Web diarist’s graphic account of war

LIKE a latter-day Anne Frank, an ordinary resident of Baghdad has emerged as the voice of his beleaguered nation, posting a vivid daily account of life in the Iraqi capital on the internet.

Going by the name of Salam Pax, his online diary has secured a cult following worldwide with his sharp observations of life in a war zone.

Although there are still dozens of journalists and TV cameras in the Iraqi capital, his postings have the ring of authenticity and immediacy that even live television reporting finds hard to match.