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IRAQI BLOGSPHERE (4#) -

# Salam Adil updates his Iraqi Blogodrome dispatches. An emerging theme this time is mourning over the Mutanabbi Street "book market bomb." Book lovers everywhere all over the world felt the impact reverberate in their hearts.

ToB, an Iraqi blogger, reminisces about this book market where he spent "some of the best times" in his younger years.

The Baghdad Book Market Bomb really needs an extended essay, gathering up more people's memories, thoughts and feelings about the place and the meaning (to them) of this event. A piece that might be appropriate for The Guardian G2 or Books Section. It would be nice if Salam could write it; if not, perhaps someone else feels the stirrings within to do so.

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# From Nibras Kazimi: Al-Baghdadi is still on the loose… So we keep hearing that he’d been nabbed, but it turns out that it’s not true. However, these recurrent stories indicate that the Americans and the Iraqis are closing in...

Who is he??? This is what the Iraqi government told us: 'Abu Omar al-Baghdadi' is the pseudonym for Khalid al-Mashhadani, who also goes by the name 'Abu Zaid.'

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# DALIA FROM ERBIL WRITES:

Tasting freedom, enjoying liberty and celebrating life is what I have wanted for myself and for my friends to have it too...

The roads improve, buildings raise, new supermarkets and stores and streets are getting cleaner...

Things have never been as safe, as pleasant and as sufficient culturally, politically and economically here.

:: Excerpts :: from her Blog Entry.

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# At least a dozen new
Iraqi Blogs newly listed.

...