Letters From Iraq

Last year, I asked people who read this site to assist SSG Marikay to help get an Iraqi child to the United States for surgery. Today, Marikay was on Fox News describing the effort it took to have this child get to a surgeon. Those of you thinking this was a scam were so wrong!

The war against terrorism is not just fought with guns and bullets. Our soldiers and civilians are helping to make Iraq, Afghanistan and other parts of the world better places to live. Our efforts in promoting democracy and better economic practices builds a middle class. No dictator can survive long with a thriving middle class of people. They have something to lose.

The people in Iraq have been kicked around for so many generations, that they had nothing of their own that would make them sad to lose. Even their lives and the lives of their children were not very important. Now, most Iraqis see a better life. They have something they see in the future that they do not want to lose. They have grown tired of the terrorist control of their lives and have started to fight back by turning them over to the police. Many finally see that the US is not the enemy. Even the Iraqi clergy finally understand and see the future.

The tide has turned. Soon, most of our soldiers will return home after completing their work.

Randy

Click HERE for our original post

This was sent to me by one of the soldiers who went to Iraq with me. It does reflect how we soldiers and marines feel.
Randy

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,

I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.

My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,

My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.

Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,

Transforming the yard to a winter delight.

The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,

Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.

My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,

Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.

In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,

So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.

The sound wasn’t loud, and it wasn’t too near,

But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.

Perhaps just a cough, I didn’t quite know,

Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.

My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,

And I crept to the door just to see who was near.

Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,

A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.

A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,

Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.

Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,

Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.

“What are you doing?” I asked without fear,

“Come in this moment, it’s freezing out here!

Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,

You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!”

For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,

Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..

To the window that danced with a warm fire’s light

Then he sighed and he said “Its really all right,

I’m out here by choice. I’m here every night.”

“It’s my duty to stand at the front of the line,

That separates you from the darkest of times.

No one had to ask or beg or implore me,

I’m proud to stand here like my fathers before me.

My Gramps died at ‘Pearl on a day in December,”

Then he sighed, “That’s a Christmas ‘Gram always remembers.”

My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ‘Nam’,

And now it is my turn and so, here I am.

I’ve not seen my own son in more than a while,

But my wife sends me pictures, he’s sure got her smile.

Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,

The red, white, and blue… an American flag.

I can live through the cold and the being alone,

Away from my family, my house and my home.

I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,

I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.

I can carry the weight of killing another,

Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..

Who stand at the front against any and all,

To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall.”

“So go back inside,” he said, “harbor no fright,

Your family is waiting and I’ll be all right.”

“But isn’t there something I can do, at the least,

“Give you money,” I asked, “or prepare you a feast?

It seems all too little for all that you’ve done,

For being away from your wife and your son.”

Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,

“Just tell us you love us, and never forget.

To fight for our rights back at home while we’re gone,

To stand your own watch, no matter how long.

For when we come home, either standing or dead,

To know you remember we fought and we bled.

Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,

That we mattered to you as you mattered to us.

When:
Thursday, 15 December, 2005.
Where:
Nassiriyah.

In spite of violent attacks, car bombs, terrorism acts by those non-humans who are trying to kill the future of innocent children through a series of evil acts of murdering and kidnapping to establish for them a savage realm based on a dark barbarous vision that strongly rejects freedom, democracy and tolerance.

Millions of Iraqi people flew on the wings of democracy to vote for new Iraq ; the great enthusiasm of all Iraqis in laying the stone of firm foundation for a lasting democracy which will definitely open new chapter for Iraqis in stepping towards the bright future , moving forward on the transition from tyranny to freedom and democracy that will eventually establish a new era of mutual understanding among all multi-colored Iraqis and lead Iraq towards a safe seashore in order that it can be more stabilized and prosperous country ; this historical and brave step of democratic parliamentary elections will for sure create the real future that all Iraqis anxiously dreamed of ; the transparent future that won’t know the language of wars , blood , destruction .

Today Iraqi people all over the country condemning the brutal dictatorship of the former ousted regime which destroyed the unity of Iraq for more than 35 years having wasted foolishly in destructive wars , collective graveyards , genocide , and other fruitless foolish adventures that entirely transformed Iraq into mere ruins ; therefore all Iraqis , having dressed their new clothes , rushed happily as one man in the early morning of 15 December to vote for their bright future ; young men , women , elders accompanying by their children walking merrily to the polling stations in different districts of the city Nassiriyah to vote for the political bloc or list they believe it to achieve their legal demands in the elected parliamentary society.
Having accomplished their national pledge; the voters returned home in full ecstasy and feel proud of themselves in terms of looking and touching their ink-stained fingers to indicate that they had cast ballots.

The history will doubtless register these remarkable moments in which Iraqi people have all unanimously marched to the polling places on 15 December of this current month to announce their word that says: “We are all going to build a nation that secures freedom for its citizens and contributes to regional peace and stability through going spontaneously to the polling stations to succeed the political process which will be the real tool to fight terrorism and restore the missing glory and innocent smile that terrorists want to kill”.

Thousands of citizens from all over Dhi Qar province went merrily to the polling stations carrying the Iraqi flag, singing enthusiastically the national anthem and shouting down terrorism ; this is the first time one can observe citizens as a herd of birds flying in the sky of democracy and freedom to announce to the world that they are the grandsons of those great ancestors who made the first human civilization and taught the world the first alphabetical letters ; “here we are the sons of Mesopotamia , the land of glory ; we are going to unify our country by electing the first full–term government”.

All the polling stations have witnessed many members from the high independent electoral commission and members from all political entities to monitor or observe how the political process is going and register any mistakable case once it is made; luckily the elections have proceeded successfully and approved its legitimacy in new democratic atmosphere. The multi – national forces have in turn made their great initiatives through observing the sky by their air force weapons in advance and reinforcing the national security forces with more additional fortifications.
The local TV of Nassiriyah with its media team carrying television cameras, has continued covering the election events through making a lot of interviews with many citizens, broadcasting the marital festivals of people who still going groups following groups as if they were in pilgrimage; merry demonstrations of countryside people can be seen from time to time coming with children, singing and strongly shouting death for terrorists, the enemy of humanity and freedom. The doors of polling stations continued to the last minute welcoming voters to register their vote.

Written by: Layla / Iraq.
Thursday, 15 December 2005.

Once again , the southern region of Iraq particularly Nassiriyah city witnessed an intensive political propaganda programs which have dramatically been photographed ; the language of clashes and accusations among the political parties is still continuous in different impolite scenario that has attacked the public attention of citizens , the propaganda conferences held here and there that flow for the good of some influential blocs funded by unknown local and international sources made it really questionable matter ; while other small blocs or lists have not that sufficient opportunity due to the lack in their financial ability to penetrate through the public attention which made the matter seem bitterly painful ; that sort of clashes in throwing bad words upon each other , exchanging of constant accusations , it actually seems as if it were a battle that each one has to think of certain legal or illegal clues , has to get a triumph whatsoever is the outcome , posters , large boards , commercial TV advertises , writings on governmental walls as signs for political propaganda while some other photos of other candidates have been entirely splashed with black paint like those ones of former prime minister Ayad Allawi as a man of new restoration of Ba’ath Thought ; most posters show the pictures of mosque , an Iraqi flag , green ground , palm date trees as background for their slogans. In addition to that most candidates or the great influential blocs focused on the issues of restoring security , safety , providing people with employment opportunity , public services , supplying citizens with the sufficient amount of fuels , treatment of housing problems , prosperity , freedom of expression , freedom of press , getting people rid of misery . There are few candidates who involved themselves in the political process as leaders for themselves without making an alliance with other parties ; those candidates like Dr.Najim Abid Otheib Al-Taee who is adopting the issue of federalism and separation of southern provinces of Basrah , Nassiriyah and Missan ; those single candidates unfortunately have not that persuasive manner or that sufficient financial ability to convince more voters for their good because citizens in general are either voting in terms of consolidating certain political blocs for some interests or passionately and blindly dealing with the political process under the blind effect of religious clerics ; not taking into consideration the real results waiting them as much as satisfying the religious clerics or those influential political individuals who have the governmental grasp at the moment.

Among the political blocs that have great echo in the south are the alliance No.555 , its slogan is the candle , which is strongly calls for fighting the ex-thought of “Ba’ath party” which is about to be restored by Ayad Allawi as they believe , this bloc is a combination of certain groups and movements like Al-Da’awa Islamic Party , Al-Da’awa / Iraq office , the Supreme Council of Islamic Revolution , Bader organization , Al-Fadhila group , Al-Sader group ; the national Iraqi bloc which is a combination of the concord movement , communist party , Al-Bachachi , Jamal al-dein , Ex-provisional president Al-Yawer , Ex- minister of planning , Mehdi Al-Hafidh , this bloc has the slogan of horse which signifies for strong future government , prosperity , unified people ; the unified national congress presided by Ahmed Al-Chalabi who already withdrew from the alliance bloc for some political reasons and difference in future visions , the bloc of Iraqi nation party presided of Mithal Al-A’alusi , Islamic Da’awa movement which is quite different from Al-Da’awa Islamic party which has many subdivided branches in various provinces included Dhiqar district , the bloc of south loyalty presided by Ahmed Shahed , mechanic engineer in Dhiqar province , it slogan signifies in protecting the south and environment of marshes , Islamic Allah party bloc , Risaliyoon bloc which belonging to Al-Sader group , independent Dhi Qar list presided by Adel Fahed , a member of the current national assembly . Nowadays there is a speech battle in words among those candidates particularly against those secular candidates like Allawi and Ahmed Chalabi , a lot of religious individual invoke or incite the citizens not to vote for all the candidates except for the Islamic ones particularly the alliance bloc No.”555”, the political sky is clouded with an intensive heavy rain of rivals which is supposed to destroy the ground; there is also a propaganda campaign for the Kurdistan bloc in the south including Dhiqar district due to some people of Kurdish origin living in the city; as for the other blocs of the other candidate lists there is no propaganda except those of the nearer districts like Basrah, Missan, Samawa which have no great luck in supporting.

The tense atmosphere is still escalating against the Ba’ath party through the alliance bloc No.”555” which is considered to be the top one in the south regions supported by the current authority and consolidated by the majority of religious clerics as its members allege which I believe it may ignite an expected battle with that one of national Iraqi bloc of ex - prime minister Ayad Allawi in case the later gets more votes because there will be an obvious contradiction between the Islamic vision and Ba’ath one, and definitely days will settle the matter and show which is which.

As for Basrah since it is the nearer province to our district Nassiriyah , yesterday it has witnessed a great festival of national elections for prisoners , army camps , patients in the hospitals , the political process has gone well with no problems , everything was quite positive and referred to the organized measures taken by the high independent electoral commission supported by the interim ministry through the positive efforts in closing the outer borders , extending the nighttime curfew hours , clearing the streets from the moving vehicles for keeping safety and to prevents any terrorist attempt from disturbing the voting process , the same measures were the same in Nassiriyah , the Italian troops have intensively distributed their troops in certain parts , the sound of airplanes are heard in the sky of the city as a token of more preparation , attention and providing security through reconnaissance or military observance to keep the political process safe from any disturbing attempt , while the Iraqi local policemen have distributed on the many poll stations to provide security three days before the election process day starts.

Written by: Layla
Iraq.
13 December, 2005.

I think that for those of us who have served in Iraq, we are excited with anticipation over the elections tomorrow. I have sent emails to my Iraqi friends to understand the atmosphere there. The Kurds likely will turn out 95% of their eligible voter. They are excited about their part of Iraq and the progress they have made. If you disregard the architecture, Irbil could be any bustling town in the US. Most nights, the shops look like Christmas in our malls. Thousands of people crowd the streets buying from street vendors and shopping in the small stores along the crowded streets. They smile at we Americans and give us the thumbs up or shake our hands. Tomorrow, they would raise their purple finger to show their pride in doing their part to guide their country to democracy.

My Shia friends also anticipate the chance to vote again. They must be more cautious since security levels are much lower in their areas. Many live in rural areas that are integrated with Sunni Arabs. They may not let their daughters marry into a Sunni family, but they have developed a respect for their neighbors. Rural Iraqis tend to depend more on each other than those from the cities. I told them I expected picture of them holding their purple fingers up on Friday.

The Sunnis I know did not want to participate in the current government. They feared a loss of rights with them reverting to the minority. I spent many hours on Friday mornings discussing the workings of a democratic government and the options open too minorities. When they understood that by not voting, they empowered the current government even more, they became more involved in the conversation.

The Shiekhs also fear a loss of power in a democratic government. In the past, they ruled their families. They fear losing that power. I explained that their power in the future would not be because of their birth rights, but because of their knowledge. Their power would be as a lobbying force to improve the lives of their families. If they looked out for the tribe, the tribe would willingly allow them to maintain their power.

I expect tomorrow that a higher percentage of eligible voters will vote in Iraq than in any election in the United States for the past 40 years. They look forward to new freedoms. We take them for granted. They run the risk of dying while voting; we may miss a television program. It makes you wonder about the future of both the US and Iraq. In any case, I will be rooting for the Iraqis as they go to the polls tomorrow.

Randy

I am not sure why anyone who has been to Iraq and really talked to the Iraqi people would be against what the US is doing and accomplishing. Since I returned, there have been many soldiers and Iraqis who continue to write to me and to tell their stories. I am going to post them to this site.

One of the most damning stories of the actives of the former regime tore out my heart.

A Christian minister welcomed his 17 year old daughter home from school. Minutes later, a neighbor slipped in the side door of the house and told him his daughter had been followed home from school by a very expensive car.

Within a few minutes, a man came to the front door and told the minister that Mr. Ouday wanted to see his daughter. The minister stalled and tried to put off Ouday’s man. Soon a threat ensued.

The minister went upstairs to collect his daughter. When he returned with his daughter, he held a pistol to her head. As the two walked up to Ouday’s man, the minister shot his daughter in the head while saying. Now Ouday can have my daughter.

I am not sure that I would have the courage to kill one of my children to prevent the rape and torture that Saddam’s sons routinely visited on Iraqi woman. I heard this story from more than one source.

If the United States pretends to be a moral country, why is it wrong to stop this type of atrocities?

Randy

The following is a direct and uncensored report from a Iraq Citizen that often contributes to The Real Iraq website.

Imagine how the situation is going on these days in the south of Iraq in the light of what is called the fair elections and formation of the new expected Iraqi parliament. Once you are a visitor or a political analyst comes to the southern region; you will come across many propagandas in the streets, pictures are on the walls and everywhere and others are torn into peaces according to the new democratic thought that says if you are not with me then you are against my ideology which means that you have no place in my community; that you have to be killed or totally destroyed. I think democracy needs a lot of time in order to complete it natural course in Iraq since the extremist Islamic movements are controlling entirely on the minds of thousands of those simple naïve people which worship any propaganda blindly.

When the former Iraqi Prime Minister Alawi visited Al-Najef city some days ago; a lot of critics say that this visit really pointed out the real antipathy of the extremist movements supported by the supreme council of Islamic revolution and Islamic Dawaa party through the indirect instructions from their employees in the interim ministry since they are alliances in everything.

Many political analysts expressed their astonishment regarding the sudden visit of Alawi to Al Najaf since Alawi has once destroyed this holy city when he was in his former governmental position as a man of iron grasp, so it is no wonder to see some acts of revenge against him considering him the first murderer. While other writers have severely criticized him for this sudden visit which he wants or intends to make it as a kind of political preparation or propaganda for his political bloc; he exposed himself to death for winning the popular support of the people of this city ignoring that he once killed many civilians yet he quite well knows that this elections is a sort of a battle between his bloc and the one of the alliance No. (555).

Let me complete the story of the elections in the light of the new democracy which really made everyone laugh too much on such foolish behavior of what is called the politicians who don’t know what is the norms, instructions , principles and morals of the political process ; yesterday I was in Basrah to see how things are going on there ; I dare say I laughed from the bottom of my heart on the horrible scene of the pictures which seem as if they were people standing in queue for something to buy ; then all of a sudden a beast comes to horrify them and disperse them and destroy what they have of personal things or as if they were in the dramatic scene of bulls fighting ;everyone is attacking the other in various impolite ways ; everyone is showing himself as a prophet Mohammad or the savior Jesus or the man of the historical opportunity who invites all people not to miss him otherwise they may die ; while the pictures of Alawi are completely torn into peaces as well as the pictures of those liberal blocs; the question which raises itself ….Is this the fair political propaganda in the light of the new democratic Iraq?

Then let us inter the holly mosques or houses of worship ; definitely we will only hear the calls that glorify the alliances list No (555) which really made Iraqi people feel terribly sorry for their unsuccessful choice ; calling badly the names of the other blocs publicly ; they shamelessly pretending that they have done everything possible to the Iraqi people though they know that they have killed every good sense in the hearts of the millions , no security , no employment , no electricity , no public services ; they only made one thing that is the destruction in every field of life.

What about people? ….people in fact have lost that good sense of liberty and freedom of thought which they once dreamt of due to the miserable conditions they gifted and they painfully see that it is not Saddam to fall but those political figures, those thieves have to fall now, people have to see themselves completely liberated from those dictators who came to the throne for their own interests.

Elections at the doors ….but people are somehow a bit pessimistic of what is going on of killing, destroying, bombing, terrorists, administrative corruption, and nepotism and devastating of the beautiful image of ancient Iraq.

Layla
IRAQ

The following is a direct and uncensored report from a Iraq Citizen that often contributes to The Real Iraq website.

According to the extensive preparations of Italian troops for the coming elections of the new Iraqi parliament; the Italian troops working in Nassiriya among the other multi national forces made it possible by providing the Iraqi regular army and policemen with whatever they need of the possible ammunitions and light weapons in order to prepare them well in full readiness as well as taking into consideration the required security situation which may assist and support the political process. On the other side , Dr. Hassan Bader , the general director of Dhi Qar health office declared that the Italian troops have already participated in carrying a number of patients to the Italian hospitals in cooperation with the Italian government in Rome in order that those patients can have the possible medical operations there since they are incapable of having their required surgical operations in Iraq because their cases are highly inexcusable ; their files are following them to Rome to show their medical situations ; in the main time , the general director on behalf of his staff expressed his great gratitude to the Italian side for the good initiatives adopted by them and also through their humanitarian support of the Iraqi patients ; be the way , the Italian government showed its agreement for those patients to have their medical operations in Italy since it is one of the great initiatives done by the multi national forces in Iraq though it doesn’t suffice all the required needs of Iraqi people yet it does something well.

Layla
IRAQ