Once-Fancy Baghdad Street Is Suffering

[deadparrot]

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Even while Iraq languished under crippling U.N. economic sanctions, upscale Arrasat Street thrived. Trendy stores with foreign names brimmed with sexy lingerie and Swiss watches. Mercedes-Benzes and BMWs whizzed past pricey restaurants where Western love songs played.

Now Arrasat is quiet. Too quiet.

"For sale," reads a sign on a closed store. "Huge discounts: 75 percent off," screams another.

Arrasat was Baghdad's fanciest commercial strip under Saddam Hussein, thriving on goods smuggled in under the U.N. restrictions that followed Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait. After the collapse of Saddam's regime, it saw a short-lived boom that brought hopes of economic prosperity.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/iraq_street_story

[biscotti]

1. I feel so badly

for the people of Iraq and our military that are stuck there.

[onehandle]

2. All part of the Bush plan to turn Iraq into Afghanistan.

Economically and Ideologically.

[LeftHander]

3. That is good news....Iraq shedding the foul aspects...

Of our western consumer culture. Good and services that are specifically for the wealthy serve no real purpose.

Oh and I am sure Iraqis are eager to run out and buy American and western products...after the west has invaded, bombed and killed tens of thousands.

I'm sure that local Iraqi's are not eager to walk the streets in a pair of new levis and a shirt from the GAP...

The west has let Iraq down by allowing Bush's war to happen. Can't say blame then at for not wanting the trappings of western culture any longer...

[Kailassa]

4. Redistribution of wealth is one thing ...

having everybody's livelihoods taken away
and basic services to society trashed is quite another.

My concern with
the rich losing their ability to buy luxuries
is that it is going hand in hand with
the poor losing their ability to buy food.

[saigon68]

5. Bring on the Burkas

New One-Eye Burkas Introduced in Saudi Arabia
Old burkas promoted immorality, splinter group says.
Beliefnet News Services
RIYADH, A new splinter group of Muslims in Saudi Arabia has declared that the Wahabbi sect, considered strict by many people, is actually promoting lasciviousness and immoral Western values.

Though the customary burkas worn by women in these countries cover all of the body except for the eyes, a new group of imams have decried the garment for showing too much.




"Women were found to be winking!" said Sheikh Fahd.

They have ruled that in order to prevent "immodesty" and winking, women will have to wear new burkas that cover all but one eye. "This way, if they wink, it will look like a blink," the Imam declared.

[pinerow]

6. Sheesh....!

nt

[Nickster]

8. Ok, it scares me that there's a fundamentalist sect of Islam that thinks

Wahabbi is too lenient and promotes immorality. WOW!

[Rex]

9. Tell me that is a joke.

Please tell me you made that up.


Had to add some words to a very powerful picture.

[saigon68]

10. It's a joke

And by the way--

Nice Graphic :-)

http://www.beliefnet.com/story/143/story_14334_1.html

[Rex]

7. Free-doom is on the rampage!

To the people of Iraq - I apologize for our insane leader. For some reason he thinks 'democracy' and 'freedom' are words you can throw around for effect while you rape, pillage and plunder another country. He ain't bright, but works for evil men like your former leader Saddam Hussein. :(