All around me people are standing up for their very basic rights. It is interesting to see the world finally learn that the people in Egypt were living in abject poverty and living under a dictatorship. Well, no longer, I hope. There have been reports of unrest in Iraq, beyond attacks from Al-Qaida. A couple of weeks ago Goran, the opposition party here in Kurdistan, was threatening that people would take to the streets. That never really happened. Then today 1,000 people marched in downtown Sulaimaniya. The peaceful protest took a turn for the worse when people marched on the KDP building. Right now I am waiting for the news to be confirmed, but it sounds like the protesters threw some rocks and the guards at KDP opened fire on the crowd. The reports are 2-5 people were killed and 40+ people wounded. The streets now in Sulaimaniya are quiet. A curfew has been imposed on the city until 7AM tomorrow. I can understand though why people would be frustrated here. Especially here. There are no excuses as to why the electricity is not functioning. Unlike, Baghdad or Basra, the U.S. has not bombed the infrastructure here. Food prices are soaring and most people live with Kerosene heaters. They have barely enough heat to warm their house, let alone have hot water or the ability to do laundry. This is a country rich in natural resources, but the gains from those resources have not made it to most of the people on the street. I am very sorry, that such a tragedy had to happen here, but I can only pray that the politicians take notice and start to serve their people.
You be safe!
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