Summer in Iraq

Summer in Iraq began, another chapter of suffering started. The heat is unbearable and the swelter is non sense. The fifth summer on the raw without stable electricity, the cut hours reaches 20- 22. Add to that the constant sand storms and dusty weather, since the beginning of this summer, the sunny days are very rare. Though this dust is harmful, but it has a bright side, it decreases the temperature! Today, about 1 a. m., it was very dusty that the view became orange; I saw that from the window of my office.

Without mentioning the shortage in the drinkable water.

Last Friday, while the family and I crossing the former Saddam highway bridge, in Al-Dora side, I have noticed that, the depth Tigress (Dijla) river so decreased that small Islands started to appear, and a cattle of Iraqi buffalo crossed from the banks to the new island without being drowned. Sad, isn't?

Extreme heat with lack of basic services, the mark of summer in Iraq.

As for the news of the war, things are getting really better and statistics are very promising. The safety in Baghdad and other cities considered very dangerous is now much better and more settled. The rates of violence hit the lowest since the beginning of the US led war in 2003.

Serious interventions of both American and Iraqi forces almost terminated terror and insurgency groups, with organized operations known with different names, with the aid of the citizens and support groups. Hundreds of wanted, killed, caught and thrown in jail.
Al-Qaida! Barely exists. Great insurgency and crime leaders have been arrested. Some prominent leaders of so called (Islamic State of Iraq) have been arrested. Many areas are secured and thousands of families return to their homes after being thrown out from them by insurgents and gangs.

Still, some violence here and there, for example, last week there was bombing in the facility of Municipal Assembly in Sadr city left tens dead including American officials and soldiers, as well another in the same facility in Musol, which I saw on TV, left tens dead as well as another executed by a woman hid the explosive device under her close.

New phenomena in Baghdad streets, first the increasing number of people seen there with the opening of hundreds of parks and restaurants, and the other is, street lights using solar energy to light. One can see the solar plates installed at the top of the pole.

Promising improvements, but they do not reduce the suffering from the heat and lack of services. I remember last summer was so tough that I have suffered bad health, until I visited Kurdistan on vacation where suddenly all the complications are gone.

As for women, one can notice the increase of their appearance as the dangers of them being kidnapped or being hurt is close to non-existing. The social pressures still exist, rarely a women seen by herself in the street and not accompanied by a parent or relative. Oppression still exists with no signs of change. There are also some talks and controversy about the quota of women representation in the parliament.