The cluster of journalists and cameramen at the convention center is a normal scene every time the country’s lawmakers gather for a parliament session or for an important press conference. I was assigned today to cover the parliament session where we expected the Prime Minister, Maliki, to announce his candidates for the interior and defense ministries along with the State ministry for National Security.It was burning hot. The AC in one of the most important places in Iraq was broken down and seems impossible to be fixed. We were gathering to cover the parliament session and the afterwards press conferences. As I was leaning on the black leather coach in the hall talking to another journalist and friend, some journalists ran towards a small TV set which al-Iraqiya correspondents and cameramen use to check the live broadcasting with. I immediately ran after them to see what was the thing that made them run hysterically like this.
“Prime Minister Maliki announced that the Jordanian terrorist, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, was killed north of Baghdad,” a breaking news bar read. We were all surprised despite the fact that the rumor was already spread among us before we read it. However, this rumor wasn’t accurate until it was confirmed. Some thought he was caught or wounded and others thought he was killed which was later verified.
We held our breath for a second and then a loud “Mabrook” [Congratulations] was said by one of the radio stations reporters. Few minutes later, journalists started congratulating each other. Some danced in the hall, female journalists halulated, and others rushed to call their offices of the braking news. The news of his death made up our day.
I called the office immediately to confirm to them the rumor that was spread. After I hang up, a flashback of images of people died in the terrorists attacks came to my mind. Um Bashar, whom we all miss, was among the pictures. She was all dressed in white smiling as if she was telling me. “I can rest now, B. tell Bashar that I am comfortable now.” Then she disappeared but the other images did not.
I remembered my mother’s cries and voice when I called her after a car bomb exploded in front of the school where she used to teach. I recalled the TV images of the burnt children and their parents in the middle of a huge flame.
The image of the collapsed apartment building and the pile of bodies I saw in a restaurant bombed by Zarqawi’s car bombs came among the other images that will never leave me rest even if I die.
I have to say that I haven’t been happy like this for a long time. When I met my other colleagues back in the office, I waved the victory sign, which I also haven’t done since a long time ago.
I know that attacks will increase. I know more people are going to die. I know mistakes are going to be continued. I know everything will not be fixed soon like in the fairy tales. But I am happy that this man is killed. I believe his death is the real first step: the thousand-miles road starts with one step.
“Are you happy?” an American colleague of mine asked me. “I am very happy,” I replied. “Are you as happy as you were when Saddam was captured?” he continued. “No,” I replied. “Saddam was a criminal but not as brutal as Zarqawi,” I said. In all cases Saddam also should be killed, not tried. I wish I could see him hanged along with his henchmen and the other terrorists in “al-Tahreer Square” where he hanged innocents. It would make many Iraqis happy. These criminals need to be executed to make others know what being a terrorist means. Trials are not enough.
Although everybody knows that I am against the U.S. occupation to Iraq, I believe what they did in helping the Iraqis kill Zarqawi was a good real step for a better Iraq after three years of destruction and struggle. It’s only now that I feel the US forces are really serious and want to get rid of the terrorists who came as a reaction to their occupation to the country in a way or another. It’s only now I felt that they really want to accomplish their mission and go back home soon. I really hope that what I am feeling is right.
When I saw Maliki in the conference, I wished I could shake his hands to thank him and tell him how I want his government to be strong. I have a feeling that this man is really serious in taking Iraq to the safe side. I really feel that he is doing his best to do a better job than the ones preceded him. Killing Zarqawi is a good omen that Maliki’s government is no longer silent.
It occurred to me that this time, Maliki and the U.S. officials did not let us down when the criminal Zarqawi appeared on TV in his latest video that provoked all Iraqis. They all said his days are numbered and they will get him dead or alive and they did. Thank you all. Afiya [good job]…
Finally, congratulations to all Iraqi people. “Eid and love, all the people are partying,” as Kadhum al-Sahir sings. Let’s dance choby, guys.
21 Comments:
Ah, my dear it is wonderful to hear you sound so optimistic! Didn't I tell you better times were coming? Post more pictures of happy Iraqis please, it is something nobody has seen much of lately.
I too am developing hopes for your new government. The next few months will be full of struggle for them but perhaps soon they will join together with one strong voice and shout "Yankee Go Home!"...then surely the US will have no choice but to leave, how could they justify staying?
Enjoy your party!
You always say the Iraqis' minds, BT! Congradulations to you and to all as well. This is the first step, and it's also the most important one. I think that hard times are not over yet, but a great deal of it has gone now. We got rid of another enemy now and we'll do the same to the rest inshalla.
Hail to Iraq!
OK, I must know who each person who enters a commemt supports for the
WORLD CUP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I played soccer in junior high, after football practice, and senior high, and in college we played against "The Greeks" men who worked on the Mississippi bridge in our town.
I support................Japan, and, I have to admit that I support Iran!
Its OK if USA wins a few games, and if Japan and Iran are eliminated I throw my support to any underdog team.
Zarqawi’s reported to be dead.
So what does this mean, exactly?
Being somebody who has always been on the skeptical side about the effectiveness of Zarqawi, and indeed, the continued ability of Zarqawi to breathe after he was killed so many times before (Mosul, Qaim etc) I’m inclined to think that his usefulness as a propaganda ploy finally came to an end and the US decided to close the show down. That the man existed is without a doubt true. That he is dead is certain … although whether he was killed yesterday or taken out of cold storage yesterday is debatable. It’s also debatable that this man was everything the US said he was, given that the US has admitted it built him up through PSYOPS propaganda to seem more terrifying than he was.
And there are still discrepancies in the story. For example:
Killing al-Zarqawi: End of a Pentagon-Dairat al-Mukhabarat Collaboration?
Wayne Madsen – Information Liberation – 8 June 2006
“Zarqawi was a lieutenant of strict Wahhabi Islam adherent Osama Bin Laden. However, why Zarqawi would have had tattoos is baffling. Islam specifically forbids tattoos. According to Islamic texts, the Prophet Mohammed forbade tattooing… Of course, like the al-Zarqawi wearing a gold ring (also forbidden for devout Muslims), the al-Zarqawi sporting tattoos probably was not and never was a Wahhabi Muslim.”
( And I want to see if he did, in fact, magically regrow his wooden leg, that the US intel said he had. )
Nevertheless, IF we take the DoD story at face value, what conclusions can be drawn?
Firstly, that the US military is either a bunch of morons or that they are not serious about eradicating “radical terrorists”. If you have the location fixed of the leader of an extremely elusive network which you have been struggling to penetrate for three years, you DON’T bomb him. Bombing is reserved for the cannon fodder. You capture him ALIVE, so that you can get him to spill the beans on the network structure. That’s the way that networks are taken apart.
If we take the US portrayal of Zarqawi’s network at face value, is there any reason to believe that these people will stop fighting? Short answer: no. What will happen is that they will scatter and start afresh. In other words, the elimination of Zarqawi means nothing in the long run. In fact, it makes it even harder to keep a lid on the fanatics. This is another ‘tipping point’ along the lines of the capture of Saddam.
My personal opinion is that it’s high time that the Iraqi Emmanuel Goldstein show came to an end. He had lost all credibility as a bogeyman. The only question is who he will be replaced by.
And if, perchance , this stinking red herring is in fact a plump tuna, then I doubly welcome his elimination.
Zarqawi never did anything for the Iraqi people and their liberation from Occupation. He spent more time working out how to kill Iraqi Shia than Americans. He spilt more Iraqi blood and contributed more to Iraqi disunity than anything else. Every action of his was more to the American advantage, through alienating the main sections of the Iraqi populace from the resistance, than to the advantage of Iraqi patriots. He gave the Iraqi Resistance a really bad name, and the US tried all it could to lump him together with the legitimate resistance.
Good riddance, I say.
Nevermind the naysayers. Trust your heart, and celebrate now.
BT: "It’s only now that I feel the US forces are really serious and want to get rid of the terrorists who came as a reaction to their occupation to the country in a way or another. It’s only now I felt that they really want to accomplish their mission and go back home soon. I really hope that what I am feeling is right."
While I disagree that this wasn't their intention from the beginning I am glad you feel this way. The reason I come here is because you are one of the few anti-war Iraqis (or any anti-war individual for that matter) that I respect. Mostly because of your rationalism and your grasp of reality (something clearly lacking among many anti-war bloggers).
All of us in America pray for your success. I too believe this is a giant leap forward in that direction.
Hopefully the coalition will leave Iraq more sooner than later. Not because of some violent and bloody "defeat" like some advocate. But because Iraq will become stable and on the road to recovery. This will mark the victory for the coalition and all peace loving Iraqi's and the yanks will gladly go home!
Good luck BT and keep up the good work.
Mostly because of your rationalism and your grasp of reality (something clearly lacking among many anti-war bloggers).
Grasp of reality ?
Now who was it who said that a large troop presence in Iraq pro war was not necessary ? Who predicted that the total cost would be around 80 Billion and that Iraq would pay for its reconstruction ? Who declared mission accomplished ? Who said that Saddam had huge stockpiles of WMDs ? Who said that Saddam had major operational links to UBL ?
Yup -- thats right, it wasn't the anti-war bloggers. And it wasn't the anti war bloggers who were pushing the flytrap theory, that the US had succeeded by converting Iraq into a flytrap for foreign terrorists (ignoring the fact that people like BT don't really want their country to be turned into a battleground).
Good to see that wingnuts continute their delusions.
But to BT -- irregardless of ones views on the war, its clear that Z was an extremely murderous evil thug. His death is grounds for rejoicing.
BT I wish I could share your optimism with the death of Al-Zarkawi.
Atrocities like those committed in Haditha and the continuing internment and torture of people who have been neither charged nor convicted of any crime, in addition to the fact that those who are responsible for such actions are not being brought to justice or made to face their crimes is only going to create 100 more like him to take his place.
I've seen all this happen before, in Northern Ireland. While they killed, maimed, tortured, interned, slaughtered civilians, those responsible (the occupation forces) were never (thank you Margaret F'n Thatcher) brought to justice: the terrorism and geurilla war intensified, and led to even more civilian deaths, and the cycle continued. The terrorists only got more viscious as their leaders were killed, and continuing atrocities and usurptations of human rights only increased the number of people who were willing to "join the cause."
In my opinion, they've killed a figurehead. It's like they're trying to treat the symptoms rather than the disease (the root cause). Until the acts that have led people to follow madmen like Zarkawi are rectified, they've done no more than throw a bottle of water into a blazing inferno.
(In my opinion.)
Sorry man, I really wish I could latch on to this as the possible light at the end of the tunnel that many people seem to see it as, but I cannot bring myself to see it as such; History tells me otherwise.
World Cup
Hello BT, TAI, Morbid Smile, and all iraqi and non-iraqi fellows!
Recently I saw a wonderful documentary called "Promises" (filmed in 2001, just prior to the 2002 World Cup), which shows the encounter of palestinian and israeli children promoted by the director. In the beginning, there is a scene of two boys talking by phone, one in Jerusalem and the other in a near refugee camp. At first the talk was a little unconfortable, but then one asked:
- what team are you cheering for?
- Brazil, and you?
- Me too.
So they had a connection, and the mood changed. As a brazilian, I don't need to say how proud and touched I felt. So, for those of you who are currently "teamless" and want to join us, please feel invited. As you may know, we have a great team this year, with big chances.
For those who want to follow EdoRiver and support Japan, that is great too because Zico is the coacher and we love him.
But for those who prefer to support Argentina, please don't tell me. :)
Bruno:
You just had to throw in the 1984
reference and discredit yourself
completly, didnt you?
You are just as bad as your equivelents on the right.
While the ideas you attach to them are different, your emotions of hate and smug arrogance and your need to
stretch the facts around your own beliefs mimic Coulter and Hannity.
For the love of god, come down from your hill and rejoice in the fact that a mad dog has been put to sleep. No matter what your opinion of the war is, this is a good thing.
Hopefully, this is another stitch
to help close the wounds of Iraq.
More stiches like this, and the healing may begin.
Night ride home last night.
I was riding in my student's car last night. Almost all of yesterday the sky was overcast, ice ships of gray and ghost continents merging into one another in the skies above her dark green celica. The time was close to llPM, Mozart's Magic Flute was filling our heads with dreams,
as we approached her home upon a slight rise of land, the road rising up along the edge,
I looked outside over 6 or 9 rice fields of dark water, And there appeared the Splendid moon's reflection, overlay upon the grid lines set out by the hand of the farmer,
dark shoots, I knew between 5 and 10 cm tall, hundreds of plants, I asked her to drive more slowly, so we could run our sight along each row. Our questions were wondering about whether these were mechanical rows or not. Until the sure hands, almost mechanical, revealed themselves, a slight wavering in the lines, a sign of their humanity.
Later I peddled home alone through the darkness on my bicycle. I was the only soul on that road until I reached a main bridge leading into town. I diped down again and took another unpaved road. I could imagine I was thrown back in time, just me and the bicycle and the bright moon, all three of us could be, for a while on that road, linked to the early Showa Era, named for the emperor who guided Japan for close to 60 years. I could think this because our daughter's bike, the one I am using, is not that advanced. This area was, until those times, the early 20th century, a much older marsh, a hunting ground for the lord who ruled from the castle about 15 km away in the low Chichibu mountains.
So Who am I living so far away from the sight of my ancestoral home? "This must be part of the plan," I thought as my bicycle turned right and left into the ruts of the road along the Tsupe river.
About 500 meters and then out on another modern road that leads through a large neighborhood of Japanese modern houses. Our house, our home.
I wish that Iraqis will learn how to stick to each other and never give any chance to people like Zarqawi to stay among them and help people like him to kill more Iraqis..
I know a lot of people helpd Zarqawi in Iraq, because..
I was there..
Grim Ghost:
Who ignored the plight of the Iraqi people ...
... leaving them as filler for mass graves for twelve MORE years by not pushing for the completed removal of Saddam & Sons (at a much lower cost in blood and treasure) in 1991 ...
... but instead allowed their beloved "diplomacy" to work its course, and persuade our leaders to withdraw before Saddam was removed ...
... then stood by and passively watched as Saddam's "stability" continued to oppress, torture, and kill Iraqis?
Sorry to see that the moonbats still don't perceive the penalty paid by Iraqis for the INACTION they so stridently advocate.
Were our leaders wrong on several points? Yes ... but no more so than they were wrong about similar points during WWII. Google "History's Verdict" and read the article by Victor Hanson on this.
And, when you try to blame our leaders for the unrest in Iraq, please don't forget that it is not our leaders who are pulling the triggers on this unrest ... but those who wish to deny freedom to the Iraqi people.
As for Zarqawi the Ghost, good riddance indeed.
@ Rich Casebolt, 6/10/2006 5:43 PM.
You wrote: "Who ignored the plight of the Iraqi people ...".
It was George Bush Dad, in February/March 1991.
After calling on the Iraqi people to rebel against Saddam, he betrayed them, by letting the Republican Guard and its helicopters massacre the insurgents.
Why did he?
1) Because he knew - differently from his idiotic son - that the overthrow of Saddam would just benefit Iran, and open a hornets' nest;
2) Because he thought (and that's why he called on them to rebel, and then betrayed them) that the religious Shiites in Southern Iraq were allies of the Iranian Republic.
Then, Rich, you have the cheek to write: "the penalty paid by Iraqis for the INACTION they so stridently advocate".
Who were the "they", Rich?
None others than Bush Senior, and Dick Cheney, and Colin Powell, etc.
Thanks to all of who shared the happiness of Zarqawi’s death with me. I have to say that despite the fact that violence will continue, I still believe his death was a major step in the way of a brighter future.
Hey edoriver & Anton,
Unfortunately, I am not a big fan of soccer but I have to say that when I watch, I support Brazil. I like Roberto Carols and Ronaldo’s playing.
Anton,
To celebrate Zarqawi’s death, I will join you happily to watch the Brazilian team. Btw, the Brazilian team is very famous here in Iraq.
I remember few years ago, there was an advertisement of Roberto Carols wearing NIKE sports dress… it was so famous. Moreover, when Ronaldo was hurt in his leg in one of the games, most Iraqis, including me, felt so bad for him and waited for the day he comes back to play….
You have all the right to be proud of your country and your team… congrats in advance!!
Edoriver,
Unfortunately, I support Japan in Technology and development more than soccer :P
I think most people agree with me on that. LOL
Bruno,
”Zarqawi never did anything for the Iraqi people and their liberation from Occupation. He spent more time working out how to kill Iraqi Shia than Americans.”
That is very true. I have to add that he killed also Sunnis and Christians. But as you said most of his victims were Iraqi Shiites.
Zarqawi and his henchmen want to take Iraq back to the 7th century where people were riding camels and living in tents in the desert. He tried and his men are still trying to destroy the modernity Iraqis had. They don’t want the fact that Baghdad and some other Iraqi cities were cosmopolitan and modern. They want it to be like Afghanistan, backwards by all means.
Misneach,
“Atrocities like those committed in Haditha and the continuing internment and torture of people who have been neither charged nor convicted of any crime, in addition to the fact that those who are responsible for such actions are not being brought to justice or made to face their crimes is only going to create 100 more like him to take his place.”
I understand what you feel re this. But I think I have to be optimistic. If I keep being a pessimist, I may have a stroke and die or end up in the hospital as a crazy man…
I know that the mistakes committed by everyone will continue and I am sure of that. But as I said in the post, it’s not easy to overcome all of this. At least we are walking now. We were just crawling before.
I know that instead of Zarqawi, there would be 100 Zarqawis. All I am happy about here is the new government’s intention along with the US forces to do something positive and tangible… I know that I am impatient but I think I have to give this government the time to prove what it said previously. If they failed, God forbids, I will talk about it then.
I was there,
”I wish that Iraqis will learn how to stick to each other and never give any chance to people like Zarqawi to stay among them and help people like him to kill more Iraqis..”
I think you are right in that. We should all stand together, hand in hand and kick the ugly asses. I don’t know how but I know we should do it.
BT, you're already crazy - How could you support Brazil? In Iraq, I supported the 1982 squad which included Falcao, Socrates, Eder and Zico.
I think that was the best Brazil squad ever. All Brazil squads since have been crybabies.
In 1986, of course I supported ... Iraq. Yes, people we made it to the World Cup. But of course, we had to have a lousy referee from Mauritius deny us a goal against Paraguay.
Ahmed Radhi's goal against Belgium was a beaut tho. Yes, am old.
I think am rooting for the underdogs: Trinidad and Tobago, Iran that sort of thing. Germany for sure.
I like that Zico is coaching Japan and they are up against Brazil.
Goddamnit, BT, and there I was thinking you were a sane and sensible person.....
How can you support any team if you're a true non-soccer-fan?! I'll never talk to you again.
Yikes. ;) :))
That's great BT, thank you!! And certainly you are not crazy! :)
About Japan, I think that they may surprise this year. They played against Brazil last year and did an outstanding job. Let's see...
TAI, when you mentioned the 82 team the memories came up in my head. I was just six, but I have perfect memories of that day when Brazil was eliminated by Italy. How surprising to me was to see two big boys and their father (my neighbours) crying! Zico was very unlucky and missed a penalty, what damaged his reputation a lot. Curiosity for you: Socrates was always known here as the Doctor Socrates, because he was already a medic at the time he joined the national team.
So, the first game is Brazil x Croatia, next tuesday, 10pm (Baghdad time). Hope you have eletricity at the time.
As for the football … there’s only ONE team … forza I T A L I A !!
This is the year we stick it to the Brazilians … ;)
[blue eagle] “You just had to throw in the 1984 reference and discredit yourself completly, didnt you?”
*claps*
Good on you for recognizing the reference.
Now, there are many, many aspects of Zarqawi’s life and actions that simply don’t square up to each other and what he was reported to be. There are a lot of slips that make me think that IF he was not a fabrication, then the bulk of what the US SAID about him WAS A FABRICATION. It has already admitted he was blown out of proportion. Who knows how deep the roots of deception really go?
[blue eagle] “For the love of god, come down from your hill and rejoice in the fact that a mad dog has been put to sleep. No matter what your opinion of the war is, this is a good thing.”
Eeeh … that’s what “good riddance” means … right?
[rich] “Who ignored the plight of the Iraqi people ... leaving them as filler for mass graves for twelve MORE years by not pushing for the completed removal of Saddam & Sons”
Hmm … the same people that thought 500000 dead Iraqi children was “worth it” – Americans.
[rich] “and persuade our leaders to withdraw before Saddam was removed ... ”
Hmm … the same people who called for an Iraqi revolt and sat back laughing in the shade as Hussein mowed them down with helicopters – Americans
[rich] “… then stood by and passively watched as Saddam's "stability" continued to oppress, torture, and kill Iraqis?”
Hmm … the same people who devastated Iraq with crippling sanctions that punished the poor Iraqis but actually helped Saddam cement his grip on power – Americans.
[rich] “Were our leaders wrong on several points? Yes ...”
In other words: “So sorry we destroyed your country and your life. We were wrong. I hope that makes you feel better when you try to live in the rubble and the civil war we brought to you.”
BT, please realize that we Americans have no desire to occupy your nation. Instead, we want to insure that individuals like Zarqawi or another Saddam do not end up running your nation. Most Americans do wish for you to live in stablity and peace. Now, with the death of Zarqawi, I hope that more people in your country understand that.
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