NASIRIYAH, Iraq — Many houses in the towns and villages in southern Iraq are made of green reeds. The town of Nasiriyah, which is located 350 kilometers (217 miles) southeast of Baghdad, is one of them. The green reeds, found in the marshes of southern Iraq, turn into strong yellow sticks after drying. Green reeds are environmentally friendly, and Iraqis are proud of their cu
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For half a century before its 2003 regime change, Iraq experienced escalating levels of authoritarianism that increased with the passing of time and the change of successive governments. A Coup d’état was the only possible method of regime change. What began as a benevolent dictatorship in 1958 soon turned into an increasingly oppressive sectarian rule between 1963 and 1979
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Is the fight over a gas pipeline fuelling the world’s bloodiest conflict? By : Charis Chang THE Syrian war often seems like a big confusing mess but one factor that is not often mentioned could be the key to unlocking the conflict. Some experts have pointed out that many of the key players have one thing in common: a billion-dollar gas pipeline. Factor in this detail an
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The heir to the Saudi throne just pushed through a bold package of reforms designed to free the kingdom from oil addiction by 2030. Here’s why it could backfire, badly. The Saudi royal family has gambled its prestige on a bold economic reform plan, meant to revive an economy battered by sharply lower oil revenues. But the prescriptions of “Saudi Vision 2030” are fraught with
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Mismanagement Is Killing Iraq. By Luay al-Khatteeb* Forget corruption. Waste, inefficiency and economic distortion have brought Baghdad to the brink. Ever since Stuart Bowen led the first attempt to account for Iraqi reconstruction funds in mid-2004, it has been clear that Iraq hemorrhages money through corruption. Since then, things have got worse as last year the late Ah
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