Sunday, August 06, 2023

Iraq dries up fish farms and seeks Interpol's help

In Iraq, climate change continues to destroy the way of life.  AFP reports:


As the alarming water crisis blamed mostly on climate change drags on, officials see the need for trade-offs in an effort to meet the country's demands.

Drastic government measures have restricted water use for some purposes, including crop irrigation, and authorities have cracked down on illegal practices they long ignored.

Since late May, unauthorised fish farms like Ziad's have become a target.

"I've worked in this industry since 2003," the 33-year-old said at his village of Al-Bu Mustafa in Iraq's central Babylon province.

He had watched helplessly as officials from the water resources ministry sealed his family's seven fish ponds.

Surrounded by fields and majestic palm trees, this was where Ziad, his father and seven brothers would rear carp, which Iraqis use to make their beloved grilled fish dish known as masguf.





"The heist of the century"?  Remember that?  The most extreme known case of corruption in Iraq.  In the fall of last year, it was learned that approximately $2.5 billion had been stolen over several months from Iraq's Tax Commission.  The story is back in the news.  AFP reports:


Iraq on Sunday called on the United States and Britain to extradite former officials accused of facilitating the theft of $2.5 billion in public funds in one of the country’s biggest-ever corruption cases.

[. . .]

An Interpol Red Notice is not an international arrest warrant but asks authorities worldwide to provisionally detain people pending possible extradition or other legal actions.







We're trying to finish up at THIRD.  If we can in thirty minutes, it'll be going up.  If we can't, it's waiting until Monday because I am tired. 

Isaiah's THE WORLD TODAY JUST NUTS "Country Soft and Squishy" went up last night.  The following sites updated:



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