Iraqis Party In The New Year

Via Ace of Spades is this Reuters story from Baghdad about various big parties around town to ring in the New Year. They are tired of the violence and thrilled to be able to party like the rest of us normal folks. This comes on the heels of a OBL missive not to keep fighting AQI and the Sunni tribes basically telling him to go "f" himself and his jihad. They demanded he apologize for his minions atrocities, as Mike Yon said OBL would not dare enter Iraq now, AQ is deadmeat there. These celebrations with singing, dancing and young people having fun must be a huge slap in OBL's face, beat by the great satan and humiliated by the people of Iraq.

"The security has changed and it took us by surprise. We're very happy. Especially us young people," said al-Azzawi, a 22-year-old student taking a break from dancing to a traditional Iraqi band in the ballroom of the Palestine Hotel.

"I haven't seen a happy place like this in so long. I wanted to see if I could maybe meet a few girls!" he said. "I only hope the Iraqi people can enjoy more happy times like this."

Salah al-Lami, 27, the singer who performed at the Palestine ballroom and then for another New Year's Eve crowd at the Sheraton Hotel across the street, said it was the first time he had sung before a live audience in four years.

"This will be the year that we take our freedom!" he told Reuters after singing through a boisterous set in front of a packed dancefloor.

"When I went up on the stage and started singing I felt like I was performing for my family."

Belly dancers also took the stage, and revelers showered a female singer with dinar notes, the Iraqi audience's ultimate sign of approval.