E-Coffee, Sherlock Holmes, and a Bombing Statement.

I am inviting you to have an “electronic cup of coffee,”  and then take off on a little Sherlock Holmes adventure. You and I will examine the statement that the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI), Al-Qaeda linked group, issued on Dec 27^th. You  are right! ISI declares its responsibility for the deadliest bombing of Baghdad on Thursday December 22^nd.

Sine, I am paying for the coffee, then I get to play Holmes. You can be Watson. Are you interested? It is fun. Even though, I have not seen the movie yet. But, Let’s start anyway.

The Insurgency: An E-Game to See it Coming.

I know, that sounds like a strange idea! But, would you like to take  part in an e-game that I once played with my students. We had a lot of fun. So, are you willing to give it a try? I take that as a “yes.”

Story# 25 A Question from a Friend: Is It Safe for a Woman to Travel to Baghdad?

A friend of mine emailed me asking if it is safe to travel to Baghdad, she has received a wonderful opportunity to do business in Iraq. However, she has legitimate concerns about being in an unsafe environment.

I have to weigh the advantages and the disadvantages of such a trip and present them to my friend.  I did not want her to lose any business opportunity. However, I don’t want to encourage her to go on a dangerous trip.

My friend is a woman, and a woman is sought after, because she is a soft and easy target.

Story # 24 Part Two: My Days Under Saddam’s Regime: An Environment Of Oppression Where Love is Lost.

In such an oppressive environment, love was lost. It was not a virtue anymore, because it was for the weak (who would listen to his/ her feelings). While, many of my elder cousins married based on love [1], my friends and I did not.  Love, kindness, and romance were all lost values. 

Story# 23. Part One: Living under Saddam's Regime: My Own World VS the Hard Reality.

I lived most of my life under Saddam’s regime. Living under his regime made me feel like I was carrying a heavy weight on my shoulders. However, that weight would increase each year when I grew older. I cannot recall that I enjoyed my childhood or youth. I always remember myself as an adult who the regime could hold responsible for her action at anytime and behaved accordingly.  

Story#22 Liberators VS Occupiers

Many Americans ask this question, “If Saddam was so bad, and we liberated you from his brutal regime, why are you killing our soldiers?” The answer to this difficult question is rooted in issues surrounding basic services. These services include fresh water, electricity, sanitation services, and trash pickup.

Story# 21 Look for the Women!

What would you look for in a kidnapping situation? This question was the theme of a discussion that I attended with a group of colleagues who work on freeing kidnapped hostages in places such Iraq or Afghanistan. I jumped into the discussion by saying “women.” Everyone looked strangely towards me with eyes full of questions. 

Story# 20 A Question from a Reader: Is it Safe in Basra?

I have received a query from a reader asking me about the security situation in Basra. The reader is interested in learning more since he will be working there.

The security situation is not a trivial one. You will not hear explosions every second of the day. In fact, Basra witnessed less bomb attacks than Baghdad. It is not a battlefront.  Is it safe? No, it is not. There are gangs and militia who will kidnap for a ransom or kill for a bargain. Who are the victims? Wealthy people, officials, professionals… etc. Anyone can become a victim and for any reason.

Given that information what can you do to be as safe and prepared as possible? I can offer you the following tips:

Story# 19: A Power Struggle in Iran: Ahmadinejad VS the Shark!

The Iranian President Ahmadinejad is seeking to overthrow one of the founding fathers of the Islamic Republic of Iran: Ayatollah Rafsanjani or the Shark. He earned this reputation, because he successfully defeated all those who opposed him.

Story # 18 The Female Face of the Insurgency!

An old friend of mine called saying “you were right.” I was a bit surprised, because my friend had traditional views regarding the connections between gender and security threats. He believed that security is a man’s business and a woman has nothing to offer.

I believe security is everybody's business including women and children.

Story# 17 A Discussion in Iran: Where Appealing to Justice Matters!

Recently, I was having a discussion with an informed friend regarding Iranian politics. My friend explained to me the importance of the notion of “justice.” He attended a confidential meeting in Tehran regarding the formation of the Iraqi government.

Story#16 The Story of the Elections: Iraq VS the U.S.

Following the recent November elections here in the US, I came to understand how different the US electoral system from the Iraqi one. I think the general differences are not very well understood by the public in the US. Most people in the US assume that elections in Iraq are conducted in the same as they are here, which is not the case at all.

Story#15. Part .3 Learning from the First Gulf War.

The war continued and the days were passing slowly [1]. During the day, my sister and I would bake bread using an oil stove [2] that we had, clean the dishes, and wash the clothes. Nothing was washed unless it was necessary and every drop of water was saved.

Sometimes, I would read my law books, as I was a senior at the Law School.  My mother helped as much as she could, though her health condition was not helping her. My father also helped and provided moral support [3].

Story #14 Part. Two: During the First Gulf War, Shiites, Sunnis, Christians, and Kurds Were Lined Up at the Back of my House!

Although, the bombardment was far away from our house, we could still hear and feel the impact. Sometimes, it felt like the entire house was lifted and then thrown on the ground. My sister and I were the most clam people within our family, while my mother kept shaking and vomiting, my father looked pale.

The electricity was shut down almost right away. However, as I was in charge of supplies, I bought four kerosene lamps [1], batteries for the radio, flour, rice and other dry food [2].

Story#13. Part One: Feelings of Uncertainty before the First Gulf War.

I was living in Baghdad with my family during the first Gulf War 1990-1991. The neighborhood where I was living was mixed Shiites, Sunnis, Christians, and Kurds [1]. My family consisted of my father, my mother, my sister, and myself [2].

Story# 11 The Blood Timber!

Environmental scholars agree that environmental scarcity, i.e. the decline in the availability of the environmental resources, brings ethnic divisions to a community.  However, in the Kunar and Nuristan Provinces, bordering Pakistan on the east, environmental scarcity is bringing communities together to fight the U.S. soldiers.

A security situation in Kunar and Nuristan, in which insurgency groups reign, is active and timber smuggling is fueling this growth. Former Mujahedeen and terrorist organizations such as Lashkar-e-Toiba^[1], Taliban^[2], and the Korengal insurgency^[3] operate in Nuristan and Kunar. These insurgency groups fund their operations by smuggling timber to the neighboring country Pakistan.

Story#10: Providing Services Threatens The Insurgences

Security means different things to different people. An insurgency group, for example, would feel threatened by any individuals or organizations who provide services including medical services. Since, these services are provided without the permission and approval of the insurgents, then "the providers'' constitute a threat that can diminish the insurgents control over the community.

Story# 9: The Environmental Security of Basra.

The parliamentarian elections took place on March 7th 2010 and there is still no government that has been put in place. However, while lacking a government does not seem to bother the Iraqis, lacking reliable electricity supply disturbs them.

Story# 8 Who Are the Sadrists?

The Sadrists are a grassroots movement that existed under Saddam’s regime. Saddam’s regime oppressed them, persecuted them, and killed many of them. I believe that they existed in the mid 50s.

Story#7 Female Suicide Bomb Attackers!

Why do women kill themselves? A question raised very frequently in the U.S. How could a woman—who is usually portrayed as delicate, sensitive, and altruistic—kill herself and others? Through my work in Iraq as an Attorney, a Professor, and a Women’s Rights Activist, I met many unmarried women whether they were single, divorced, or widowed. 

Story# 6 Founding Women and the Environment Organization (WATEO)

In November of 2004, the tribal leaders of the Iraqi Marshlands came to my office at the Ministry of Environment. They came without an appointment, since the communications in Iraq are not reliable. I wanted to see the tribal leaders; I felt I could not let down people who traveled more than 339 miles to see me. 

Story#5 An Attorney Representing Women

I worked as an attorney representing marginalized groups- mainly women and workers. Women were seeking divorce, custody, or child support, workers were seeking compensation based on work injuries. I have to say that I learned from them. I learned that formalities matter.

Story#4 Teaching Human Rights under Saddam's Regime.

I think it is time to take you back to the days when I taught at the Baghdad University School of Law; the school I have studied art since 1987 where I earned my B.A., M.A and PhD. However, I started teaching at the Baghdad University School of Law in 2001. I taught International Law, and Constitutional Law. I offered my courses in Arabic and English.

Story# 3 Working in Sadr City

I owe my understanding to the role of environmental policies to my students at the Baghdad University School of Law. Most of my students were from Sadr City. Usually, they looked pale, their clothes were old, and they had a frustrated look in their eyes. They formed their own groups, and they had their own group identity.

Story# 2 First Things First:My Family

Surviving the attempt was one thing; staying alive was another challenge entirely. “How can I go to work without being killed? How can I continue working on these campaigns?” These were the questions that I asked myself. But, first things first-my family “How can I keep my family safe?”

My concerns regarding my family occupied my every thought. I have a son. At that time, he was eight years old. 

Story# 1: Just Add Water!

How can there be a connection between safe drinking water and insurgency? Is it possible?


On 24th of August of 2004, I survived a suicide bomb attack in which four of my bodyguards were killed. Mousab Al Zarqawi, the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq at that time, claimed full responsibility and called me “the leader of the infidels.” Perhaps he was overestimating my capacity, I thought. After all, I was not working on security issues at all! In fact, I thought I was as far away from dealing with security issues as would be possible for a government minister. At least, that was what I thought.