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Inside the Middle East
April 23, 2009
Posted: 907 GMT

In Saudi Arabia, a husband divorced his wife via text message and a court approved it. CNN's Mahommed Jamjoom reports.

Mohammed Jamjoom reports. Click here to watch
Mohammed Jamjoom reports. Click here to watch

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Filed under: CNN Coverage •Saudi Arabia •Video


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April 22, 2009
Posted: 1152 GMT

From Cal Perry
CNN

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey is in town! You know the world has gone Twitter crazy when the fastest-growing social network in the world comes Baghdad.

Bassil Youssef/CNN. Jack Dorsey, Twitter cofounder sitting front row, fourth from the right. Next to him sits a representative of AT&T and other companies.
Bassil Youssef/CNN. Jack Dorsey, Twitter cofounder sitting front row, fourth from the right. Next to him sits a representative of AT&T and other companies.

Baghdad is one of the most dangerous, broken and sometimes backward-seeming cities in the world. Yet if you set out across Baghdad, you can see it has regrown a tremendous amount in a short time.

As we drove to meet with Dorsey, we saw people on the streets, and in restaurants and Internet cafes, in numbers that you just never saw during the height of civil war here.

So. no wonder twitter is in town. And they're not alone – executives from Google, AT&T and Youtube are also part of a delegation sponsored by the US State Department.

The executives are seeing presentations from 6 different ministries. One problem, however, is that while people in Iraq would probably like to "tweet" – they can't. Six years of war have torn this country apart – the infrastructure must be rebuilt first.

Bassil Youssef/CNN. Iraqi government officials sitting with the US companies delegations listening to the presentation by an Iraqi professor.
Bassil Youssef/CNN. Iraqi government officials sitting with the US companies delegations listening to the presentation by an Iraqi professor.

Businessman Aziz Alnassiri laid out the problem pretty clearly: "Most ministries, the guys who are sitting here – they just use (personal) computers for email. And they don't even have (government) email addresses, they use Yahoo. Most of the Iraqi government uses Yahoo as their trusted email server. Which is all wrong, of course. They should have their own network – their own servers."

The Iraqi government can't even estimate how many people have access to the Internet. And electrical power is unreliable across Iraq – making it all the more difficult for people like Dorsey to get companies off the ground.

Bassil Youssef/CNN.  The head of Mustansiriya University giving a presentation about the university IT projects.
Bassil Youssef/CNN. The head of Mustansiriya University giving a presentation about the university IT projects.

But Dorsey wants more than just Iraqi citizens on Twitter – he wants the Iraqi government on Twitter. "We'd like to be a valuable service. We'd like to create something that the entire world can use. And especially with this market. Because what we've seen and what we've learned is that 85 percent of the people here have mobile phones. And a large number of them want to participate in the government. And the interesting thing about Twitter as we've seen in the US is that it allows a lot of transparency as to what is happening in the government," he told me.

It is an open market – and without question, there is money to be made in Iraq for these companies if the violence continues to stay at a low level. Which begs the question: can executives like these bring Iraq back - to the 21st century.

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Filed under: Iraq •Pictures


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April 21, 2009
Posted: 1406 GMT

CNN's Ben Wedeman goes behind the scenes of the archeological dig for the tomb of Mark Antony and Cleopatra.

Ben Wedeman takes us behind the scenes. Click here to watch
Ben Wedeman takes us behind the scenes. Click here to watch

And check out Ben Wedeman's report on the discovery of what archaeologists suspect is the tomb of Mark Anthony and Cleopatra:

Ben Wedeman reports. Click here to watch
Ben Wedeman reports. Click here to watch

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Filed under: Archaeology •CNN Coverage •Egypt •Video


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Posted: 1358 GMT

An Iraqi community is turning one of Saddam Hussein's palaces into a resort. CNN's Fred Pleitgen visits.

Fred Pleitgen reports. Click here to watch
Fred Pleitgen reports. Click here to watch

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Filed under: CNN Coverage •Iraq •Video


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Posted: 755 GMT
MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP/Getty Images. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at the opening ceremony of the Holocaust Remembrance Day at the Yad Vashem Holocaust national memorial in Jerusalem, on April 20, 2009. Israel began marking Remembrance Day at sundown with a ceremony to the six million Jews killed by the Nazis during World War II. More than 230,000 Holocaust survivors currently live in Israel, according to estimates by advocacy groups.
MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP/Getty Images. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at the opening ceremony of the Holocaust Remembrance Day at the Yad Vashem Holocaust national memorial in Jerusalem, on April 20, 2009. Israel began marking Remembrance Day at sundown with a ceremony to the six million Jews killed by the Nazis during World War II. More than 230,000 Holocaust survivors currently live in Israel, according to estimates by advocacy groups.
MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP/Getty Images. Holocaust survivors and their relatives light six torches in memory of the victims during the Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony at the Yad Vashem Holocaust national memorial in Jerusalem, on April 20, 2009. Israel began marking Remembrance Day at sundown with a ceremony to the six million Jews killed by the Nazis during World War II. More than 230,000 Holocaust survivors currently live in Israel, according to estimates by advocacy groups.
MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP/Getty Images. Holocaust survivors and their relatives light six torches in memory of the victims during the Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony at the Yad Vashem Holocaust national memorial in Jerusalem, on April 20, 2009. Israel began marking Remembrance Day at sundown with a ceremony to the six million Jews killed by the Nazis during World War II. More than 230,000 Holocaust survivors currently live in Israel, according to estimates by advocacy groups.
ANWAR AMRO/AFP/Getty Images. Lebanese Special Forces display their combat skills at the opening ceremony of the Security Middle East show in Beirut on April 20, 2009. The show, which ends on April 22, is a regional arms exhibition being staged in Lebanon for the first time.
ANWAR AMRO/AFP/Getty Images. Lebanese Special Forces display their combat skills at the opening ceremony of the Security Middle East show in Beirut on April 20, 2009. The show, which ends on April 22, is a regional arms exhibition being staged in Lebanon for the first time.
ANWAR AMRO/AFP/Getty Images. A member of the Lebanese Special Forces jumps off a military helicopter as he displays his combat skills at the opening ceremony of the Security Middle East show in Beirut on April 20, 2009.
ANWAR AMRO/AFP/Getty Images. A member of the Lebanese Special Forces jumps off a military helicopter as he displays his combat skills at the opening ceremony of the Security Middle East show in Beirut on April 20, 2009.

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Filed under: Israel •Lebanon •Pictures


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April 20, 2009
Posted: 814 GMT

Palestinian graffiti spreads message of peace
(CNN) - Emblazoned on a long, tall, concrete barrier in the midst of a rocky Middle Eastern landscape is this spray-painted message: "Mirror, mirror on the wall. When will this senseless object fall?"

Obama 'gravely concerned' about U.S. journalist in Iranian prison
(CNN) - President Obama called Sunday for the release of a U.S. journalist convicted of espionage in Iran.

Iraqi security forces conduct raids in former insurgent hot spot
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) - Iraqi police and soldiers on Saturday launched major raids in a once-notorious insurgent stronghold west of Baghdad.

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Filed under: CNN Coverage •Iran •Iraq •Israel •West Bank


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Posted: 758 GMT
GALI TIBBON/AFP/Getty Images. Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III leads the Easter Sunday mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City on April 19, 2009, where according to Christian tradition Jesus Christ rose on the third day following his crucifixion. Easter celebrates the Resurrection of Christ after his crucifixion on Good Friday.
GALI TIBBON/AFP/Getty Images. Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III leads the Easter Sunday mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City on April 19, 2009, where according to Christian tradition Jesus Christ rose on the third day following his crucifixion. Easter celebrates the Resurrection of Christ after his crucifixion on Good Friday.
GALI TIBBON/AFP/Getty Images. Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III leads the Easter Sunday mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City on April 19, 2009.
GALI TIBBON/AFP/Getty Images. Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III leads the Easter Sunday mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City on April 19, 2009.
GALI TIBBON/AFP/Getty Images. A Greek Orthodox priest throws rose petals at pilgrims in front of the church of the Holy Sepulchre during the Easter Sunday procession in Jerusalem's Old City on April 19, 2009.
GALI TIBBON/AFP/Getty Images. A Greek Orthodox priest throws rose petals at pilgrims in front of the church of the Holy Sepulchre during the Easter Sunday procession in Jerusalem's Old City on April 19, 2009.

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Filed under: Jerusalem •Pictures


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April 16, 2009
Posted: 1201 GMT

From Mohammed Tawfeeq
CNN

This Saddam Hussein mural is still standing in the remote area of al-Iskandariya town about 40 km south of Baghdad. Although it has been Six years since the fall of Saddam¹s regime, monuments and murals of the former dictator are still seen around the country.

Mohammed Tawfeeq. This defaced mural shows Saddam Hussein holding a gun and wearing his famous suit. April 13th 2009
Mohammed Tawfeeq. This defaced mural shows Saddam Hussein holding a gun and wearing his famous suit. April 13th 2009

Inhabitants of the area say that they wanted to destroy the mural years ago but the Iskandariya local municipality asked them to
keep it as is to remind people of the dictator's wrongdoing.

The mural may also be converted to honor religious figures such as Hakim and Sistani, as was done with the murals in Baghdad.

Mohammed Tawfeeq
Mohammed Tawfeeq

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Filed under: Iraq •Pictures


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Posted: 1125 GMT

Saudi official moves to regulate child marriages
(CNN) - Days after a Saudi judge upheld the marriage of an 8-year-old girl to a man 39 years her senior and blocked a divorce, the kingdom's justice minister said he plans to enact a law that will protect young girls from such marriages, according to local media reports.

Rights report cites abuses in Kurdish Iraq
(CNN) - The Kurdish region of Iraq has seen gains in human rights, but security forces "regularly abuse their authority" and women continue to be targets of violence, Amnesty International said Tuesday.

Verdict expected soon for U.S. journalist charged in Iran
(CNN) - A verdict against an American journalist facing espionage charges in Iran will be handed down in the next few weeks, the judiciary said Tuesday.

General: U.S. should be out of Iraq by late 2011
WASHINGTON (CNN) - Gen. Ray Odierno, the top U.S. military commander in Iraq, said Sunday he believes U.S. troops will be out of the country by the end of 2011.

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Filed under: CNN Coverage •Iran •Iraq •Saudi Arabia


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Posted: 1020 GMT

From Rym Momtaz
CNN

BEIRUT, Lebanon - Imagine Louis Armstrong jamming with Pink Floyd on a small red-lit stage and you get the performance of the Franco-American group “NEXT TO YOU” (Click here to watch an extract of the performance) at “Irtijal”, a five-day international festival for experimental music in Beirut, Lebanon.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH, NEXT TO YOU band members: Joe McPhee on pocket trumpet, Daunik Lezro on saxophone, Raymond Boni on electric guitar and Claude Tchamitchian on double-bass
CLICK HERE TO WATCH, NEXT TO YOU band members: Joe McPhee on pocket trumpet, Daunik Lezro on saxophone, Raymond Boni on electric guitar and Claude Tchamitchian on double-bass
 Joe McPhee, pocket trumpet. NEXT TO YOU
Joe McPhee, pocket trumpet. NEXT TO YOU

“Irtijal” means “Improvisation” in Arabic, and in keeping with the title, all the performances from April 3rd to 10th were unscripted musical conversations between band members on stage. Some, like the musicians from “NEXT TO YOU” make it seem effortless, suddenly turning what initially sounds like a dismembered collection of Noise into actual Music. That’s when experimental music transcends all tastes. The packed theater of more than 100 music enthusiasts was on fire – applauding for a good few minutes.

After playing with his pocket trumpet full of water, Joe McPhee unloads the liquid before his next set.
After playing with his pocket trumpet full of water, Joe McPhee unloads the liquid before his next set.
Sabu is not only one of the foremost Japanese free jazz drummers, he gives a dramatic performance on the Kokyo, a traditional Japanese 3-string instrument played with a bow
Sabu is not only one of the foremost Japanese free jazz drummers, he gives a dramatic performance on the Kokyo, a traditional Japanese 3-string instrument played with a bow

The crowd was an eclectic mix of Lebanese underground artists, artsy students and professionals all under the age of 35, with a few exceptions. Some were festival regulars who have attended every edition since 2000 eagerly returning to discover the lineup concocted by Mazen Kerbaj and Sharif Sehnaoui, the thirty-something co-founders of the festival and themselves experimental musicians. Others were curious first-timers. All were equally enthusiastic, even after the more puzzling sets. Ingar Zach, a Norwegian percussionist, and Alessandra Rombola, an Italian flutist from the band “MUTA” both told me how pleasantly surprised they were by the warm reception they had received mainly because “the Lebanese audience is more open to new things and less judgmental”.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH. While Ms Rombola alternated between hectically rubbing rings she wears on her fingers against two large marble stubs and frantically blowing through her flute as she accompanied Mr. Zach on the drums and Rhodri Davies on the harp, the audience chuckled a few times amused by the unorthodox technique but also listened intently, trying to detect the source of the different sounds thrown in the mix.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH. While Ms Rombola alternated between hectically rubbing rings she wears on her fingers against two large marble stubs and frantically blowing through her flute as she accompanied Mr. Zach on the drums and Rhodri Davies on the harp, the audience chuckled a few times amused by the unorthodox technique but also listened intently, trying to detect the source of the different sounds thrown in the mix.

On the three nights I attended, artists played to a quasi-packed theater. Unique in the Middle East, the festival is quickly becoming a staple of the international experimental music scene attracting an increasingly international lineup and ever-larger crowds.

Yet not every set at this year’s festival was as enthralling as “NEXT TO YOU”’s. As I sat through 20 minutes of nondescript screeching noise only mitigated twice by some “notes” that sounded like bubbles in a hooka, I scratched my head and wondered what it was that Stephane Rives, a French soprano saxophonist (click here to get a taste) wanted to convey and more importantly wished his screeching had reached “dog whistle” frequency and spared my ears.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH. Stephane Rives making the saxophone screech
CLICK HERE TO WATCH. Stephane Rives making the saxophone screech

The festival, nevertheless, successfully showcased the incredible musical encounters that can occur when experimental musicians meet on stage. On closing night the different members of “NEXT TO YOU” got to jam with a few artists they had been impressed with but had just met. The result was nothing short of riveting.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH this surprising combination: Japanese drummer Sabu using everything from skillets to his cheeks to enhance his drumming on stage with American pocket trumpet player accompanying French electric guitarist Raymond Boni gave way to an unexpectedly coherent jazzy melody which the audience couldn’t believe hadn’t been rehearsed.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH this surprising combination: Japanese drummer Sabu using everything from skillets to his cheeks to enhance his drumming on stage with American pocket trumpet player accompanying French electric guitarist Raymond Boni gave way to an unexpectedly coherent jazzy melody which the audience couldn’t believe hadn’t been rehearsed.

With its diverse lineup, Irtijal’s main strength remains making such music accessible and offering it in a laid back setting. Artists hung out with the crowd between shows, some even showed a few strings to aspiring young musicians; Mr. Sehnaoui’s mom was on hand every night clapping enthusiastically at the end of each set while Mr. Kerbaj’s eight year old son helped out at the concessions stand one night.

As this edition wrapped up, the organizers promised to put on an especially good show next year when "Irtijal" celebrates its tenth anniversary; there is definitely room for improvement so it will be interesting to see just how successful they will be!

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Filed under: Lebanon


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Welcome to the Inside the Middle East blog where CNN's journalists post news, views and video from across the region. This is also a place where you can start the discussion so please keep your comments coming. We highlight not only current news stories but also anecdotes and issues that don't always make the top of the headlines.

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