After years of conflict and instability, Iraq is opening up to tourism
monocle.com
monocle.com
Also - US, hello? That kind of sucks. Tourism would be a great way to integrate these areas more to the "western" spheres of business (I'm not saying that is a valuable value as such, I take no sides, but I presume US would consider this still advantageous to it's positioning).
When I read this news I immediately thought I could go and visit the ruins of Babylon (yes, I can go and see pieces of it museums in non-ESTA-nulling places but it's not the same thing). Now - ancient babylon vs. ESTA privileges? Oh man, choices, choices.
Notice it says in the article:
> Entry: If there is evidence of travel to Israel in your passport entry is unlikely to be granted.
Israel will, upon request, give you a removable sticker for your passport instead of stamping it if you also need to travel to unfriendly countries. I'm sure Iraq will figure out the same thing. (despite the irony!)
That unfortunately is a very dangerous and very bad advice in this case. The ESTA doesn't just check your passport for evidence of you being traveled to these countries. They ask you if you did. If you tell the truth, you don't get a visa waiver. If you lie and they learn about it from some source you can be in a heap of trouble. This trouble can include deportation, inability to ever again enter the USA, complications with entering many other western nations, etc.
I don't know about the probabilities of them figuring out the lie. It can be anywhere between "being hit by lightning" and "almost certainty". The potential consequences on the other hand are known and quite dire.
Different if you are from another country, read poorer and not part of the Western world.
I went to Iran, it was the most amazing 1-week trip vacation I've ever done (Damavand, Isfahan, Yazd, a bit of Tehran). Amazingly friendly people, everybody spoke english, most signs are dual farsi/english, and the best part - its completely untouched by mass tourism. Feels surreal in current world, in the best way possible.
Even if this trip would ban me for life from US which is practically impossible with current tech, trips like these are 100x worth it. Can't recommend enough.
Iran is on my list of places I'd love to go though. I can't imagine how awesome it is. There are so many sites I'd love to visit but I know as an American it's not a good idea to go right now, unfortunately.
> the whole US approach to Iran is plain stupid and amoral so I didn't mind it
What about the Iranian approach to the U.S.? What if Iran stopped development of nuclear weapons and attacking U.S. forces in Iraq and elsewhere, or sponsoring organizations that are destabilizing the Middle East? It's not like they're not also agitating the situation. It's in their best interest because that way they can maintain power.
I'm more and more becoming of the opinion we need to take away all the toys of these governments (U.S., Iran, and others).
It takes threee to tango in this situation
Provocations and aggressions that maybe the US should perhaps stop doing:
- presidential candidates gleefully parodying beach boy songs about bombing Iran. [1]
- spending many 10s of billions of America’s hard earned tax dollars surroinsing Iran with several dozen military bases. [2]
- Assassinating or supporting Israel in assassinating Iranian scientists abroad.[3]
- or assassinating Iranian military leaders [4]
- Organizing violent military coups to replace democratically elected governments with Radical Islamist puppet dictatorships [5], [6]
- Gatekeeping nuclear power by releasing destructive viruses into the world to destroy Iranian Nuclear research labs [7]
1. https://youtu.be/U7s5pT3Rris
2. https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1XmUD73hHQVBbdm8UcI...
3. https://edition.cnn.com/2020/11/29/middleeast/iran-mohsen-fa...
4. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Qasem_Solei...
5. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1953_Iranian_coup_d%27état
6. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/cia-assisted-cou...
Your frame of reference is something something U.S. bad. Others have a frame of reference that is something something Iran bad.
Both governments are bad and both continue to provoke and attack each other. For Iran it's in the current regime's best interest to stay in power. For the U.S. it's multiple other reasons.
Again, we need to take away the toys of these childish governments.
They may not be actively checking, but the information is definitely available for them. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27275163
Even if it includes my address (which I highly doubt), it will be different than it was 10 years ago.
Eventually, they'll get there. But I am fairly certain today they are not there and they don't bother for average Joe anyway. For me personally, the experience, especially in hindsight for what it offered, was/is well worth this minimal risk.
Kurdistan is the semi-autonomous region of Iraq, whose capital is Erbil.
I've been through twice, the first time at possibly the the 'worst' time - just after the rise of ISIS in Mossul, and when the US was bombing just south of Erbil.
Despite initial concerns, safety was never a problem. I felt safe; did not feel like an unwelcome presence, and moreover, it was an incredible experience.
No visa is required, you get stamped in at the border. The police and Pershmerga were kind, dutiful and not overbearing.
Although it's a sliver of the rest of the country, there are many very interesting things to see (the spiritual centre of the Yzidi, Erbil, the mountains to the North, etc etc).
Kurdistan is secular, with a mix of ethnicities and religions. There is at least one third of women who do not wear the hijab, and the burqua is rare. (You see more burquas in the east of Turkey).
My second visit was during Ramadan, and I was surprised to see people drinking alcohol in the streets and bars.
(Please note, I don't consider a country's "modernity" by its acceptation of alcohol. The point is more that there is a deep culture of tolerance and acceptance within Kurdistan, which can be demonstrated with examples such as the consumption of alcohol).
In regards to losing rights to travel under ESTA, I have visited the US since without issue, even with an Iraqi stamp in the passport. With that said, I imagine that simply replacing your passport after a trip would be a workable solution as well.
Photos for the interested: http://travel.ninjito.com/2014-08-10-Kurdistan http://www.ninjito.com/2019-05-15-Iraq
Second time just hired a car. Car hire from the airport is quick and easy (it's Hertz).
Without transport, you'd be severely limited I'd say, but it depends how you like to travel.
Borders and zones are classed green/yellow/orange/red, incidents (ranging from protests to bombings) are in realtime.
It allows for pragmatic decisions relating to movement than the standard news channels.
The north Iraq (Kurdistan region) is a wonderful place for tourist! I absolutely suggest to go there, with all the precautions of course.
If you need something, just ask me. I’ve got some contacts/friends in Kurdistan.
I've been there, as a backpacking tourist. "A wonderful place for tourist" is overselling it, I think.
Here I’ve uploaded(G. Photos) some “stupid/phone” photos from my last trip to Iraq: https://photos.app.goo.gl/TrRVhH6uDAmMU5cNA so you can view that there are a lot of tourists attractions and beautiful places!
If you need I can send you the contact I’ve used in Iraq. He’s a friendly student/guy :-)
Problem is, if something does go wrong, it is not entirely clear who’s responsibility it is to get you out.
Your life is not necessarily in danger, but if anything does go wrong you’re in deep shit.
But if you want to see Abbasid and Mesopotamian ruins all the power to you. Just remember, you’re going to be in rural areas with a very flakey state.
Iraq isn’t a poor country either, it’s just incredibly poorly managed. You’ll find the food and hotels there surprisingly expensive and bad. Bribes will also cost you western sums. Infuriatingly, if you’re American you might even be committing a federal crime by giving one demanded at a checkpoint.
One thing that’s properly weird about getting an Iraqi visa is that the process is like stepping back into the late 70s. The USA disbanded rather than reformed the civil service (before it engorged itself to an absurd size post civil war again) but what’s left of it is properly dysfunctional and dated.
Another thing now that precludes actually going is that there are regular ‘lockdowns’ ostensibly for COVID, but are just really an excuse to stymie protests.
I remember the enormous catfish in the largest palace moat and the bats swarm from the local bat tower at night. That large palace was truly exquisite with tall brilliant marble walls and gold lettering in-laid. I also remember the Flintstones palace for Saddam’s grandchildren.
Then I spent a week at Balad playing Guitar Hero awaiting transportation back to Kuwait.
- find & join an expat group on Facebook to ask questions like this
- consider not over planning and just go, figuring it out when you’re there, as I promise you there will be plenty of locals willing to arrange things for you when you get there
- for a place like Iraq, the hardest part might be getting cash. I was in Pakistan last year and a lot of the ATMs wouldn’t work with my debit card. Eventually I found one. Just don’t assume you’ll be able to pay with a Visa card everywhere. In Pakistan I simply sent myself a bunch of money via Western Union.
- register with the State Department’s STEP program if you go.
The price of admission: two trillion dollars. The door is now locked from the outside.
Cool.
[1] https://apnews.com/article/iraq-middle-east-health-coronavir...
I’m not trying to say there’s equivalent danger, but these kinds of things happen all over the world even in “safe” places.
On the other hand, being within the Iranian sphere of influence might grant you access to delicious food [0]
One day your child will be going on a senior trip to Disneyland Iraq and your protest against it will simply make you look like the old prejudiced bigot. Nobody will care that you were fed propaganda and also reality for 20 years straight. No different than our parents, grandparents or refugees having haunting views of other countries that are major allies now.
Hm? Westerners don't fear Iraq. It can't do anything to them.
And the answer to everything else is now you are familiar with the meme.
Enjoy the new valid experience you went your whole life unaware of.
Iraq might be much more inclusive by then.
Then again Turkey could go full Islamist crazy and be more Saudi Arabia and Erdoğan could declare himself president for life.
But I think globalization will somewhat liberalize all of the above in the coming years, and the desire to fit in and do business globally will push for liberalization.
It would never happen. Turks are Turks first and Muslim second. Erdogan is a neo-ottomanist, not a salafist.
He’s as much of a Muslim as Trump is a Christian.
Now I do see him trying to sell more of the nation to Saudis and Emirates while also forcing enough pro-sunni legislation down our throats to keep the Conservative / Nationalists happy and ensure that Saudi / Qatari investment coming and to ensure he can profit like a bandit off of his pre-doomed “Islamic Finance” initiatives.
However, Turks are fairly centrist by American standards. They drink, a lot (alcohol tax revenue is crucial to the government, as well as direct sales as the government still owns some of the Raki and Beer production), smoke weed, party, are getting married and having children later in life, and fewer.
I watched the sweaty shirtless guys beating mislead soldiers to death during the failed coup a few years ago. They weren’t shouting allahu akbar while they did it. They waved Ataturk flags and sang the Izmir march.
(well, West Germany anyway!)
On the other hand, the war has to end first. Some simply haven't. Europe's oldest frozen warzone is still there, the Green Line across Cyprus. The tourist resort of Nicosia is still a no man's land. https://artsandculture.google.com/story/the-green-line-nicos...