Albasrah.net first appeared in April 2003. Our intention was to bring together everything about the beautiful city of al-Basrah – its history, culture, heritage, and art. But the invasion of Iraq by the international terrorist mafia gangs compelled us to focus on what was more important in this critical period than the history of our Arab nation and our beloved country, namely the defense of Iraq. Our task then became to gather together and present all the news and facts – written articles, video clips, and sound recordings – in both Arabic and English – that expose the occupation and shed light on its crimes and its true aims. We also strive to protect patriotic, Arab nationalist, and Islamic readers from the falsification and distortion of their identity and from being strung along by the lies of the misleading media.
CPT initiated a long-term presence in Iraq in October 2002, six months before the beginning of the U.S. led invasion in March of 2003. The primary focus of the team for eighteen months following the invasion was documenting and focusing attention on the issue of detainee abuses and basic legal and human rights being denied them. Issues related to detainees remain the current focus, but the work has expanded to include efforts to end occupation and militarization of the country and to foster nonviolent and just alternatives for a free and independent Iraq.