Neowin.net - Iraqis scramble to restore Internet

Iraqis scramble to restore Internet

Posted by Michael Stanclift on 03 June 2003 - 23:43 · 50 comments & 1610 views

Amr Bakr is an Internet addict. These days, the computer repairman finds himself in need of a fix. His mornings used to consist of sipping coffee while he checked his five e-mail accounts and read news online from the BBC and al-Jazeera.

Since American missiles demolished antennas and transmitters atop the Iraq Ministry of Information building early last month, Bakr and the rest of Iraq have been cut off.

"I miss it a lot," Bakr said, sitting in a computer repair shop next to one of Baghdad's shuttered state Internet cafes. "I used to use it at least five to six hours a day."

While Bakr and other Iraqis are upset about the slicing of their precious tether to the world, they're also optimistic about the future of the Internet in Iraq, where access was previously available to a tiny minority -- and only then under severe restrictions.

"I consider it as a gate to the 21st century for Iraqis who have been living in a dark age," said Shakir Abdulla, director general of the State Company for Internet Services, the agency that distributed the Internet in Iraq. "This will change their mentality."

News source: CNN

Of course, Apple's Music Store uses one-click purchasing licensed from Amazon, so there's something of a technology fit already. Then again, that may be the only connection between the two companies and the only basis for the alleged negotiations.

That Apple is going to offer the service to Windows users, complete with iTunes software, suggests that the service is viewed by the company as a revenue generator and not a tool to attract buyers to the Mac platform. Since Apple is already sending 65 cents per 99 cent download to the music industry, it might not be all that keen on sharing any of the remaining 35 cents with Amazon.

Then again, a co-branded deal with Amazon would expose Apple to more customers - PC or otherwise - than it might reach on its own, and would give it a useful bargaining tool to achieve other outcomes, such as replacing Amazon's current Windows Media and RealPlayer downloads with QuickTime/iTunes versions

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Full name: Michael Stanclift
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(1 reply) #1 Posted by Marshalus on 03 Jun 2003 - 23:46: I find it funny that most of his guy's country is without running water, electricity, food, medical attention, is plagued with lawlessness and looting (which the US is attempting to control) and yet all this guy seems to be worried about is reading his e-mail.

Boo fricking whoo.

(6 replies) #2 Posted by Michael Lerner on 03 Jun 2003 - 23:52: ah who cares, sorry iraqies but if the US beat you and cut your internet access perhaps you should upgrade your army?

(5 replies) #3 Posted by AshUK on 04 Jun 2003 - 00:02: They should be grateful they have the technology, its not like they invented it

#4 Posted by Neobond on 04 Jun 2003 - 00:08: Well I hope they get all their basic services restored soon so they can restore some dignity. Internet isn't important as running water, electricity, food and medical attention but who are we to even question this mans priorities when we don't have to suffer what he probably has.

War must do weird things to you when you are on the receiving end of it. I can't imagine that and I'm grateful I don't have to. However the ignorance I see here in some of the first comments doesn't make me feel comfortable about the future.

(2 replies) #5 Posted by Quick Reply on 04 Jun 2003 - 00:12: I can't believe you guys, i might not like iraqis, but having no internet is too harsh!

#6 Posted by RaQ on 04 Jun 2003 - 00:30: i like (good) iraqis not mr. saddam. well hes dead now so thats oveer.

i agree with neobond as well.

#7 Posted by GEKREUZIGT on 04 Jun 2003 - 00:36: Man I don't know what I'd do without internet for an extended period of time...it's not worth thinking about. Though having had internet outages I can only understand a little taste of what that guy is going through Hope he gets back online soon, as soon as his country gets their basic needs set up! Who cares about where he's from...seriously...he's a human just like all of us!

(1 reply) #8 Posted by SanGreal on 04 Jun 2003 - 01:46: They have computer cafes that they can use, so apparently some places in Iraq have internet access..

#9 Posted by mAcOdIn on 04 Jun 2003 - 02:01: Well Henry Ford didn't invent the car guys. He made the first affordable car, and established the assembly line.

Aside from that yeah the situation in Iraq's pretty sad right now. I'm actually failry suprised it's taking this long to even get things back. Iraq was in such better shape than Afghanistan and the longer we're there the more it gets worse. Hurry up guys!

It'll be cool when we finally can talk to Iraqi's on the net too. Maybe it'll help people get the other side of this whole conflict.

(6 replies) #10 Posted by David3k on 04 Jun 2003 - 02:46: screw them. I've been to Iraq and I've met a lot of Iraqi's here. serves them right, I say.

#11 Posted by username on 04 Jun 2003 - 03:07: Words of Mass Deception

(1 reply) #12 Posted by Solarix on 04 Jun 2003 - 04:35: what the hell is internet?

(1 reply) #13 Posted by Zeni on 04 Jun 2003 - 05:24: Poor Man just wants his porn back.

(3 replies) #14 Posted by Krest on 04 Jun 2003 - 07:26: It's the shame that the same people that bombed iraq are making fun of it.Period.

#15 Posted by survivorx on 04 Jun 2003 - 07:53: Pffffff. Internet is not a priority ! nonsense !

#16 Posted by nonick on 04 Jun 2003 - 09:37: bah i cant believe alot of you people are so bloody dumb, imbecile and dont know SH1T about iraqi people, please all - Shut The Fuk UP. thank you.

#17 Posted by Fubar on 04 Jun 2003 - 10:24: well its easy to spot who the children are in this news post ..... also its easy to spot who are stupid.........
lets hope the people of a iraq can get back to a normal free life.......... without an evil dictator ... i know i for one would hate to have no net specially after having it so long

(2 replies) #18 Posted by Neobond on 04 Jun 2003 - 10:36: Warning, the page links to OTHER pages with images not suitable for children

This link is safe to view, but the links on the page are more disturbing.

I bet if people had to go through seeing this <<removed>> as a part of their lives they would think twice about being such a asshole before posting.

Last edited by 2 on 04 Jun 2003 - 11:37

#19 Posted by kemical on 04 Jun 2003 - 12:12: i know who invented the internet.

#20 Posted by EzeWong on 04 Jun 2003 - 16:10: It's Kinda funny, People wonder why the majority of Middle Eastern Citizens bear qualms against the United States.

If only they could read this forum, which is only a post about their internet usage... yet... somehow ...

#21 Posted by Spider_Man on 04 Jun 2003 - 18:19

Damn, you people are some cold freaks... Alot of people like the guy above are glad to be rid of Saddam. Yes he misses his I-Net. And you would do too, if they came and took your away. I mean read what he said at the end of it:

QUOTE

"I consider it as a gate to the 21st century for Iraqis who have been living in a dark age," said Shakir Abdulla, director general of the State Company for Internet Services, the agency that distributed the Internet in Iraq. "This will change their mentality."

I mean GG! I mean alot of my fellow Americans make fun of these guys but you'd they'd be in the same state as the Iraqi's if they had an a-hole leader like Saddam running their country. I tell you what, I bet when the Iraqi people get their country back in full and have freedom from oppression they will begin to surprise you people. I have friends on their way over there even as I type that work for Haliburton among other companies that are going to help rebuild that country. I wish I could go myself, but I'm needed here.
Please guys, don't become hipocrits.

#22 Posted by EzeWong on 05 Jun 2003 - 02:28: Question: "Can you really trust your senses?" --(Ripped from animatrix which is a rip from plato)

Seriously, do you think any of us would actually know (Us citz) if Sadam was actually all that bad? I mean, come on, he had support. It obviously means he was at least doing one thing right. It's all media my friends... Big Brother... Reporters with too much grande white mocha latte trudging through their systems... I mean, you hear something in the news and you're all like. "WOW, I'm a stupid ignoramous American, I beleive anything I hear on CNN without any analysis.. CAUSE LIKE ITS TV! and they CANT BE WRONG! (I'm A stupid american too). I love how "my" country is ignorant AND hypocritical. LETS SAVE ALL THE LESSER AND MORE NEEDY COUNTRIES!!!

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