Sectarian Divide
Nobody reading this will need any introduction to the sectarian nature of Iraq’s strife. In the crucible-like atmosphere, Healing Iraq seems to be an ambitious goal. It attempts to provide a daily commentary on news and events in Iraq and is well-written. However, as with most Iraqi blogs, the author is once again something of a mystery; although this is hardly surprising under the circumstances it is something that is more reminiscent of bloggers living under dictatorial regimes and should indicate the limits of the "freedom" that Iraq has thus far achieved.
Presumably the authors of Iraq The Model thought that they were being ironic. Their prediction that Muqtada al-Sadr’s withdrawal from the coalition government may mean a move into overt opposition is a grim one for the US and its allies when you consider the reported response to the recent Sadriyah Market bombings. American and Iraqi forces in the aftermath of the explosions were “pelted with stones by angry crowds shouting: 'Where is the security plan?'” (The Independent, April 19). If this is indeed the course that al-Sadr intends to chart then the implications will not just be felt in Baghdad. Al-Sadrists are credited with being behind attempts to oust the governor of Basra.
As al-Sadr moves away from the Iraqi government, a new Sunni party is looking to move closer to it and bridge the divisions in Iraqi society. More than 200 Sunni sheiks in Iraq's western Anbar province have decided to form a new political party to oppose al-Qaida. The Iraq Awakening will be a national party, with a platform of opposition to al-Qaida and cooperation with the Shiite-led government in Baghdad. This news has prompted plenty of discussion on Baghdadee. While it is an interesting forum, you will have to be fluent in Arabic (or at least have access to a good page/text translator) to be able to glean the most from it.
If you want to read a comprehensive news source covering Iraq then you could do a lot worse than IraqSlogger. As well as being presented professionally, it has an extensive array of sections covering topics as diverse as security and a section it calls "good news." Its attempts to brighten the gloom even extend to the inclusion of a humour section; however a closer examination reveals that it would be perhaps better termed satire. Societies that are as deeply immersed in civil strife as Iraq’s often find that there is little separation between politics and everyday life and indeed that shines through numerous blogs whose main function is to provide a platform for their author’s views.
"Normality"
Article comments
1 - Josh Tull
How in the world did you miss "Alive in Baghdad" when you were writing this article? They have single handedly DEFINED web coverage of Iraq. They consistently get high caliber stories that mainstream T.V. wouldn't dream of showing.
They have a weekly vlog that they produce and won "Best Vlog" at the Vloggies last year.