2005-06-07

Dahr Jamail

Who Cares?

Suicide bombers unleashed another day of hell across Iraq today, killingat least 18 and wounding over 67.

Four of them struck Iraqi Security forces, along with US militaryconvoys around Baghdad. Despite the huge US-backed Iraqi securityoperation throughout the capital city, attacks there continue unabated.

The small city of Rawa near Al-Qa'im was bombed again by the US militarySunday night. The military admitted to the bombing, but claimed thatthere were no civilian casualties. Today on Al-Jazeera the satellitechannel flashed footage of flattened civilian homes, as well as peoplein the city claiming that seven civilians were killed in the bombings.

In Hawija (near Kirkuk), three suicide car bombers struck Iraqi securitycheckpoints today, killing several Iraqis. Meanwhile in Tal-Afar (nearMosul), fierce clashes erupted between the Iraqi resistance and Americansoldiers. These are ongoing as I type this.

It continues to be clear that the plans of the Bush Administration inIraq either do not include the protection of Iraqis, they don't care, orboth.

I received an email from someone today along these lines which I foundinteresting:

“I operated out of Camp Anaconda, near Balad. What almost everyone, bothin uniform and those as contractors, agreed on (was) the objective ofthe Bush Administration's long term (plan) is focused primarily on oil.Hearts and minds are secondary, far behind the issue of petroleumproducts, as the US continues to compete for resources around the world.I hope more media conversation is forthcoming on this issue.”

Also along these lines, an Iraqi friend of mine who is a doctor inBaghdad told me that when he was in Ramadi yesterday, US soldiersattacked the Anbar Medical School while students were taking theirexams. As he said, “They (US soldiers) smashed the front gates of theschool in a barbaric way using Humvees…and terrorized the femalestudents while arresting two students while they were working on theirexams. They then lay siege to the homes of the dean of the university,along with homes of lecturers, even though their families were inside.”

My friend also reported that after he recently visited Haditha (remember“Operation Open Market”) he found that a large number of civilians hadbeen detained.

“They even detained a friend of mine and his father because they foundpapers in their home about an upcoming demonstration,” he told me.

Recently, the US-backed Iraqi “government” announced it had detainednearly 900 “suspected militants.” A “suspected militant” in Iraq looksmore and more like anyone in the wrong place at the wrong time whenIraqi or US forces conduct an operation.

Of course the looting of homes during raids continues along with thedetentions of innocent Iraqis. So much so that as a result of the huge“security” operation in Baghdad, Laith Kuba, a spokesman for Iraqi PrimeMinister Ibrahim al-Jaafari found it necessary to make the followingstatement:

“Some people complained there are cases where soldiers took advantageand helped themselves to cash and other items. One doesn't rule it out.The complaints I heard from people were the aggressiveness of some ofthese forces as they do things. Some people have half-hinted that theyhave copied some of the mannerisms of other foreign troops. I think thatis a valid criticism in some cases.”