Just
Go...
By An Unknown
Iraqi Girl
09 May, 2004
Girl Blog From Iraq
People
are seething with anger- the pictures of Abu Ghraib and the Brits in
Basrah are everywhere. Every newspaper you pick up in Baghdad has pictures
of some American or British atrocity or another. It's like a nightmare
that has come to life.
Everyone knew this
was happening in Abu Ghraib and other places
seeing the pictures
simply made it all more real and tangible somehow. American and British
politicians have the audacity to come on television with words like,
"True the people in Abu Ghraib are criminals, but
" Everyone
here in Iraq knows that there are thousands of innocent people detained.
Some were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, while others
were detained 'under suspicion'. In the New Iraq, it's "guilty
until proven innocent by some miracle of God".
People are so angry.
Theres no way to explain the reactions- even pro-occupation Iraqis
find themselves silenced by this latest horror. I cant explain
how people feel- or even how I personally feel. Somehow, pictures of
dead Iraqis are easier to bear than this grotesque show of American
military technique. People would rather be dead than sexually abused
and degraded by the animals running Abu Ghraib prison.
There was a time
when people here felt sorry for the troops. No matter what one's attitude
was towards the occupation, there were moments of pity towards the troops,
regardless of their nationality. We would see them suffering the Iraqi
sun, obviously wishing they were somewhere else and somehow, that vulnerability
made them seem less monstrous and more human. That time has passed.
People look at troops now and see the pictures of Abu Ghraib
and
we burn with shame and anger and frustration at not being able to do
something. Now that the world knows that the torture has been going
on since the very beginning, do people finally understand what happened
in Falloojeh?
I'm avoiding the
internet because it feels like the pictures are somehow available on
every site I visit. I'm torn between wishing they weren't there and
feeling, somehow, that it's important that the whole world sees them.
The thing, I guess, that bothers me most is that the children can see
it all. How do you explain the face of the American soldier, leering
over the faceless, naked bodies to a child? How do you explain the sick,
twisted minds? How do you explain what is happening to a seven-year-old?
There have been
demonstrations in Baghdad and other places. There was a large demonstration
outside of the Abu Ghraib prison itself. The families of some of the
inmates of the prison were out there protesting the detentions and the
atrocities
faces streaked with tears of rage and brows furrowed
with anxiety. Each and every one of those people was wondering what
their loved ones had suffered inside the walls of the hell that makes
Guantanamo look like a health spa.
And through all
this, Bush gives his repulsive speeches. He makes an appearance on Arabic
tv channels looking sheepish and attempting to look sincere, babbling
on about how this 'incident' wasn't representative of the American people
or even the army, regardless of the fact that it's been going on for
so long. He asks Iraqis to not let these pictures reflect on their attitude
towards the American people
and yet when the bodies were dragged
through the streets of Falloojeh, the American troops took it upon themselves
to punish the whole city.
He's claiming it's
a "stain on our country's honor"... I think not. The stain
on your country's honor, Bush dear, was the one on the infamous blue
dress that made headlines while Clinton was in the White House... this
isn't a 'stain' this is a catastrophe. Your credibility was gone the
moment you stepped into Iraq and couldn't find the WMD... your reputation
never existed.
So are the atrocities
being committed in Abu Ghraib really not characteristic of the American
army? What about the atrocities committed by Americans in Guantanamo?
And Afghanistan? I won't bother bringing up the sordid past, let's just
focus on the present. It seems that torture and humiliation are common
techniques used in countries blessed with the American presence. The
most pathetic excuse I heard so far was that the American troops weren't
taught the fundamentals of human rights mentioned in the Geneva Convention
Right- morals, values and compassion have to be taught.
All I can think
about is the universal outrage when the former government showed pictures
of American POWs on television, looking frightened and unsure about
their fate. I remember the outcries from American citizens, claiming
that Iraqis were animals for showing 'America's finest' fully clothed
and unharmed. So what does this make Americans now?
We heard about it
all
we heard stories since the very beginning of the occupation
about prisoners being made to sit for several hours on their knees
being deprived of sleep for days at a time by being splashed with cold
water or kicked or slapped
about the infamous 'red rooms' where
prisoners are kept for prolonged periods of time
about the rape,
the degradations, the emotional and physical torture
and there
were moments when I actually wanted to believe that what we heard was
exaggerated. I realize now that it was only a small fragment of the
truth. There is nothing that is going to make this 'better'. Nothing.
Through all of this,
where is the Governing Council? Under what rock are the Puppets hiding?
Why is no one condemning this? What does Bremer have to say for himself
and for the Americans? Why this unbearable silence?
I don't understand
the 'shock' Americans claim to feel at the lurid pictures. You've seen
the troops break down doors and terrify women and children
curse,
scream, push, pull and throw people to the ground with a boot over their
head. You've seen troops shoot civilians in cold blood. You've seen
them bomb cities and towns. You've seen them burn cars and humans using
tanks and helicopters. Is this latest debacle so very shocking or appalling?
The number of killings
in the south has also risen. The Americans and British are saying that
they are 'insurgents' and people who are a part of Al-Sadir's militia,
but people from Najaf are claiming that innocent civilians are being
killed on a daily basis. Today the troops entered Najaf and there was
fighting in the streets. This is going to cause a commotion because
Najaf is considered a holy city and is especially valuable to Shi'a
all over the world. The current situation in the south makes one wonder
who, now, is going to implement a no-fly zone over areas like Falloojeh
and Najaf to 'protect' the people this time around?
I sometimes get
emails asking me to propose solutions or make suggestions. Fine. Today's
lesson: don't rape, don't torture, don't kill and get out while you
can- while it still looks like you have a choice... Chaos? Civil war?
Bloodshed? Well take our chances- just take your Puppets, your
tanks, your smart weapons, your dumb politicians, your lies, your empty
promises, your rapists, your sadistic torturers and go.