Job Discussion Forums

[2buckets]

Some forum members seem to be in Iraq.

Curious about what the situation is on the ground.

If you are not already fleeing and incommunicado, let your fellow members know your impressions.

Stay safe, watch your six, and please have an exit strategy.

[El Hobo]

I think most people, like me, are in Iraqi-Kurdistan which being a de facto state continues largely unaffected. Although I do like the drama and like to feel the excitement, the fact is I could as well be in Turkey now; nothing's changed.

Here in the KRG, we haven't had a foreigner kidnapped since US war began in 2003 and there hasn't been any Islamist bombings at all. Things could change of course but for now things are safe and no one (I know) feels scared. What an exciting story though!

Those few teachers in Baghdad however, should perhaps be considering how safe those walls around the Green Zone are..

[2buckets]

Some teachers in Baghdad have been flown out.

[nomad soul]

[cartago]

In Kurdistan there's a shortage of gas but it doesn't seem to have effected things that badly. I read an article this morning that said Maliki is asking airlines not to fly into Kurdistan so this could make things more problematic if they cooperate.

There's a lot of discussion about independence so that's exciting. At a time when he should be trying to build bridges Maliki is just antagonizing the Kurds. Well I don't know how much of a difference it would make if he tried sweet talking more. It might be hard to stop the independence movement. Then again, I read an article that independence might not be economically possible and Kurdistan would be too dependent on Turkey so we'll see what happens. It might be further off than it looks.

[veiledsentiments]

And it might change the dynamic of the Turkey/Kurdish relationship if they could see the benefit of working together.

I did read that Kurdistan has taken over more of the oil fields. What they need is a refinery for gasoline.

VS

[returnee2014]

They've got the refinery. Gas is steady at 9k dinar / litre. Which they consider high, but hasn't affected traffic one bit.

Warning to anyone shopping for work in Erbil, Mosul is being depopulated and Erbil getting flooded with refugees. CIA building huge base there to fight ISIS in Mosul. The pay there is better than Slemani, but not worth it imho. Slemani unaffected apart from the closure of the Dublin Irish Pub due to lack of tourists, which personally hits me rather hard, but such is life.