Things
Are Getting Worse
By The Day
By Dahr Jamail
01 June, 2005
Dahrjamailiraq.com
The
mayhem continues in Iraq, with today at least 40 people dead, including
five US soldiers in Diyala province as the meltdown of the failed US-led
occupation continues.
Two suicide bombers
detonated themselves after walking into a crowd of police officers in
Hilla, south of Baghdad. The policemen were demonstrating outside the
mayors office to protest a government decision to disband their
Special Forces unit.
In yet another horrible
PR move (or attempt to raise sectarian tensions?) by the US military
the head of Iraqs largest Sunni political party, Mohsen Abdul
Hamid was detained from his home early this morning in western Baghdad.
Of course his head was promptly bagged and his hands tied before he
was taken away to be interrogated. His three sons were also detained
with him. Stun bombs and bullets were said to be used during the raid,
according to his wife.
It just so happens
that his party, the Islamic Party, opposes the new US-backed security
operation now engulfing Baghdad because they believe the security forces
will disregard the rights of innocent Iraqis.
Later today he was
released and the military admitted it made a mistake.
The military statement
concerning the matter said, Coalition forces regret any inconvenience
and acknowledge (Abdul-Hamids) cooperation in resolving this matter.
Abdul Hamid refused
their apology in the Arab media, and stated that he was humiliated when
US soldiers held their boots on his head for 20 minutes. It was also
stated that he accused American soldiers of removing items from his
home, including a computer. This is standard operating procedure with
home raids-I cant tell you how many Iraqis Ive interviewed
after their homes were raided who complained of money, jewelry and other
belongings being looted by American soldiers.
The Islamic Party
released a statement after the release of Abdul Hamid which said, The
U.S. administration claims it is interested in drawing Sunnis into the
political process but it seems that their way of doing so is by raids,
arrests and violating human rights.
At least 740 Iraqis
have been killed since the new government took power in
late April, and with the ongoing operations sparking more attacks each
day, it doesnt look like there is an end in sight. Keep in mind,
the vast majority of the Iraqi security forces are either Shia or Kurdish
battling against a primarily Sunni resistance (for now). It can easily
be argued that we are witnessing a US-backed Iraqi government who is
deliberating using its power to wage a civil war.
On that note, today
Major General Ahmed al-Barazanchi, a Kurdish man who was the director
of internal affairs of Kirkuk province died this morning after being
shot yesterday.
My sources in Baghdad
also said there have been fierce clashes today in the al-Amiriya district
of Baghdad between resistance fighters and Iraqi and US soldiers. Open
gun battles in the streets, as one friend told me, And as
soon as the Iraqi and US soldiers leave the area, the resistance takes
it back over.
Keep in mind that
all of this is against the backdrop of well over 50% unemployment, horrendous
traffic jams, and an infrastructure in shambles that continues to degrade
with next to no reconstruction occurring in Baghdad.
Electricity
shut offs drive us crazy in this hot summer, one of my friends
wrote me recently, Even we cant read at night because of
long hours of electricity cuts and because the outside generators cant
withstand running these long hours and we have to turn these generators
off for some time to cool them!
He continues, Two
years of occupation
for God sake where is the rebuilding, where
the hell are these billions donated to Iraq? Even not 1% improvement
in services and electricity! They say again and again the terrorists
are to blame and I would accept this, but why they do not protect these
facilities? Do the American camps have cuts of electricity? No, no,
and nobody will allow this to happen...but poor Iraqis, nobody would
be sorry for them if they burn with the hell of summer, small kids and
old men they get dehydrated because no electricity, no cold water, etc.
Have you heard about the tea that is mixed with iron particles? It is
real in our life. People have to make sure their tea is not mixed with
iron by use of magnets.
He concluded his
email with, Things are getting worse day by day. Iraq has become
a country not for its people, every day thoughts jump into the mind
that sooner or later we have to leave this country, searching for another.
And there is a saying, your home is where you sleep safe,
but this is not true in Iraq anymore.
He sent me that
email three days ago.
Yesterday the Iraqi
government announced that it may decrease subsidies for fuel and electricity,
despite a severe shortage of both in the country, according to the electricity
minister who warned Iraqis to prepare for more blackouts this summer.
Ongoing fuel, electricity
and drinking water shortages persist, and only 37% of Iraqis have a
working sewage system.
As so many of my
Iraqi friends continue to say, This is the freedom and democracy
that America has brought us.
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