The following pictures highlight the highs and lows of life in Iraq. On January 19, 2011 the Iraqi national soccer team
defeated North Korea at the Asian Cup quarterfinals 1-0. Iraqis can be seen in the photos celebrating their victory. At the same time, insurgents have been launching some high profile attacks against the security forces such as the
bombings in Baquba, Diyala on January 19 that killed 14 and left 64 wounded, and in
Tikrit, Salahaddin on January 18 that left 49 dead. Iraqis also showed their support for the protestors in Tunisia by holding their own
demonstration in front of the Tunisian embassy in Baghdad on January 17. The photographs show Iraqis enjoying their sports, expressing their new found freedoms and standing by others in the region, while insurgents continue to launch their deadly attacks, but thankfully on a much lower level since 2008.
Iraqis celebrating their victory over North Korea in the Asian Cup quarterfinals in Baghdad
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| (Associated Press) |
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| (Associated Press) |
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| (Associated Press) |
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| (Associated Press) |
Aftermath of the attack upon Iraqi security forces in Baquba, Diyala
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| (Reuters) |
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| (Agence France Presse) |
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| (Associated Press) |
After a suicide bomber set off his device amongst Iraqi police recruits in Tikrit, Salahaddin
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| (Agence France Presse) |
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| (Associated Press) |
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| (Reuters) |
Iraqis in Baghdad coming out in support of the demonstrators in Tunisia in front of the Tunisian Embassy
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| (Reuters) |
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| (Reuters) |
SOURCES
AK News, “Bombing in Baaquba leaves 78 casualties,” 1/19/11
Al Jazeera, “Iraqi ambulance attack kills many,” 1/19/11
Leland, John, “Bomber Uses Ambulance to Hit Iraqi Police Headquarters,” New York Times, 1/19/11
Myers, Steven Lee, “Suicide Blast in Iraq Kills Police Recruits,” New York Times, 1/18/11
Reuters, “Activists demonstrate to show solidarity January,” 1/17/11
Surk, Barbara, “Iraq follows Iran into Asian Cup quarterfinals,” Associated Press, 1/19/11
3 comments:
'expressing their new found freedoms and hoping that others in the region eventually have the same rights'
That comment caught my eye. Honestly, if you say the wrong things in the wrong parts of Iraq, you will find that your 'freedom of speech' could get you in a lot of trouble. This is judging by the obvious intimidation campaigns carried out by secretarian groups and Iraqs government. Iraq is not that much less oppressive than many other Middle Eastern regimes, and certainly much less safe.
Compared to what life was like under Saddam I still say they have a lot more freedom.
I agree, Joel. Iraqis in Tikrit can still praise Saddam, and they do. Yes the sectarian tensions are still high, and maybe you couldn't praise Saddam in Sadr City like you can in Tikrit, but Iraqis have a lot more political freedom, freedom of speech than they did under Saddam. Today I see on TV and read online about Iraqis blaming everything on the govt, almost like Americans do.
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