The New York Times’ At War blog recently ran two photo essays on daily life in Iraq. The first,
“In Baghdad, It’s Business as Unusual,” documented new retail stores that have cropped up in Baghdad. They went to the Family Center, Peace, and the Home Center. Rather than insurgents being their main concern, the owners cited obtaining gas and fuel for their generators, finding suppliers, and fear of kidnapping by criminal gangs. One businessman said that access to satellite TV and traveling to other countries has made Iraqis want the latest fashions and appliances like people in other countries, and that was leading to the growth of new businesses to meet this demand. The second story,
“Getting Away From It All: The Iraq You Don’t Often See,” documented Iraqis enjoying their weekend at Habaniya Tourist Village in Anbar. The reporter found that the local hotels were all empty, but there were dozens of Iraqis still enjoying their time at Habaniya Lake swimming, rafting, and jet skiing. The two stories reminded readers that despite the lack of a new government, and on-going attacks by militants, Iraq is no longer in a sectarian civil war, and that security has greatly improved. That means more and more Iraqis are able to enjoy shopping and weekend getaways, and can begin to return to a normal life. Below are some of the featured pictures from the two reports.
 |
| Source: New York Times |
 |
| Source: New York Times |
 |
| Source: New York Times |
 |
| Source: New York Times |
SOURCES
Oghanna, Ayman, “Getting Away From It All: The Iraq You Don’t Often See,” At War Blog, New York Times, 10/8/10
Mousa, Yasmine, “In Baghdad, It’s Business as Unusual,” At War Blog, New York Times, 10/8/10
2 comments:
The unseen hand of Anthony Shadid as NYT bureau chief in Baghdad is very much in evidence in these pieces, as well as much of the paper's recent Iraq pieces. There's a much greater emphasis on Iraqis' daily lives, and ambiguity rather than pat storylines.
Unfortunately these pieces were both on the NYTimes blog so probably the majority of readers missed them.
Post a Comment