The poor waste collection in Sadr City in Baghdad, at least means that you

can rummage through the garbage for something needed. These women have done

this now for over a year.

Sada Jihad

-I sell the bread and the cans I find because I am poor, the situation for

me is difficult. Then I get some money for my children.

Despite Iraq's oil wealth, one fifth of the population live in poverty and

almost two million are malnourished. Unemployment is high, the politicians

have not yet succeeded in creating conditions for businesses to thrive.

Sami Zaghair 

-Actually all the promises of the politicians are just lies. They create

conflicts among us only to guard their own positions.

Violence and sectarian killings carried out by extremists and the parties'

militias are largely gone. But Iraq is divided by sects and their parties

and to belong to the right party here in the Shiite district of Sadr City

is important.

Ismail Mohammed

-Yes, if I was a member of the Daawa party or Sadr movement, I would have

found work. But even though they are my relatives and that we voted for

them,  they did nothing for us to get a job.

If you earn more than 700 euros a month you get no ration books but there

are few who do, so here, they come to fetch flour. The other items, cooking

oil, sugar and rice are doled out at other locations.

Akram Selman, man in ration shop

-You can say that the poor families are dependent on the ration cards. 

Television sets in quantities but everything is imported, nothing is

produced in Iraq. 

Even before the invasion of Iraq,  the economy was in tatters due to

Saddam's war, mismanagement and sanctions. And since, not much has

improved. Nearly half of the Iraqis are unemployed or underemployed.

Establishment of private enterprises is hampered by lack of legislation

protecting investments. The state banks and companies are mismanaged and

serve as tools to facilitate politicians' corruption rather than to provide

employment.

So the Iraqi stock market turnover in one year is much smaller than  any

European in one day. But it has an advantage, except that it is well

guarded, is completely free from corruption and the few speculators here,

trust the system.

Muayad Saleh 

-Yes, they trust the Iraq stock exchange and until now no cheating

happened.

Corruption is a huge problem in Iraq. It makes some politicians desperate

to hang on to power in order to earn as much as possible, even by acts of

terrorism.

Majid Tofan editor in chief, alMehda newspaper

-Corruption is a huge problem in Iraq and it can't be separated from

terrorism because there are many terror operations financed by corruption

in Iraq.

Majid Tofan in the newspaper alMehda needs to be careful. In a country

where even the anti-corruption commission president was forced to resign

under pressure from corrupt politicians, a revealing publishing can lead to

execution.

Majid Tofan editor in chief, alMehda newspaper

-Certainly, all the ministers in the government belong to parties and

those parties have militias.

For this reason there are many documents not published because the

journalists are afraid of beeing killed.

Free media, civil society and the judiciary need to be strengthened to be

able to resist corrupt politicians and for this, international support is

necessary.  In the so-called Green Zone in Baghdad, behind well-guarded

walls, is one of America's largest embassies situated, with over 16 000

men. The embassy is self sufficient in electricity and water and security

personell is the majority. Nearly 2000 diplomats, equal to the embassies in

Germany or Japan, is a sign of Iraq's importance.

Michael McClellan, spokesman, US Embassy, Baghdad

-It reflects the depth and breath in our relationsship with Iraq because

it really is a very broad ranging relationsship that includes a lot of

areas of development and civilian cooperation as well as military support.

The American aid programs aimed at building democracy and strengthening

civil society in Iraq is extensive. But after the U.S. troops left the

country, tensions between the Shia and Sunni political blocs increased, as

well as violence and terror. But ordinary people out in the streets know

who to blame.

Nader Maktouf, man clothing shop

-The political problems will not be solved because these problems in Iraq

are caused by  interference of the countries in the region.

Outside of the Sadr movement's office, Shiite flags fly and pictures of

it's leader Muqtada alSadr adorn the walls. Muqtada was several years in

Iran and has strong connections with that country. And like Iran, the Sadr

movement has not much sympathy for the huge American presence in Iraq.

Ibrahim alJaberi   ordförande Sadrpartiet, Bagdad, Rusafa-sidan

-Always we say, USA is just like a snake, it's head is still inside Iraq

and its poison still attack the Iraqi people. All of AlQaeda and the

Baathists are still working inside Iraq and they are following the tail of

the snake and still killing the Iraqi people and forwarding their ideology

of sectarianism. 

Like the other neighbors, Shiite Iran, wants to increase it's influence in

Iraq and many fear they will dominate the country in the future.

Michael McClellan, spokesman, US Embassy, Baghdad

-We are also seeing tha Iraq is definitely asserting itself as an

independent, sovereign state. It is not doing everything that Iran wants as

some people would say. We are seeing the push back against Iranian

influence in many areas and Iran certainly doesn't control events in Iraq

more than 

any country does.

Iraqi security forces are considered to be closely linked to the different

parties' militias. In addition, there are corrupt politicians who

manipulate the ethnic, religious and regional tensions, supported by the

countries in the region. Everything is threatening Iraq's emerging

democracy.

Michael McClellan, spokesman, US Embassy, Baghdad

-But we work very closely with them to ensure that it is going to stay

sovereign and independent and not be dominated by any of it's neighbors.

At Baghdad University, students wait to enter the writing rooms. It is

time for the exams.

Five years ago, it was highly dangerous just to get here, with a high risk

of kidnapping during the trip. Today, it is safe, but not entirely.

Adra Abdulmajid

-We hope, but for sure, we will not get more security than such a small

part this year, maybe. I hope that a political leader will emerge, capable

of creating full security.

Ghalib Mohammed

-When Saddam's regime fell, all started from scratch. But security will

improve, step by step, until it becomes good.

The problem in Iraq, many believe, is a political class not used to

democracy. We need change in the country, students here think.

Niyaza Amer

-Iraq needs the ideas and thinking of the young people.

Omar Naser

-People do not trust the politicians, not to 100% but I hope that in

future, people will be able to trust them, and like them too ...