Word: iraq
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...pictures of Iraq...
...Iraq and Iran have rarely had the luxury of ignoring each other; in the 1980s, the two fought a bitter eight-year war, and more recently, since the U.S. toppling of Saddam Hussein, Iran has taken an active - and some would argue malign - interest in its neighbor to the west. But while Western leaders and pundits wring their hands over Iran's disputed election, there's been little anguish in Baghdad. (Read "Iran Group in Iraq Poses Thorny Issue...
...lack of information. Iranian TV stations are readily available in Iraq, and the Arabic news channels like al-Jazeera and al-Arabiyah have provided in-depth coverage of the election. And since 60% of the Iraqi population shares Iran's official Shi'a faith, you'd expect an avid interest in the political drama unfolding in Tehran. But many Iraqis say they have not been paying attention. "It's happening next door, but it feels very far away," says Hadi Hussein, a Baghdad shop owner. (See pictures of Iran's presidential elections and their turbulent aftermath...
...Those fears have abated somewhat, but Ubaidi's murder continues to dominate the headlines. "Iranian politics is interesting, but for us, it is a sideshow," says Amr Fayad, a political analyst in Baghdad. "We are worried about our own politics." (See pictures of life returning to Iraq's streets...
...Many of Iraqi's leaders have close ties to the mullahs. Iraq's political élites have a cozy relationship with the Iranian clerical establishment that backs Ahmadinejad. Many Iraqi leaders - especially Shi'ites - spent the Saddam Hussein years as guests of the mullahs in Tehran. Others received monetary support from Iranian clerical organizations. So unlike some American politicians, Iraqi leaders are leery of openly accusing Khamenei of fixing the election...