Is it safe to travel to Iraq today?
The question is, Is it safe to travel to Iraq today? The
answer is no. It is not safe for anyone, not Americans, not the British and
not the Australians. The reason is not because the country is prejudice it is
that the insurgents are. Many people from the Middle East have a misconception
about the Western world and some of these people are called insurgents. They do
not like the West or anyone who helped the West invade their country.
For many reasons people from some parts of the world still want to travel to
Iraq. They are rich in history and a culture that many people do not understand.
But they have some beautiful countryside and some historic landmarks and
churches that would make the trip worthwhile, if we did not have to worry about
getting kidnapped off the street or car jacked.
With so much military personnel on the ground there, they could not do their
jobs properly if that they had to protect tourist that should not be there to
begin with. It is an unsafe and dangerous place; even the safe zones like
Kurdistan cannot be 100% safe.
So why take the risk and travel to Iraq? There could not be any sane reason why
anyone who is not in the military or in some kind of government position to want
to travel to Iraq. There are kidnappings, killings, car bombs, missile strikes
and daily acts of violence on the troops, their own citizens and especially on
tourists.
There may be a time when the region will be safe again but until then, it is not
worth your life to see a place that you can see in pictures in your own home. By
traveling to Iraq, statistics say that you are increasing your chance of
something happening to you by 28%.
Unfortunately Iraq is located in place where Syria and Iran are not enthusiastic
about welcoming people from certain countries. The area is considered a hot spot
and you should heed the warnings of the government when they advise against
coming to Iraq.
Do some extensive research on traveling to Iraq and see what the embassies
recommend. Check to see if there even any flights into Iraq, you may have to
search a while to find one. The airlines, which are not covered under the FAA in
Iraq, are not promoting travel or tourism in this point in time.