Comments on: Baghdad Reflections and What’s Next http://raanan.com/2009/05/01/baghdad-reflections-whats-next/ all about the VIP Tue, 15 Nov 2011 06:19:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Raanan Bar-Cohen http://raanan.com/2009/05/01/baghdad-reflections-whats-next/#comment-4100 Tue, 09 Feb 2010 03:12:47 +0000 http://raanan.com/?p=597#comment-4100 Motivation was to see things first hand, plus I wanted to see if what we work on here with WordPress could be of help to the next generation of Iraqis.

]]> By: Mouad http://raanan.com/2009/05/01/baghdad-reflections-whats-next/#comment-4096 Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:27:30 +0000 http://raanan.com/?p=597#comment-4096 Thank you for sharing this info.
May I ask, for what reason did you go to Baghdad? You mentioned everything about the trip but not the motivation behind it :) (or maybe I didnt see it)

]]> By: Raanan Bar-Cohen http://raanan.com/2009/05/01/baghdad-reflections-whats-next/#comment-3566 Wed, 20 May 2009 20:08:02 +0000 http://raanan.com/?p=597#comment-3566 Agreed. One of the delegates on this trip is actually working on similar issues in Africa.

]]> By: fixator http://raanan.com/2009/05/01/baghdad-reflections-whats-next/#comment-3565 Wed, 20 May 2009 18:24:43 +0000 http://raanan.com/?p=597#comment-3565 Huge void in Africa too

]]> By: Raanan Bar-Cohen http://raanan.com/2009/05/01/baghdad-reflections-whats-next/#comment-3524 Mon, 04 May 2009 19:02:02 +0000 http://raanan.com/?p=597#comment-3524 Hi Aziz — was great to meet you and we definitely learned a lot from our discussions and your presentation. We are looking at various initiatives and partnerships and also see lots of promise and interest from Iraqi Americans who are looking to get involved on the private sector front.

]]> By: Aziz Alnassiri http://raanan.com/2009/05/01/baghdad-reflections-whats-next/#comment-3519 Sat, 02 May 2009 02:51:57 +0000 http://raanan.com/?p=597#comment-3519 Hi Raanan,
I am one of those trying to establish a western look and feel IT Services company in Baghdad. Glad you have picked on some of the key issues affecting our development like Public vs Private sector which is sadly quite sever issue in Iraq. Corruption is another inhibitor. What is needed is change of credibility. The GoI would be far more responsive, open and cooperative if it felt it is dealing with foriegn companies rather than their local private sector. This is why when I had the chance to say something to your delegatuion on Day 3 I asked for some consideration be given to incubating Iraqi companies.

aziz.nasiri@rits-iraq.com
Twitter @Aziz-RiTS

]]> By: Raanan Bar-Cohen http://raanan.com/2009/05/01/baghdad-reflections-whats-next/#comment-3515 Fri, 01 May 2009 16:56:43 +0000 http://raanan.com/?p=597#comment-3515 Hey Pat. It didn’t really change my opinion overall, but it was informative that most people’s criticism of the coalition was on the handling of the post-war activities and not the actual decision to topple Saddam. I don’t want to generalize too much since we only met with a relatively small number of people — but the overwhelming desire of those we met with, was to have Iraq rejoin the global economy and global league of nations and get things back to normal — and for that they were very grateful for the work the US, UK, and NGOs were doing. They really emphasized how much the sanctions in the 90s hurt in terms of every day life, but also as a stigma that the world saw Iraq as a nation outside the norm.

]]> By: Pat S. http://raanan.com/2009/05/01/baghdad-reflections-whats-next/#comment-3514 Fri, 01 May 2009 15:41:25 +0000 http://raanan.com/?p=597#comment-3514 Awesome trip, man. Glad it was safe and informative, and it sounds like a really amazing time. I’m curious: did going there somehow change your opinion of the war, whatever it may have been going in?

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