Five days in Iraq [Archives:2002/26/Viewpoint]

The five days I spent in Iraq last week were truly an amazing experience that I will never forget. Being part of a Yemeni delegation invited by the Iraqi Journalists Union, I felt obliged to write this weeks column on my visit.
No doubt, Iraq is a country that has suffered tremendously from sanctions imposed on it since the Gulf war ended in 1990. The people there continue to endure the pain inflicted by years of unjust sanctions that have caused damage to all aspects of life in a country once known as the fastest developing country in the Middle East in 1989.
I felt that Iraqis of today must be in their worst economic state ever, yet they still have the spirit for survival. Commitment, resistance, and determination are three notable things that were clearly visible in the eyes of the many Iraqis I met.
With monthly salaries ranging from 10,000 to 200,000 Iraqi Dinars (5 to 100 US dollars) most Iraqi employees are going through very difficult times. The low salaries they receive force them to seek opportunities elsewhere in other posts, and sometimes abroad. This also caused tremendously cheap prices of goods. Transportation can never be cheaper anywhere else on the planet as fuel is virtually given away for free.
On the other hand, I also witnessed that change is slowly taking place in Iraq. Just as it is undeniable that Iraq is one of the most isolated countries in the world, there is an increasing tendency by the regime to ease restrictions and open up to the rest of the world. Internet service is now available for the first time in Iraq. Satellite channels, even though in a limited manner and only through certain devices can now be watched by the Iraqi public for a government fee.
What struck me the most is that despite the strictness of the Iraqi regime, it is obvious that democratic notions might slowly be catching on in Iraq. In one of the debate sessions with intellectuals and journalists, a few Iraqi intellectuals were able to criticize the Iraqi government openly. This in itself could have never been imaginable in the past. Today, Iraqis are feeling the need to speak up and express an opinion, which is a healthy process as long as it stays within reasonable limits.
Iraqs leadership seems to realize the need today to open up to the world and provide some room for various opinions. This is obvious when looking at the few steps taken concerning the Internet and satellite TV. This gradual liberalization will definitely serve as a key to some of Iraqs problems and will reduce any administrative or financial corruption and frustration that might otherwise thrive in such poor conditions at all levels of society. These are steps taken in the right direction, but Iraq is perhaps the country that needs change more than any other in the world. In the era of information technology and communication revolution, Iraq cannot afford to stay isolated.
However, none of the negative impressions I which I received were enough to overshadow the achievements of the Iraqi people and to detract from their impressive insistence to survive in spite of all the injustice that they continue to suffer from.

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