe the Plumper announcing his new career as a war correspondent. Joe who is not even a licensed plumper, is going to Israel to report on the Israeli war on Gaza for an Ohio-based conservative Web site.

[Joe the Plumper] tells WNWO-TV in Toledo that he wants "go over there and let their 'Average Joes' share their story."

What a moron! I wonder what would Christian Amanpour, Anderson Cooper, Robert Fisk and many other experienced international correspondents (whom Israel banned from covering the Gaza carnage) would say about this!

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Shoe and Awe

Foreign correspondent and editor Magda Abu-Fadil wrote a very interesting blog post that was published in today’s edition of the Huffington Post.

In her post, Abu Fadil detailed how the Bush shoe incident left an impact on the worldwide fury against the recent Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.

It was bound to continue. The shoe has been transformed into a weapon of protest and fury at Israel's onslaught on Gaza, and by extension George W. Bush's unconditional support for the Jewish state.

The post also includes an interesting anthology of cartoons published in Arab newspapers and Web sites regarding the Israeli attacks and Bush’s end of presidency.

Read the entire blog post here.

Blog.bassamsebti@gmail.com

Life is back to Washington Post’s Iraq Coverage

With Pulitzer Prize-winner Anthony Shadid going back to the war-torn Iraq and the great work photographer Andrea Bruce is doing there, the real picture of Iraq has finally emerged, after two years of regular, non-powerful articles that did not reflect much of the country’s turmoil.

Shadid who won the Pulitzer for International Reporting in 2004 has recently returned to the segregated, wall-divided Baghdad which he left a few years ago. It hasn’t been that long since his stories started bringing my attention again. Like in his must-read book Night Draws Near, his stories are full of life. You can actually imagine yourself in whatever place or situation he describes. And of course, on today’s Washington Post front page, Shadid had THE story. In an article that other reporters have actually failed in investigating, he was the one who wrote in details about what Iraqis really feel these days. His words in his “In Iraq, the Day After” were extremely similar to what I hear from my family and friends, something American news headlines have intentionally ignored since last year.

Before Shadid returned to Iraq, I have been mostly fond of one particular thing on washingtonpost.com: Unseen Iraq, a blog maintained by Andrea Bruce, a Washington Post staff photographer who received several awards for her international photography. In addition to her amazing eye in shooting pictures, Bruce has a great style of writing and an honest description of the images she snaps.

That being said, I would advice the readers of this blog to follow Shadid and Bruce’s great work more often. Their work is honest, sincere, and accurate and is not motivated by certain propaganda. It is a mere reflection of life through words and photos.

Blog.bassamsebti@gmail.com