[R-G] Baghdad Burning - Last Few Days...

[David Mcreynolds]

This is of special interest as it is from Baghdad. I don't know if the web
site will appear "in color" or not, but I did just go to the web site and
think it is fascinating (and moving) to read the views of someone in
Baghdad. I'm sending this to a number of folks who aren't usually bothered
by my posts because I think in this case the news from inside of Iraq is
rare and important. A relief from Bush and Rumsfeld. (Or some routine left
commentary). . . David

> [Original Message]
> From: viviane <vlerner at interpac.net>
> To: David. Mc R <david.mcr at earthlink.net>
> Cc: Radtimes <resist3 at earthlink.net>; Prog. Review <news at prorev.com>;
KBOO <pmnews at kboo.org>; DV <dissidentvoice at earthlink.net>
> Date: 5/16/2004 9:57:41 PM
> Subject: Baghdad Burning - Last Few Days...
>

> ===========
>
>
http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/2004_05_01_riverbendblog_archive.html#1084
> 56635171437189
> Saturday, May 15, 2004
> Last Few Days...
> That video of Nick Berg is beyond horrible. I haven't been able to watch
it
> whole. It makes me sick to my stomach and I can hardly believe it
happened.
> His family must be devastated and I can't even imagine what they must have
> felt. With all of this going on- first Abu Ghraib and now this, I haven't
> felt like writing anything.
>
> Ansar Al Islam are a fundamentalist militant group- mostly Kurdish- based
in
> the north of Iraq. They made a name for themselves recently and chose the
> Kurdish autonomous region as 'home' with the full knowledge of the CIA,
who
> had more control over the region than the former regime. Since the
beginning
> of the war, they have been responsible for various explosions and attacks-
> or so they say. The beheading has nothing to do with Islam. I'm still
> hoping- albeit irrationally- that the whole thing was some sort of
grotesque
> setup.
>
> I was sick to my stomach when I first saw the video on some news channel
and
> stood petrified, watching the screen and praying that they wouldn't show
it
> whole because for some reason, I couldn't take my eyes off of it. I feel
> horrible. Was I shocked? Was I surprised? Hardly. We've been expecting
this
> since the first pictures of the torture of Iraqi prisoners broke out.
> There's a certain rage in many people that is frightening. There's a
certain
> hunger and need for revenge that lame apologies from Bush and surprise
> visits from Rumsfeld won't appease.
>
> I think beheading was the chosen method of 'execution' because the group
> wanted to shock Americans and westerners in the worst possible way. The
> torturers at Abu Ghraib and other prisons chose sexual degradation because
> they knew that nothing would hurt and appall Iraqis and Muslims more than
> those horrible, sadistic acts. To Iraqis, death is infinitely better than
> being raped or sexually abused. There are things worse than death itself
and
> those pictures portrayed them.
>
> Foreigners in Iraq are being very, very careful and with good reason. Many
> of the companies have pulled out their staff and are asking the remaining
> workers and contractors to be extra careful and as inconspicuous as
> possible.
>
> The assumption that Al Zarqawi himself was doing the beheading seems a
> little far-fetched. So now the heads of terrorism in the world seem to be
> Ossama Bin Ladin, Aimen Al Dhawahiri and Abu Mussa'ab Al Zarqawi. Here's
> some food for thought- Ossama is from Saudi Arabia, Al Dhawahiri is
Egyptian
> and Al Zarqawi is Jordanian. Which countries in the region are America's
> best allies? Let's see now… did you guess Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt?!
> Fantastic! You win a trip to… Falloojeh!! (And no- it doesn't count if you
> give Saudi Arabia a little slap on the wrists and poke Egypt in the ribs-
> you're still buddies).
>
> They let out around 300+ prisoners today while that sadistic fiend
Rumsfeld
> was in town. Apparently, setting 300 prisoners free of the thousands
> currently detained is supposed to mollify Iraqis- quite like Bush's lame
> half-apology to King Abdallah of Jordan. What is King Abdallah to us? What
> does it matter if Bush gets down and begs him for forgiveness? What in
God's
> name does he represent to the Iraqi people?
>
> Karbala and Najaf in the south are war zones. There are Shi'a fighters in
> the streets and American tanks and helicopters are bombing certain areas.
To
> day they bombed the oldest cemetery in Najaf (and one of the holiest in
> Iraq). It has caused quite an uproar and Al Sadr is currently calling for
> people to join him in the south. We are seeing another inflow of refugees
> into Baghdad… this time from the southern region. They are using the same
> tactics they used in Falloojeh on the 'insurgency'. So why was it an
> intifadhah, or popular uprising, in 1991 and now suddenly it's an
> insurgency? The people fighting in the streets of Najaf and Karbala aren't
> trained warriors or former regime members… they are simply people who are
> tired of empty promises and hollow assurances.
>
> There are rumors that Badir's Brigade have been fighting alongside the
> Americans against Sadr's group and that doesn't bode well for SCIRI. The
> Puppets and spokespeople for the group have issued disclaimers but people
> sense that the Hakeems and Al-Da'awa leaders are eager to see Muqtada et
al.
> crushed as soon as possible.
>
> The end-of-the-year examinations have started in most of the schools. The
> school administrations are trying to get them over with as soon as humanly
> possible. It's already unbearably hot and dusty and the heat gets worse as
> summer progresses. Last year examinations were held in June and July and
> children were fainting in the summer heat in schools with no electricity.
> We're hoping to avoid that this year.
>
> We're all donating money to the school in the area so they can remain
hooked
> up to the local power generator during the day while the kids are being
> tested. You can see them in the streets and trapped behind car windows
> looking flushed and wilted. We're all praying that they'll be able to
finish
> the year without anything drastic happening (well, relatively drastic).
>
> The air feels stale and stagnant in Baghdad lately. There's disappointment
> and exhaustion and a certain resignation to the anger and fear that seem
to
> have taken over during recent weeks.
>
> =========
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