Da
Salam Pax, Iraq
by:
http://dear_raed.blogspot.com/
Dear friends,
If you wonder why I haven't sent you anything lately; well, I started
writing a long letter a week ago but while describing the extremely bad situation
we werein last week (All Baghdad stayed without electricity for more than
3 days with very weak water or none insome places, plus a big fuel shortage for
generators and cars), I was listening to the coalition broadcasting for the
Iraqi people. They ware talking about all low priority stuff like printing
"Newpassports" for Iraqis, Mr. Bremer attending a Symphony for the
Iraqi Symphony group, and such stuff, without any mentioning of the fact that
about 5 million people were living under a temperature of 47 degrees and without
electricity and water for three days :-/ You know, I reviewed my "dream
list" back then; there was no "New passports" in it. It just contained
three simple wishes: Electricity, Water, and Security. (This will make a nice
motto instead of the old famous "Unity, Freedom, and Socialism", I might
as well start a party of my own with this motto. It will sure make me very
popular). Are such wishes to much to ask in the new millennium, and when you are
under the occupation of the greatest power in the world? If you say be patient.
Well, apart from the last 23 years, remember the ex-regime has fallen for about
three months now.
Back to the letter I intended to write. So while
listening to these great news, I felt so desperate and frustrated (Not from
the Americans actually, but from the situation we are in), that I simply tore
the message.
The situation here is getting more complicated. You are
hearing about the killing of the US soldiers every day. Neither me, nor anyone
I know agrees to this. This should not be the way to solve thing. It is only making
things worse. US soldiers are getting so tense in dealing with people. If such
acts are not stopped, we will never have peace.
There are also the
destructive acts being done by unknown groups. They are destroying vital resources
like electricity, water, and oil pipes. Some say they are people loyal to
the ex-regime, trying to make things so bad to make people hope for its return.
Others, say they are from Iran, just damaging the country. Some even say that
they are done by the Americans to >keep people busy with such stuff (A policy
that the ex-regime used to follow). I, personally, am getting more convinced by
the first opinion.
What depresses people here is that there seems to be
no short-term solution to all this. Electricity, water, and oil pipes are
an easy target and hence we will always feel threatened, specially when we think of
July and August ahead. "The true heat is yet to come". Nevertheless,
we have no choice but to wait and see if the promises being given to us will be
fulfilled, and lets only hope for the best.
As
for other aspects of our life here: -
Do you know that the number of newspapers reached 73 and the count is increasing.
The same for Parties. We have two persons claiming the throne (if there will ever
be one). People here have no respect for almost all of these parties. Most of
them just took the buildings they like illegally and make them their centers.
Imagine a party steals a building when it starts and expects to be respected.
- The best job for anyone now is selling cold Pepsi on the road. The customers
are often US soldiers trying to survive the heat. The amount of Pepsi trucks you
see being unloaded everyday is incredible.
- Finally, the mobile network,
which is being installed by MCI, has started working. It is still limited now
but it is supposed to extend to public use mid-July. Thy funny thing is that our
code is the same as New York. So we are considered as if we are in New York!!!!!!!
I will try to get a mobile soon. Then you can call me with very cheap prices because
international calls to the US is always the cheapest and as you know - We are
in NY :-)
Some body living in Baghdad : ... |