Iraq may be safer but not much has changed since the country became democratic. Underdevelopment is evident throughout the country. A fifth of the population cannot read or write and many are unemployed. "We don't produce anything. We need private investors from other countries for development", says one man. Tax revenues barely exist and much of the money disappears through corruption: "no one trusts the government". Al Qaeda remains a threat and lack of funding means that security forces are stretched to the limit. In al Alam, people want more autonomy and independence from the Shiite-dominated government in Baghdad. The mistrust is partly because the Sunnis are degraded from power and with US troops now out of the country this political-sectarian conflict may again escalate into violence. The Iraqi government has also been unable to deliver any progress, despite billions of dollars in foreign aid. For Yasim al Juburi, the chairman of the al Alam municipal council, the situation is bleak. "What has Iraq achieved? The answer is nothing".