While co-Arab nations are undergoing turmoil and labor pangs of 'change', in Iraq it's business as usual. Suicide bombings, accusations and counter-accusations flying around to name perpetrators, unemployment, power cuts, repression and revolution in equal measure.
Here, we catch up with Iraq at a time when the media seems to have lost interest, since Pre-Arab Spring this nation had its own peculiar set of circumstances and causes for complaint. Throughout the 2000's Iraq had already lived a wave of protests and civil resistance to the occupation, both peaceful and armed. Anti-sectarianism demonstrations were coming into their own, earlier this decade also, in a country where until recently, even electricity was distributed along sectarian lines.
Is Iraq managing to 'spring' along with its Arab Neighbors?
In spite of increasing security concerns in this explosive and unstable post-US pullout nation, Iraqis have still managed to muster some degree of mobilisation for their own Iraqi Spring since February 25, 2011.
We catch up with the state of play and living standard for daily life in Iraq 'post' occupation and post Arab Spring, from still-beleaguered Baghdad to northern Iraq and Kurdistan. Are Iraqis who had long-moved out, to settle in Jordan, Syria and beyond, considering returning home? By now, some Iraqis have been repatriated in their host countries. Some Iraqis abroad have spent a lot of money on residency, and might need to consider the costs (to security and livelihood) of moving back to Iraq.
Al Bawaba catches up with daily life in this often forgotten conflict zone.
