News & Views 04/10/07

Photo: Baghdad, IRAQ: Iraqis escape from the fire range of a sniper at Baghdad's al-Fadel district, where security forces were carrying out raids to flash out insurgents, 10 April 2007. Ali Yussef/AFP/Getty

MORE PHOTOS ON NAJAF DEMONSTRATION AT IRAQ SLOGGER

REPORTS – LIFE IN IRAQ

The Achievements After Four Years of The Liberation

I know I should write this blog yesterday but I just wanted the full four years to pass over. Yesterday Iraqis and the whole world kept talking about the memories of the war and some of the most important political developments in Iraq. Some Arabic reports concentrated on other sides especially the economical ones reflecting the reality in their own way. As an Iraqi, I feel I cant be more accurate than any channel because I lived the four years in Iraq. So lets see some of the most important achievements done by the great Iraqi and American administrations. Iraqis became more courageous and fearless because they used to the daily killing by all the types of the gunmen including Iraqi army, US army, insurgents, thieves and the security companies. Some Iraqis became cleverer and they started to invent new ways in killing each other, stealing each other, hiding weapons, kidnapping and cheating. We have more ministers than any other country on this crazy earth. We have even useless ministries which were invented to please some political parties. We have as far as I know 36 ministries while the USA has only 15 ministries. So we have more than double. I couldn’t know almost 30 of them because they don’t show on TV and we have no idea about their work or whether they do some work or not. In fact and as far as I knew, most of them have no idea about the work of the ministries they run. Iraqis never feel afraid of the electric shocks because we have electricity power for only two hours a day or three hours as a maximum. The rest of the day we have to use small Chinese generator that cost something like 100 $ which are not really powerful enough to kill people.

Guns Fall Silent in Iraqi City

The guns in the city of Hiyt in Iraq's western province of Anbar have finally fallen silent, thanks to the efforts of local administrators and security forces. In mid March, a well-equipped contingent of Iraqi police entered the town, situated 180km west of the capital Baghdad, and immediately began a recruitment drive for local volunteers to take charge of security. Hiyt, which in the past four years has been the scene of anti-US attacks, air strikes and internal strife, has not had an effective police force since its security headquarters was blown up in December 2004. When Iraqi police returned to the city on March 15, the first order of business was to impose a day-long curfew as they patrolled the streets. When calls went out for new recruits, several hundred young men registered at their neighbourhood precincts. A Hiyt emergency battalion to combat al-Qaeda was also established and is currently training nearly 500 volunteers. Many of the volunteers who signed up for the new police force belong to the villages surrounding Hiyt, with a large portion belonging to the Majlis Inqaz Al Anbar (The Council for the Protection of Al Anbar), an organisation established by Abdul Satar Abu Risha, a tribal chief. The council is known to have engaged against al-Qaeda forces in recent weeks. Ahmed Mohamed, a Hiyt resident, said: "We said so early since April 2003 that we want police and army from the citizens of the city, we didn't want strangers from the south and US troops to control us or to move in side districts".

Day Long Battle on Tuesday in Baghdad

U.S. and Iraqi soldiers fought a daylong battle with insurgents in a violent area of central Baghdad on Tuesday, leaving four Iraqi soldiers dead and 16 U.S. soldiers wounded, the military said. The U.S. and Iraqi forces came under fire by insurgents early Tuesday in the predominantly Sunni Fadhil neighborhood - a criminal stronghold in the center of the capital. A U.S. helicopter was hit by ground fire after it strafed the insurgents, but it returned safely to its base, the military said in a statement.

REPORTS – IRAQI MILITIAS, POLITICIANS, POWER BROKERS

Mahdi Members Kill US Tipsters in Baghdad

Four Baghdad women have been executed by militia members for sharing information with US forces, according to Slogger’s local sources. Slogger sources report that the murder of the four women in Washash was conducted by members of the Mahdi Army. Locals say that Mahdi Army associates accused the women of passing information to the American forces over the past few days. Mahdi Army associates in Washash have declared that anyone giving any information about them to the Americans would be killed, Slogger sources report. Apart from last week’s fighting in Diwaniya, the Mahdi Army has not confronted US forces directly in an organized way since the start of the Baghdad security plan in February, following orders from Muqtada al-Sadr to lie low. Sadrist spokespeople over the weekend have repeated their commitment to non-confrontation with US forces during the security plan.

Arab Press on the Demonstrations in Najaf, per Missing Links

The large-circulation paper Azzaman, often a voice representing the Sunni establishment or a major part of it, treated the Najaf demonstration this way: On their front page, in both the Iraqi and the UK editions, they ran a big picture from Reuters showing the crowd and the massed Iraqi flags (but not showing any of the "No to America" or other slogans), with a caption referring to the fourth anniversary of the fall of Baghdad "where there continues to be lack of security and kidnapping and killing on a sectarian basis, and unemployment", not mentioning Sadr. And there wasn't any article about the demo anywhere on the front page. The lead story started off with an account of the war of words between the Kurdish leader Barzani and the Turkish Prime Minister over Kirkuk and other issues, followed by a mention of surge-related military moves, and only then, very much in passing, does the journalist mention the demo, as follows:

The White House, for its part, minimized the importance of the Najaf demonstration, and affirmed that Moqtada al-Sadr is in Iran. On another issue, American and Iraqi forces succeeded in cleansing Diwaniya of the militias of the Mahdi Army, and arrested 60 of its members. Meanwhile, the American army announced a curfew in Falluja and Hit...and threw a cordon around Ramadi. In the Turkish-Kurdish crisis, the Kurds want to hold a referendum on Kirkuk... [and the subject of the Najaf demo doesn't come up again]

COMMENTARY

Coming to A Dead End In Iraq

A majority of Americans now favor ending the four-year-old occupation of Iraq. They're not "choosing defeat," as Dick Cheney and other Bushist dead-enders contend; defeat in Iraq has been thrust upon us by an Iraqi population that has finally lost whatever measure of patience they once had with a bumbling and often brutal imperial power. It's now a matter of time before our strategic class -- infused as it is with a profound sense of American exceptionalism -- is capable of catching up with that reality. That we've lost the battle for Iraq was clear in Najaf this past weekend, as hundreds of thousands of Shia took to the streets to protest the American occupation. Nationalist cleric Moqtada al-Sadr called America "the great evil" and urged his followers to unite in opposition to the U.S. presence. The protests continued into Monday; the Washington Post reported tens of thousands again marched peacefully on the anniversary of Saddam Hussein's ouster, shouting: "No, no to the occupier. Yes, yes, to Iraq." Demonstrators "burned and ripped apart American flags." The sentiment they expressed was nothing new; for two years, poll after poll has shown that large majorities of Iraqis of all ethnicities and sects want the U.S. to set a timeline for withdrawal. Most think that if the Iraqi government asked the Americans to leave, they wouldn't honor the request (which no doubt accounts for the fact that six in ten support attacks on U.S. troops). A majority of Shias in Baghdad expect the security situation to deteriorate when the Americans leave, but they still want U.S. troops out of their country -- that's how thoroughly Iraqis' "hearts and minds" have been lost. [And a US general in Iraq, I forget his name, commented that people would not have been able to do this under Saddam. I think they could have said “Death to America” under Saddam in large numbers. – dancewater]

Response to the Vanity Fair Article about Iraqi Translators Who Were Betrayed

After I saw the picture of the dead man by the trash like a dog, like this person never had life or dreams or expectations or worries. I strongly imagined myself end up like that. I burst in tears while reading and looking at the photo. I kept asking myself, what will happen to my family if they see me or find me on a trash heap or may be what will be left of me from the dogs's bites? is this how our lives end ? is this how we are going to end up instead of dying in a respectable way? how can I imagine my dear mother could ever see me like that. She will definitely die. I have all these frightening pictures of how will I die? I could not tolerate with that, I promised myself if I ever under any circumstances end up in the hands of such thugs , I would kill myself before I let them torture me or terrorise my family. I believe Allah "God" will not punish me in hell for killing myself for I do not think he would like to see his creature being torutured and killed in such savage way. I do not believe so. It is true that I'm not in Iraq for now due to my fellowship which will last for a year and may not be able to extend my visa or my study for any reason and will have no choice but to go back to Iraq.

I kept this article with me in my handbag all the time and repeat reading it all the time. I began to ask myself , what wrong have we done to be betrayed by the Americans and the Iraqi Government and the neighboring countries ? was it those Iraqi translators' mistake to be honest and dedicate in their work to convey the accurate information to help maintain security and stability in their country? and on the other hand, the iraqi government is doing nothing to protect the ordinary citizens not to mention the academics and the intellectual people who fled the country and left few intellectuals struggling to live or find a way to join the others and leave the country to the extreme radicals of both sects and the thugs to sabotage what is left of Iraq. Some of the Arab and neighboring countries still believe Saddam and his regime was a hero as long he was a dictator not showing any sympathy to how many Iraqis died for nothing because of his dictatorship.

……..Now how will the Iraqis trust the Americans as the latter do not trust the iraqis in anything since the beginning which the Iraqis did not realize that until they worked with them and they were trying their best to show them that they can trust them. There were few incidents but imagine if all the Iraqi translators who worked or work with the coalition forces or the embassy or in the Green Zone were tied with the insurgents? what could have happen to the Americans? of course huge amount of casualties but the iraqis did not sell them and I'm saying here in general and not to talk about individual incidents so please understand my view. The Iraqis thought by being honest, loyal and dedicate in their work, that they will receive some gratitude or recognition in return. Others thought they did their job and they would have done it even if it was not the Americans if the goal is to serve Iraq. There were American soldiers who worked in the Green Zone or in their units who really wanted to help the Iraqis and those who worked with them but they had to face bureaucracy in the system. Or that they were trained to trust The Iraqis. But I wonder why the American Administration want us to trust them while they do not trust us? So who was betrayed here and whether we were betrayed or we chose to be betrayed? [I found this article very painful to read. – dancewater]

U.S. Army and Iraqi People Can Never Reconcile

Four years after the bloody occupation of Iraq by U.S. troops, the two opposing parties in the Iraqi equation have not changed much. On the one hand there is the U.S. army, on the other there is the Iraqi people. These two opposing ends will never meet and the chances of some form of comprise between them are nil. The same will happen if the opposing ends of the equation are reversed with the Iraqi army occupying the American people. The result will be the same even one thousand years from now. With this equation in mind, let us conduct a count to assess the outcome of the past four years, putting aside the commotion over government formations. The U.S. army is offering the cream of its servicemen to the Iraqi inferno whose fires are raging higher and higher. The losses have had a beginning but there is no end for them in the horizon. U.S. democrats who currently control the Congress want to put a reasonable end to the stream of U.S. bloodshed and sacrifices in Iraq by pushing for a timetable for the withdrawal of the troops. But the White House and its master, George Bush, have refused to comply, threatening a veto. This means American intransigence to resort to power and fire and the use of Iraq as a regional card to solve intractable issues such as the Iranian nuclear file and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has not lost momentum yet. U.S. leaders are adamant to complete the ‘Iraqi mission’ which unfortunately nobody knows what it is. Initially, they said it was to dismantle Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction. When these were nowhere to be found, the mission changed into the removal of the dictatorship. When many felt that the U.S. presence in Iraq was as worse as the former dictatorship, they said the mission was to spread democracy in the Middle East. And four weeks ago the mission turned into a ‘surge’ to stabilize Baghdad and regain the initiative in the continuing war. As for the other end of the equation, the Iraqi people, they have no choice but to condemn such hypocrisy and the transformation of their country into an arena for the U.S., international terror groups and regional and foreign power to settle scores. Iraqis were promised ‘liberation’ by the illegitimate occupiers. But the ‘liberation’ turned into a tragedy unprecedented in modern history. The people now do not own their country since this illegal occupation has turned millions of them into refugees in search of safety to protect themselves and their children.

IRAQI REFUGEES

Unveiling Iraq’s Teenage Prostitutes

As we empty our bottle of champagne, Farah tells us her story. Like most of the girls at the Manara disco, she is an Iraqi, a Sunni from Fallujah, one of Iraq's most war-torn areas. She got married in the United Arab Emirates, divorced four months afterward, and found work at the disco through a cousin. She says she's working "just to make some money for my family," who also now live in Syria. Farah says she's the family's breadwinner. The story of a Sunni girl from Fallujah selling herself in a Damascus nightclub represents startling new fallout from the Iraq war, one human rights organizations and experts are only beginning to address. An increasing number of young Iraqi women and girls who fled Iraq during the turmoil are turning to prostitution in Syria, although there are no reliable statistics on how many girls are involved. That might partly explain why so little reporting has been done on the topic. For journalists and human rights workers, securing contact with Iraqi sex workers in Syria is difficult and dangerous because the topic is taboo.

Child Refugees From Iraq Require Targeted Assistance

As violence in Iraq continues to add to the largest refugee crisis in the Middle East in half a century, World Vision has launched a combined advocacy and relief effort to assist children and families fleeing to neighboring countries. Some 2 million Iraqis have left their volatile homeland and many are struggling to cope without access to health care, legal employment or education for their children in host countries. "This is largely a hidden crisis, but we want to help change that," says Joe Mettimano, director of public policy and advocacy for World Vision. "World Vision is calling on the international community to ensure adequate shelter, health care, education, and other critical services for these children, whose families are increasingly struggling to meet basic needs." The Christian humanitarian organization will present detailed recommendations at the April 17-18 U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) conference in Geneva, including the following: - Governments must provide full funding for the UN appeal and non-governmental organizations like World Vision to provide health care, education, food and household items, and social programs needed by Iraqi children and other vulnerable refugees. - The international community must ensure basic protections, religious freedoms and human rights for Iraqi refugee families caught in legal limbo. - The international community must ensure that borders in the region are kept open to Iraqi families fleeing life-threatening violence, and that religious minorities and other vulnerable groups are not forced to return.

"We're talking about children who have witnessed violence and death repeatedly in their home country," says Rein Paulsen, World Vision's senior director for emergency response. "Now, without education, basic protections or job opportunities for their parents, these vulnerable children are facing a future of poverty and disenfranchisement in the region." Through two local partners, World Vision has begun assisting 10,000 refugees in Jordan with food, basic household items, health care and special programs for children who cannot attend school. World Vision is also providing its partners, Messengers of Peace and the Jordanian Evangelical Committee for Relief and Development, with training in child protection and program management to increase their capacity.

And These Refugees Are Lucky

"I left everything behind," he told IPS. "I have no idea what became of my house." Salim, a railways worker in Baghdad, sold his car and furniture to raise money to bring his wife and three children to Damascus five months ago. Syria it had to be, because by then the Jordan government was no more letting in men his age. He found the money to get to Syria, and he has all of a tea shop now, and that makes him one of the luckier Iraqis who could flee. Yarmouk refugee camp, on the outskirts of Damascus, has for long been home to more than 100,000 Palestinian refugees. It is a set of tall apartment buildings separated by small alleys stuffed with shops. It is one of the better refugee camps. Most refugees have running water, electricity and other basic services. Now tens of thousands of Iraqis have flooded into Yarmouk. The exact number is unknown. Iraqis also head for the Jaramana and the Sayada Zainab camps, besides countless other areas where they gather to live in smaller groups. The refugees are not allowed to work by law, and most have to live off their savings, and are desperate for assistance. "I left Baghdad in order to keep my family alive," Qasim Jubouri, who was a banker, told IPS. "Of course we all fled with none of our belongings." Now the money he brought is running out, and he has no idea how he will feed his family beyond survival at a camp.

How to Help

1) Go to World Vision

2)Catholic Group: Caritas

Very few organizations are working on getting aid to Iraqi refugees, and of those that are, many are too small or too beleaguered to accept individual donations; the Iraqi Red Crescent, for example, has suffered bombings and mass kidnappings, yet its volunteers continue to deliver aid to displaced families inside Iraq. One of the larger relief organizations working with the refugees is the Catholic group Caritas, whose caseworkers I shadowed while in Amman. Bucking the image of the Land Rover-driving aid worker, they made their rounds in an aging gray Honda, its roof eaten through by rust. They visited Iraqi doctors, engineers, and executives desperate for food, heat, or blankets to fend off the desert winter; one family told the crew they had just sold their stove to buy food. Caritas helps a few thousand families a year, but "the demand far outstrips the money available to us," says Magy Mahrous, who oversees the project. You can make a contribution at:
International Catholic Migration Commission
Citibank USA
153 East 53rd Street, 16th floor
New York, NY 10043
Account # 10100491, ABA # 21000089, Swift Code CITIUS33
To ensure that the money reaches the Iraqi program, write "Iraq-icmc" on your check.

3) Another way to help: War Child International