During Saddam's regime I was working in a Turkish company in Baghdad ; my boss was always complaining from recurring earthquakes that claim thousands of victims from time to time. At that time Iraqis were living with a one human earthquake – Saddam, and his Baathist.
"Your disaster is natural phenomenon, but ours is bigger" that was my answer to condole him.
At that time we had a joke in Iraq about a dialog between a Turkish and an Iraqi man. The Turkish man said "The degree of the earthquake magnitude 6 degree on Richter scale "Yes but we have Richter himself, sits to rule Iraq " Iraqi man replied.
In the last few days all of us watched the regrettable natural disasters that happened in Myanmar and China, that unfortunately caused tens thousands of victims with millions left homeless, and again Iraqi are comparing between these disaster and their own daily disaster (terrorism and occupation) that caused killing 1 million, 5 million left homeless, 5 million orphans and 2 million widows since collapse 2003.
Yesterday I heard a strange opinion from my friend, he was comparing between what happened in China with what has been going on in Iraq … "God … the car bomb and roadside bomb are nothing if we compare it with these catastrophes" my friend said.
When I was telling my young sister about this opinion, she replied "yes but you should take in consider that the natural catastrophe doesn't happen every day".
Iraqis are praying to God to protect all people in the whole world from natural and human catastrophes. May God help people in China , Myanmar , Lebanon , Palestine , and Iraq .
It is unfortunate to see commenters using this space as a forum for propagandizing rather than staying on the topics offered by the Inside Iraq writers.
Posted by: Laura | May 19, 2008 at 01:14 AM
I think it would be interesting to hear what the Iraqi press has to say about the recent idea from the Democrats to withdraw from Iraq by the middle of 2009. Not getting much attention here in the US, because we all know they don't mean it - but what are the Iraqi papers saying?
Posted by: Susan | May 18, 2008 at 11:23 PM
One important difference between human manufactured disaster such as in Iraq and the natural disaster in China is that although you know a natural disaster may happen, until it does you go about your life without worrying every minute of potential disaster.
With car bombings etc., you feel unsafe all the time, that is the purpose of terrorism, to create a state of fear in the populace. Thus in some ways it is worse than a natural disaster, perhaps there are fewer deaths and destruction, or it happens over a longer period of time, but the effects of fear are everpresent and is in itself an ongoing aspect of disaster.
Posted by: Eve | May 18, 2008 at 08:22 PM
Mahmoud raises the issue we are actively debating in the US and it's good it's raised. One member of the Mahdi army in Baghdad recently told a member of the press: “It is lies that the Mahdi Army have been eliminated in Basra. They are still there and they are waiting for the chance to return.” It's also been reported in the press - not McClatchy obviously - that many Iraqi's in Basra believe that quote is accurate. It seems that when members of the Mahdi Army say something to the press, they fully intend to carry it out.
However if Democrats in Congress had succeeded in imposing a deadline for a withdrawal on must US troops by this spring, it's likely Iraqi military forces might not now be in control of most of Basra. We are led to believe that Iraqi security forces now control at least 75% of Basra, with the assistance of the US military advisors and air power. It therefore amazes me that Democrats in Congress seem to think we American voters forgot they voted for a deadline for withdrawal last summer, and in fact many Democrats in Congress supported a withdrawal of all US forces from Iraq by this spring.
However no one in the US press will speculate what would have been the consequences in Iraq if those Democratic votes in Congress had become official US policy. It's important because Democrats in Congress are again advancing an artificial date for withdrawal of US forces, with absolutely no reference to their votes for withdrawal last summer.
Also relating to this post and Mahmoud's post, ex-President Jimmy (James) Carter recently met with Hamas in Syria. When he returned he spoke about his meeting with Hamas and then he said on US national television that military operations where they is unnecessary loss of civilian life or severe injuries he considers "terrorism". It appears many Iraqi's would agree with Carter on this point and that's something that McClatchy's Baghdad bureau has tried to address in their reporting. I would like to see McClatchy address Carter's point directly - what is terrorism? For example why not contact Carter and ask him to expand on his comments, which are on the online video from PBS's Charlie Rose program?
Posted by: Chris Baker | May 18, 2008 at 02:30 PM
Cassandra, dear, your immature thinking concerns me.
The bad acts of others do not transform our own bad acts into virtues. I'm not sure how you were raised, but perhaps you have heard the expression "two wrongs do not make a right"?
Posted by: Andre | May 18, 2008 at 09:59 AM
Mahmoud states: "the occupation is the cause of terror and killing in Iraq"
Sure it is, Mahmoud. It is also the cause of the over 10,000 Islamic terrorist attacks since 9/11, perpetrated by true believers primarily on brother Muslims—the world over.
BTW—there is some swamp land in Saudi Arabia in which you may be very interested. ;)
Posted by: Cassandra | May 18, 2008 at 02:58 AM
There are two kinds of pain: the pain that is just a part of life--from catastrophes, illness, loss, death--and the pain, the extra pain, we create. There is nothing we can do about the pain life brings us; there is everything we can do about the pain we create for ourselves and others. Let us love one another, and do each other no harm. Then, think of the freedom, the resources we would have, to help one another with life's pain. Here's to caring about one another as we wish to be cared for. Here's to loving one another as though each person in the world were our first and newly born child. What would we not do, to care for a new-born? Imagine.
Posted by: Laura | May 17, 2008 at 09:50 PM
the occupation is the cause of terror and killing in Iraq
you know the story...
Posted by: Mahmoud | May 17, 2008 at 04:51 PM