CPTnet
16 August 2006

IRAQ UPDATE: 24-31 July

Monday, 24 July

Anita David, Maxine Nash, and Peggy Gish, decided to continue exploring the
possibility of ongoing work in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) area,
and pursue a different housing situation.

The CPTers met the director of an Iraqi NGO who was upset because someone
had murdered an Iraqi member of his organization that morning outside the
victim's home in Baghdad.

Tuesday, 25 July

After consultations with the UN and other NGOs, the team decided to learn
more about the situation in the KRG for internally displaced persons (IDPs.)

Wednesday, 26 July David, Nash, and Gish met with the Deputy Minister at the
Ministry of Interior (MOI) in Sulaimaniya, one of his assistants, and his
legal advisor. The legal advisor explained how they could register as an
NGO. He asked them to notify the MOI two days in advance about plans to
travel to other cities, in case they needed assistance. He said that
incoming team members would not need visas before their arrival.

CPTers then met with the director of a Kurdish human rights organization,
which has worked since 1991 to foster national human rights standards and
educate people about their human rights. Teachers in sixty primary,
secondary, and high schools have used a manual for teaching human rights
that this group published. Because the organization maintained its
independence from political parties, it could facilitate prisoner swaps and
prisoner releases between opposing parties during Kurdistan's civil war of
the 1990s.

He told team members that most Kurdish people of this region fear that
displaced persons from the rest of Iraq will create problems in Kurdistan.
People from Mosul are coming to Erbil. People from Kirkuk and Baghdad are
coming to Erbil and Sulaimaniya. Prices for everything have risen. People
are worried that any increased tension may lead the government to claim the
security is endangered and do something that nullifies human rights
legislation.

Thursday, 27 July

At the MOI, the legal advisor gave Nash and Gish a paper to help CPT
register as an NGO. Later they found out that the office responsible for
registering NGOs is not yet functioning.

Nash called a friend of the team from Baghdad and found out that a recent
mortar and bomb attack happened across the street from an internet center
the team had frequently used. The explosions killed several relatives of
team friends. Nash also spoke to an Iraqi friend in another city in Iraq who
said that someone shot at him outside his home.

A friend in Sulaimaniya and his family took team members out to a club for
dinner.

Friday, 28 July

In the evening a friend of the team took them to a local park, which
contains a small amusement park and zoo, as well as places for families to
picnic.

Saturday, 29 July

The team discussed ways to prepare for a crisis while they were staying in
the Kurdish north and planned to consult with representatives of three
organizations in this region about these preparations. Two friends took
CPTers to look at apartments for rent in Sulaimaniya.

Sunday, 3 July

Jan Benvie flew into the Sulaimaniya airport and received a ten-day entry
visa upon arrival.

A team friend from Baghdad arrived in Sulaimaniya with team members' files
from the residency office and a team computer from the team apartment in
Baghdad.

Team members went out to look at apartments for rent.

Monday, 31 July

After a long wait at the Residency Office, Gish, whose residency visa had
just expired, was granted a six-month residency visa extension. Authorities
told Nash and David to come back two days before their residency visas
expired to extend theirs.

Benvie, David, and Gish met with the director of an international NGO, who
gave security advice and cultural sensitivity tips for operating an
international NGO in the KRG region. Concerning their exploration of work,
he suggested taking time to network and understand the needs and culture of
the people here before starting specific projects. He spoke of a need for
training people to address violence within the family and at the community
level. He said his organization found it helpful to begin new programs as
pilot projects and test their acceptance by the local people.