Donnerstag, 11. Oktober 2007

The day I went to war

This guy one day decided to go from Lebanon to war into Iraq:

http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0,1518,grossbild-990616-510699,00.html

What you won't see, are the two prosthesis he got as gift from war.

This is an article of 'Der Spiegel', a major German magazin. It's unfortunately in German, but I'm going to quote some interesting quotes and paraphrase the whole text. My comments are in brackets.

So let's start about that handsome Lebanese boy who's name is Nadim Abed al-Razik and who led a normal life in his village: working in a barber's shop, smoking shisha in the cafe and talking about girls.

All this changed with the Iraq war, when "there were aired clips to encourage the youth to djihad on Saudi, Syrian and Jordanian TV stations" [so much about the Urbi's fault in post-war terrorism in Iraq].

What was Nadim's response: "For an Arab just the word Djihad is enough to turn his life upside down." [If it is so, then this is a proof of pity.]

So young Nadim went with his cousins, after selling their mobiles for 65 bucks to arrive via Syria one day on Iraq's borders. There were together 400 'volunteers' from Arab countries to be welcomed by Iraqi Baath party people. But even the Baath officials "just didn't know what to do with us". [Apparently Iraqis (even Baath officials) seemed to judge the situation in a more correct, right and useful way for Iraqis. That's called common sense.]

They were put up in an Iraqi army camp that was already targeted by US Airforce to start their training. Their training consisted of "rope jumping and endurance run" The maximum time he spent fighting really Americans were just four hours. Iraqis were hostile towards them and even Baath officals asked them what they are doing in Iraq and told them to go home. On his way home, he was arrested by the Americans, who treated him well. To quote him: if someone fell, he was supported, when someone refused eating, he was asked politely and non-violent way. In his words: "In Arabic prisons it's quite different, they are happy to spend less food."

One day, while cleaning the area round the prisoner camp, a cluster bomb exploded and caused the loss of both legs.

After 9 months, he was airlifted back to Lebanon where he was greeted with a great party, because they already missed him in his village. On the other hand, he can't work anymore, he has no right on benefits because this injuries were in his responsibility and he won't marry his girl-friend.

FINAL WORDS:
  1. His story is evidence more for the venomous influence of the Arabic TV stations.
  2. Destiny has it that you got punished for past deeds at the very wrong time. To loose his legs around a POW camp is a bit ironic, isn't it?
  3. Okay, cluster bombs are from a military point useful, but military shouldn't use it. It could have also hurt Civilians or the American wardens.
  4. Isn't it strange that people wake up by hearing the word "Djihad"? Isn't intersting that Iraqis didn't wake up and choosed to duck from bombs so they hit Saddam? Maybe, Iraqis didn't give a positive statement like "liberty" or "égalité, liberté, fraterneté" but surely not a stupid one like "the electrifiying djihad" or "the honour of the Arab nation" and all the empty words, we heard in the last 50 years.
Original source: Der Spiegel, http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0,1518,510699-2,00.html , 11. 10. 07

7 Kommentare:

Anand hat gesagt…

Are you a German Sumerian (Iraqi)?

Do you think that Germany might play a larger role in training the ISF?

Your students await your tutelage.

Anonym hat gesagt…

No way.

Iraqis should cut relations with Germany, once and for all.

Unknown hat gesagt…

Great interview IMHO

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/10/15/1351251

Iraqi Mojo hat gesagt…

Damn, I actually feel sorry for the guy.

Anand hat gesagt…

http://www.haloscan.com/comments/iraqimojo/8765123219996500661/?src=hsr#178290

Classic and beautiful. :LOL: Thank you my Iraqi, Sumerian, Acadian friend. I look forward to continue my studies under you.

Awe, but respected teacher, I must disagree with you regarding Germany. Good relations between Iraq and Germany would be good for Iraq, Germany and the whole world.

Let me inform you, my good Iraqi friend, on a closely held fact. Germany is training the Iraqi Army's officer corp, including inside Iraq as part of the NATO mission to train Iraq's officers (2nd Lts, 1st Lts, Cpts, Majors, Lt. Cols, Colonels, Brig Gens, Major Gens, Lt Gens and 4 star Gens)

Germany helps Iraq's joint staff college under Iraq's National Defense university retrain and upgrade the Iraqi Army's existing mid level and senior officer corp.

http://www.longwarjournal.org/multimedia/OOBpage3-JFC.pdf

The German military and civilian agencies are quite good, and can contribute significantly to Iraq.

But Germany is not helping Iraq as much as it can, and is keeping a low profile.

Still, the greatest benefit to Iraq would come from economic cooperation, trade and investment between Germany and Iraq. Surly you favor this, my humble and knowledgeable teacher in Acadian and Sumerian ways.

Anand hat gesagt…

Oh teacher,

Can you inform us regarding the scholor and Iraq expert DAHR JAMAIL, mentioned in the hyperlink earlier in the comments section.

Is the said DAHR JAMAIL wise? Should we take his words as gospel? Please guide us Acadian/Sumerian scholor and master.

Unknown hat gesagt…

Seriously I was actually thinking about how many people Saddam killed per day and in normal days it would have been 150 political prisoner that died in his prisons. Well, 150 x 365 day x 24 years (only Sadddam) is 1,314,000. Even if the Americans would like to kill so many Iraqis, they didn't have the time.

Where did you get those numbers?

What about this?

http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/iraq/iraqdeaths.html