"Inside Iraq is a blog updated by Iraqi journalists working for McClatchy Newspapers. They're based in Baghdad and outlying provinces. These are firsthand accounts of their experiences. Their complete names are withheld for security purposes."
Here are 4 recent posts: (1) The latest post links to a PDF file full of statistics that document the erasing of generations Iraqis and the traumatizing of those who are left. (2) is a quick analysis of the semantics of propaganda. (3) reminds us that children can't escape the suffering that this war inflicts. (4) One Iraqi calls it like he sees it: The USA is dictating the future of Iraq by influencing/coercing changes to its constitution.
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(1) July 02, 2007
Excuse Me
I wish to take a few minutes of your time.Read what I read today.
If you have an explanation …
This is not random.
An excerpt: "Over 830 assassinations have been documented, victims killed along with their families. Numbers includes: 380 university academics and doctors, 210 lawyers and judges, and 243 journalists/media workers but not other experts, school teachers or students; neither professionals displaced internally and externally. All aspects of life are affected."
Iraq's Lost Generation: Impact and Implications, by Ismail Jalili
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(2) June 30, 2007
Colours
On the way out of the "Green Zone", stopped at several checkpoints, stared at, searched and checked again and again takes quite a while – time enough for some contemplation.
I always wondered why it was called the "Green" Zone rather than the "any other colour" Zone – it had neither any green grass nor any other outstanding greenery – so why "green"?
This "green" is a magical word for us. Being part of a predominantly desert region, "green" hills, "green" pastures… etc. instantly make us visualize Eden-like scenes of lush green grass as far as the sight could reach, lush green trees filled with birds of every kind, wonderfully cool shaded areas of different shades of green … green … green… Woops! I awake from my daydream, the "sniffing" dogs have finished their duty – the vehicles are clear and we're ready to move on.
In the crowd, three British men were talking amongst themselves boisterously, "Didn't I tell you? I was in the Red Zone yesterday, and it was …." My eyes sprung fully open, "Excuse me…", "Yes?", "I heard you say "Red Zone", where is that? I've not heard of a "Red" Zone.", Laughing "It's everywhere except the "Green" Zone! Everything out there!"
Now I know why "green".
________________________________(3) June 26, 2007
the lost summer holiday
The summer holiday has begun in the elementary school in Iraq. It suppose like in whole world, children have different things to do in summer like picnics, spend the day playing and jumping here and there in gardens and parks that was built for such kind things, also some children go in long trip with their families to recreation and refreshing. That what may be happen in every where except Iraq the children find themselves face to face with boring life that fill of dangers and real actions inside houses without television or any entertainment devices with absence of electricity for days. So our poor children in this condition hate summer holiday that doesn’t bring them any kind of pleasures or funs but some times the lucky children spend some days in grandma’s house that live certainly in same conditions and some times it worst, just like what happened with my niece Yakeen 9years old.
Yakeen came from Omara, that consider as a safe place south Iraq. Yakeen expected spend nice time in Baghdad because she carries old memories about the capital. But unfortunately the capital destroyed when it was receive democracy dream, destroyed with all childish dreams so Yakeen shocked of this new image of Baghdad that helicopters fly for hours above our neighborhood, mortars hit our neighboring houses from time to time, curfew for days, dead body float on Tigris and in addition of all that the constant fear that my mother live in it from sectarian kill, Yakeen was observe all this with wondering look. Yesterday I heard Yakeen tells her grandma that she was dreaming of tomorrow when she was in home “Bebe (grandma) I used to have a lot of dreams about future when I was in home but here I’m dream of death only”. ……. Oh God the child lost her sense of tomorrow “that is Baghdad darling” the grandma reply. …… God what kind of expression grandma had give to child “that is Baghdad” as if she meant that is hell whereas the future dreams are fading.
________________________________(4) June 22, 2007
Transparency???
At small gatherings and inside old cafes the betting runs high ... will the Parliament buckle under the pressure??
How unseemly for the government of a sovereign state - and its Parliament to be pressured into making ...of all things ... amendments to its own constitution ... by a foreign force!
It may have been understandable had the pressure been put on to urge the government to pick up its pace in providing adequate security in the country enabling the US to withdraw its forces gradually . That is something I can understand, and in fact would cheer on, and the US would have been within its rights.
But constitutional amendments?
Oil and Gas Law??
Debathification???
What is it to the US what identity the Iraqis wish to give their country? Whether "Arab State" - straight out, or "An entity active in its Arab and Muslim environment"?? Meaning no defined identity? Why is it so important to the US Admin?
And what of debathification?? After laying off thousands of absolutely competent employees, whether technical or administrative, for no other reason that they were obliged to write their names on Bathi lists simply to be able to obtain employment; the whole administrative structure of the government collapsed. So now what?? We haven't got any competent administrators or technicians to run the new show. Do we rehire the old ones?? What the hell! Why was it so important to Mr. Bremer to oust all competent professionals from our Gov. structure? Wouldn't it have been more prudent to keep everyone in place then pick out the rotten apples at our leisure ... with no collapse at all? Now to amend.
As for the Oil and Gas Law....... my heart aches for the thousands of lives that were intentionally put in jeopardy for the black gold. What a curse!
And now the pressure is on. The Iraqi Gov has succumbed. Will the Iraqi Parliament succumb also??
The scene is so clear for all those with the wish to see clearly. How transparent can you get??
http://www.fotos.geschichtsthemen.de/iraq-war/iraq.htm
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