Alive in Baghdad Channel

Alive in Baghdad Channel - <embed src="http://blip.tv/play/tULa0FSHGg" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640" height="510" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed> VIDEO - Iraq, Baghdad – The Sahwa Councils or what are also known as "Sahwa Forces" had a strong impact and important role in bringing stability to some areas of Iraq such as Anbar province, Ramadi, Fallujah, and some other areas in Baghdad. Those forces were created after Sattar Abu Risha suggested the idea of creating local forces recruited within the same area the forces will be responsible for. However, some Sahwa Forces succeeded in protecting their areas while others did not. There have been some rumors spread about cooperation between the Sahwa forces and Al-Qaeda, in some areas of Baghdad. Some Iraqis began to be afraid of the Sahwa Forces due to some accidents happening in Baghdad such as kidnappings and robbery under the Sahwa protection. In some cases the lack of training of Sahwa Forces has also caused problems. On other hand many Iraqis welcomed the idea of Al-Sahwa; they considered them their sons due to the fact all Sahwa members are living within the same neighborhood where they live. Some of the Sahwa members are relatives or friends of the residents they are responsible for, and it became something common to see the neighbors providing food and greeting the Sahwa soldiers constantly. The Iraqi government took control over the Sahwa forces recently, that garnered a strong fear among Sahwa members and pushed some of them to leave their work with the Sahwa, due to their belief that the Iraqi Government and Ministry of Interior is controlled by Shia militias. Despite this change, some of them stayed working with the Sahwa although the Iraqi Government technically controls the Sahwa now. Alive in Baghdad has previously produced shows about the Sahwa forces in Adhamiya, Taji, Hawr Rajab, and now brings you Iraqi opinions on the Sahwa's progress and its future form. If you appreciate the insightful content provided by Alive in Baghdad, which you won’t find anywhere else, please consider becoming a paying subscriber, or making a donation to Alive in Baghdad. You can also purchase Alive in Baghdad T-shirts and DVDs to spread the word.

Alive in Baghdad Channel - <embed src="http://blip.tv/play/tULZg2iHGg" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640" height="510" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed> VIDEO - Iraq, Baghdad – University professors are considered by many to be the leaders of Iraqi society. The professor was experiencing many dangers, such as death threats, car bombs, and gangs. Despite all these conditions many professors continued going everyday to their universities, transferring education, culture, and inspiration to their students. During the time of the previous regime Regime time suffered under strict budgets and some stopped teaching and began taking jobs such as taxi drivers, shop keepers, or others. After the invasion the salaries given to university professors were increased, but many felt they were not increased enough to match their efforts. Further, the problem of transportation, the heat in the summer, and the lack of security, forced professors to expend even more money than usual. With the help of some NGOs and the assistance of some professors the Iraqi government created the "University Service Law." The main purpose of this new law is to support the professors financially and provide them what they deserve as university professor. The first issue the law fixed, was to increase the compensation university professors receive. The raises ranged between 250 thousand Iraqi Dinar ($200) and 100 thousand Iraqi Dinar (90$) each month. Some professors found these incremental raises to be a joke when compared to the work they do while others believe it to be a good step toward developing the educational system in Iraq. Amar Al-Ha'arya, a professor at Baghdad University told Alive in Baghdad, "The new law is good and bad at the same time. It's good because it can show us a light at the end of the tunnel and it's bad because our salaries are still not enough to make us creative." The cost of life in Iraq in general is quite expensive compared to the university professors' income. Alive in Baghdad brings interviews with some professors commenting on the new law its impact, as well as other issues facing professors today. If you appreciate the insightful content, which you won’t find anywhere else, please consider becoming a paying subscriber, or making a donation to Alive in Baghdad. You can also purchase Alive in Baghdad T-shirts and DVDs to spread the word.

Alive in Baghdad Channel - VIDEO - Iraq, Baghdad - This week at Alive in Baghdad, with the United States Presidential election looming and Iraq coverage dwindling dramatically, we decided to combine the two topics. Correspondents Nabeel Kamal and Ali Al-Le'abiy hit the streets of Baghdad and interviewed several Iraqis as to their opinion of the candidates. Our sampling was done in a short timeframe and by no means represents a statistically accurate cross-section of the Iraqi public. However, we do feel that you will hear an array of different opinions, and begin to gain a little insight into how the Iraqi public views the American government and electorate, more than five and years after the invasion. Please leave comments regarding your own views of the presidential candidates, and how you think they will affect the war in Iraq and how they should respond to these and other Iraqi civilians. If you appreciate the insightful content provided by Alive in Baghdad, which you won’t find anywhere else, please consider becoming a paying subscriber, or making a donation to Alive in Baghdad. You can also purchase Alive in Baghdad T-shirts and DVDs to spread the word.

Alive in Baghdad Channel - The education system in Iraq is well known as one of the best education systems in the Arab lands, most scientific departments give lectures to the students in English, for example in the medical departments most of the books are imported from famous universities in the United Kingdom. Today students are going through different difficulties that prevent them from understanding their materials, such as the constant shortage of electricity, the weak security situation and the financial troubles facing the students. The security problem remains the number one issue facing the students. Many explosions, militia attacks and security raids have targeted the Iraqi universities. Baghdad University has been attacked several times with car bombs and students were kidnapped on their way home from the university. Some students were forced to carry fake identification cards with different names in order to prevent being kidnapped by sectarian militias. On the other hand many students and young men in Iraq are not able to enjoy themselves or relax in sport clubs or go to cultural centers that help improve their education. The security situation in Baghdad has limited the establishment of cultural centers or students clubs, clubs that important to students because they allow them to exchange knowledge with other countries and mix with students from outside of Iraq. Unfortunately Iraqi students are not being provided scholarships or financial support from their government. Because of this, some students left Iraq, traveling to nearby countries with their families to finish their studies. There are a few projects adopting Iraqi students, for example the Iraq Student Project, to help them finish their education in the United States. Others were not so lucky and had to quit their schools and find a job. The financial situation and the constant problem of unemployment forced many students to leave school and take jobs that do not suit their age, for example in the industrial field or as car mechanics. One of the students, Muhammad, 21, is a student in the technical university in Baghdad, he said "I work for one year and my brother goes to university, then next year, my brother will work and I will go to university. Our father was killed in an explosion in Baghdad Jadeeda neighborhood, and we must work to live." In the end the Iraqi students are struggling to finish their studies under the stressful situation in Baghdad. Alive in Baghdad brings you interviews with some of those students who are still studying and just looking for some free time to relax and see their friends.

Alive in Baghdad Channel - VIDEO - Iraq, Baghdad/Saediya/Adhamiya - The sectarian conflict in Iraq was one of the main problems that has continued to limit stability and security in certain Iraqi provinces. Many people were forced to sell their house and flee to other neighborhoods or to leave Iraq entirely. In other cases they were not able to sell any of their property such as cars or furniture, and had to flee immediately. According to the International Herald Tribune, the highest number of casualties due to violence was in September 2006 when approximately 2600 Iraqis were killed. According to icasualites.org, more than 3300 civilians were killed in this period. At the end of 2006 the Iraqi Minister of Health shocked the world by announcing that 150,000 Iraqis had been killed during the war by October 2006, more than three times previous accepted estimates. Many of the casualties were because of the actions of Al-Qaeda and other Sunni militias or insurgents. On the other hand Shia militias such as the Badr Brigade and others were taking different techniques, for example kidnapping and assassinating Iraqis, and both sides created a great number of refugees and internally-displaced families. Sunni neighborhoods like Adhamiya in Baghdad found themselves hosting Sunni refugees who fled death threats from Shia Areas such as Khalis, Karbala, Najaf, and others. The internally displaced families were desperate to find shelter, some forced to live in tents in camps inside Adhamiya. Some local residents of the neighborhoods donated items like heaters, blankets, and food to help those families. Some families who were lucky were able to make a deal with a Shi'a family who was displaced form Adhamiya, and thereby find a home to shelter them during the worst violence. Shia areas like Sadr City have hosted Shia refugees from Sunni conflict zones like Abu Ghraib, Anbar province, and Falluja specifically. The Sadr movement has provided some of the help for these refugees, like food, blankets, and helping them by sheltering them in properties belonging to the Sadr Movement. Other families in Sadr City decided to host some of the families in their own homes. The common rumors in Baghdad are that the Badr Brigade is kidnapping Iraqi Sunnis, and the Mahdi Army is kidnapping Sunni Iraqi as well. On the Shia side the common belief is that Al-Qaeda and the Islamic Army's main purpose is the removal of all Shia from Iraq and to cut any kind of connection with Iran, and the Iraqi citizens find themselves confused whom to believe, the Iraqi government or a religious militia? Alive in Baghdad brings you interviews with some of those Iraqi who are suffering all those problems everyday.

Alive in Baghdad Channel - VIDEO - Baghdad, Iraq – it's well known that Iraq has one of the largest reserves of oil in the world, so it is quite ironic that the Iraqi people are constantly having problems obtaining various products produced from oil such as gasoline, propane, diesel, and kerosene. Furthermore, the prices of these products, when compared with the average income of an Iraqi citizen are barely affordable. The average income of an Iraqi citizens is between $100 and $300 per month. The price of one liter of gasoline is 450 Iraqi Dinar, or approximately $.30. While on the black market the price of one liter of gasoline is nearly 1500 Iraqi Dinar or $1. These prices are not stable and depend on the current conditions, whether there is an oil crisis or electricity shortage. The prices could jump between 2000 and 5000 Iraqi Dinar, or between $1.50 and $4 per one liter. Reaching most any destination in Baghdad could cost you half to three quarters of your gas tank due to the large number of checkpoints, walls, and convoys causing traffic jams across the city. Another side of the fuel crisis is the price of the diesel fuel that most of the neighborhood generators depend on. You can generate 5 amperes per month of electricity for approximately $150. However, 5 amperes are barely enough to power the fans, lights and some other simple household appliances. It is certainly not enough for turning on the water heater or air conditioner. The price is also dependent on the availability of diesel. One barrel of diesel that contains 200 liters costs approximately $200 and during a crisis or shortage, it could reach $400 and this is enough to fuel the neighborhood generators for only three days. The minster of Oil Hussein al- Shahristani has blamed most of the problems regarding oil production and refining on the security situation and the lack of electricity. He has also specified that a part of the problem with lack of oil products is due to the lack of oil refineries. It has been a common occurrence in Iraq that the trucks transporting these products such as propane, gasoline, or diesel are regularly attacked by different militias and insurgents, due to the belief that the trucks are working for the US military. As if these difficulties weren't enough, gas stations have become particularly dangerous places themselves. Many stations have been attacked by car bombs, mortars, or gun fire. Normally the distribution centers for propane tanks are in the gas station, where people must wait for up to three hours to get one tank. If they decide to buy from the black market it will cost approximately 3000 Iraqi Dinar $2.50, and this tank is enough for just. one week.

Alive in Baghdad Channel - VIDEO - Baghdad, Iraq - The ongoing fighting in Baghdad pushed the Iraqi and US forces to establish checkpoints all over the city to secure the roads and neighborhoods. Controlling the cars inside the city and preventing them from distributing weapons or bombs was the first aim of these checkpoints. There are four main types of checkpoints in Baghdad, the checkpoints made by US forces those of the Iraqi National Guard, and finally those established by the Iraqi Police or the Ministry of Interior. There are approximately five hundred checkpoints deployed around the perimeter as well as inside the city. Most of the checkpoints are directed by the Iraqi National Guard or Coalition forces. These checkpoints are getting attacked repeatedly by IEDs, car bombs, and sniper attacks. Many Iraqis were killed because of these attacks, for example, they may be driving into a checkpoint or getting killed by stray bullets fired after a car bomb attack. On the other hand, starting several years ago, militias began using what are known as “fake checkpoints” in order to kidnap or kill people. The fake checkpoints generated great fear among the Iraqi people agains Iraqi forces whether they were military forces or police. It become something very familiar within Iraqi society that if someone was kidnapped or disappeared at one of the “fake checkpoints,” the family should go and look in the morgue looking for that person. Today, although security appears to have returned to much of Baghdad, blast walls and checkpoints continue to choke the city streets. These measures helped re-establish security in the capital, but today many people question them and have begun pushing the Iraqi government to take down the walls that block much of the city.

Alive in Baghdad Channel - Video - Iraq, Baghdad/Adhamiya - The ongoing conflict in Baghdad has made a strong impact on the teachers and the education system in Iraq. A large number of teachers left their schools due to the threat of being killed or kidnapped by a gang to be ransomed. In other cases teachers and professors have been threatened or killed by militias or insurgent groups.Street blockades, checkpoints, curfews and the general lack of security affected the performance of teachers in Baghdad and elsewhere in Iraq. Teachers began to fear attending their school, due to the increasing risk of being killed. In 2007, Al-Mustansariya University was attacked by a car bomb that killed more than 65 students and 10 teachers. This explosion was one of many attacks that have targeted this university in particular since the conflict began. All of these attacks have resulted in convincing many students and teachers to stop attending this university.Teachers also face another very different type of problem. Although it is certainly not serious in the same way, the lack of equipment and adequate textbooks are another factor in the deterioration of Iraq's once strong education system. During the spring and summer the temperature in the classrooms can surpass 110 or 120 degrees. Unfortunately, many schools in Iraq are not outfitted with air conditioning systems inside the classroom. Even if students and teachers might be lucky to have an air conditioning unit, in many districts they're unlikely to have electricity. In 2007 the Iraqi Ministry of Education initated a new program to assist repairing and rehabilitating the classrooms and rebuilding schools in different areas of Baghdad. The Ministry has recognized that rehabilitation of Iraq's schools is integral to improving the education system. Unfortunately, the workers who came to repair some of these schools were attacked by different militias, and its believed they considered them to be working for the American forces.Some teachers such as Maani al-Yasseri have raised yet another issue that causes difficulty for the Iraqi educational system, the high number of students in a single classroom. This causes the teachers great difficulty in delivering lessons to the students, and providing enough materials for each student.

Alive in Baghdad Channel - VIDEO - Iraq, Baghdad/Sadr City – After the failure of many security plans proposed by the Iraqi government and US military strategists, a recent plan, hand-in-hand with the so-called "Surge," was designed. It was a desperate attempt by the US and Iraqi military forces to control the Sunni-Shia militia. At the suggestion of military leaders, the Iraqi and US governments decided to build walls to separate neighborhoods and to control militias and insurgents from entering or exiting any neighborhood without passing a checkpoint. The first wall was built in Adhamiya, in April 2007. Despite protests and opposition, United States military and Iraqi National Guard forces began to erect a wall surrounding the neighborhood of Adhamiya. The people living in the neighborhood engaged in several demonstrations against building the wall, and even Prime Minister Maliki, a Shi'a critical of the neighborhood, publicly protested the plan. Despite his intervention and public discontent, the wall was built and finished by late April 2007.These walls tend to be approximately 3 meters in height and made from concrete. In some areas the top of the wall is covered with concertina wire to prevent intruders from climbing over the wall. There are patrols set to guard the wall and they are present around the wall daily, and at all hours, to protract the wall from being attacked or bombed by insurgents.Another wall built at end of April 2007, but this time in Ameriya, this wall is approximately 10 kilometers in length and again 3 meters high. In September 2007 yet another wall was built in the Saidiya neighborhood. The wall surrounding that district was 23 kilometers, and by the end of 2007 there were over 50 different walls built around different neighborhoods across Baghdad.In May 2008 a wall was built in Sadr City after battles between the US military and the Mahdi Army. There are approximately two million citizens living inside the area now known as Sadr City, probably the largest single group impacted by one of Baghdad's walls. Previously they could come and go via nine major entrances. Many shops were force to close because of the wall, the shop owners found they could not complete there work anymore due to the wall sitting just in front of their shops.

Alive in Baghdad Channel - This week we speak to parents, teachers, and children, about going to school in a conflict.>Video - Iraq, Baghdad/Adhamiya - Over the last five years violence, terrorism, and fundamentalism have a severe impact on the ability of Iraq's children to receive an adequate education. This week Alive in Baghdad's Isam Rasheed speaks with parents, teachers, and children about the issues facing the Iraqi education system.For many, simply the issue of travelling to and from school prevents them from attending their classes regularly. Roads and even schools are often closed for government military operations, or by insurgents or militias opposed to the idea of an unfettered education system.Some neighborhoods have been affected much worse than others. In particular, the impact has differed depending on location and ethnic make-up. For example Shi'a neighborhoods such as Sadr City seem to have felt more influence from fundamentalist militias than general conflict-related violence. Schools in Adhamiya, such as the Adhamiya Primary School visited by Alive in Baghdad, have primarily been affected by raids, street battles, and mortar or rocket attacks. There are similar stories in western Baghdad's Ameriya and Hay Al-Jama'a among others.Violence is not the only issue which limits Iraq's students. Incidences of communicable diseases have skyrocketed. Students with contagious diseases are understandably not permitted to mix with healthy students. The parents of sick students brought their children to school for exams and waited to take them home once they were finished. Other parents wait for their children simply out of fear for their safety.As the 08-09 school year begins, in Adhamiya, parents, teachers, and students are hopeful. Violence and crime appears to have waned in the neighborhood. Life has been stable, and reconstruction has begun. Reconciliation and effective plans for distributing aid and government funds are still absent. Without these, the success of the school year is far from certain.***If you appreciate the insightful content provided by Alive in Baghdad, which you won’t find anywhere else, please consider becoming a paying subscriber, or making a donation to Alive in Baghdad. You can also purchase Alive in Baghdad T-shirts and DVDs to spread the word!

Alive in Baghdad Channel - Iraq, Baghdad/Sadr City – since the last few years Sadr City was the center of many battles between the Mahdi Army and the US military. Many homes, shops, and other buildings were destroyed in the first battles there in 2005, the conflict took place between the US forces and the Mahdi Army after a statement was released by Muqtada Al-Sadr commanding his followers to fight the "occupation forces" in order to liberate Iraq from the USforces.Another conflict took place in the year 2006 in Najaf were the Iraqi National Guard was fighting the Mahdi Army's militias. The US forces assisted the Iraqi National Guard with this battle in Najaf, and this influenced many of Muqtada Al-Sadr's forces based in Sadr City to fight the US forces and the Iraqi National Guard.The battle moved from primarily in Najaf to Sadr City, and more than 100 people were killed in the battles in Najaf and Sadr City. At this time, Muqtada Al-Sadr reached an agreement with the Iraqi government to arrange a ceasefire between the Mahdi Army and the US and Iraqi forces in order to stop what many expected to be certainly a bloodbath.Moqtada released a statement in early 2007 commanding all the Mahdi Army fighters to cease fighting the Iraqi forces and consider them as an equal part of Iraq to those who are loyal to the Mahdi Army and Muqtada Al-Sadr.There were ongoing minor and sometimes major clashes and operations in Sadr City throughout 2007 and leading up to the Spring of 2008, when a major operation was begun in Sadr City, to eliminate the influence and weapons of suspected Mahdi Army militants. In May 2008 the Iraqi National Guard were finally able to enter Sadr City, pushing deep into the district and taking control of the area. Alive in Baghdad's newest correspondent Ali Le'abi was with them, and interviewed a number of residents about their experience of the confrontation with US and Iraqi forces.

Alive in Baghdad Channel - Iraq, Baghdad/Adhamiya – Iraqi society is quite proud of its different types of architecture and design. Their buildings have evolved and taken different shapes over Iraq's history. In the time of the Babylonian civilization, the City of Babylon was famous for not just its decadence, but also the manner in which the houses and other buildings were constructed. During the era of the Abbasid Dynasty the Caliphs built many sites that are still standing until this moment. Buildings such as Al-Mustansariya university and several mosques like Al-Malwiyah in Samarra, were built by the Abbasids. Certainly some of Iraq's most famous recent architectural marvels are the bizarre monuments built under Saddam Hussein's regime, ending with the unfinished "Great Mosque" whose minarets are shaped like Iraqi Scud missiles.The designs of houses vary widely across Iraq. You will find many different styles, likely there are more architectural styles than ethnic groups! A simple survey will uncover everything from houses made of mud and scrap metal to the most modern home designs. Most houses now share a similar design that is close to common Western designs. There are of course some differences in the way the houses look, and they have a certain Middle-Eastern flair of course. One of the rare architectural designs is called Shanasheel, "the hanging silk." This style of house was first found in the 1800s and early twentieth century. People first popularized this style in the city of Basra. This design depends greatly on wood and colored glass. After it became popular in Basra the design began to be used first in Baghdad and then in most Arabic countries. The Shanasheel design has been especially popular because it helps the house to stay cool in the Summer, while keeping warm in the Winter.Many Iraqi artists began including the Shanasheel design in their artwork, creating a specifically Iraqi traditional style. They included it in paintings or graffiti on the walls around Baghdad. Through this practice the art traveled to Europe and to other places far from Iraq. Due to the age of most of the houses, they are particularly susceptible to damage from bombings and mortar attacks. Because of this, many of the homes are particularly dangerous to live in today, due to a high risk of collapse.

Alive in Baghdad Channel - Iraq – Baghdad The gas and the fuel for cars has always been a problem for Iraqis inside Iraq, the irony that Iraq has one of the worlds largest reservoirs of oil is not lost on Iraqis.The problem started in the year 2003 after the invasion, when the majority of oil refineries stopped due to the lake of equipment and spare parts. Iraq was left having to import its cars, fuel, and oil products from Jordan. These shipments were frequently left often open to attacks from insurgents which slowed things down even further.Most Iraqis need fuel not only for their cars but also for their home generators that provide them with electricity. This dual consumption helped create the Fuel shortage all over Iraq. The Iraqi government was left standing by watching, only able to make false promises of fixing it.The price for fuel multiplied 500 times after the war began. The price of one gallon of benzene can range from $70 to $150, the financial burden of this is almost unimaginable for the average Iraqi. The cost of fuel, and the waiting periods between availability are not the only problem.Many attacks have hit gas stations in Iraq. The Iraqi National Guards organize the lines in the Gas Stations, the ING’s arrive on a regular time to the Gas Stations in order to control the process of the Gas Distribution, and as we all know that the ING are targeted by many different militias, attacks were happing on some ING’s were taking a shift on a Gas Station and the random gun firing accused deaths injuries and sometimes car were exploding, the biggest attack was happing ever was the one that targeted “ Abu Ja’afar Al-Masnor Gas Station” 17 Iraqis were killed 6 ING’s were burned to death and 70 were injured, a bomb were exploding there that day and two snipers started to attack the ING’s the ING’s started to shot randomly and that accused the biggest number in deaths and injuries Some oil refineries returned to work again after the year 2006, but still did not solve the problem of Gas, one day you can see no one in the Gas line, next day you go and you find 200 cars waiting in the gas line in front of you , and this is the situation since 2003 the people started to store gas in there houses and that accused some accidents that happened and kills some people because of getting burned in their house.

Alive in Baghdad Channel - Iraq, Samarra- the City of Samarra is in the governorate of Salah Al-Din, 135 kilometers north of Baghdad. The city of Samarra lies on the east side of Dejla River, the city occupies an important place in Islamic history, due to the shrines that have been in the city for centuries.The two important shrines in Samarra are the shrines of Imam Al-Hadi and Imam Al-Askary. Those two shrines are considered as two of the most important shrines for Sunni and Shi’a Muslims, you can also see in the city the Malwiyyah which is one of most important historical figures in Iraq, the Malwiyyah is a part of the mosque that was bulled in the year 895 and it was built during the time of Imam Al-Ma’amon, and the mosque is still standing today in Samarra.The two shrines in Samarra were destroyed by a bombing in the year 2006, this bombing exacerbated many of the problems between different militias, and lead to different battles between militias and between militias a