Iraq: What's Behind The TV Screen

Wojciech said...
Iraq: What's Behind The TV Screen


Supporting Iraqis from Warsaw - Cf Meeting 2/2005 

During my conversations many people often asked me what is the real life
in post-war Iraq. On the TV screen they can watch mostly blood, fighting,
bombings, people dying, kidnappings, political rallies etc. That is the
picture that world viewers receive almost every day from Iraq via TV.
Is this picture true? Is this really how Iraqis live today? Do they think only about kicking Americans out of their country?
This photo-presentation is to help you to answer on that questions by yourself and
make you realise what the real life of ordinary people in Iraq is.

My answers are: this is not true picture and it show only very small part of Iraq's reality. Somebody who wants to find out answers on very complicated Iraq's questions should only remember that the country has been deprived of human rights and democratic governments for all years of its existence.

What had Iraqis lost and what had they gained during and after the last war?

1. First and worst of all – 18 thousand of killed people during
the war – most of them civilians, and thousands wounded.
2. Lack of security on streets is the biggest problem they have after the
war.
3. Shortages with basic goods: petrol, electricity, water.
4. Looting of public buildings made the country poorer.
5. Partisan war still going on in some aeras of the country.

But most of Iraqis live now better than they used to during Saddam's
times. Those who lost their privileges is ancient regime's establishment.
1. Liberalised media.
2. Changed climate for business and enterprise, investor's optimism growing.
3. Improvements in infrastructure affecting ordinary people (roads,
hospitals, schools).
4. Civil liberties taking root (voting rights, free movement of population,
political parties).
5. Democratically choosen parliament.

I believe these photos will let you to look closer at that predications.

28/2/05 11:42