Media: The Associated Press
Date: 06 August 2006

SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq_Security forces in northern Iraq opened fire Sunday to
disperse hundreds of demonstrators who burned tires and blocked roads to
protest high fuel cost and poor living conditions. Three people were
injured, they said.

People blocked roads with rocks and burning objects on the outskirts of
Chamchamal town, and tried to set fire to a gasoline station but were
stopped by security forces who opened fire, said Lt. Col. Ahmed Nadir, the
head of the town's security. He said three people were injured in the
firing.

"In the beginning, the demonstration was peaceful but later some people
threw stones, burned tires and attacked shops," he said.

Witnesses said the demonstrators were demanding improved services in the
town, easing of fuel shortages and better power supply, which they said was
limited to only three hours a day.

"We need more fuel, we need more power. I demand that the regional
government take care of our city," said Moghmmed Salih, a student who took
part in the demonstration.

Chamchamal is about 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of Sulaimaniyah in Iraq's
northern Kurdish region.

After years of neglect during U.N. sanctions after the 1991 Gulf War, the
country's creaky infrastructure has crumbled further in the last three years
since the ouster of Saddam Hussein.

Although a major producer of oil, fuel is rationed because of inadequate
supply lines. Gasoline is officially priced at 350 dinars (25 U.S. cents) a
liter but it takes hours of waiting in the queue to fill up at gasoline
outlets. In the black-market, gasoline costs 1,000 dinars (70 U.S. cents)
per liter.

"This is too much. We demand the regional government improve the services in
Chamchamal," said Ahmed Mohammed, an 18-year-old taxi driver "This is not
the first time that we have complained. We started more than a year ago but
there is no solution," he said.

.25 cents for a gallon would be great for USA.....

Yeah, but the lines to get that fuel there are HUGE!! They don't have gas stations there like they have there. Most of that stuff is Black Market