Letters from Baghdadis

Welcome to Georgies War of Liberation and Democracy. I wonder if the Slumber is over come November.
Felicity Arbuthnot

A., lives in Baghdad, a professional and Iraqi through and through. He has never thought of leaving Iraq, not during the 1991 onslaught, during the misery of the embargo years, when like so many, he risked even his eyesight, writing reports by candle light or flickering lantern in the evenings due to embargo of parts for the bombed electricity stations and sub-stations (...) This week I received: 'Hello Dear Felicity, 'The b ... d and evil militias of (Iranian backed) Muqtada Al-Sadr and the Badr Corps are mercilessly and brutally kidnapping and assassinating the innocents from both sects, Shi'ite or Sunni under pre- made charges (of being 'Ba'athist, Saddamist..') 'They kidnapped me and put me in my car boot (in 100f heat) for ninety minutes.' They also kidnapped his brother, beat them both severely, relieved them of the two cars and $5,000 - their all. Iraqis now carry any money they are lucky enough to have, knowing if the Americans 'soldiers' or their militias (spot the difference) break into their homes it will be stolen along with all their valuables. The kidnappers also did some fancy, anesthetic-free surgery to one ear. But they escaped with their lives. A., whose formative years were under Iranian bombardment of the eight year (western driven) Iran-Iraq war and like all Iraqis has suffered so grievously from the actions of the UK and US without a thought of emigrating, ended with a plea, from one who had never begged for anything in his life : 'Please, please, help me to get to Europe.'...

continua / continued