Middle East - Anthony Ham [175]
Since its beginnings, Iraq has been a land of turmoil and conquest. Alexander the Great, the Persians, Mongols, Ottomans, British and Americans have all made their mark. Saddam Hussein’s regime was marked by political repression and conflicts with Iran, Kuwait, Shiite Muslims, Kurds and Western armies, culminating in the 2003 US-led invasion of the country. The ongoing insurgency has made Iraq one of the most dangerous places on earth.
Today, Iraq is a country in transition. Violence has dropped dramatically since 2007, but with the exception of Iraqi Kurdistan, it remains a dangerous country. Getting the green light for 2009 provincial elections was a major government accomplishment – Iraq is, in the opinion of some, now one of the most democratic countries in the Middle East. Its future remains uncertain, but with its rich history, warm hospitality and natural beauty, Iraq could again become one of the great travel destinations of the Middle East, insha’ Allah.
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FAST FACTS
Area 437,072 sq km
Capital Baghdad
Country code 964
Languages Arabic, Kurdish (Kurmanji and Sorani)
Money Iraqi dinar (ID); US$1 = ID1194; €1 = ID1547
Official name Republic of Iraq
Population 28.2 million
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WARNING
Iraq is a war zone. The majority of the country has been in a state of war since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. The situation is dangerous, volatile and unpredictable. The ongoing conflict is a complex and multifaceted war with no discernible battlegrounds, front lines or combatants.
After six years of war in Iraq, the death toll had reached 100,000 Iraqi civilians, 10,000 Iraqi soldiers and police, 4500 coalition soldiers (mostly from the US) and 135 journalists. Tens of thousands more have been injured or maimed. The UN High Commissioner on Refugees estimates at least 3.4 million Iraqis have either fled the country or are internally displaced.
The risks are omnipresent and varied: terrorist attacks, military combat operations, suicide bombings, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), land mines, sectarian violence, kidnappings, highway robberies and petty crime. Foreigners are the primary targets of militant groups such as Al-Qaeda in Iraq. Attacks can occur anywhere, at anytime.
The majority of violence in Iraq is concentrated in the southern two-thirds of the country that has a predominantly Arab population, particularly in the so-called ‘Sunni Triangle’. Consequently, Arab Iraq should be considered completely off-limits to foreign travellers including – but not limited – to the cities of Baghdad, Basra, Babylon, Mosul, Kirkuk, Najaf and Karbala. Nationwide, the security situation across Iraq has improved dramatically since mid-2007 but still has a long way to go before the bulk of the country is open for business.
The sections on Baghdad, southern Iraq and northern Iraq in this chapter are intended solely for the use of readers who are in Iraq because they must be, for example, military, journalists, diplomats, contractors and members of non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
Iraqi Kurdistan – ‘The Other Iraq’ – is the only area of the country currently safe for travel. The pro-Western, Kurdish Regional Government–controlled provinces of Dohuk, Erbil and Sulaymaniyah are stable and peaceful with a growing tourism industry. Violence is rare, but not unheard of. Suicide bombers struck government offices in Erbil in 2004 and 2007, killing at least 54 people. In March 2008 a small bomb exploded outside Sulaymaniyah’s Palace Hotel, killing one. Turkish and Iranian forces occasionally bomb the remote and mountainous border areas of northern Iraq in their fight against Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militant separatists.
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DISCLAIMER
Due to the unstable security situation, we were unable to independently travel outside of