[ssf] Voices from Iraq

[Jason]

Lynchings and Holy Wars

Please don't ask me whether I believe Iraq is on the verge of civil
war yet or not. I have never experienced a civil war before, only
regular ones. All I see is that both sides are engaged in tit-for-tat
lynchings and summary executions. I see governmental forces openly
taking sides or stepping aside. I see an occupation force that is
clueless about what is going on in the country. I see politicians that
distrust each other and continue to flame the situation for their own
personal interests. I see Islamic clerics delivering fiery sermons
against each other, then smile and hug each other at the end of the
day in staged PR stunts.

I see the country breaking into pieces. The frontlines between
different districts of Baghdad are already clearly demarked and ready
for the battle. I was stopped in my own neighbourhood yesterday by a
watch team and questioned where I live and what I was doing in that
area. I see other people curiously staring in each other's faces on
the street. I see hundreds of people disappearing in the middle of the
night and their corpses surfacing next day with electric drill holes
in them. I see people blown up to smithereens because a brainwashed
virgin seeker targeted a crowded market or café. I see all that and
more. - Zeyad (healingiraq.blogspot.com)

Three Years...

The real fear is the mentality of so many people lately- the rift that
seems to have worked it's way through the very heart of the country,
dividing people. It's disheartening to talk to acquaintances-
sophisticated, civilized people- and hear how Sunnis are like this,
and Shia are like that… To watch people pick up their things to move
to "Sunni neighborhoods" or "Shia neighborhoods". How did this happen?

I constantly read analyses mostly written by foreigners or Iraqis
who've been abroad for decades talking about how there was always a
divide between Sunnis and Shia in Iraq (which, ironically, only
becomes apparent when you're not actually living amongst Iraqis they
claim)… but how under a dictator, nobody saw it or nobody wanted to
see it. That is simply not true- if there was a divide, it was between
the fanatics on both ends. The extreme Shia and extreme Sunnis. Most
people simply didn't go around making friends or socializing with
neighbors based on their sect. People didn't care- you could ask that
question, but everyone would look at you like you were silly and rude.
- Riverbend (riverbendblog.blogspot.com)

'Tortured, Shot Ambushed ... ' Iraq's Academics

For Khidhr Mahallawi, the chalk and the blackboard were his only
friends. He didn't know they will be the reasons behind his murder.
Mahallawi, a 35-year-old teacher of English was a resident of Ramadi,
a restive city west of Baghdad. He wasn't able to stop ten armed men
who broke into the classroom. "Your teacher is an agent to the CIA,"
the terrorists told the students whose eyes were staring. Panicked by
the scene, the students hurried away from the classroom except some
who were not able to. They saw their teacher beheaded in front of
them. The terrorists used one of the desks as their altar. –
(baghdadtreasure.blogspot.com)

The New Iraq: Abstract; Absurd!

Dr Riyadh Abdul Kareem, a general director in the ministry of
agriculture, wounded escaping a life attempt against him; Dr Harith
Al-Hayali, disease scientist is still being kidnapped although his
family gave the kidnappers $50 000; Dr Saad Mhawosh, the dean of the
school of engineering, Mustansiruya University, was found killed after
his family paid his kidnappers $120 000 trying to save his life; 5
students from Mosul University were killed and 10 were kidnapped; more
than executed bodies were found in different parts of Baghdad; Muhsin
Khudair, the editor of Alef Baa weekly was assassinated; the secretary
general of the Iraqi journalists union was threatened to be killed
forced to leave Iraq; Americans killed 12 members of one family, 4
women and children were among them, in Dhuloeya, west of Baghdad,
alleging they were attacking a house harbouring terrorists; tens of
IEDs were exploded killing Iraqi policemen and INGs, more than 10 car
bombs detonated in different parts of Iraq killing and wounding tens
of the civilians…

…the week was a typical week Iraqis began dealing with since April
2003. The ordinary week called "bloody" and the extraordinary one
called "bloodiest". Blood became the character of the Iraqis life and
day. Insecurity, kidnapping, killing, violence, poverty, lack of the
general services and the fear of a possible civil war are the obvious
features of the Iraq after "liberation". Yet there are some bright
features too, mobile phones, sat channels receivers, freedom of speech
and media!! And the right of messing up every thing!! –
(thewomaniwasblog.blogspot.com)

SAS soldier quits Army in disgust at 'illegal' American tactics in Iraq

The Sunday Telegraph reports (March 12th): An SAS soldier has refused
to fight in Iraq and has left the Army over the "illegal" tactics of
United States troops and the policies of coalition forces. After three
months in Baghdad, Ben Griffin told his commander that he was no
longer prepared to fight alongside American forces. He said he had
witnessed "dozens of illegal acts" by US troops, claiming they viewed
all Iraqis as "untermenschen" - the Nazi term for races regarded as
sub-human.

Illegal American tactics in Iraq

TIME magazine reports (Mar 27th): Like everywhere in Iraq during the
continuous hard times, the family gathers in one room. The rest of
Eman's family--her mother, grandfather, grandmother, two brothers, two
aunts and two uncles--gathered in the living room, she said.

A group of trigger-happy U.S. Marines stormed the house. Eman says she
"heard a lot of shooting, so none of us went outside. Besides, it was
very early, and we were all wearing our nightclothes." When the
Marines entered the house, they were shouting in English. "First, they
went into my father's room, where he was reading the Koran," she
claims, "and we heard shots." Then, the worst part happened: "I
watched them shoot my grandfather, first in the chest and then in the
head. Then they killed my granny."

Shielded by the adults, the other children eventually died of the
continuous shooting. Then Eman recalled the troops firing towards the
corner of the room where she and her younger brother Abdul Rahman,
were hiding. Bleeding, Eman and Abdul Rahman were later rescued by
Iraqi soldiers who entered after the marines left.

Numbers

Civilian death toll in Iraq in the past year: 12,617
Iraqi military and police deaths in past year: 2759
Iraqis kidnapped per day: 30
Unemployment rate: 25-48%
Reconstruction money spent in past year: $8,800,000,000
Reconstruction money lost by US Coalition Provisional Authority: $8,800,000,000
Value of Halliburton contracts in Iraq to date: over $10,000,000,000
Amount of debt still owed by Iraq: $86,300,000,000
Iraqi Polls-	Approve the government endorsing a timeline for US withdrawal: 87%
		Iraq today is generally headed in the right direction:
		Kurds: 76%, Shia: 84%, Sunni: 6%
Sources: Iraq Body Count, The Brookings Institution Iraq index