Stories by Dahr Jamail

Dahr Jamail is a feature story staff writer and producer for the Human Rights Department of Al Jazeera English. Currently based in Doha, Qatar, Dahr has spent more than a year in Iraq, spread over a number of trips between 2003 and 2013. subscribe to Dahr Jamail's feed

America, You Crushed My Country and Now It Has No Future

Posted on: Mar 26, 2013, Source: TomDispatch

Iraq of 2013 staggers onward in a climate of perpetual crisis toward a future where the only givens are more chaos, more violence, and yet more uncertainty.

Iraq, 2013: The Horrors Remain the Same -- Rape, Executions and Torture Abound

Posted on: Mar 18, 2013, Source: Al Jazeera English

In today's Iraq, it is unfortunately all too easy to find Iraqis who have had loved ones who have been detained and tortured, and the trend is increasing.

'Falluja Babies' and Depleted Uranium -- America's Toxic Legacy in Iraq

Posted on: Mar 18, 2013, Source: Al Jazeera English

Two US-led wars in Iraq have left behind hundreds of tons of depleted uranium munitions and other toxic wastes.

Assault on Gaza Flotilla Ship: 'Sabotaged by Divers' in Port, Attacked by Legal Group Funded by Christian Right 'Mad Pastor' John Hagee

Posted on: Jun 28, 2011, Source: Al Jazeera English and MaxBlumenthal.com

Activists say the ship directed at breaking Israel's blockade of Gaza has been damaged in Greek port; exposing Hagee's support for pro-Israel legal group.

Full Meltdown: Fukushima Called the 'Biggest Industrial Catastrophe in the History of Mankind'

Posted on: Jun 16, 2011, Source: Al Jazeera

Scientific experts believe Japan's nuclear disaster to be far worse than governments are revealing to the public.

Sick Gulf Residents Beg Officials for Help

Posted on: Jan 18, 2011, Source: IPS News

Gulf residents and community leaders vented their increasingly grave concerns about the widespread health issues brought on by the three-month-long oil spill.

Mississippi Shrimpers Find Oil Throughout Waters, Refuse To Trawl

Posted on: Aug 30, 2010, Source: IPS News

They tied an absorbent rag to a weighted hook, dropped it overboard, then pulled it up to find it covered in a mix of BP's crude oil and toxic dispersants.

BP's Rosy Predictions Are B.S. -- Scientists Say Gulf Spill Will Have Catastrophic Impact for Generations

Posted on: Aug 2, 2010, Source: Inter Press Service

Contrary to recent media reports of a quick recovery in the Gulf of Mexico, scientists and biologists are terrified about impacts that will likely span "several decades".

Iraqi Women's Lives Were Better Under Saddam

Posted on: Mar 16, 2010, Source: IPS News

"The real ruler in Iraq now is the rule of old traditions and tribal, backward laws," says one expert, who says women have lost their freedom under the U.S. occupation.

Soldiers Are Being Forced to Choose Between Their Children And the Military, And They're Paying the Price In Jailtime

Posted on: Jan 25, 2010, Source: AlterNet

Soldiers who face unexpected parenting hardships and are unable to deploy are supposed to be honorably discharged. Instead they are being slapped with criminal charges.

Iraq War Vet Jailed For Writing Song Protesting Stop-Loss

Posted on: Jan 15, 2010, Source: TruthOut.org

The military is claiming that Marc Hall "communicated a threat" through a rap song that angrily denounces the policy that has barred him from exiting the army.

Army Sends Mom to Afghanistan, Infant to Protective Services

Posted on: Nov 20, 2009, Source: AlterNet

"This would do irreparable harm to her child. I think they are doing this to punish her."

10 Suicides This Year at Ft. Hood -- War Stress Is Taking Soldiers to the Brink

Posted on: Nov 9, 2009, Source: Asia Times

The shooting tragedy at Fort Hood on Friday points to a much larger problem of combat stress and overdeployment in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Uncovering the Plight of AWOL Soldiers Stuck in Legal Limbo

Posted on: Aug 11, 2009, Source: TomDispatch.com

AWOL soldiers who turned themselves in endure deplorable conditions, not knowing whether they'll face charges, trial, deployment, or medical release.

"I Contributed to Death and Human Suffering": How One War Resister's Case Puts the Afghan War On Trial

Posted on: Jul 14, 2009, Source: TruthOut.org

Victor Agosto argues that, in accordance to the Nuremburg Principles, the war in Afghanistan is an illegal war.

'There Is No Way I Will Deploy to Afghanistan' -- Seeds of Dissent in the U.S. Military Are Growing

Posted on: Jul 1, 2009, Source: Investigative Fund at The Nation Institute

From suicide to desertion to refusal to deploy -- service members' dissent may be growing into something far larger.

There's a New Kind of War On In Iraq -- And It's Spreading

Posted on: Apr 21, 2009, Source: TruthOut.org

Tit-for-tat killings, roadside bombs and suicide strikes are rising -- and no sign of reconciliation between Sunni militias and the Iraqi government.

In Iraq, a Storm Gathers Strength

Posted on: Apr 8, 2009, Source: TruthOut.org

Iraq is teetering on the brink of returning to the bloodletting of 2006 and mid-2007.

For Many Iraqi Women and Girls, 'Internally Displaced' Means Homeless

Posted on: Feb 24, 2009, Source: IPS News

"We have no water, no money, and no work," says Ahmed Hussein, 15. "How can a human live in this misery?"

Iraq From an Armored BMW: Where U.S. 'Reconstruction' Funds Are Really Going

Posted on: Feb 13, 2009, Source: TomDispatch.com

Fallujah remains devastated, even as the U.S. military delivers shrink-wrapped bricks of $100 bills to the sheiks in charge.

Iraq's Gravedigging Industry Is at 100% Full Employment

Posted on: Feb 5, 2009, Source: IPS News

Iraq's graveyards -- and there are many -- raise questions about the real death toll of the war.

What Will Iraq's Provincial Elections Mean for the Country?

Posted on: Feb 2, 2009, Source: IPS News

After a strong turnout and minimal violence, Iraqis are seeking signs of political recovery.

Uncertainty, Tension, and Hope Among Iraqis As Elections Near

Posted on: Jan 29, 2009, Source: IPS News

Voting takes place on January 31. 444 seats in 14 of Iraq's 18 provinces will be contested by 14,431 candidates from more 400 parties.

Americans Think Iraq Is 'Improving' But in Its Best Hospitals, Not Even the Elevators Work

Posted on: Sep 26, 2008, Source: IPS News

In Iraq's hospitals, no-working elevators are just another reminder of a country that's not working.

Sectarian Clashes Flaring Up as U.S.-Backed Operations Target Sunnis

Posted on: Aug 27, 2008, Source: IPS News

A military operation that was said to target al-Qaeda has instead targeted Sunni Muslims, creating new sectarian tensions.

Iran Stepping in to Bring Electricity to Iraq

Posted on: Aug 12, 2008, Source: IPS News

With temperatures sky-high and drought on its way, Iraqis in need of electricity are looking to Iran for relief.

As Fallujah Security Falters, Iraqi Police Find Bombs Planted on Roofs

Posted on: Aug 4, 2008, Source: IPS News

"It seems that we Iraqis will all kill each other as long as this U.S. occupation is paying our leaders to widen the gap between us."

In Iraq, NGOs Eyed with Mistrust

Posted on: Jul 24, 2008, Source: IPS News

Initially looking towards NGOs to provide relief, most Iraqis now seem to think that NGOs are working mainly for money and personal gain.

The Third Siege of Fallujah

Posted on: Jul 21, 2008, Source: IPS News

The two sieges of Fallujah in 2004 destroyed 75 percent of the city. Now, amid crumbling security, the U.S. is poised to do it again.

U.S. Journalist Photographs Grisly Aftermath of Attack in Iraq, Gets Booted by Military

Posted on: Jul 4, 2008, Source: IPS News

An embedded U.S. journalist said the military tried to censor him after he posted photos from Fallujah.

Obama v. McCain: What Do Iraqis Think?

Posted on: Jun 27, 2008, Source: IPS News

While some Iraqis cautiously look towards Obama, many believe neither candidate will withdraw from Iraq anytime soon.

Winter Soldier on the West Coast: "Enough is Enough, It's Time to Get Out of There."

Posted on: Jun 4, 2008, Source: IPS News

Continuing the Winter Soldier hearings in Maryland and D.C., Iraq veterans tell a Seattle audience stories of the daily atrocities committed in Iraq.

Iraq's Real Death Toll "Above Highest Estimates"

Posted on: Jun 2, 2008, Source: IPS News

Iraqis who say they have seen dead bodies floating in rivers have good reason not to believe official figures of the war's death toll.

Five Years After Mission Accomplished, Iraqis "Dream of the End of the Occupation"

Posted on: May 28, 2008, Source: IPS News

After more than five years of U.S. occupation, the Iraqi people dream of things that people in other countries take for granted.

Food Crisis Hits Fallujah

Posted on: May 14, 2008, Source: IPS News

Sharp increases in food prices have generated a new wave of anti-occupation and anti-U.S. sentiment in Fallujah.

Five Years Later, Fallujah is Still in Tatters

Posted on: Apr 15, 2008, Source: IPS News

The city remains sealed. Many residents refer to it as a big jail.

Many Iraqis Feel They've Gone From One Dictator to the Next

Posted on: Apr 13, 2008, Source: IPS News

After five years of occupation and suffering, many Iraqis have become skeptical of all political and religious leaders.

'Handed Over' to a Government Called Sadr

Posted on: Apr 2, 2008, Source: IPS News

The "Surge" will go down in history as one of the greatest strategic failures in military history.

Five Years, and Counting

Posted on: Mar 19, 2008, Source: IPS News

The unmitigated disaster is working.

Iraq: 'Surge' Setting up More Violence

Posted on: Mar 18, 2008, Source: Foreign Policy in Focus

The U.S. is arming all sides of the conflict in Iraq.

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