To our late colleague Yasser. He was killed on his day off two years ago on Friday June 24, 2005…

Yasser we didn’t forget you… I didn’t, no one did. You still live with us and work with us.

Do you remember when we had that fight over the sovereignty day? In 2004 the sovereignty day was supposed to be on June 30 your birthday but they changed to another day; my birthday… I still feel guilty for it but you know, as we saw later, it wasn’t real independence or the way we dreamed about.

The day you died I had to take photos for your dead body, believe me Yasser I didn’t want to but it was to prove that you weren’t doing any thing wrong… that images comes up when ever your name is mentioned. Your bleeding fingers who couldn’t stop the bullet and the way you slept with the bullet in your head, I can not forget.

Yasser… when Huda picked up the phone that day and cried out loud… someone told her they saw your car had been shot by the troops, she barley could talk. Shatha, Alaa and Huda barely took a breath and their tears spoke for them. Awsy, Omar and me no one knew what to do.

Wahab, Ali drove their cars in a crazy way on a hope that you still breathing. The Ambulance didn’t show up only after tens of phone calls. Your friend Abbas brought the coffin. Your killers didn’t even wait to honor your dead body and take it to the morgue. They passed and looked at us and they didn’t bother even to stop. Police men showed up but with no radios and with a broken car.

Do you remember when you phoned me one day earlier from the morgue? We took your dead body to the same morgue. In your funeral many attended but we were the last to leave.

Tom did his best that day and after, he took the risk and visited your family house. He did all what a man can do. Hannah wasn’t here in Baghdad but when she came back she did her best for your beloved daughter Danya.

On that morning I couldn’t cry. I had to be strong to take these photos. I am so sorry Yasser I should’ve cried when I saw your dead body but believe me it was for the sake of your daughter, it was for your sake. If we didn’t take these photos they might say you were carrying a gun or something. Yasser I couldn’t take it when I saw the morgue. Do you remember on the phone when you described where you were exactly? We were there the second day with your brother. He was devastated. Your father was devastated. You weren’t the only one who was killed that day; others were brought to the same place.

The same employee that you checked with a day earlier for the names of those who were killed for your story, he himself added your name to the same log.

I didn’t take it; I collapsed here in the office. I couldn’t take it. I didn’t take the idea of your death.

>Why Yasser? Why you told your secrets before you go home? Why you shared it with me?

We switched our tasks the day before, I went to Sadr city and you went to the morgue in Al Yarmouk hospital as you asked… it wasn’t good enough to save your life.

A month after your death I saw a taxi driver who looked like you, I ran across the street i thought it was you… I stopped in mid of the street and went back walking to my apartment.

All the guys here remember you… your photos all over the place.

It is not the same place any more after you… it will never be the same.

We will never forget you.

dulaimy