WSJ Blogs

Real-time commentary and analysis from The Wall Street Journal
Baghdad Life
Journal correspondents report on evolving conditions in Iraq
  • Dec 5, 2007
    4:37 PM

    In Iraq, It’s Hard to Separate Truths From Half-Truths and Outright Lies

    By Gina Chon Finding the truth can sometimes seem like an impossible task in Iraq. The full, accurate picture of what happens on any given day can be elusive. My Iraqi friends say there is no black and white here, only shades of gray. This isn’t a new phenomenon. As Sarmad reports below, rumors and [...]

  • Nov 30, 2007
    4:29 PM

    A Raid Could Increase Tensions Over Fate of Baath Party Members

    By Gina Chon An early morning raid at the office of Adnan al-Dulaimi, head of the main Sunni bloc, the Iraqi Accordance Front, could increase already tense relations between political parties. A key point of contention is the purge of Baath Party members after the war, a process – as Sarmad describes below – the [...]

  • Nov 29, 2007
    4:24 PM

    Amid Hopeful Signs, Worries Linger And Water and Power Are Unreliable

    Sarmad to Gina: I was glad to read stories over recent weeks on how the violence in Baghdad seems to have been gradually waning and that, as a result, many families who had fled their homes are now returning to the city. But the news seems too good to be true. In the past, Baghdad [...]

  • Nov 28, 2007
    4:15 PM

    Iraqi TV, Then and Now ‘Friends’, ‘Dr. Phil’ and Satellite Dishes Take Place of Action Flicks and Saddam

    By Gina Chon I asked some Iraqi friends about their favorite TV shows and their answers surprised me. “‘Friends,’ ‘Oprah,’ ‘Seinfeld,’” was one reply. “My mother says I am American because I just watch American shows. When I am not watching television, my wife and mother change it to Iraqi programs.” “Lost” and “Dr. Phil” [...]

  • Nov 25, 2007
    4:01 PM

    The Answer to So Many Questions Remains: ‘We’ll Wait and See’

    By Gina Chon You hear the phrase “wait and see” a lot these days when it comes to Iraq. Is Iran honoring its pledge to try to stop support of militia groups in Iraq? “We’ll have to wait and see.” Is the security situation here sustainable? “We’ll have to wait and see.” U.S. and Iraqi [...]

  • Nov 24, 2007
    3:58 PM

    ‘Guests in Our Own Country’

    By Gina Chon At a press conference today to discuss security improvements in Diyala province, an Iraqi journalist brought up an unrelated topic. He told U.S. military officials of being mistreated at a checkpoint to get into the International Zone (formerly the Green Zone), where the press conference took place. He said the guards gave [...]

  • Nov 23, 2007
    3:55 PM

    Thanksgiving Day in Baghdad

    By Gina Chon An Iraqi colleague asked me on Thanksgiving Day how the holiday got started. Trying to recall my elementary school education, I told him about the Pilgrims and Native Americans having a feast together and giving thanks for their harvest. “But didn’t the Americans kill all the Indians?” he asked. This is the [...]

  • Nov 21, 2007
    1:56 PM

    The New Normal

    By Gina Chon I was interviewing an ambassador today and we were able to sit at a table in the yard outside our office. Because we spend most of our time cooped up inside, it was nice to feel the breeze and the warmth of the sun while we talked. We wouldn’t have been able [...]