Iraq

The area where Iraq is today was the birthplace of many of the Earth's oldest civilizations, including the Babylonians and the Assyrians. A part of the Ottoman Empire from 1534, the Treaty of Sèvres brought the area under British control in 1918. Iraq gained independence in 1932. In 1968 the socialist Ba'ath Party took control of Iraq and Saddam Hussein came to power eleven years later. The next twenty-five years took a grinding toll on the country. A long war with neighboring Iran in the 1980s cost hundreds of thousands of lives and billions of dollars. The invasion of Kuwait in 1990 and subsequent Gulf War caused further casualties, followed by civil war inside the country and a decade of international sanctions. Iraq was invaded in 2003 by a U.S.-led coalition of forces, principally including the United Kingdom and Poland, who removed Saddam Hussein from power. Although some transfer of power to an Iraqi interim government has occurred, the country remains occupied by 120,000 US and coalition soldiers. Rebuilding on a massive scale inside larger cites has occurred, thanks to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. However, ongoing attacks from U.S. soldiers against its resistors, and vice-versa have made it particularly dangerous, especially inside the "Sunni Triangle".

Hands of Victory monument, Baghdad Even people who have always lived in Iraq and who are uninvolved with political issues are often subject to kidnapping-for-profit, which can be fatal if a ransom is not paid. The ransom price is very high and few governments will pay it. Iraq is beset with numerous problems that make travelling risky and difficult. The security situation is perilous in most areas of the country, and continues to deteriorate under continuing terrorist attacks. Resistance to continuing military occupation, U.S. and U.K. forces, and Iraqi military, police or anyone associated with the Iraqi government, as well as increasing factional and sectarian conflict makes street warfare, bombings, and other acts of armed violence daily occurrences. The central third of the country is the most volatile; the southern ports are less dangerous, but only relatively so. However, northern Iraq, or Kurdistan is safe and has suffered from very little violence since 2003. Major cities, including Baghdad, are fertile grounds for political upheavals, kidnappings, and other underground activity, so tread lightly. The Kurdish peshmerga (military) is over 100,000 strong and every road, town, city and even village has checkpoints going in and out. All non-Kurds are searched thoroughly and occasionally followed by the internal secret police. However fear not, this is why there almost no chance of terrorism in the North. The police are friendly and everyone is happy to meet foreigners, especially Americans. Even American soldiers walk around Iraqi Kurdistan unarmed. Traveling alone makes you an easy kidnapping target, and is best avoided – if possible travel with a translator/guard. There are comprehensive private and state security services available for your personal protection - you are strongly advised to use the available options for your own safety. If employed in Iraq, consult your employer on how to handle your personal safety. Independent contractors will usually have security provided by their clients, if no security is provided you should seriously consider not travelling to Iraq, if you must go you should hire armed security and get proper training in appropriate protective gear, survival, and weapons. Be aware that Iraq, like any war zone, has minefields everywhere, do not walk into fields, especially marked ones unless you're absolutely sure that it's safe. In short, do not go anywhere without escort from the Iraqi army.

It is not safe for short term visitors to drink the water anywhere in Iraq. It is best to always drink bottled water, preferably made by a Western or Jordanian company. It will usually be sold at vendors and large stores, and will be easy to find. Most Iraqi water companies pump their water directly from the Tigris or Euphrates rivers, treat it with ozone, and then filter it into bottles. The taste is often not very good, and those with sensitive systems should not drink it. Many street vendors will offer drinks such as water with a lemon twist, which should be presumed unsafe for foreign visitors. Those with experience in Iraq should use their discretion and past experience when purchasing drinks. Drinking the local tea (chai) can be safe for some people since it is brought to a boil before serving, but when in doubt, insist that bottled water be used. Many kinds of water-borne disease, pollution, and infectious agents are not affected by boiling of water, and are still present in the water after boiling. As a walk past an Iraqi butcher shop will demonstrate, food preparation standards are not the same as in Western countries, and consumption of local food can make a visitor ill. Try to bring your own. As tap water is generally not potable, you should especially avoid uncooked foods. Should you find your body in the uncomfortable position of rejecting food and water due to something you shouldn't have drunk, immediately find someone who speaks Arabic and send them to a local pharmacist and request a product known locally as "InterStop". This works better than any well-known western brands.