http://www.liveleak.com/browse?q=iraq Wed, 22 May 2013 00:33:46 -0400 Liveleak http://edge.liveleak.com/80281E/u/u/ll2/logo.gif http://www.liveleak.com/browse?q=iraq Tue, 21 May 2013 08:26:20 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=445_1369138871 GrandTheftAuto Full documentary with English subtitles. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=445_1369138871 GrandTheftAuto 9/11 False Flag - German Documentary 2008 new york septermber eleven 9 11 iraq iran afghanistan islam muslim al qaeda syria middle east israel zionism zionist bush george america usa war terror Tue, 21 May 2013 21:12:57 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a7c_1369184263 BekasKhan By Michael Hirsh National JournalKABUL, Afghanistan - None of President Hamid Karzai's top advisers knew that he had been receiving tens of millions of dollars in secret cash from the CIA, Afghanistan's senior anticorruption official said, and he added that he did not believe the Afghan leader's claim that he had been giving the agency regular receipts for the money. Mohammad Yasin Osmani, the head of the Independent Joint Anti-Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Committee, said in an interview last week that he and 39 other advisers who audit expenditures throughout the government "were not aware" of the decade-old payouts, which Karzai acknowledged at a news conference in Kabul on May 4. But Osmani, like other Afghan government officials, was reluctant to criticize Karzai or accuse him of personal corruption, highlighting a growing friction between Afghanistan and the International Security Assistance Force led by the United States over an issue that threatens to upend the rebuilding effort here, and possibly U.S. plans for a post-2014 "strategic partnership" with Afghanistan. Many Afghan officials and politicians contend that their nation's reputation for rampant corruption is exaggerated-according to Transparency International, a monitoring group, Afghanistan is the most corrupt nation on earth, along with Myanmar, North Korea, and Somalia. They say that more to blame are poor procedures by ISAF and Washington that hand aid money directly over to graft-plagued contractors and subcontractors. Ashraf Ghani, a former finance minister who is currently the chairman of the Afghan Transition Coordination Commission, said the Karzai cash controversy is viewed in Washington as simply more evidence of Afghanistan's corrupt ways. But he asked: "What does it say about the way the American government conducts itself?" It is, perhaps, a fair point, especially coming after a decade in which the $60 billion American rebuilding effort in Iraq was deemed hopelessly corrupt-in part because, Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Stuart Bowen concluded in his final report in March, in many cases U.S. officials did not consult with Iraqis closely or deeply enough to determine what reconstruction projects were really needed. Now the Afghans are saying the same thing. Even as the security transition to the Afghan National Security Forces is said to be going more smoothly, civilian transition from U.S. to Afghan oversight is a disaster, Finance Minister Omar Zakhilwal said in an interview. "The transition has not happened," he said, although as the ISAF-formed "provincial reconstruction teams" are being dismantled. U.S. aid rules have themselves become a source of corruption, Osmani says. Too many private contractors skim off the top as they subcontract a job out, a practice that the Afghan government itself would not permit, he says. Beyond that, "nobody has the right to monitor international community projects," and yet international auditors are often too leery of going to insecure areas. So little monitoring occurs. And in some cases U.S.-built projects appear to be following the pattern in Iraq. Osmani cited a case in which the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, John Sopko, criticized a $73 million contract given by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to DynCorp International for a shoddily built Afghan National Army base in Kunduz Province. "They didn't allow the government to go out and supervise the project!" Osmani said. The finger-pointing on both sides suggests a long-married couple-10 years of geopolitical marriage in this case-who are fed up with each other but can't bear the idea of divorce. And the mood is getting testier. In a recent report, Sopko accused the Afghan government of "targeting American contractors with unjust taxes and intimidation." Zakhilwal says the allegations are false. Even in the case of Afghanistan's biggest economic weakness, the heroin trade, Afghan officials say the corruption is far greater outside Afghanistan than inside. "From 2002 to 2009, $420 billion to $460 billion was made by international dealers , while $18 billion made by the Afghan mafia," says Ghani, citing a report by the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime. "The illegal economy is totally integrated into globalization: with credit and transport." The question of whether Afghanistan is just too corrupt to save has shaped the entire U.S. approach to post-9/11 Afghanistan, tilting the Obama administration gradually away from "nation-building" and toward a more pared-down counterterrorism strategy. In February 2008, three U.S. senators who are today the Obama administration's key foreign-policy heavyweights-Joe Biden, Chuck Hagel, and John Kerry-had a crucial dinner with Karzai at the Afghan president's palace. After Hagel raised the subject of corruption in Karzai's government, including runaway graft and narcotics connections, Karzai replied, "My dear senator, there is no corruption in my government." Things then got testier. The American visitors insisted they had a list of corrupt officials and that Karzai's brother was at the top of it, but the Afghan leader disingenuously denied it all-until Biden, by the dessert course, threw down his napkin. "This dinner is over," he said, walking out. Hagel and Kerry followed. Biden never really regained his trust in Karzai, and by 2009, after he became Barack Obama's vice president, he turned into the new administration's No. 1 skeptic about nation-building. The doubts about Karzai, culminating in charges of election fraud, also poisoned the Afghan president's relations with the late Richard Holbrooke, Obama's special representative for Afghanistan. Karzai continues to deny charges of personal corruption, including about the CIA money. "This money was not given to warlords," he said at the May 4 news conference in Kabul. "The major part of this money was spent on government employees such as our guards.... It has been paid to individuals, not movements.... We give receipts for all these expenditures to the U.S. government." Even Osmani is skeptical about that last point. Asked whether he believed there were "receipts," he responded, "No." But there are clearly two sides to every corruption story, and the U.S. and Afghan governments need to get their stories straight if the "partnership" is to survive after 2014. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a7c_1369184263 BekasKhan Which Is More Corrupt: Afghanistan or America? Afghanistan Occupation by US NATO Taliban Pakistan terrorist Punjabi ISI Al Qaeda Iran Intel India Haqqani China to Occupy Afghanistan Tue, 21 May 2013 20:46:55 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=c4c_1369183416 GLEISE581 SYRIA TRANSITION SUPPORT ACT INTRODUCED BY MENENDEZ, CORKER PASSES SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEEBipartisan Legislation Approved by a Vote of 15 to 3Tuesday, May 21, 2013 Bill Provides for Lethal Aid and Training to Vetted Syrian Opposition, Sanctions Weapon Sales and Petroleum Sales to the Assad Regime, While Delivering Humanitarian Assistance and Planning for a Post-Assad Syria WASHINGTON, DC - The Syria Transition Support Act, bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Ranking Member Bob Corker (R-TN) passed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The legislation plans for a post-Assad Syria by offering humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people, limited lethal and non-lethal assistance and training to vetted Syrian groups. "The situation in Syria is critical for Syrians, for the region, and for the U.S. effort to counter extremism. More than 80,000 Syrians have died in the last two years, the number of refugees now tops 1.5 million; the conflict is spilling over into Lebanon and Iraq; and extremists groups with links to al-Qaeda are exploiting the conflict and gaining ground in a state with large chemical weapon stockpiles. The time to act and turn the tide against Assad is now. This legislation will provide critical support to the Syrian opposition through provision of military assistance, training, and additional humanitarian support." "Given the risks to the U.S. and the region from an extremist takeover in Syria, I thank my colleagues for advancing our bill that seeks a better outcome by establishing a more focused U.S. strategy without new spending or authorizing American military force. This effort has always been about more than the arming and training of vetted opposition groups; it is about shifting the momentum on the ground toward moderate forces while helping them build consensus for a new government post Assad," said Corker. "In order for the necessary political transition to take place, moderate forces must gain the upper hand, and Assad must doubt his chances of survival. This bill moves that effort down the road in a serious, measured way, so I hope it is something my congressional colleagues and the president will embrace. " The Menendez-Corker legislation includes six key elements. o Authority to provide arms, military training and non-lethal supplies to the Syrian armed opposition: Groups that have gone through a thorough vetting process by the U.S. government, meeting certain criteria on human-rights, terrorism, and non-proliferation, would be eligible. A presidential waiver is included allowing for the distribution of anti-aircraft defensive systems with strict limitations. o Creation of a $250 million transition fund each year through FY2015 drawn from funds otherwise appropriated for regional transition support: To assist the civilian opposition in early transition institution building and maintenance of existing institutions, such as preserving security institutions, preventing regional spillover, promoting government formation, supporting transition justice, and reconciliation efforts. o Sanctions on arms and oil sales to Assad: Targeting any person that the President of the United States determines has knowingly participated in or facilitated a transaction related to the sale or transfer of military equipment, arms, petroleum, or petroleum products to the Assad regime. o Broad authority for humanitarian assistance: To ensure the administration is not hampered in its efforts to provide humanitarian aid to the Syrian people. This section does not authorize any new or additional funding. o Administration strategy: Requiring the administration to work with Congress and keep it fully apprised of strategy towards Syria, including working through the international community and Russia to find a political settlement. o Amendment to the Syria Accountability Act: To allow for sanctions removal once a transitional government is in place and certain terrorism and WMD criteria have been met. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=c4c_1369183416 GLEISE581 SYRIA TRANSITION SUPPORT ACT PASSED syria Tue, 21 May 2013 19:10:17 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=2f7_1369177231 BrooklynJAH The State Department on Thursday added the leader of an al Qaeda-linked Syrian rebel group to its global terror list, freezing any assets he might have in the U.S. and making it illegal for Americans or U.S.-based companies to do business with him. "This will help choke their finances," a State department official told The Washington Times. The move, the official said, is part of an effort by the United States and its European allies to try and marginalize the al-Nusra Front, the extremist militia which has been among the most successful rebel force on the ground in Syria - both militarily and in terms of the governance it offers the people who live in areas captured from the Damascus government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during the country's increasingly bloody two-year civil war. Muhammad al-Jawlani is the leader of the al Nusra front, the State Department said in a statement Thursday. "He has stated in videos that his ultimate goal is the overthrow of the Syrian regime and the institution of Islamist shari'a law throughout the country," the statement said, adding that he had been specially tasked by al Qaeda in Iraq to form al Nusra as a front organization behind which al Qaeda supporters could operate in Syria. Earlier this year, Mr. al-Jawlani went public with the link, saying the subterfuge was necessary for security reasons. "Under al-Jawlani's leadership, al-Nusrah Front has carried out multiple suicide attacks throughout Syria," said the State Department. The group has specialized in large car bombings in civilian neighborhoods, outside police buildings, and security headquarters in Damascus and other cities. "Many of these attacks have killed innocent Syrian civilians," said the department. More than 70,000 have died in the conflict, according to the United Nations. As the violent stalemate in Syria continues, pressure has increased on the United States and its allies to begin arming the rebels. But there are concerns that arms might find their way to extremist groups like al-Nusra. Even more mainstream groups like the Omar al-Farooq Brigade have faced criticism from human rights groups, most recently when a vidieo surfaced o f one of their commanders eating the heart of a dead Syrian soldier and urging his followers to "kill the Alawites" and "eat their hearts." Mr. al-Assad and some of his government and supporters are members of Syria's Shiite minority sect, the Alawites. The Omar al-Farooq Brigade, the al-Nusra Front and almost all other Syrian rebel militias are Sunni Muslims and the conflict has begun to take on an increasingly sectarian tone. Earlier this week, London's Daily Telegraph reported that Britain and France were leading a push at the United Nations to get al-Nusra and its leaders designated by the Security Council's al Qaeda sanctions committee, which would impose a banking and asset freeze worldwide. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=2f7_1369177231 BrooklynJAH U.S. designates Syrian rebel commanders as terrorists Syria, rebel, commander, warlord, terrorist, FSA Tue, 21 May 2013 10:39:12 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=009_1369146928 english-patriot33 http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2013/05/fort-hood-jihadi-paid-278000-jizya-while-awaiting-trial.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&amp;utm_medium=facebook Fort Hood Jihadi Paid $278,000 (jizya) While Awaiting Trial This murdering Muslim is paid over a quarter of a million dollars, while the hero cops who took him down were fired years ago. Obama's approval ratings hovers at 50%. America, you have lost your way. Accused Fort Hood Shooter Paid $278,000 While Awaiting Trial NBC Injured soldier outraged suspected shooter receives salary while his family financially struggles in recovery The Department of Defense confirms to NBC 5 Investigates that accused Fort Hood shooter Major Nidal Hasan has been paid more than $278,000 since the Nov. 5, 2009 shooting that left 13 dead 32 injured. The Department of Defense confirms to NBC 5 Investigates that accused Fort Hood shooter Major Nidal Hasan has now been paid more than $278,000 since the Nov. 5, 2009 shooting that left 13 dead 32 injured. The Army said under the Military Code of Justice, Hasan's salary cannot be suspended unless he is proven guilty. If Hasan had been a civilian defense department employee, NBC 5 Investigates has learned, the Army could have suspended his pay after just seven days. Personnel rules for most civilian government workers allow for "indefinite suspensions" in cases "when the agency has reasonable cause to believe that the employee has committed a crime for which a sentence of imprisonment may be imposed." Meanwhile, more than three years later soldiers wounded in the mass shooting are fighting to receive the same pay and medical benefits given to those wounded in combat. Retired Army Spc. Logan Burnett, a reservist who, in 2009, was soon to be deployed to Iraq, was shot three times when a gunman opened fire inside the Army Deployment Center. "I honestly thought I was going to die in that building," said Burnett. "Just blood everywhere and then the thought of -- that's my blood everywhere." Burnett nearly died. He's had more than a dozen surgeries since the shooting, and says post-traumatic stress still keeps him up at night. Burnett is now fighting a new battle; only this one is against the U.S. Army. The Army has not classified the wounds of the Ft. Hood victims as "combat related" and declines to label the shooting a "terrorist attack", The "combat related" designation is an important one, for without it Burnett and other shooting victims are not given combat-related pay, they are not eligible for Purple Heart retirement or medical benefits given to other soldiers wounded either at war or during the Sept. 11, 2001 attack on the Pentagon. As a result, Burnett, his wife Torey, and the families of other Fort Hood victims miss out on thousands of dollars of potential benefits and pay every year. To Burnett the shooting felt like combat. "You take three rounds and lose five good friends and watch seven other people get killed in front of you. Do you have another term that we can classify that as?" asked Burnett. The Army has categorized the shooting as a case of "workplace violence." "Sickens me. Absolutely sickens me. Workplace violence? I don't even know if I have the words to say," said Burnett. "They don't need to be treated like this. They don't need to sit and fight every day for this benefit or that," said Torey Burnett. As that fight continues, Burnett was stunned to see a letter detailing the more $278,000 Hasan has been paid since his arrest. NBC 5 Investigates received the letter from the Department of Defense in response to a request under the Freedom of Information Act. "There have been times when my wife and I cannot afford groceries. We cannot afford gas in our car," Burnett said. "Literally, times where we ate Ramen noodles for weeks on end. This makes me sick to my stomach," said Burnett. Burnett isn't alone in his outrage. "We're giving the defendant in this case every benefit of the doubt. But yet we're not giving the benefits to the victims," said Rep. Thomas Rooney (R) Florida Rooney, a former prosecutor at Fort Hood, recently signed a bi-partisan letter urging defense secretary Chuck Hagel to "...reclassify the victims' deaths and injuries as 'combat related'..." The letter said the current situation has "...resulted in an embarrassing lack of care and treatment for the victims and their families." "What happened here is not a case of workplace violence. What happened here was an attack on our military by a terrorist element specifically targeting our military, which just so happened to be in the United States of America," said Rooney. Reports from the Federal Bureau of Investigation showed Hasan was communicating with a member of Al Qaida prior to the shooting. Additionally, the government's National Counterterrorism Center lists the shooting at Fort Hood as a "high fatality terrorist attack." Rooney said he's also willing to consider whether Congress should change the rules, so the Army could suspend the pay of soldiers arrested for crimes against fellow soldiers. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=009_1369146928 english-patriot33 Fort Hood Jihadi Paid $278,000 (jizya) While Awaiting Trial islam, muslims, terrorists, pedophiles, bloodsucking leeches, Tue, 21 May 2013 04:24:34 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=aa9_1369123928 BrooklynJAH 1) There's little support for it in Turkey The Syrian civil war has spilled over into Turkey on a number of occasions - in addition to the recent bombings in Reyhanli, there was a car bomb at a Turkish border crossing in February that killed 14; and last June Syria shot down a Turkish reconnaissance jet off the Syrian coast. However, despite these seeming acts of aggression, there has been little appetite among average Turks for an incursion into Syria, says Amir Hassanpour, a retired professor of Mideast affairs at the University of Toronto. The main reason for this, he says, is that Turks are tired of bloodshed. Not only has Turkey recently come through a three-decade civil war of its own with Kurdish rebels, which claimed 40,000 lives, it has also witnessed at close hand the bloody, chaotic outcomes of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. "Public opinion doesn't really like Turkish involvement in wars in the region," 2) The Turkish leadership has domestic demands The other factor here is that Prime Minister Erdogan is preoccupied with two equally pressing domestic issues -- forging a peace agreement with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and reaching consensus on a new constitution -- observes Reva Bhalla, vice-president of global analysis for the Texas-based consultancy Stratfor. Turkey's 30-year battle with Kurdish rebels, which are located largely in the southeastern party of the country bordering Iraq, came to an end in March when jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan announced a truce. Since then, the Turkish government has been working to solidify the peace, and part of that is enshrining rights for Kurds in a new constitution. "This is a very sensitive political time for the ruling party, as Erdogan is trying to cobble together a whole series of constitutional revisions and at the same time negotiate a comprehensive peace deal with the PKK - and those two issues are intertwined," 3) Military intervention could threaten a PKK peace deal The PKK has links to Kurdish populations not only in Turkey, but in northern Iraq and northern Syria, areas where Turkish forces and Kurdish rebels have clashed repeatedly in the last three decades. While Turkey still classifies the PKK as a terrorist organization, the government is allowing PKK members, under the current peace negotiations, to withdraw from Turkey to return to northern Iraq. Bhalla says that if Turkey were to jump into the fray in Syria, it would likely galvanize Kurdish fighters living in northern Syria, and could unravel the delicate peace that the two sides have managed to achieve in recent months. Something the Turks do not want to see. 4) Confrontation with Iran "When you talk about Syria, you are also talking automatically about Iran," says Raboudi. Iran and Syria have enjoyed a long-standing friendship, not least because they both aim to counteract the influence of the U.S. and Israel in the region. Throughout the current crisis, the Iranian leadership has supported Syria's embattled Assad politically as well as militarily (often transporting arms through Iraqi airspace). The Sunni-led government of Turkey has had reasonably good relations with the Shia theocracy of Iran. But if Turkey were to intervene in Syria, Raboudi says it's possible that it could spur Iran, one of the region's biggest powers, to become more actively involved - and turn an already messy sectarian battle into an even bloodier conflagration. 5) The Americans are reluctant to fight While Turkey has an estimable army, Bhalla says the country would only act militarily if the U.S. took the lead and provided the majority of weaponry and tactical support. "Turkey is not going to intervene militarily in Syria on a meaningful scale without the United States playing that primary role," says Bhalla. Despite strong criticism of the Assad regime, the Obama administration has been reluctant to commit to any kind of military force in Syria. One reason is that U.S. intervention could ignite a war with Iran, says Hassanpour. Plus, there's the unhappy legacy of recent U.S. wars in the region, which weighs heavily on the American public. "The United States cannot engage in another war - it has already lost the wars in Afghanistan and in Iraq," says Hassanpour. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=aa9_1369123928 BrooklynJAH 5 reasons Turkey will not go to war with Syria Syria, Turkey, Israel, Bashar Assad, Syrian, Arab, Army, SAA, Freedom, FSA, Terrorist Mon, 20 May 2013 13:14:02 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=41d_1369069926 EMiNEM_iq Civilians inspect the aftermath of a car bomb attack while Baghdad municipality workers clean up in Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, May 16, 2013. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=41d_1369069926 EMiNEM_iq Aftermath of a car bomb attack in <span class="highlight">Iraq</span> Iraq, Car bomb, Aftermath Sun, 19 May 2013 10:12:13 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=175_1368969342 Mr-Creosote More than 60 people have been killed and dozens hurt in several bomb attacks apparently targeting Sunnis, in Iraq's worst day of violence for months. In the first attack, in Baquba, about 50km (30 miles) north of Baghdad, at least 41 people were killed when two bombs detonated outside a Sunni mosque. Later, police said at least eight died at a Sunni funeral in Madain, and 14 more in two blasts in western Baghdad. The attacks follows a sharp increase in sectarian violence in recent weeks. A series of bombings targeted Shia areas across Iraq on Wednesday and Thursday. More than 120 people in total have died over the three days. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=175_1368969342 Mr-Creosote <span class="highlight">Iraq</span> Bombing Kills Dozens Outside Sunni Mosque In Baquba *Graphic* Iraq, Sectarian War, Uprising, Sat, 18 May 2013 23:39:02 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=134_1368934646 volker_muller55 Iraq has been struck by violence for a fourth day, and fears are growing of growing sectarian divide. Suicide attacks have targeted places of worship, and 10 members of Iraq's security forces were kidnapped in Ramadi on Saturday. Al Jazeera's Bhanu Bhatnagar reports. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=134_1368934646 volker_muller55 Violence continues to sweep <span class="highlight">Iraq</span> Iraq, violence, riots, Arab Spring, unrest Sat, 18 May 2013 21:49:28 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=3a0_1368928042 volker_muller55 Violence in Iraq has killed 12 people, including a police officer, his wife and two children, while gunmen kidnapped 10 policemen, officials said. Al Jazeera's Omar Al Saleh reports from Erbil. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=3a0_1368928042 volker_muller55 Many killed in string of <span class="highlight">Iraq</span> Attacks Iraq, Arab Spring, riot Fri, 17 May 2013 20:48:40 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=2d7_1368838010 chekmezz More than 60 people have been killed and dozens hurt in several bomb attacks apparently targeting Sunnis, in Iraq's worst day of violence for months. In the first attack, in Baquba, about 50 km (30 miles) north of Baghdad, at least 41 people were killed when two bombs detonated outside a Sunni mosque. Later, police said at least seven died at a Sunni funeral in Madain, and 14 in two blasts in western Baghdad. The attacks follows a sharp increase in sectarian violence in recent weeks, with more than 120 people killed over the three days. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=2d7_1368838010 chekmezz <span class="highlight">Iraq</span> violence: Dozens killed in blasts targeting Sunnis Iraq violence,Sunnis,killed and dozens Fri, 17 May 2013 17:02:17 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=396_1368824434 cathy winslow Despite Iraq being rich in natural resources and the US pouring money into its economy for over a decade, Iraqi infrastructure is constantly failing and the people are forced to beg, as RT's Lucy Kafanov reported from the war-torn country. Read on Friday and Thursday bombings in Iraq here In spite of billions of dollars spent on reconstruction following the decade-long conflict, many neighborhoods lack sewerage systems and trash collection services. In some settlements, there are barely any streets. Water is also a big problem, locals pointed out. "Nobody drinks the city water because we know it's not clean. Since the war, I've had to rely on bottled water. What comes out of the tap is contaminated and makes us sick. How can we drink it?" local resident Umm Muhammad indicated. Central power is another issue, with the system sometimes on for as little as two hours a day. Electrician from Baghdad Abu Meria is sure the new government is to blame for the chaos that reigning in his homeland. "It's the citizens who suffer in the end, not the government. The services are so bad and the power system has really deteriorated. There were billions spent on fixing the grid but there's little to show for it." Abu Meria now earns four times more than before the war due to the frequent failures and blackouts all over the city. As RT's Lucy Kafanov also discovered, the crumbling infrastructure is closely entangled with rampant corruption. Transparency International group has ranked Iraq as the eighth most-corrupt state in the world. In the latest scandal, the country's Electricity Ministry was involved in a $1.7 billion fraud case. On the backdrop of this, most Iraqis remain impoverished, struggling to make their ends meet. In the Al Tajiat landfill, on the outskirts of Baghdad, people are actually forced to live -- without any proper living conditions. "There are no schools for the kids here, no electricity, no real houses. To get a drink of water we have to travel 4km. It's very difficult to live here." Watch RT's Lucy Kafanov's full report. http://on.rt.com/yg993f http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=396_1368824434 cathy winslow <span class="highlight">Iraq</span> in ruins: Post-war life overshadowed by crumbling infrastructure, corruption, poverty Iraq,Baghdad,Ruin,Destruction,chaos