Anna Badkhen

A glimmer of freedom for Iraqi women A hint of freedom for Iraqi women

Cultural repression by the Muslim militias has waned slightly, but women still miss freedoms they enjoyed under Saddam Hussein.
By Anna Badkhen Aug 14, 2008

  • Meet Iraq's new SWAT team

    Capable Iraqis training for special operations roll over sharp gravel and run in the scorching heat. But they are terrified of the U.S. military's leaving.
    By Anna Badkhen August 11, 2008

  • "We were basically hiring terrorists"

    The U.S. signed up legions of sketchy Iraqi fighters to help stop sectarian violence. Now, most may lose their security jobs -- but remain armed and angry.
    By Anna Badkhen August 6, 2008

  • "If they find out I told you, they will kill me"

    In a Baghdad neighborhood pacified by the surge, the locals fear the day the U.S. military departs, because they don't trust their own government to keep them safe.
    By Anna Badkhen August 5, 2008

  • True grittiness of Iraq

    From battlefield chaos to soldier-strength profanity, HBO's "Generation Kill" faithfully captures Marine Corps life during the invasion.
    By Anna Badkhen July 10, 2008

  • Displaced Iraqis to return -- but to where?

    Thanks to a law meant to quell sectarian violence, returning refugees who find their homes occupied cannot kick them out.
    By Anna Badkhen June 12, 2008

  • Escape from Baghdad

    Unlike many who would also like to leave, today I board a cargo plane and fly away.
    By Anna Badkhen May 23, 2008

  • Cry me a river

    In a tiny room in Baghdad, U.S. soldiers connect with their friends and family back home. Sometimes hearts break.
    By Anna Badkhen May 22, 2008

  • Has life in Iraq improved?

    With pools of open sewage in the streets and little electricity, life for most Iraqis remains bleak.
    By Anna Badkhen May 21, 2008

  • The battle against spoiled milk

    Iraqis scrimp to pay for black market power so their food won't rot in the desert heat. Plus: Shopping for bread in a Bradley.
    By Anna Badkhen May 20, 2008

  • Another day in paradise

    On patrol with U.S. soldiers in Risala, sewage seeps through the dirt and pools underfoot.
    By Anna Badkhen May 17, 2008

  • Hoping for magic from Americans

    The Iraqi government still can't provide its citizens with basic security and services. So many look to Americans -- for everything.
    By Anna Badkhen May 15, 2008

  • Buying security in Baghdad

    At a U.S. combat outpost in the Iraqi capital, money is just as important as guns. Plus: Tensions flare in a neighborhood council.
    By Anna Badkhen May 12, 2008

  • Bradleys used to be considered impregnable

    As the hatch closes, I think about the four men from the platoon I'm with who were charred to death in one of these fighting vehicles.
    By Anna Badkhen May 10, 2008

  • Guns and water coolers in Iraq

    U.S. soldiers drink water, lots of it, in scorching hot Baghdad. Plus, patrolling the streets with a less than disciplined Iraqi army squad.
    By Anna Badkhen May 9, 2008

  • Helicopter travel in Iraq

    Military travel is grueling, especially for a soldier with a hole in his face from a sniper bullet who's trying to get back home to Missouri.
    By Anna Badkhen May 7, 2008

  • Back to Baghdad

    A reporter flies over the Iraqi capital on her 10th reporting trip, and sees empty swimming pools, kids playing on a grassless field, entire houses buried in trash.
    By Anna Badkhen May 5, 2008
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