The Siege Begins,
Outrage In Baghdad
By Dahr Jamail
09 November, 2004
Dahrjamailiraq.com
Yesterday
the full siege of Falluja began after getting the green light from the
so-called interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi. Using the same rhetoric
as his master, Mr. Bush, he spoke of bringing justice to Falluja, killing
the terrorists, etc., etc., ad nauseum.
Yesterday martial
law was enacted across Iraq (excluding the Kurdish controlled north),
but today Allawi laid out six steps for implementing his security
law, which entails a 6pm curfew imposed on Falluja, all highways
closed except for emergencies and government vehicles, General Institutions
to be closed, a ban of all weapons in Falluja, the Iraqi borders with
Syria and Jordan to be closed except for food trucks and vehicles carrying
other necessary goods, and the closing of Baghdad International Airport
for 48 hours. This is what freedom and democracy look like in liberated
Iraq today.
Reaction in Baghdad?
I am used
to laws and I know how they function, said Abu Mohammed, a lawyer
here speaking at a mosque, The first priority is that who makes
the law should be legally authorized. Here in Baghdad, the martial law
is genocide against the resistance in Iraq who are against the invasion.
The theme of the law is to kill the resistance and to stop people even
from thinking. Do you think they can limit how Iraqis think? Inshalla
(God willing) they cannot. We have to defend our religion and the resistance
is legal, inshallah the resistance will do their job and rid us
of the invaders.
Another man who
asked to be referred to as Sabah, speaking at the Al-Ambiaa
mosque said, The Americans came thousands of kilometers to invade
Iraq and kill people, and they should now be punished. Who gave them
the right to kill us? We have an illegal interim government, so we have
to have our revenge by our hands.
There have been
ongoing gun battles around the city, and several powerful explosions.
I am staying at a hotel not too far from the so-called Green Zone, and
just prior to the press conference for Allawi there was a huge gun battle
over near that area.
This on top of the
usual sporadic gunfire that is commonplace around the capital each day.
When my friend Aziz
stopped by this afternoon, I asked him how he and his family are doing
If
we are not talking about the situation, we are good, he said despondently,
I think we will have civil war, sooner or later.
He shook his head
while talking about Falluja. It is estimated that between 30-100,000
civilians remain in the city, people who have been referred to in mainstream
media as refusing to leave.
So many people
in Falluja are poor and cannot leave. Land and houses in Baghdad are
both very expensive, and so many people in Falluja are too poor to leave,
Aziz said with resignation, The Americans are doing what they
did last time-taking control of the main hospital and not letting the
hospitals and clinics and ambulances function. They are killing civilians,
just like before.
At this point my
door slammed with a gust of wind and I jumped
causing Salam (who
Id just returned home with) and Aziz to bend over with laughter.
I told them to screw off, embarrassed.
How would
you guys react if you were the white guy here, I asked them in
a feeble attempt to save face.
Aziz replied, I
wouldnt be crazy enough to come here to this horrible situation
man! Again, he and Salam bend over laughing, so I succumbed and
joined them, laughing at the ridiculousness of my situation.
We sat and listened
to yet another gun fight of heavy automatic weapons in the distance.
Much of this, of course, is not being reported, as all eyes are on Falluja.
Nor most of the constant bombs that go off around Baghdad.
A little later Im
talking with someone on the street who told me that earlier today someone
offered him $3,000 for his car. I looked at his car, and it would maybe
earn $500 on a good day. He said, They told me they wanted to
use it as a bomb.
Later in the night
Im on the roof of my hotel. I finished an interview with Nora
on Flashpoints and we were talking briefly when two huge bombs exploded
far off in the distance. The call dropped as soon as I heard the thumps
and felt the concussion and told Nora Id just seen two huge bombs
explode far away. Perfect timing.
A little later I
return to the roof and watch in the direction of Falluja as the jets
continue to roar overhead towards that city.
The military is
dropping 2,000 pound bombs on Falluja and fighter jets have been flying
over Baghdad en route for the last few days. I presume that those are
the flashes and concussions I could see from here. The bombing is continuous.
I shudder to think
of what is happening there to the civilians. As per April policy, the
US military raided Falluja General Hospital and cut it off from the
city. As per April theyve impeded the medical services, committing
yet another war crime.
There are reports
from one of the doctors at said hospital that one of their ambulances
was shot while attempting to leave the hospital, just like in April
when I was in Falluja; all of the ambulances were targeted then as well.
The photos are on my site.
But this time, rather
than 800-1200 killed in Falluja, it is expected to be more. And instead
of 130 US soldiers, it is expected to be more. Not that this will happen
in the next few days, because I expect it to be a slow bleed after the
initial onslaught.
Already there is
talk on the street that most of the fighters have left Falluja and placed
themselves in other cities. Baghdad, Ramadi, Samarra, Haditha, Khaldiya,
you name it. Just like in April, we expect things to kick off all over
Iraq before long.
It is late. I will
sleep with earplugs, as gunfire in the streets and the roaring of fighter
jest overhead is incessant tonight.
Dahr Jamail
is one of those very few independent journalists in Iraq. His travel
and reporting expenses are covered by the donations he receives from
his readers. You can help Dahr continue his crucial work by making donations.
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