Healing Iraq

If we are to rely on biblical scriptures, Aqaba has been continuously inhabited since the fourth millennium BC. It is mentioned as Ezion-Geber, where King Solomon built ships on the shores of the Red Sea, near Eilat in Edom (Kings 9:26). Recent archaeological excavations, however, date the site to the 1st century BC, when it was populated by the Nabateans. The Romans called it Ayla, and at the time of the advent of Islam, it was administered by the Ghassanids (Ghassasina, a Christian Arab clan from the northern Hijaz) on behalf of Byzantium. It lied at a vital junction of trading routes between Asia, Africa and Europe.

The small settlement of Ayla expanded and prospered under the Ummayid and Abassid Caliphates, because of its strategic position on the road of annual pilgrimage (Hajj) convoys to Mecca, from Egypt and the Levant. The ruins of this old settlement were unearthed in the mid eighties by an American archaeological team, and can be seen today near the hotel district.

Ruins of the Ayla fort near the hotel district at Aqaba


Crusaders occupied the area during the 12th century, and one of their fortresses still stands today on the main water road. Saladdin (Salah Al-Din Al-Ayyoubi) recaptured Aqaba, and his successors, the Mamluke Sultans of Egypt, rebuilt the fort during the 14th century. The name of Sultan Qansah Al-Ghouri (1516 AD) is inscribed in Arabic on one of the forts doorways.

The town declined and was reduced to a small fishing village during the 4 centuries of Ottoman dominion. During WWI, the Arab army of the Hashemite Sharif Hussein bin Ali (ancestor of the present Jordanian ruling family), led by T.E. Lawrence of Arabia, raided and captured Aqaba during the Great Arab Revolt of 1917.

The Arab flag of Sharif Hussein bin Ali, which is the prototype of most present day Arab flags


The port of Aqaba then became part of the British protectorate of Transjordan, now the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. It is Jordan’s only seaport. It has also been a major port of entry for Iraqi imports since the 1980s.

Unloaded cargo containers at the Aqaba port


Aqaba borders the seaport of Eilat, Israel, and it’s possible to cross the border on foot or by taxi through the Rabin passage. Ferryboats also take passengers to the Egyptian resort of Sharm Al-Sheikh. The cities of Aqaba, Eilat, and the Egyptian Taba form the triangular head of the Gulf of Aqaba.

Aqaba, Jordan in the foreground, Eilat, Israel in the background


The triangular building across the gulf is Taba in Egypt


It’s a popular destination for tourists visiting Jordan to enjoy water sports, such as scuba diving, water skiing, windsurfing and fishing. The gulf’s waters are inhabited by hundreds of species of coral, fish and other invertebrates (we learned that the hard way as you’ll see shortly). Tourists taking a short cruise or diving in the gulf might come across turtles, eels and dolphins amid the resort’s world famous coral reefs. The Red Sea’s waters looked marvelously cool and crystal-clear even though the heat was smoldering at 50 C, briefly reminding us of Baghdadi summers.

I spent less than a day at Aqaba, so I didn’t get to check out most of it, except the beach resort near the Yemaniah coral reef


We had a short swim at the resort, until an unsuspecting Iraqi friend of ours was pricked in the foot by the spines of a black sea urchin (Diadema antillarum). The girl was screaming in agony as we desperately tried to pluck out the long black spines. They seemed so brittle, almost wax-like, and the ends obstinately refused to come out of her sole. We carried her to the shore, where two Jordanian lifeguards then proceeded to burn out the ends with a cigarette and to slap the sole with a slipper, responding to our skeptic looks that this was the best treatment available. A lebanese lady suggested that a child pee on the puncture. All the while, the young girl was shrieking and writhing under the hands of the pitiless lifeguards.

We left the beach immediately following that unpleasant incident. The girl was kind enough to offer her sole for my camera later, when she had calmed down and after my mother gave her an analgesic shot. The purplish marks are the sharp ends of the spines


I was too nervous to go into the water again, so this is what the black sea urchins look like (image courtesy of Wikipedia). Having no sea or beach resorts in Iraq, we were unfamiliar with the rogue. I was only thinking of sharks (a long childhood fear based on the Jaws movie), but from now I’ll be sure to watch out for sea urchins


Later, we had a hasty meal at Aqaba’s McDonalds. It was slightly more horrible than Amman’s


Much of the northern districts of Aqaba have been constructed during the last few years


A short visit to a grand mall at northern Aqaba. A huge mural of King Abdullah II adorned the entrance. Murals and posters of King Abdullah are so abundant in Jordan these days. I don’t remember that much posters of his father, the late King Hussein, during his reign


Veiled Fullah dolls, the conservative Arab version of Barbie doll, sold at a mall in Aqaba


Someone stubbed out a cigarette inside a coffee mug displayed at the mall


A view of Aqaba from the mall


I’m experimenting with panoramic camera shots these days, so bear with me. This is a view of the granite mountains near the Aqaba checkpoint


And guess who this brilliant chap is. This was a Jordanian security officer who scrupulously searched our baggage at the checkpoint


Off we went to Wadi Rum (the valley of Rum), the largest valley in Jordan, just northeast of Aqaba, and 35 kilometres into the desert from the main Amman-Aqaba highway.

Famous as the base of British officer T.E. Lawrence during the Great Arab Revolt (most of the Lawrence of Arabia movie was filmed at this location), the valley is now a major tourist attraction. Tourists have the options of camping in the desert with the local Bedouin tribes, riding Arab horses, hiring camels for excursions into the desert with Bedouin guides, touring the landscape on foot, and mountain climbing.

Unfortunately, it was dark when we arrived there, so we didn’t get to explore the vast area. This is a view of one camping site at Wadi Rum, where scores of tourists were performing folk dances under the desert stars


A young local was offering his camels for a short ride


Damn. I feel like a tourist guide.

This is a map of the areas described above


I’ll leave you with a few images from the drive to Aqaba. This is a motel near Al-Jiza, just south of Amman


Bedouin tents at Al-Qatrana


Unlike what you see in the modern districts of Western Amman, and a few tourist resorts, most of southern Jordan actually looks like this




These barren areas were once strongholds of Hashemite loyalty. Today, they are the most hostile to the state and are home to heavily armed, militant Islamists, criminals and smugglers. Local tribes in southern regions often clashed with Jordanian security forces over the last two decades. They defied authorities by flying Saudi flags and often pelted officials with eggs and tomatoes.

The latest violence erupted in 2002, when demonstrators in Ma’an expressed their support for Osama bin Laden following the arrest of a local radical by the police. His alleged death under torture spurred intense clashes with the authorities, and locals attacked police stations and set them ablaze. The government responded by declaring a curfew and sending several thousand Special Forces troops and helicopters to subdue the city.

Southern cities such as Ma’an, Al-Karak, Al-Qatrana, and Al-Tafilah remain the most underdeveloped in the kingdom. Illiteracy and unemployment are rampant, and the local population feels politically, socially and economically marginalised in their own country. This has contributed to a volatile environment that continues to breed extremism and violence. With increased inflation, high bread and fuel prices and continuous delay in promised reforms, this situation could explode any moment in response to the slightest provocation and would threaten to undermine the Jordanian state.

If you ever wonder what a line at a fuel station in Baghdad looks like, this video is for you:

Queue at a fuel station in Zayuona, Baghdad. (DivX codec required)

Sorry for the poor quality. I was using a cell phone camera. This was just before I left to Amman, a bit over two months ago.

And this is a map of the line

A massive wave of sectarian violence engulfed several districts of Baghdad yesterday. The violence was sparked by news reports of sniper attacks against Shi’ite pilgrims heading to the shrine of Imam Musa Al-Kadhim in Kadhimiya to commemorate his death anniversary. When the news had spread, armed members of ‘popular committees’ (militias) accompanying the pilgrims opened fire against residences in some Sunni districts surrounding Kadhimiya. Others took over Sunni mosques in Sulaikh, Dola’I, and Palestine Street, and reprisals were reported from several areas of Baghdad.

For some reason, Western news agencies have completely missed these serious developments, highly reminiscient of the confessional violence that followed the Samarra shrine attack, but both the Iraqi Al-Sharqiya and Baghdad satellite channels aired video footage of the clashes. The events were corroborated by dozens of eyewitness accounts.

In the Dola’I neighbourhood, just south of Kadhimiya, gunmen occupied the Du’at Al-Islam mosque and kidnapped the Imam, Sheikh Hassan Ali Yassin, and two guards who were in the mosque. Their battered corpses were found later.

Fierce clashes were reported at Sarrafiya, which is where most pilgrims arriving from Sadr City and eastern districts of Baghdad cross the Tigris to Kadhimiya. Al-Sharqiya TV reported that gunmen in official Iraqi security vehicles stormed into residences at the nearby Waziriya district. The Islamic Party claimed that three Sunni families, including women and children, near the Talei'a theatre, were all slaughtered by the attackers, until American troops arrived at the scene and forced the militiamen to flee.

Gunmen also attacked the Al-Janabi and Al-Quds mosque at Palestine Street, and parliament members, of the Accord front, complained that several districts and suburbs of Baghdad were attacked. A camp for displaced Sunni families at Hayy Al-Ma’alif in southern Baghdad was also attacked.

Fighting was also reported at Bub Al-Sham, Binouk, Hurriya, Dora, Hayy Al-Mechanic, Shurta Al-Khamisa, Fadhl, Wathba Square, Jisr Diyala and Madain.

The heaviest fighting took place at Sulaikh, which also lies near a main route for Shi’ite pilgrims commuting to Kadhimiya from the Sha’ab district and from suburbs north of Baghdad. Residents and eyewitnesses said the attackers came in vehicles, in open violation of the vehicle ban, at 8 am and started firing against civilians and the Al-Sada Al-Ni'aim and the Shaheed Sabri mosques. Mortar rounds from the nearby Sha'ab district also targeted the neighbourhood.

In fact most of yesterday’s violence occurred around the main routes of pilgrims to Kadhimiya, as you can see here



Militiamen were openly touting weapons in Baghdad yesterday, under the noses of Iraqi security forces that were deployed to enforce the ban on vehicles. The subtle line between Iraqi security forces and, supposedly, outlawed militias is increasingly being blurred.

A close friend had a disturbing encounter with undercover Jordanian security agents in Amman. He was resting on a bench at Wasfi Al-Tall Street when a civilian vehicle carrying three men pulled over next to him. One of them motioned to him to come forward. They asked for his ID, to which he offered them his Iraqi passport.

Then they questioned him on his background. They wanted detailed information on where he lived in Baghdad and what tribe he was from. One of them bluntly asked him if he was Sunni or Shi’ite. My bewildered friend told them he’s Christian.

Then they went through the contents of his wallet and a plastic bag he had left on the bench. In the end they questioned him on his business in Jordan and left.

Many of my Jordanian friends and contacts insist that the authorities here don’t differentiate between Sunni and Shi’ite Iraqis. Why, then, the repeated questions both at the border and the airport on tribal and sectarian background?

Iraqi authorities have declared a curfew in the holy city of Karbala and closed it for 3 days following clashes with Mahmoud Al-Hassani’s followers. The clashes were reportedly prompted by the takeover of the Imam Al-Sadiq religious seminary and Hassani’s offices at Bab Tuwairij in Karbala by Iraqi security forces and the subsequent arrest of several of his followers. (Al-Zaman report in Arabic)

Hassani’s followers are pouring onto Karbala in defiance of the curfew.

Who is Mahmoud Al-Hassani?

Mahmoud Al-Hassani is a former disciple of Ayatollah Mohammed Sadiq Al-Sadr (Muqtada’s father) based in Karbala, briefly imprisoned by Saddam’s regime in 1999 following Sadr’s assassination. He initially pledged allegiance to the remnants of the Sadrist movement that emerged directly after the 2003 war - as did other former representatives and followers of the second Sadr (such as Abdul Sattar Al-Bahadili, Ahmed Al-Fartousi, and Hazim Al-A’raji.) By the time Muqtada Al-Sadr assumed a central role in the leadership of the Sadrist current, Al-Hassani broke off and headed his own Sadrist fringe movement with a limited hardcore following, mainly in Karbala, Basrah and Nasiriya.

By mid 2004, he unilaterally elevated his religious standing and proclaimed himself Grand Ayatollah Mahmoud Al-Sarkhi Al-Hassani. He also issued theological challenges to more established and senior clerics in the Hawza, boasting that he is the most knowledgeable or foremost cleric (al-marja’ al-a’lam) and is capable of solving the most intricate jurisprudential issues (ishkalat).

These declarations were often met with ridicule and disdain from the Shi’ite clerical establishment in both Iraq and Iran. His faction never sought to participate actively in post-war Iraqi politics and, as far as I know, he was not represented with any electoral slate in the 2005 elections. In fact, his movement can be more identified as a religious cult, rather than an active politico-social group.

He exhibits fanatical obsession with the reappearance of Imam Al-Mahdi (the hidden 12th Imam, and a descendant of Mohammed through his son-in-law Ali bin Abi Talib, in the beliefs of Shi’ite Twelvers), often alluding to current developments in Iraq as signs of his imminent return. Many of these signs were detailed in Ayatollah Mohammed Sadiq Al-Sadr’s writings, such as the operation of Western spies in Iraq against Saddam Hussein’s regime prior to the war.

Al-Hassani often points out that the al-messiah al-dajjal, or the antichrist, has entered Iraq in the form of the U.S., heralding the reemergence of the 12th Imam, and that Hassani’s followers will act as the Imam’s foot soldiers to restore justice to the world and, more significantly, to fight the corrupt clerical establishment (in reference to false clerics in Iraq and Iran). This claim is often reverberated by Sadr’s Mahdi army, as Omar noted in a recent post.

Many Sadrist followers in Iraq, including their offshoot movements, strongly believe that the Americans (and Jews) came to Iraq to kill Imam Al-Mahdi or to prevent his return. In this context, you can realise the significance of the bombing of the Askari shrine in Samarra last February for the Shia masses, especially if you know that the basement adjacent to the shrine is where Imam Al-Mahdi was known to have disappeared during the 9th century, and is where he is believed to rise again.

Another interesting characteristic of Hassani’s movement is that it strongly resents what it perceives as growing Iranian influence in Iraq. Hassani often attacks Iran in his fiery sermons, and not long ago his followers attacked and set fire to several Iranian consulates in Basrah, Karbala and other southern Iraqi cities in response to an Iranian television program that mocked Hassani.

Hassani is also known for his anti-federalism stance. He also recently issued a fatwa against sectarian violence and forced deportation, in which he stated that the sanctity of the blood of Sunnis and Shi’ites is greater than that of Allah’s house (Mecca) and the prophet’s mosque. A communiqué on his website speculates that this fatwa angered ruling Iraqi parties loyal to Iran (read SCIRI). He also accused the Qom Hawza of ordering the attack against his followers, assisted by Iranian intelligence operatives in Iraq.

Some Iraqis here are questioning the timing of this action against Hassani. He is undeniably a radical but it would be ridiculous to portray his feeble movement as a threat to either the Iraqi government or the coalition. Hassani and his followers are all talk and little action. So far they have not engaged in any violence and there is no evidence that they have participated in confessional killings, unlike Badr and the Mahdi Army.

Others believe that Iran is using its Iraqi proxies again to eliminate its opponents.

No disarmament of militias on the part of the Iraqi government would be credible if the Mahdi Army and the Badr Brigade (both responsible for gruesome sectarian killings and often parading in official Iraqi uniform) are left intact. Hassani’s movement does not even fall under the definition of a militia.

A view of the Dead Sea from the Jordanian side.

The Ded Sea before sunset



Tourists lounge at the Ded Sea beach at sunset





The road to the Dead Sea from Amman

Hassan Nasrallah just announced that Hizbullah has achieved a “significant strategic and historical victory against Israel, not just for Lebanon and the resistance, but also for the entire Umma.”

Of course, for leaders like Nasrallah, their mere survival is a victory in their eyes, and the eyes of the ‘Ummah’. I am reminded by Saddam Hussein's speech in the wake of the 1991 Gulf War. The fact that the Shi’ite warlord managed to fire hundreds of missiles deep into Israel, a feat that not even Gamal Abdul Nasser could achieve in his time, represents another major victory for the Arab and Muslim masses starving for any semblance of Israeli and western defeat, only to add more imaginary victories to feed their self-delusion for years to come.

Other snippets from Nasrallah's televised speech:

"We emerged victorious in a war in which big Arab armies were defeated before."

“Who will defend Lebanon in the case of a new Israeli offensive? The Lebanese army and an international force in the south will be incapable of protecting Lebanon.”

“Hizbollah will not be pressured or terrorised to give up its arms.”

“Those who discussed the disarmament of Hizbullah’s weapons at this critical stage are mistaken,” in a reference to Lebanese politicians who spoke against Hizbullah’s provocative attack, adding that any such discussion is “immoral.”

Lebanese Hizbullah supporters are, typically, firing celebratory gunfire in the southern suburb of Beirut as we speak, while distributing posters of Nasrallah with the title 'the divine victory.' Amazing how fast those posters were printed.

Other Lebanese don’t seem so impressed.

I think we all agree that, despite heavy military and operational losses for Hizbullah (though some would dispute that, since its rockets continued to pour consistently into Israel until the last day of hostilities, notwithstanding Israeli claims that over 50% of its rocket arsenal has been destroyed) and substantial damage to Lebanese infrastructure, Hizbullah’s position in the region and in Lebanon has been given a considerable boost. The weakened Lebanese government will now have to tread with care.

Iran must be rubbing its hands with glee right now.

Dave Sifry, CEO and founder of Technorati (the ultimate weblog tracking portal), offers another timely report on the present state of the blogosphere. Key findings: Technorati tracked its 50th millionth blog two weeks ago; the blogosphere is steadily doubling in size every 6 months or so; and the blogosphere is more than 100 times larger than it was 3 years ago.

Blogs never fail to fascinate me.

I was telling the Iraqi bloggers in Amman yesterday that a majority of Internet users (an estimated billion people) would soon have blogs, just as it’s given now that they all own personal email accounts.

We also discussed where the Iraqi blogosphere stands in the midst of these developments. Iraq Blog Count lately counted its 212th Iraqi blog, which can be somewhat impressive, given that there were only 4 Iraqi blogs before October 2003, just before the launch of the second wave of Iraqi bloggers, which added exponentially to the growth of the Iraqi blogosphere.

But still, looking at Sifry’s data, one cannot help but wonder: is that all we can offer to the blogosphere? 212 Iraqi blogs?

More on this later.

UPDATE: Omar responds.

Abdul Rahman Warsame, a Somali-Australian post-grad student and an employee of Al-Jazeera TV, currently residing in Doha, Qatar, recently created a blog dealing with Middle Eastern/North African issues.

He promises to "create a conversation on development issues (media, democracy, health, education) and commentary on current issues (Israel-Arab conflict, Iran nuclear, Iraqi situation, etc.)

His posts are well worth a look.

Scene from Quraish Street (Sa'f Al-Sail), downtown Amman



Jordanian traffic policeman writing a ticket for an unfortunate driver



My favourite Jordanian dish: Mansaf, basically lamb cooked in sheep yoghourt, and served with rice and fried almonds



This one deserves further comment. Those innocent looking middle-aged vendors selling souvenirs (beads, old coins, stamps, defunct Iraqi bank notes with Saddam's face) for tourists are a bit more than street vendors. Notice the bald fellow hiding his face from the camera? He turned out to be an undercover Jordanian security agent. Just after I took the photo, he beckoned for two other men to follow him and headed to the bench where I was sitting with another friend, sipping horrible tea made out of bags. He asked me, with authority in his tone, from which country I was from and why I was shooting people's faces. I told him I was from Iraq and offered for him to scan through the photos I took that day. He checked each photo closely while explaining that this was a delicate security issue and warned that I should be careful while taking photos, otherwise I would probably be taken for interrogation and my camera confiscated. I was watching the group of Japanese tourists all over the place with video cameras and resisted the strong urge to point out why they weren't stopped and questioned. Anyway, I can now officially announce that this was my third encounter with undercover Jordanian security agents over the last three years. They seem to be all over the place.



Saddam memorabilia sold at souvenir shops in Amman



Scene from the old quarter of Amman (Wast il balad), near the Hussein mosque



An old hotel at downtown Amman



The 'New Yourk Nigt Club' at Shmeisani, central Amman. Judging from their spelling, I'm sure they serve great bloody marys.



Pilliards?



A lone saxohpne player at Suweifiya, southwest of Amman.



Fast food chain restaurants are all over Amman. This is the Arabised Kentucky Fried Chicken.



Popeyes, Burger King, and Hardees at the Sixth Circle, near Suwaifiya.



Pollo Ranchero at Al-Medina Al-Munawara Street: latin flavour.

Our small group of Iraqi bloggers in Jordan has expanded with the much welcome addition of Baghdad Treasure and 24 Steps of Liberty. We met twice with the new bloggers during the last few days, after our initial get-together at Mecca Mall a few weeks ago.

I’ll leave it to the bloggers to describe the meetings, but it suffices to say that the last meeting at Al-Hussein park, west of Amman, boiled down to my brother, Nabil, singing and strumming tunes (ranging from Hotel California to Fade to Black and Fog Al-Nakhal) on his acoustic guitar, with everyone else humming and singing along while stuffing ourselves with snacks and Pepsi; a scene that, sadly, would be virtually impossible to replicate back in Baghdad!

Another teaser from the last meet up:



I also attended the latest periodic meet up of Jordanian bloggers. You can find an account of how that one went at Khalidah’s blog.

I emailed the consular section of the U.S. embassy in Amman a few days ago to make an inquiry about my visa status. They promptly responded that my application is still undergoing administrative processing in the U.S., and that they would contact me immediately for visa issuance once the processing is complete:

Under current regulations, the embassy must request approval from offices in Washington, D.C. before issuing visas. Although we send the recommendation for visa issuance on the day of the interview, we do not control the length of the approval process.

Each application is considered individually. Therefore, one visa could be approved in a week while another may take longer. Unfortunately, this process can neither be waived nor expedited.

My orientation and classes start late this month but the expected entry date on my I-20 document (certificate of eligibility for non-immigrant students, issued by the Department of Justice) is August 18, which is next week. Even if I’m issued the visa tomorrow, ignoring the fact that it might take longer, I still won’t be able to make it in time since all flights to the U.S. are, surprisingly, fully booked until late August.

I suspect that today's news about the terrorist plot uncovered at Heathrow Airport is going to make things a bit more complicated.

I requested a new I-20 with a later date of entry from CUNY, and I’ll keep you informed on any updates.

There were sudden flying rumours of an explosion in Amman and many people were immediately speculating that: it's a terrorist attack, and it was done by Iraqis.

The explosion was first reported to have taken place at Mecca Mall, then at the Jabr commercial complex, at the intersection of Mecca Street and Abdullah Ghosha Street in Western Amman, then in a building at the 8th circle, southwest of Amman.

Jordanian state TV showed footage of an apartment building on fire, and civil defense workers rushing to the scene. It appeared to be an accident caused by an explosion of a cooking gas cannister or an electric short circuit.

It was a false alarm but the rumours continued to circulate. It serves to show how the country is still very tense and on a high level of alert since last year's hotel bombings.

Somewhat related to one of my earlier posts on Iraqis seeking refuge in Jordan, this is a fresh report from the Washington Post on the subject: Living in Jordan, Longing for Iraq.

More of the same. I can't seem to be able to put them in one post, so I'll publish them in bits. At least that way I can pretend to be posting more frequently. Heh.

The Roman amphitheatre at downtown Amman



Japanese tourists trying to beg their way into the closed theatre



Another view of the Roman amphitheatre



Rooms around the theatre



Souvenir shop for tourists at the old quarter of Amman



More souvenirs



Old Iraqi woman selling cheap cigarettes, only found at the old quarter of Amman



Some bearded guy buying nuts. Roba says the black man in the picture has been selling peanuts at the exact same spot for the last half century ever since he immigrated to Amman from Jerusalem.

First thing you notice about Amman is that almost all buildings are stone white.

Scene from the old quarter of Amman, near the Hashemite square



Scene from Wasfi Al-Tall (Gardens) Street, central Amman



Scene from old Amman



The Hussein mosque at downtown Amman



Apartment buildings at the Gardens district



View of Jebel Amman from the Abdoun district



Villa at an upscale neighbourhood in western Amman

Maybe not technically the first get-together of Iraqi bloggers, but as far as I know, it’s the largest one connecting several Iraqi bloggers to date, ever since Salam Pax penned his first blog entry at the (now defunct) Dear Raed weblog in 2002, marking the birth of the Iraqi blogosphere.

Anarki13 had arranged 2 smaller meetings a few days ago, which also went well. This one was attended by 6 bloggers: Anarki13, Hala, Attawie, Iraqi Konfused Kollege Kid, Morbid Smile, and yours truly. My brother, Nabil, and Morbid Smile’s sister, Micho, were also supposed to show up, but they couldn’t make it.

Any such meeting would have been complicated in Baghdad, for obvious reasons, so it was only natural that Amman, the temporary sanctuary of Iraqis still living in Iraq, would be the location. Mecca Mall, in western Amman, being almost officially declared Iraqi territory -because of the sheer number of Iraqis hanging out there- was the choice for meeting.

Before you get excited, it was rather more of a social meeting, and a very short one for that. I had already met Anarki in Amman, and I’ve also known the Kid for a few months now-when we suddenly realised, during an IM chat, that we both shared the same neighbourhood back in Baghdad. I met Hala last year before she started blogging, also in Baghdad, when she was visiting her family. So it was only Attawie and Morbid Smile that I had the pleasure to be introduced to. Both were very friendly and down-to-earth young ladies.

Unfortunately, I had a very busy schedule that day, so I could only join them for an hour or so. Later on, they had to watch a movie or something, so we took a few photos, much to the annoyance of the guy on the next table, who had to switch cameras after each shoot (each blogger had brought their own camera!), and we departed, with plans for a follow-up meeting that will include more Iraqi bloggers who have arrived in Amman for the summer.

In other news, I’m still waiting for word from the US embassy in Amman. In two days it will be a month since I applied. At the time, the consular officer promised ‘a few weeks’ for visa processing. I’m starting to get twitchy. It’s very possible that the conflict in Lebanon has put a strain on US embassies in the region and that processing applications could now take longer than usual.

We’ll see.