Iraqis numb pain of Islamic State in newly re-opened bar
In a town ravaged by the war against Islamic State, amid ransacked homes and shuttered shops, a flashing sign above the entrance to one business beckons visitors: "Welcome", it reads. Inside, the floors are carpeted, the lights are low, and the gurgling sound of water pipes accompanies hushed conversations between men drinking beer in small […]Isabel Coles writes for Reuters:
In a town ravaged by the war against Islamic State, amid ransacked homes and shuttered shops, a flashing sign above the entrance to one business beckons visitors: "Welcome", it reads.
Inside, the floors are carpeted, the lights are low, and the gurgling sound of water pipes accompanies hushed conversations between men drinking beer in small groups.
It is the first bar to reopen since Islamic State militants were routed from the northern Iraqi town of Qaraqosh nine months ago in the early stages of a campaign to retake Mosul, around 15 km (10 miles) west.
