U.S. diplomats will begin moving into the mammoth new, heavily fortified embassy in Baghdad next month after long delays in the $736 million project — and not a moment too soon.
….S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker said Friday that construction is complete at the Vatican-sized compound
…The new embassy will be the largest U.S. diplomatic mission […]

London graffiti…

Brilliant
[via Boing Boing]

addthis_url = ‘http%3A%2F%2Fwww.black-iris.com%2F2008%2F04%2F14%2Fone-nation-under-cctv%2F’;
addthis_title = ‘One+Nation+Under+CCTV’;
addthis_pub = ”;

Director of the Financial Disclosure Department Nazim Aref on Sunday said 61 out of 110 deputies have submitted financial disclosure statements. Yesterday was the last day for deputies to file and submit their financial statements according to the 2006 Financial Disclosure Law, he added. The department provided lawmakers with the statement form on January 13, […]

Sometimes, when I read up on developments in Dubai, I get the feeling it’s a city that consists of a giant tub of money. Just a casual glance at some recent news might lead you to that conclusion:
- A Dubai-based Arab company has become the first ever in the world to charter a space craft […]

As Fox News creates a documentary on President Bush, The Daily Show’s John Oliver produces a documentary on Fox News. It’s both fair and balanced:
Part 1:

Part 2:

addthis_url = ‘http%3A%2F%2Fwww.black-iris.com%2F2008%2F04%2F14%2Fthe-daily-show-documents-fox-news%2F’;
addthis_title = ‘The+Daily+Show+Documents+Fox+News’;
addthis_pub = ”;

When the international media focuses mainly on elections in African countries and the Tibet issue, you know it’s been a really slow news week.
Sad, but true, no?

addthis_url = ‘http%3A%2F%2Fwww.black-iris.com%2F2008%2F04%2F13%2Fa-slow-news-week%2F’;
addthis_title = ‘A+Slow+News+Week’;
addthis_pub = ”;

If you haven’t read Khalaf’s primer on the issue, definitely check it out. The new Salt Document is a pretty stunning and rare act of cultural and social reform on the ground level, specifically in adherence to the new socioeconomic realities. Some of the highlights focus mainly on wedding festivities:
- A bride’s jewelry (as part […]

There is a question I am frequently asked by people who mistake me for an expert on the Jordanian blogosphere, and that is: why don’t Jordanian bloggers blog about issues (at all, or, more often). The short answer is: I don’t know. The long answer delves into a plethora of questions that are too complicated […]

Could this editorial in the Jordan Times be any more propagandistic? I mean, come on people, a little show of objectivity can’t hurt you. Can it?

addthis_url = ‘http%3A%2F%2Fwww.black-iris.com%2F2008%2F04%2F12%2Fjordan-times-goes-on-a-propagandistic-rant%2F’;
addthis_title = ‘Jordan+Times+Goes+On+A+Propagandistic+Rant’;
addthis_pub = ”;

Don’t get me wrong. I love Amman. But there are times when this city induces claustrophobia and therein lies the urge to get out in search of greener pastures. Luckily it’s spring time. So all you really need is some tea in a thermos, a camera, a tank full of gas, and a willingness to […]

A very interesting article in Salon today that I think is worth reading in light of recent unconvincing arguments…
April 10, 2008 | On a recent trip to Amman, Jordan, during a visit to the home of someone who had been detained by the Jordanian intelligence service in 2002, I was given two very thin strips […]

It’s been about 10 days or so, and HM Queen Rania’s first YouTube video has received over 1 million views and over 3,500 comments thus far. Today, she takes some time to give her early reaction to all the feedback.

[h/t: Nina]

addthis_url = ‘http%3A%2F%2Fwww.black-iris.com%2F2008%2F04%2F09%2Fqueen-rania-responds-to-youtube-feedback-thus-far%2F’;
addthis_title = ‘Queen+Rania+Responds+To+YouTube+Feedback+Thus+Far’;
[…]

The legislative session is over and MPs are on holiday. After doing pretty much nothing about helping the average Jordanian deal with rising prices, low wages, and fuel hikes, the MPs have decided to take this time off to help themselves. According to Ammon, MPs are asking for their wages to be increased, their cars […]

“…allegations made in earlier reports by the organisation. It is based on allegations and assumptions that are far from objective to arrive at conclusions that are neither dependable nor convincing” - Nasser Judeh, Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications, unconvinced by a Human Rights Watch report that claims the General Intelligence Department (GID) […]

A lot has been said about the Prince Hamzah Hospital on The Black Iris, but the following is a personal story that you won’t ever see in the newspapers. Someone I know recently suffered from a death in the family. His 46 year-old uncle, was recently admitted to the Prince Hamzah Hospital with bacteria and […]

Last night I had the fortune of getting to watch Mahmoud Massad’s award-winning documentary, “Recycle”. To say that it was a full house would be the understatement of the year. I watched the film from the floor of an aisle, while others hovered around the door, standing. I think the oxygen in the theater depleted […]