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I'm home again after a very pleasant and relaxing vacation with lots of fun, I'm back to the misery and daily struggles to provide what needs no efforts and considered normal and natural in the entire world. It was the best vacation I ever had, I wanted it to be a run-away vacation, I wanted to be isolated from everything; just relaxation…so I didn't watch the news, didn't open a single news website or a blog and I even didn't give my number there to anyone so that if anything bad happens I wouldn't know, I just wanted to run away and relax because I really need that to carry on fighting and I succeeded in that. I'm back again with full charge to face the ugly truth of life in Baghdad. This vacation was much different than the other vacations in some aspects which made it really great and it was the first time when I go outside Iraq and never miss it and never wanted to go back even emotionally because I went to a country where Iraqis are respected and treated exactly like the rest of the world, I went to a country that should be a model for all the world, when I was there I felt like I always wanted to feel, I lived like I always dreamed to live; I don't want to live like a king or anything, I just want to live freely and feel safe, I just want to walk in the streets holding my wife's hand with no worries in mind, I just want to get back home and the electricity is on and everything is working as I want, I just want to be treated like I deserve and I just want to do what I want when I want and of course this is not possible in Baghdad…Thank you god for your blessings that made it possible for me live a few weeks like I dreamed in the "real me" status.
As the plane landed in Baghdad's international airport and as I took the first step outside the plane, throw the first glance to the dark city with no electricity, felt the extra hot air and noticed the men with the AKs I turned into the "fighter" status that is really crucial to survive and continue living in Baghdad without having a mental disease or become a dead body. I returned home to figure out that there is a fuel crisis since two weeks, no electricity for the past 3 days (as my neighbor told me).
I knew that 3 people that I know well have been killed and 2 are severely injured in two separate explosions with car-bombs, a car exploded in Al-Maghrib street near the passports office and killed 15 people from whom one is my friend and another is a man I know well and more than 20 injured from whom two brothers that I know where severely injured and disfigured while another explosion which was in Al-Ameen killed another man that I know, may god have mercy on their souls…I went to Adhamiya to buy groceries and I knew about the suicidal man who killed the leader of the awakening (farouk AbdulSatar Alobaidi) and I knew that 4 from the awakening have been killed with 5 civilians and many are injured when the suicidal man ran toward farouk when he was near Abu-Hania mosque and detonated him self…as I was walking in Adhamiya I noticed some people are distributing fliers and sticking them on the walls and the shops and they gave me one and below is the scanning of the flier:
Here is the translation: "after the investigations and procedures carried out by the US troops, the Iraqi army and AlAdhamiya revolutionists and two days after AlAdhamiya crisis (the death of Farouk AbdulSatar Alobaidi) the US troops captured a Yemeni person and he gave full and detailed confessions about the criminal (Khalid Tariq Saeed) who is called (Khalid Abu il-Jam) "Jam means glass", the criminal facilitated the suicidal attack against AlShaheed (Abu-Omar) "Farouk" and this photo was taken in his wedding on a Yemeni women in Syria and that confirms his relations with Yemeni people, We; the family of Al-Shaheed want to make it clear to the Adhamist that we aren't injustice because he was captured after the investigations and confirmations about his involvement in the criminal act and on the second day of his arrest the criminal (Khalid Abu il-jam) confessed that the suicidal man lived in his house for two days before the attack and on the day of the attack he facilitated his way to reach AlShaheed (Abu-Omar)….etc."
That was the majority of what is written, it's up to you to believe what is written or not because I can't give any confirmations but one things crossed my mind when I was reading the flier; he confessed after two days of his arrest…well, after two days with good torture like the torture practiced in Iraq I would confess that I was responsible for all the suicidal attacks in Iraq if they wanted me to! Am I right or what?
It might be true and it might be not.
As the plane landed in Baghdad's international airport and as I took the first step outside the plane, throw the first glance to the dark city with no electricity, felt the extra hot air and noticed the men with the AKs I turned into the "fighter" status that is really crucial to survive and continue living in Baghdad without having a mental disease or become a dead body. I returned home to figure out that there is a fuel crisis since two weeks, no electricity for the past 3 days (as my neighbor told me).
I knew that 3 people that I know well have been killed and 2 are severely injured in two separate explosions with car-bombs, a car exploded in Al-Maghrib street near the passports office and killed 15 people from whom one is my friend and another is a man I know well and more than 20 injured from whom two brothers that I know where severely injured and disfigured while another explosion which was in Al-Ameen killed another man that I know, may god have mercy on their souls…I went to Adhamiya to buy groceries and I knew about the suicidal man who killed the leader of the awakening (farouk AbdulSatar Alobaidi) and I knew that 4 from the awakening have been killed with 5 civilians and many are injured when the suicidal man ran toward farouk when he was near Abu-Hania mosque and detonated him self…as I was walking in Adhamiya I noticed some people are distributing fliers and sticking them on the walls and the shops and they gave me one and below is the scanning of the flier:
Here is the translation: "after the investigations and procedures carried out by the US troops, the Iraqi army and AlAdhamiya revolutionists and two days after AlAdhamiya crisis (the death of Farouk AbdulSatar Alobaidi) the US troops captured a Yemeni person and he gave full and detailed confessions about the criminal (Khalid Tariq Saeed) who is called (Khalid Abu il-Jam) "Jam means glass", the criminal facilitated the suicidal attack against AlShaheed (Abu-Omar) "Farouk" and this photo was taken in his wedding on a Yemeni women in Syria and that confirms his relations with Yemeni people, We; the family of Al-Shaheed want to make it clear to the Adhamist that we aren't injustice because he was captured after the investigations and confirmations about his involvement in the criminal act and on the second day of his arrest the criminal (Khalid Abu il-jam) confessed that the suicidal man lived in his house for two days before the attack and on the day of the attack he facilitated his way to reach AlShaheed (Abu-Omar)….etc."
That was the majority of what is written, it's up to you to believe what is written or not because I can't give any confirmations but one things crossed my mind when I was reading the flier; he confessed after two days of his arrest…well, after two days with good torture like the torture practiced in Iraq I would confess that I was responsible for all the suicidal attacks in Iraq if they wanted me to! Am I right or what?
It might be true and it might be not.
10 comments:
You write that you took a vacation outside Iraq. You have written previously about your desire to leave Iraq. So ... if you vacationed outside Iraq (that is, you could leave Iraq), why didn't you remain outside Iraq? Or, if you could leave Iraq for a vacation, why can't you leave Iraq permanently?
thank you for your concern...simply, because of work; I can't work as a dentist where I have been or in the other neighboring countries, but I can work as a dentist in some European countries, Australia, Canada and USA after I requalify my degree...I can save the whole year for a 3 weeks vacation but I can't live without a job...one last hint, all the countries that lets Iraqis into their lands easily or hardly will never allow them to work at least legaly or in a good career...I really wish I could work where I have been, it would be a dream.
I wish you could work where you have been, wherever it was. Glad you had a wonderful vacation. I just read in the New York Times, that security for Al Anbar is being turned over to the Iraqi government. I have no idea how this is going to work. Last I read, the people in that area didn't trust the government. The article said the US troops are needed in Afghanistan. I hope the leaders in Al Anbar and the Iraqi government can work this out.
Dr. Mohammed,
Thank you sincerely for the integrity , insight, and humanity of your blog.
Have you considered some of the South American countries to relocate to?
Thanks for posting again, and I'm really glad you had an enjoyable vacation. What you said about the torture was true! The vast majority of people would say anything after being worked over for a couple of days. I'm sure I would, too.
Hi Dr. M,
I', glad you had a good time on your holiday. Everyone deserves a little happiness.
Back on the job, love it or hate it, you have to live.
Talking of jobs, Aus is short of Dr's and Dentist's in country areas. To book a non emergency appointment with a Dentist takes about 3 months. Why not try here? H
I'd admit to anything after a couple of hours of torture, let alone a couple of days.
Raed Jarrar just translated the leaked SOFA (from Arabic to English) that the US wants Maliki to sign off on, in order to legalise continued occupation:
http://raedinthemiddle.blogspot.com/2008/09/us-iraqi-agreement-leaked.html
" 1- the agreement does not discuss anything about a complete US withdrawal from Iraq. Instead, it talks about withdrawing "combat troops" without defining what is the difference between combat troops and other troops. It is very clear that the US is planning to stay indefinitely in permanent bases in Iraq (or as the agreement calls them: "installations and areas agreed upon") where the U.S. will continue training and supporting Iraqis armed forces for the foreseeable future.
2- the agreement goes into effect when the two executive branches exchange "memos", instead of waiting for Iraqi parliament's ratification. This is really dangerous, and it is shocking because both the Iraqi and U.S. executive branches have been assuring the Iraqi parliament that no agreement will go into effect without being ratified by Iraq's MPs.
3- this agreement is the blueprint for keeping other occupation armies (aka Multi-national forces) in Iraq on the long run. This explains the silence regarding what will happed to other occupiers (like the U.K. forces) after the expiration of the UN mandate at the end of this year."
You think that is a translation, Bruno? lol.
That is obviously Raed's creative interpretation of the aforementioned "leaked" and unavailable document. Since Raed is a known liar (he even lied about being Iraqi, after all) I wonder if he didn't make the whole thing up just to give his own personal opinions extra credibility? You know, like how he claimed to be Iraqi so that his blogging about Iraq would seem more relevant?
I look forward to your blogs, really appreciate what your doing-as those of us out here, don't really know.
The USA media speaks of success, from their standpoint which I gather is political, but, it has been far from successful from a humanitarian point of view, which they don't talk about.
I highly admire your courage, and you touch my heart with your honesty and sincerety.
I am glad you at least got a break from the tensions there.
I pray things will somehow improve,
Astara
Dr. Mohammed:
I am so joyful to hear of your vacation. If ever anyone deserved a few weeks of a completely different lifestyle, it is you and your wife. It sounds as though not much has changed during your absence. I hope that scenario will start to improve. I am still optimistic for Iraq's future, and I still think the worst is past.
May Allah's blessings be with you and your wife.
Your friend, Joe
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