Iraq’s ‘Generation Freedom’
A man holds his cellphone near al-Mutanabbi street in Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, Feb. 24, 2023. Two decades after a US-led invasion, Iraq’s capital today is full of life and a sense of renewal, its residents enjoying a hopeful, peaceful interlude in a painful modern history.
Monday marks 20 years since the start of “Operation Iraqi Freedom,” the US-led invasion of Iraq that toppled the president, Saddam Hussein, and aimed to spread democracy in the country. We hear from those who lived through these turbulent and violent years. And, gay sex is already illegal in Uganda, punishable by life in prison. But a new bill making its way through the legislature would make it illegal to even identify as gay or transgender. Also, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s latest climate report shows that humanity is on “thin ice,” with the window closing on the chance to meet ambitious global warming targets. Plus, two Icelandic artists quietly leave their mark on South by Southwest.
