By FNC Producer Ghalib Tawfiq

Meet young Iraqi, Yusuf. He is 19 years old, studies computer engineering, and has a part time job in a computer maintenance shop in Baghdad. Since the war is coming to an end, he feels that this is Iraq’s chance to finally catch up with the technology here in America.  After a little convincing, Yusuf agreed to work with me on this video.

Click on the video below:

done

By FNC Producer Ghalib Tawfiq

Iraq is now recovering from the aftermath of the war, a war which has its affects on every sector. The health system lacks modern medical supplies and equipment, hundreds of doctors have fled the country during the sectarian violence, and hospitals have shut down and because of that. Similarly, the education system was not in better shape, students stopped going to universities, parents stopped  sending their kids to schools for fear of kidnappings or car bombs. Professors and lecturers  either stayed home or fled the country for the same reasons.  And the same goes for the industrial, commercial sector as well.

Now, the situation has changed.  The security has much improved after the government fought and defeated the sectarian Militias, Death Squads, and Al Qaeda in many Iraqi cities, including Baghdad.  Iraqis are getting back on their feet again trying to rebuild their country and emerge to the world again.

I have been working for Fox News Baghdad Bureau for 3 years now as a producer, and throughout our coverage on Iraq, I have met, talked to, and interviewed Iraqi government officials, politicians, military men, and many others.  Being an Iraqi worker for a major American media corporation,  I want to show the bright side of our story on Iraq, and shed some light on our efforts to rebuild the country, which is the responsibility of all of us.  So I decided to approach one category of Iraqis we haven’t focused on in the past, the YOUNG Iraqis.  I am asking them to talk to the American viewers about themselves, express their own views and thoughts on how they foresee their future, and how they participate in the rebuilding of Iraq.

One of these young men expressed to me that they are the “backbone of the society” and I think it is appropriate to call them the “Real Builders” of Iraq.

Each week I will introduce one of these “Real Builders” and you will get an EXCLUSIVE look inside their story with videos, photos and blogs. Please keep checking back!

by David Mac Dougall, Baghdad Bureau

The votes are cast and being counted, after Saturday’s ballot to elect regional council representatives in 14 of Iraq’s 18 provinces.  Thanks to very tight security from Iraqi forces, the whole day passed off without major incident.  Polls stayed open an extra hour to ensure that anyone who wanted to cast their ballots could actually do so.  A vehicle ban in major cities was lifted early. 

I went out with a crew yesterday to a polling station in a neighborhood close to where we live.  Streets were empty except for a lot of kids playing soccer – taking advantage of the traffic-free roads to kick around a ball.  Lots of families walked to the polling station, searched by Iraqi commandos as they went inside to vote. 

Today, some numbers are in for voter turnout.  There are some bright spots, but overall turnout wasn’t as high as many people were predicting or expecting (Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki boldly stated the turnout would be 70-80% but it wasn’t anywhere near that high). 

The Iraqi Election Commission says overall, turnout was just 51% countrywide (down from 55% in the last election four years ago).

The good news is that in mostly Sunni provinces like Anbar (40%) and Salah ad Din (65%) voters cast their ballots in some numbers.  This is a marked improvement from the previous election where many Sunni parties boycotted the vote and voters stayed away due to intimidation, ongoing violence and often times simple apathy in the face of what they perceived was an overwhelming Shiia majority.  In Anbar Province for example, at the last election, only something like 2% turned out on polling day.

The disappointing number for me comes in the capital Baghdad, where it looks like only 40% of voters bothered to cast a ballot.  I would have expected a higher number, but maybe people weren’t energized by the campaign.  Who knows. 

In terms of winners and losers, official results aren’t expected for a few days but some trends are becoming clear.  Prime Minister Maliki’s party seems to have strengthened its position.  His main Shiia rivals are heading for second or third place in some key cities, especially in the south.  His main secular / Sunni rivals are also trailing.  But again – we’re waiting for final results before calling the big cities & individual provinces one way or the other. 

During my trip to a local polling station I took a lot of photographs – here’s a photo essay explaining exactly how city residents cast their ballots. 

By David Mac Dougall, Baghdad Bureau

There’s just one day left until regional elections in 14 out of Iraq’s 18 provinces.  So who doesn’t vote?  Well, the three northern provinces controlled by the Kurdish Regional Government will have their own local elections later this year; and Tamim Province is exempt this time round (the city of Kirkuk is claimed by three different ethnic groups, so I guess it just seems easier not to have elections there in case of any potential trouble)!

Each day this week we’ve been asking Iraqis what they think about a range of issues.

Today, they get the chance to speak out about elections, politics, different parties, personalities and democracy.  As usual, we’ve got quite a range of voices: from people who applaud the introduction of democracy in Iraq, to one man who says he’d like all the political parties to combine into one single party with just one leader (mmm… paging Saddam Hussein anyone?!)

What we’re seeing in Iraq this time is a real interest in the electoral process – there are more than 14,000 candidates running for just 444 seats.  That’s a lot of people who want to have a say in the future running of their regions.  All across Baghdad there are colorful election posters competing for attention, and on TV voter education ads play alongside soap operas and political broadcasts.  For me, it’s been fun to watch the Iraqis get wrapped up in the process.  Tomorrow, it will be fun watching them cast their ballots (hopefully) in a peaceful atmosphere.

done

Credits: Camera: Auday Shandal; Editor: Pierre Zakrzewski; Voice-overs: Dragan Petrovic, Andy Roberts & Nicola Sadler.

By David Mac Dougall, Baghdad Bureau

This coming Saturday, Iraqis go to the polls.  They’re choosing regional representatives in 14 out of Iraq’s 18 provinces.  There’s little doubt that Iraqis are embracing democracy – the numbers speak for themselves: more than 14,000 candidates vying for just 444 council seats.

Each day this week we’re asking Iraqis what they think about a range of issues.

Look up to the top of buildings in any part of Iraq and the chances are you’ll see a satellite dish.  They’re so prolific I’ve heard people jokingly call them “Iraq’s national flower” because they’re blooming everywhere.  Compared to six years ago (before the US-lead invasion), Iraqis have an amazing range of news sources to choose from.  Broadcasts run the gamut of locally produced TV newscasts in Salah ad Din Province to slick high-end pan-Arab satellite channels like al-Arabiya (where President Obama gave his first post-inaugration interview this week) and Iraq-wide channels like Sharqiyah and Iraqiyah.  There are also a number of religious channels and stations run by political parties.

In terms of print media, there’s a wide variety of newspapers on offer: some come weekly, some daily, some support or are printed by a particular political party or religious group, some are printed in Iraq, some overseas.  Iraqis buy their papers at road-side vendors.

For today’s “State Of Their Nation” video, we asked people what they thought of the media here, we asked about the dangers facing journalists (the Committee to Protect Journalists lists 114 Iraqi journalists killed here since March 2003, making it one of the most deadly places to report in the world).  We also asked people if they thought the media here in Iraq was free and fair.

Watch an hour of news, opinion and debate LIVE from Baghdad on Friday at 10am EST at www.foxnews.com/strategyroom.

Credits: Camera: Auday Shandal; Editor: Pierre Zakrzewski; Voice-overs: Dragan Petrovic, Andy Roberts & Nicola Sadler.