Four Candles blown Out

As my fingers were flipping through today’s papers, my eyes were craned to the pictures the articles embraced. The photo of the man grieving in front of his burned book store summarized the whole article. I looked into his eyes. They were as red as the blood flowing in Baghdad. They were sad and miserable. I kept looking. I didn’t even read the captions. These eyes were speaking, thinking, crying and telling a story, a story of horror, pain and sorrow. The hand comforting him on the shoulders added more stories to what his eyes already said. I knew what these eyes saw. I saw that too. I knew what this hand trying to do. I had mine comforting someone too. I knew how that place looked like because I was there too.

I read the caption and I wish I didn’t. “Mohammed Salman grieves at the site of a book market in Baghdad where a car bomb killed his brother and 37 other people March 5,” it read. Yes, it was the last place to die in a dying city which once was the castle of the Arabian Nights. I kept looking and wondered how many people like this man are going through the same feeling.

“After 4 years of war, survey finds a nation fragmented by fear,” USA Today’s headline read. Fear. Have you ever experienced it? It’s scary. It makes your heart wants to jump out of its place. It makes all your senses work at once. Your ears hears every drop of water in the sink even though it’s far away. Your eyes become as sharp as Superman’s. You can see the tiniest bug standing on the wall. Your arms shape themselves in a way that they can help you defend yourself if danger comes closer. Your legs warm up as if they start running. Your nose smells danger. Your mouth watches the words going out of it and your tongue pushes the saliva back to your throat. At the end, these senses either help you survive or let you die. But you can train them. Seriously. However, in Baghdad, you don’t have to do that since they are already trained.

When the bombs started falling four years ago, all my senses were functioning. I even felt the vibration of the floor shaken by bombs. How could I forget that feeling? It shook my mother and let her fall into tears of fear. All her senses were working at that day. Maybe more than mine and my sister’s. She was listening to every bomb, every artillery shell, every bullet. The sound of sirens freaked her out more than the sound of the bombs. It freaked me out too. Until this moment, I feel the contractions in my heart when I hear it. Yes, I still hear it. You may be shocked but they are the same sirens American fire stations use when there is emergency. In my first week here, I heard this sound when I was in my friend’s house. Unconsciously, my heart beat so fast that it reminded me with every single bomb and siren I heard in Baghdad. It was the last thing I’ve ever wanted to hear here.

As I opened my eyes this morning, I kept thinking as I was still on bed. I needed to get up to get ready to work but couldn’t but remember how things changed in four years. Upside down, all I could describe. Four years, one, two, three, four, I counted. Wow! Four years of my life. I didn’t feel them. They ran so quickly. I recalled the end of my college senior year, my job, my father return from Libya, my sister’s wedding, my mother’s car bomb survival, my friend’s mother car bomb death, my friend’s desperation, Saddam’s execution, the elections, the referendum etc. Above all I remembered the sense of fear. I recalled how horrified I used to be every single day walking in the streets, sitting at home, going to work. I recalled the dead bodies I used to see almost every day, the pieces of flesh, the blood pools, the cut legs, arms and heads. Could I forget the things I saw at the Baghdad morgue? Of course, not. They are built-in my brain like the motherboard in a laptop.

Although I lost a lot, but I gained a lot too. Strength, will to live, experience, courage, and feelings for others are things I gained. Above all, I gained a precious thing, loyalty and more love to my country.

Today marks the fourth anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion to Iraq. A sad and happy memory for many people. None of us-Iraqi and American people-wanted the war to go in this direction. We dreamed of peace and real democracy but our leaders let us down. The reasons are many and sometimes innumerous and so do their goals. I am not going to speak about my own opinion here since most of you know how I think through reading my blog. However, I let the field open free for some Iraqi and American bloggers whom I thank for taking the time to present their own impressions about the ongoing war.

*Some Iraqi bloggers inside and outside Iraq and some American bloggers did not respond to my email. However, there is an amazing bouquet of wonderful Iraqi and American bloggers who took the time to respond to my questions. I thank all of them because I know how busy they are these days.

Iraqi Bloggers inside and outside Iraq

Omar, author of “24 Steps to Liberty”

What was your opinion when the US decided to invade Iraq in 2003?

I was for it. That was the only way for us to get rid of Saddam Hussein and his government.

It has been four years since the invasion. Has your opinion changed since then? Why?

Frustrated.

Whom do you blame for the insecurity in Iraq? Why?

It doesn’t matter now. It is in the past and we cannot achieve anything by blaming anyone. What we need to do now is to stop whining and start doing something about it.

What do you think should be done to quell the violence there?

Send the government home and bring Iyad Allawi to power again. Announce a real emergency status in the country. Stop promising Shiites and Kurds the biggest shares in the cake and stop kissing the Sunnis ass to play a role in a government that is not capable of doing anything in the first place. Appeal to the real and influential tribal leaders and bribe them to help in controlling the mob. Execute terrorists [under any labels, like insurgents or militias] and in public, that should include those who are making millions by just allowing foreign fighters to cross into Iraq from neighboring countries. Educate Iraqis on how to vote and why. Hold elections a year after all this starts.

Do you think the US should withdraw its forces from Iraq now or not? Why?

My plan doesn’t include any foreigners. But we still need the U.S. forces as our 911 call. [By the way, I said it before on my blog, TV and radio interviews: they are pulling out VERY soon. Mark my word.]

Do you think the war was worth it? Why?

Yes. It was totally worth it. Why? Because I am saying all this without fearing any government or officials in Iraq . Although the irony here is that I fear everyone else!

A&EIraqi, author of “I Miss Iraq”

What was your opinion when the US decided to invade Iraq in 2003?

“Iraq will be an oasis of democracy”, this was the American promise to the world.
I remember these few weeks before the invasion, I was living in Baghdad. People were optimistic; they were desperate to see the moment of being free from Saddam and his regime. They had a dream of living in a democratic free country.
Be able to speak and travel, able to live a respectable life, to have a dish satellite at home, and to be able to see what’s is going on in the world were the simple hopes of most of the Iraqis.
My opinion of the situation at that”glorious” time was different, I was worried about my country and its future, I was thinking about the “civil war”

It has been four years since the invasion. Has your opinion changed since then? Why?

Nowadays, Iraqi people are living in a turmoil, more than half a million of my people have been killed, thousands of Iraqi families left their houses under threat, two million Iraqis have left the country to live somewhere else since 2003, Iraqi universities are going to be closed because of the lack of the staff and the loss of security .Militias are controlling the streets and the sectarian mentality is ruling our life. Hundreds of people are being kidnapped to be tortured and killed; everyday tens of corpses are thrown into the streets.
These are the “American achievements” in this short period of time.
They have liberated nobody, but destroyed everything; the” oasis of democracy” turned out to be “bloody swamp”.
Unfortunately, instead of being the beacon of democracy, my country has become the beacon of horror

Whom do you blame for the insecurity in Iraq? Why?

Still, about the violence, I blame the .U.S forces for not taking the correct actions from the beginning , second I blame sectarianism which motivate violence.

Do you think the US should withdraw its forces from Iraq now or not? Why?

I don't dare to wish a withdrawal of the invaders as I think it'll get worse if they leave.

Do you think the war was worth it? Why?

About the war, no war is worthy. This question is hard to be answered. We can't deny that for a while people were happy and still they can't accept going back to Saddam's days, yet they wish living their previous secure days.

Chikitita, author of “first words, first walk, first.... in Iraq”

What was your opinion when the US decided to invade Iraq?

Basically, at the time I stopped listening to the radio. But I used to take it with salt when radio freaks used to tell me that unlike the Clinton strikes, which were painful and crippling but never deadly, so to speak, this time it was serious.

It has been four years since the invasion. Has your opinion changed since then? Why?

Of course it has; it turned out George Bush was not bluffing.

Whom do you blame for the insecurity in Iraq? Why?

1) Americans, for they could have stopped the chaos.

2) Iraqi politicians, whose only impetus was revenge and more revenge.

3) Iran , it is quite obvious all post February 22 incidents held Teheran marks.

4) Clergy, Sunni and Shia, who helped fuel the violence instead of douse it.

5) Media outlets, local and Arab for same reason of 4.

What do you think should be done to quell the violence there?

It is now up to the Iraqis to put their differences aside and stop abusing religion that unfortunately disrupted their unity. Politicians must try to act like grown ups and stop running for mummy, America or Iran, whenever things got tough. Laymen too must not be driven by politicians' devious schemes and think of how they managed to co-exist for centuries.

Do you think the US should withdraw its forces from Iraq now or not? Why?

They should withdraw their troops someday but not NOW. It's stupid to do this. Iraqi security forces cannot be trusted to this day and I believe militias might be on Sabbath but they could get back to business any minute.

Do you think the war was worth it? Why?

The fact that Saddam was toppled is fine, but the chaos that ensued has never ceased to stir ambivalence within me.

Marshmallow, author of “It’s All About Our Life”

What was your opinion when the US decided to invade Iraq?

My opinion was like any other person, I believed in that mythical story of mass destruction weapons and thought it was the time to destroy these fatal weapons and get rid of the whole dictatorship regime.

It has been four years since the invasion. Has your opinion changed since then? Why?

Yes, after the 2nd year of war, a gloomy impression got over my opinion and thoughts, HOPE FADED AWAY!

Whom do you blame for the insecurity in Iraq? Why?

I blame the Bush Administration and the fallacy ideas and plans they had made about and in Iraq.

What do you think should be done to quell the violence there?

It is a hard question can't find any answer for it at the moment, every one got corrupted with some issues.

Do you think the US should withdraw its forces from Iraq now or not? Why?

No, absolutely not at the moment...their presence are kind of helping us to keep violence down, how come if they leave and our military still unstable?

Do you think the war was worth it? Why?

It could be worth it if and only if US politicians and worldly-wise men were as professional as Hollywood film makers , studied the ( Iraqi society, infrastructures, hypostasis, qualities, native moods, not even thinking of disband the Iraqi Army) very well, at that moment I would say YES!! But unfortunately, it was not worth it.

“Morbid Smile” [update]

What was your opinion when the US decided to invade Iraq?

When the war took place in 2003, I didn’t know what to think or how to form my opinion about the whole thing. Part of me was in total denial of the idea that another war was about to begin. And even when we had all the preparations and were waiting for the first air raid I couldn’t believe that it actually happened.

It has been four years since the invasion. Has your opinion changed since then? Why?

Though I wanted Saddam to go like most of the people in Iraq , I wasn’t happy or supportive about the war, and even when four years have passed, and there are even more to come, my opinion about the war hasn’t changed. I don’t like it, I never did, and never will.

Whom do you blame for the insecurity in Iraq? Why?

As for whom to blame for the insecurity in Iraq, I believe that all who participated in the war and its consequences are to blame, starting from Saddam and his dictatorship which was the main reason for the war (at least in my opinion), the American administration for having a war as a best solution for everything rather than negotiations, and the current Iraqi government for failing in its role in prevailing peace and for not controlling the situation which made it easy for terrorists to get into the country.

What do you think should be done to quell the violence there?

What I think should be done is to finish what has already started. They had plans for the war, but nothing for after that! That's just ain't right and something should be done about it or the country will just vanish. Unless that's what they want!

Do you think the US should withdraw its forces from Iraq now or not? Why?

I don’t think that the U.S. forces should withdraw from Iraq now; it will definitely not be the best solution for this time. I believe that if they withdraw now they will make a gap from which more violence, chaos and terrorism will come to the country.

Do you think the war was worth it? Why?

And after all, I don’t believe that the war was worth it at all, nothing good has happened to make the war worthwhile, it only devastated the country and killed its people.

“Truth About Iraqis”

What was your opinion when the US decided to invade Iraq in 2003?

History began in Iraq, History will die in Iraq. The dreams of the American Empire will be stillborn. The US military will level destruction and death. Iraq will never be a unified state again and Iran will be the dominant force in the Middle East. There will never be democracy in Iraq because democracy does not ride on the coattails of an armored vehicle. The Iraqis will be dispersed and they will come to understand their naiveté. In years to come some will come face to face with the reality they have ignored ... I feel sorry for them.

It has been four years since the invasion. Has your opinion changed since then? Why?

Nope.

Whom do you blame for the insecurity in Iraq? Why?

The US military, the US policymakers, the Iranians, the Saudis. All have tried to make Iraq a battleground for their ideals and policies.

What do you think should be done to quell the violence there?

The US military should withdraw support from the Maliki government and support secularist, nationalist forces irrespective of their origin. A Turkmen should be able to rule Iraq just as easily as a Shia or Sunni Arab, Kurd or Chaldean. Nationalism should be the order of the day. Nationalism means all Iraqis are welcome into the fold. Today we have sectarianism bought and paid for by the Mullahs in Qum. Iyad Allawi, a former Baathist and definitely a rogue in the best definition of the word, is sadly the best hope for Iraq given that the US military has allowed the intellectuals to be purged by the Iranians in Iraq. A united front between Allawi and the resistance, both Shia and Sunni, could be one formula.

Do you think the US should withdraw its forces from Iraq now or not? Why?

Yes. All the talk that a US withdrawal will lead to a civil war is a moot point because there already is a civil war. There has been since the Jaafary government. There has been since the much-vaunted elections. Every project the US has introduced has been corruptive and benign. Get out. You can't beat the resistance, so stop trying. Laws of Physics dictate you will be beaten back.

Do you think the war was worth it? Why?

Yes, it was worth it because it has brought a world power to its knees, it has shown that talk of democracy is really talk of how to plunder and pillage, it has shown the world the ineptitude of the US military, the ignorance of the American electorate, the corruption in the DOD, CIA, State Department and so on. It has shown that a few hundred patriotic fighters in sandals and robes can roll back the decay of a power-hungry zealotry. Madeline Albright has said the war was the greatest blunder in US history. Let us hope the American people take better responsibility with their so-called democracy.

Zeyad, author of “Healing Iraq” [update]

What was your opinion when the US decided to invade Iraq in 2003?

I was supportive of the war. I was living a meaningless life of despair under Saddam's regime and I naiively believed that the U.S. was sincere and had a viable plan to improve our lives and bring us "freedom and democracy." I was mistaken, of course, and those terms only bring a wry smile to my face now.

It has been four years since the invasion. Has your opinion changed since then? Why?

My opinion started gradually changing not long after the invasion. It was a combination of reasons: The U.S. mishandling of the war, the destruction and the looting, the vengeful steps taken against a large portion of the population by both the U.S. and returning exiles, the growing insurgency, the empowerment of Islamic fundamentalists, the establishment of a political system based on sectarian and ethnic quotas, building security forces that are more loyal to sectarian warlords than the state, the sectarian violence, the huge toll on Iraqi lives, the massive and underreported refugee crisis, the displacement and breakup of families, the division of once harmonious communities, the mistrust between Iraqis, etc.

Whom do you blame for the insecurity in Iraq? Why?

It is very popular these days to blame the victim, but I believe that everyone shares some of the blame. The U.S., the international community, the U.N., Iraqi politicians, power-hungry clerics, the Iraqi people, the former regime, Iran, Saudi Arabia. Instead of assigning blame, I think it is better to work out solutions.

What do you think should be done to quell the violence there?

1- The U.S. should immediately work with regional countries (including Syria and Iran, yes) and the international community to broker an agreement between the warring factions to find agreeable methods on sharing power, wealth and resources. The current government can continue to operate meanwhile as a caretaker government until such an agreement is reached. Corrupt politicians who want to work from London or Teheran should be relieved of their positions.

2- An unconditional amnesty should be offered for all militant groups and militias in the country. An effective campaign to completely disarm the population should follow immediately. Militias and paramilitary forces, including the small private militias of politicians and religious leaders, should be disbanded. No exceptions. No "red lines." No excuses.

3- Former Ba'athists, bureaucrats, and military officers should be pardoned and brought back into the fold as part of a country-wide national reconciliation effort. The Iraqi security forces that the U.S. has recruited should be investigated thoroughly and purged. Reintroducing military conscription could be a solution to limit the infiltration of rogue elements that do not work for the state.

4- Then, schedule a new date for parliamentary elections with direct international supervision. No sectarian or ethnic slates should be allowed. No clerics should be allowed to give spiritual "blessings" for any candidates or lists. A new constitution should be written after that. Postpone all contentious issues until after that. No sneaky U.S.-sponsored privatization and oil laws should be passed until that period.

5- The U.S. should clearly announce a timetable for withdrawal of its troops. No excuses.

Do you think the US should withdraw its forces from Iraq now or not? Why?

The U.S. should at least set a timetable for withdrawal but not after the above steps are made. The occupation can not go on forever, because it is obvious that its presence is fueling further chaos and violence. Military solutions have proven their futility.

Do you think the war was worth it? Why?

It will not be readily obvious if the war was worth it or not. The toll in lives has been enormous so far. Future generations will be scarred forever as a result of this war, and they are the ones who are supposed to make a change for the better.

American Bloggers

“Alive in Baghdad”

What was your opinion when the US decided to invade Iraq in 2003?

Well, when the US invaded Iraq, I really thought it was foolish, I don't believe in war, and I'd hoped there would be another option taken. I hoped the international community would prevent the war from happening. Also, it was very clear from the beginning that the reasons for the war were a lie, they did not make any sense. I remember watching the second Gulf War in 1991 on TV when I was a kid. I also remember where I was in 1998 when Clinton initiated the 100 hour bombing. I met an Iraqi for the first time in 1994 when I went to college and began studying Arabic. I have been interested in learning about Iraq for as long as I can remember, which is a large part of why I decided to start the Alive in Baghdad project. This week we are posting an assortment of words from Iraqis for the world, on the anniversary of the invasion.[ http://aliveinbaghdad.org/?p=291]

It has been four years since the invasion. Has your opinion changed since then? Why?

My opinion about the war has not changed. It was the wrong way to help Iraq, the wrong time, everything was wrong. However, the one thing that has changed is my opinions about what to do next, what to do from here. I realized we need to support Iraqis to build a broad-based coalition for Iraq's reconciliation, reconstruction, etc. I know that the "Bring the troops home now!" chants are not enough, too simplistic and to accurately describing all the facets of the Iraq problem.

Whom do you blame for the insecurity in Iraq? Why?

Well, first of course the insecurity was started by the coalition, which attacked Iraq and was not properly prepared for their responsibilities under international law to protect and secure Baghdad and the whole of Iraq. As we can see, there were many problems that lead to the insecurities in Iraq. Now, no one can be sure what the reasons for insecurity might be. In our work at Alive in Baghdad we have interviewed many Iraqis, they all have different opinions about the problems in Iraq. For example, you can see this video, about daily life in Iraq,[ http://aliveinbaghdad.org/2005/12/20/life-in-iraq-under-american-occupation/] many Iraqis are talking about the different troubles they have faced. Also we spoke with an Iraqi policeman, who has a unique perspective on the situation,[http://aliveinbaghdad.org/2006/08/25/node250/] and believes they just need the proper support from the US to establish the security. Other Iraqis want the government to assist them in building security from the neighborhood level.[ http://aliveinbaghdad.org/2006/11/06/insecurity-breeds-sectarianism-in-adhamiya/]

What do you think should be done to quell the violence there?

I think the only things that can be done to quell the violence are to build a true reconciliation process. It seems that so far, no one has really pushed the reconciliation process in a real way, there are too many other options for Iraqis besides peaceful coexistence. There are the US troops to make them play nice,[ http://aliveinbaghdad.org/2007/02/19/apaches-over-baghdad/ ] there are the guns for them to kill the people they don't like,[ http://aliveinbaghdad.org/2007/03/05/fps-another-iraqi-militia/ ] there is Allah to tell them they are martyrs if they die for their beliefs.[ http://aliveinbaghdad.org/2006/11/20/a-mother-tells-a-martyrs-story/ ] Once Iraqis start to see each other again, and once the international community makes a dedicated, honest, and true attempt to support them in reconciling, I believe this will begin the long process of rebuilding Iraq and ending the violence. Random violence no doubt continue for a long time, unfortunately [ http://aliveinbaghdad.org/2007/01/08/everyones-a-target/]

Do you think the US should withdraw its forces from Iraq now or not? Why?

I think the proper question is, what are the alternatives, to ensure security and protection for most if not all Iraqis? The other proper question is, can any of these alternatives be achieved so long as the US is in Iraq? Unfortunately I'm worried that the US may be the only country with the money and manpower to secure Iraq and rebuild it, but may also have completely lost any trust or support that the Iraqi people might have initially given them.

Do you think the war was worth it? Why?

Well, if I am to say whether it was worth it to myself, or to the American people, or to humanity as a whole, I have to say I doubt it. It’s clear that the US intervention/invasion/war has killed more people since 2003 than Saddam is believed to have killed in more than 30 years. The US sanctions also killed more Iraqi children than the total number of all Iraqis Saddam killed. It has certainly not made our country better off to waste billions upon billions of money that could have gone to healthcare, education, AIDS and other research, etc. Has it made Iraq better off? Do I think it was worth it for Gabriel Asfar, my Iraqi professor? I still hoped it might be in 2005, but now I doubt Gabriel will be able to return to Iraq in his lifetime. Was it worth it for Iraqis in general? Well that is not for me to decide, it is for the Iraqis. I will keep working on Alive in Baghdad and we will endeavor to enable them to continue to speak to the world of their feelings on the war.

David, author of “Constructive Creativity”

What was your opinion when the US decided to invade Iraq in 2003?

I had mixed feelings. I felt certain that Saddam and his sons were profoundly evil people. I knew that Saddam had killed tens of thousands of Iraqis, gassed to death thousands of Kurds, and brutally suppressed the Shia in southern Iraq after the first gulf war uprising. After the U.N. presentation on Iraqi WMD by Colin Powell, I thought that Iraq may well have chemical and biological weapons (we all know better now!).

However, I did not think that Saddam would be stupid enough to use them against Americans. I listened to the U.N. inspectors who were saying that they were making progress in Iraq and needed more time. I thought why not give them more time? Iraq did not seem an eminent and dire
threat to any other country. Also, I was wondering about Afghanistan. Osama Bin Laden and Mullah Omar were still on the loose. I thought, shouldn't we finish our business with the people who really attacked us?

After the bombs of "shock and awe" began to fall on Baghdad, all I could think was that I hoped there were no civilians sitting under those huge explosions, but I knew that there must be some. I hoped that the military campaign would be short and that the death toll would be small. When the war began, I really didn't have much understanding of the social dynamics within Iraq (neither did Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld!). There was no inkling in my mind of the possibility of sectarian violence or
civil war. I never imagined, that Iraq could become a worse place to live with Saddam gone!

It has been four years since the invasion. Has your opinion changed since then? Why?

After four years, I certainly have a much different perspective. The lies and manipulations of the Bush administration, that enabled their rush to war in Iraq, are now public knowledge. More significantly,
though, in the past three years I have become friends with a number of Iraqi bloggers who have really opened my eyes to the true costs of this war for the Iraqi people.

Whom do you blame for the insecurity in Iraq? Why?

Ultimately, Bush is responsible, but I have always perceived him as little more than a puppet. Cheney has been more or less the power behind the throne from the start of the Bush Presidency, so a lot of the blame must rest squarely on his shoulders. The absolute incompetence of Rumsfeld, who thought he could have a war on the cheap, under-manned and under-funded, is blatantly obvious now. The abject failure of the administration to produce any sort of plan to keep the peace after their "Mission Accomplished" celebration, led first to the looting of Baghdad, next to the rise of the insurgency, and finally to the horrific sectarian violence prevalent today. The biggest single mistake was probably the disbanding of the Iraqi police and military forces. No doubt some were hard core Saddamists, but I think that most of them were just trying to support their families. I certainly don't think that all the violence and death of the past four years could have been prevented, but I do think it could have been dramatically reduced with better planning and competent leadership.

What do you think should be done to quell the violence there?

I strongly believe that any potential solution to the violence must come through dialog among the Iraqi people themselves. I also think that Iran, Syria, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia should be involved in the
discussions. These countries all have interests in Iraq and will suffer if the violence there escalates. I don't think that the current surge of American troops within Iraq will have any lasting beneficial effect. These troops will probably reduce the violence in the short term, but they are like putting a heavier lid on a boiling pot (to paraphrase some recent remarks by Colin Powell). The pot is still boiling, and when the lid is lifted, it may well boil over.

Do you think the US should withdraw its forces from Iraq now or not? Why?

I think the immediate withdrawal of all U.S. forces would be a very bad idea. There are millions of vulnerable civilians whose lives could be placed in jeopardy, were that to happen. However, I do not have any objection to a planned and publicized timetable for the reduction of U.S. forces, or to a deadline for the withdrawal of all forces. I think that setting a schedule with hard deadlines, combined with intensive political dialog and diplomacy between all Iraqi parties and neighboring countries, would be conducive to crystallizing the thoughts of the major players and forcing them to make the hard compromises needed to reduce the violence and rebuild a civil society.

Do you think the war was worth it? Why?

No, absolutely not! The war has cost the lives of at least half a million Iraqi people. How many more have been severely injured or maimed for life? How many people have been psychologically scarred by the loss of loved ones, by the loss of their homes, by the loss of their sense of security, or by the loss of their livelihoods? What about the women of Iraq? They are now losing many of the freedoms they have known for decades. More than 3000 American soldiers are dead, and at least 20,000 more have been seriously injured or disabled. America has lost much of the worldwide respect that it enjoyed prior to the war. The so called "war on terrorism" has created many times more new terrorists than have
been killed. America has wasted more than 300 billion dollars on this misadventure which it did not have to spend. Bush cut the taxes of all Americans, but especially those of the super rich. The money to fund his war was borrowed mostly from China and Saudi Arabia, who are the biggest buyers of U.S. Treasury Bills. Now, that just doesn't seem like a very sound fiscal or strategic policy to me!

“Electronic Iraq” [update]

- What was your opinion when the US decided to invade Iraq in 2003?

For years prior to the invasion, I had been active in organizing to end the economic sanctions against Iraq. One thing that had become clear from my visits to Iraq between 1998 and 2001 was that the sanctions, which had crippled Iraq so badly, had only served to strengthen Saddam Hussein's grip on power through the inevitable dependencies - rations, employment, health care - that emerged in a climate of forced deprivation.

The model of US foreign policy in Iraq throughout the 90's, whether intentional or not, was damn the population and embolden the dictator. That was also the policy model throughout the 80s. That policy model had survived Democratic and Republican administrations alike.

Did I want to see Saddam Hussein gone? Of course. I wanted to visit my Iraqi friends in their homes without drawing the attention of the secret police. I wanted to see my professor friends get jobs again and my artist friends create whatever they wanted and thrive and I wanted to see my engineer friends back doing what they loved: building Iraq.

But, as an American friend put it at the time: Iraq needs surgery, sure, but America is not a fit surgeon.

- It has been four years since the invasion. Has your opinion changed since then? Why?

My opinion that America was an unfit surgeon? No. It was reinforced by a visit to Iraq two weeks after American troops rumbled and shot their way into Baghdad. I talked to the soldiers. They were kind and helpful and, in many cases, well-meaning. But they knew nothing of the moral and political dimensions of occupation. And they knew nothing of Iraq or the Middle East or the complex history of American foreign policy in the region.

- Whom do you blame for the insecurity in Iraq? Why?

Just as the insecurity in Iraq has multiple layers, there are multiple layers of responsibility. The US bears responsibility of course. Much as American politicians have now framed the US role in Iraq as "policing a civil war," in fact our role has not been so benign. Occupation forces the occupied to take sides for or against the occupying power. The occupying power inevitably favors some groups over others. Occupation is a divisive force and without question led to the deepening of sectarian and other divisions in the country.

Beyond the responsibility the US bears, there is of course the responsibility of the various factions and militias committing terrible acts.

I would rather see the question reframed: who can we look to for a new model of action that seeks to build trust and unity. My answer? We should support any Iraqi individuals or organizations taking risks to forge creative and constructive models. This is surely happening in Baghdad and among refugees in Jordan and Syria and elsewhere, and the risks are as high as the stakes. In Baghdad, there are numerous stories of cooperation and collective positive action - they are small and largely go unreported, but they are there. In Jordan, Iraqis who have fled the violence have formed an Iraqi refugee council that crosses sectarian and class lines. It is a very new experiment, but it is hopeful.

- Do you think the US should withdraw its forces from Iraq now or not? Why?

I think the withdrawal question is important. But I worry that the "should we stay or should we go" debate in the US has completely overshadowed an equally important question: what does America owe Iraq?

We have given Iraq house raids, detention facilities, acute childhood malnutrition, cluster bombs, traffic jams, mercenaries and blast walls. What else can we give to Iraq? I believe some form of withdrawal will happen. Then what? Americans aren't thinking of this. What can Americans do as individuals? What can Americans push their political leadership to do? What are the models? What are the precedents?

These are the questions we need to be wrestling with.

Mariestaad, author of “Make a Desert and Call It Peace”

What was your opinion when the US decided to invade Iraq in 2003?

I knew this was a huge, huge mistake, and I also realized that the administration that I suspected had been gunning for Iraq since 2000 was going to prevail, and under the banner of "terrorism." Taking into account that it was obvious that Iraq that had nothing to do with Afghanistan and bin Laden, and that it was doubtful that it had any meaningful arsenal left after the devastating Gulf War and sanctions, I realized that the administration had really no clue. NO CLUE! They obviously didn't believe the Syrian Ambassador, no friend of Saddam Hussein's, when he stated "you will open the gates of hell." However, I did believe him. Because I knew what had happened in the Balkans after Tito died (a strongman who held together a country with three separate and historically warring factions), and there was no viable alternative than partisans with a deadly grudge; I knew that Iran would probably be incredibly happy at the prospect of Iraq collapsing; I knew that the Iraqi resistance would not go down, if at all, without a big fight; I knew that the Shi'ites and the Kurds would not trust the administration of a son of a former president that hung them out to dry in 1991. I also knew that any administration that prides itself as not being tied to history, and deplores intellectualism, and fueled itself entirely on ideology was going to get itself into one big heap of trouble. And, I'm very, very sad to say that I was right.

It has been four years since the invasion. Has your opinion changed since then? Why?

No, I'm just profoundly depressed.

Whom do you blame for the insecurity in Iraq? Why?

Overall—the United States. Specifically, Paul Bremer, the guy who brought you "de-Bathification," the billion-dollar American Embassy, the debacle of the Green Zone, which sets such great example, i.e. U.S. occupiers living where Saddam did, and with electricity 24/7, when the average Iraqi prays that the power will be on for three hours a day. Oh, and did I mention propping up a government that won't/can't rein-in its death squads? And seems powerless to protect its people against insurgents?

What do you think should be done to quell the violence there?

This is such a difficult problem with no easy answers. Anyone who says "oh, a surge!" or whatever, obviously needs 100 whacks from a hammer rather than just one to learn this lesson. It will take negotiations with surrounding countries, negotiations within the competing factions within Iraq, and jobs, jobs and more jobs. Not to mention incentives for putting down weapons and picking up the tools for rebuilding. There is no, and I repeat no, military answer to this problem. Any military or social historian will tell you that an insurgency is put down by one of two methods : complete annihilation of the combatants and the populations who support them, or negotiations. Obviously, no civil society will choose the former, although it might choose itself if the violence escalates and retaliation becomes even more widespread and lethal.

Do you think the US should withdraw its forces from Iraq now or not? Why?

It doesn't matter what I think. It only matters what the Iraqi people think. It's their country. Something everyone, on both sides of this argument, seems to have forgotten. And I mean the Iraqi people, not their "government" hiding out in the Green Zone. I think there should be a referendum on whether the U.S. and others should leave. You know, DEMOCRACY at work!

Do you think the war was worth it? Why?

Again, I know what I feel (no, it was not), but how I feel doesn't matter. I'm not the one who is paying for this war in blood. I think the only people who are qualified, and morally in the right, to answer this are the Iraqi people. Outside of the Kurds, I believe the answer is probably "no" from most Iraqis too (although I don't presume to speak for them). There is a saying that "the devil you know is better than the one you don't know." Well, we certainly were the unknown "devil" in the sense that we, the U.S., destabilized the average Iraqi's life in ways that most Americans will never know or fully appreciate.

"Poor Sancho"

What was your opinion when the US decided to invade Iraq in 2003?

I was not in favor of the invasion to begin with, but I must admit to not being against the invasion. I was of the opinion that the decision has been made, we are going to war so you may as well pray for success and hopefully it will be over fast and to everyone’s benefit, Iraq and the United States, the latter being my country.
I also have memories of heated discussions with people concerning the invasion, but most people I know simply hate President Bush and cannot have an intelligent argument unless it has to do with America bashing or Bush bashing. There is no discussing specifics. This I have no time for and as a result act in a very defensive, negative bullying style that makes me sound conservative and a supporter of the war and the President, of which I support neither.

I HONESTLY believed that my country would not go invade another country, topple its government and install another without a well thought out plan. I mean, we have been dealing with this country since the first Gulf War. Surely we know the lay of the land, the major players. Why didn’t I notice that there was pretty much one voice for Iraq outside Iraq, and it was this guy Ahmed Chalabi. How could I have missed that he had not been in Iraq in, say, 20 years or more? And he speaks for the Iraq people and knows what it will be like when we go in? But then I also believed Mohamed El-Baradai and Hans Blix that the case for WMD was shaky. I guess I tried to believe it all and none at the same time.
I spent too much time on the fence, and my balls got busted.

Before the Gulf War of 1991, the U.S. Congress at least had an honest debate about going to war. At that point we were only 16 years removed from the ignominious retreat from Saigon. I was in college afraid of being drafted and can remember vividly thinking ?I don’t want to go bleed all over the desert in some far away land so we can have cheaper oil and to put a KING, a KING mind you back on his throne. Didn’t we fight a war to put an end to that type of tyrannical rule?
The strangest part is that back then in 91 it seemed more real, as if it were affecting me personally. In 2002/03 they tried selling the Iraq 9-11 connection as a big reason and I didn’t buy it, yet still was silent. Was I asleep? Am I that stupid? My first reaction is yes, I was. But I also get annoyed at people who were so smart; they knew exactly what was going to happen.
I am ashamed of myself. I never considered just exactly what it means to unleash the Dogs War.

It has been four years since the invasion. Has your opinion changed since then? Why?

Yes. My opinion has changed with respect to the United States and its ability to effect change in the world, to help out other countries. How can we help those poor people in the Sudan when the full weight of the U.S. military cannot even keep the power on in Baghdad?
I can remember having a conversation about the war and its aftermath. I remember saying they will bring every able bodied Military Policeman, as well as International Police, the kind that are trained go in to post conflict areas and help keep the peace. How can I support people who didn’t even have that sense of forethought, when a slacking kid like me did? How can I support and have confidence in the very same people that caused this out of control situation?

Whom do you blame for the insecurity in Iraq? Why?

I put the blame squarely on the United States. The day the Saddam statue fell in Firdos Square, the United States under international treaties the U.S. is signature to, became the government of Iraq and from that day was sole entity responsible for the safety and security of the people of Iraq.
Therefore, if there were peace and stability the U.S. would have been responsible for the success and all the credit due accordingly.
Unfortunately the opposite conditions exist in Iraq, where death and murder and sorrow accompany every muezzin's call to prayer.

What do you think should be done to quell the violence there?

I do not personally know any people from Iraq. I am in contact with one blogger from Iraq who currently is studying in the United States and I personally know only one person that has been to Iraq and he is an American reporter and therefore I am reluctant to make recommendations on what should be done in Iraq.

Until the people have confidence in the government to provide security the violence will continue. And what level of security would be acceptable to the Iraqi’s I have no idea. I know if it were my country I would want 0 car bombs and no drill hole corpses any more. I would want to be able to send my children to school and know that the cops on the street will make sure the street is safe enough for them to walk alone without fear of a stray ball bearing severing her artery because some young man feels so strongly in his position to strap a vest of plastic explosives lined with ball bearings and set it off at the entrance to a university. Why should anyone expect any less than that?
The people must also feel that their government of Iraqi’s is in control of their country, not a foreign ignorant occupier.

Do you think the US should withdraw its forces from Iraq now or not? Why?

No, I do not think the U.S. should withdraw its combat forces now. Having invaded and occupied Iraq, creating chaos and death on an unimaginable scale only to leave these conditions behind while not at least trying to help make it better, albeit late, the U.S. has an obligation to stay.
Again, this is difficult for me to make recommendations as I am so far removed from the situation, and we have the President to thank for this as he never asked anything of the American people. Wait, he asked loyal republicans who never had a passport to go to Iraq and create zip codes. ZIP CODES!
But I digress. Is the U.S. presence in Iraq only making it worse and if we simply left all the drill-holed bodies would stop showing up in the morgue? If we left would that mean the Sunni woman could go look for her dead husband at the Shiite morgue without fear of being raped? Will the Shiite pilgrims mourning Imam Hussain ibn Ali feel safe to walk with piety to Karbala without fear of being burned beyond recognition?

Do you think the war was worth it? Why?

No. All for one man? That guy in the rat hole who needed his teeth brushed? That guy? All those dead people for THAT GUY? An orgy of death and destruction on a scale rarely seen. As an American I am complicit and feel ashamed at what we did to the peace loving people of Iraq.

RhusLancia, contributor in “Iraqi Bloggers Central”

What was your opinion when the US decided to invade Iraq in 2003?

I was against the invasion up until it happened. I felt that Saddam's time was up, but I was hoping for a diplomatic solution to save the day, or that he would take the exile deal that was offered to him. My
first post at IBC (http://jarrarsupariver.blogspot.com/2006/12/my-war.html), which was less than four months ago, gives a little more information on the how and why of my opinion if anybody is interested.


It has been four years since the invasion. Has youropinion changed since then? Why?

Yes, I'd say it has. I was much more "on the fence" about Iraq at first. The more I learn about Iraq under Saddam and the more I see its current struggles, the more I hope it can pull through and become
stable and prosperous. I only see that happening if the US & Iraqi gov't side "wins" though, which is the side I've taken.


Whom do you blame for the insecurity in Iraq? Why?

Everyone. I blame Saddam for so brutalizing Iraqis that they have deep-rooted insecurities that could take years to shed. I blame the Baathists for preferring to burn Iraq and ally themselves with terrorists instead of see it exist under different leadership. I blame the terrorists for terrorizing. I blame the antiwar movement for sympathizing with the Baathists and terrorists out of irrational hatred for the American government and recycled slogans from 1991 and 1967. I blame the exiles who wanted to be the next Saddam in Iraq instead of the first Jefferson (sans slave ownership of course). I blame the religious leadership of Iraq and the region who believe(d) inciting violence and sowing discord were their divine duties. I blame the people who answered their calls. I blame every terrorist cell/insurgent group/militia/gang who murdered, extorted, destroyed, and intimidated to try to reach their goals. I blame the US effort which had approached planning with only the "best-case" scenarios under advisement and who had been so slow to understand the challenges and respond to them. I blame the public for not knowing or not caring about what is happening in Iraq. I blame the media for showing mostly the worst of the situation, which encourages those who would destroy Iraq and discourages those who would build it. I blame myself for waiting until just a few weeks ago to write my congressman for the first time ever, and for staying here in America safe & sound while others decide Iraq's future. But Iraq says they don't want me, and I know my wife & kids do!


What do you think should be done to quell the violence there?

In general terms, I think the Iraqis need to get behind their government. I know the government has been disappointing to most, but for now that is what Iraq has. Look at the US government though. No
matter where you stand politically, you can find reasons to be disappointed in our government. Still, Americans are not killing each other over political differences or disappointment. Some might like to,
but nobody is.

I have two ideas for getting Iraqis behind their government. The first I've discussed in your comments, but I think the second may be new.

First, what I call the RhusLancia Plan for Practice Makes Perfect Democracy (RLPfPMPD). Basically, hold new elections as early as the end of this year and hold elections every two years for a period of time (a decade, for example) and then revert to a four year cycle. The gist of this plan is to let Iraqis choose a new government that is more representative of their hopes and priorities. Now that Iraqis have had
some time to see the performance of the parties and politicians they can make more informed choices about who they want to elect. Holding elections every two years for a time would allow greater accountability of the politicians and let them and the electorate mature more quickly, in my opinion. Here are two important details: a) Maliki should call the election before any coup or no-confidence vote happens. He should announce it as a voluntary, positive way to move Iraq forward b) Maliki and the existing parties would be allowed to run. In short, the RLPfPMPD gives Iraqis a way to elect a government they could get behind. Plus, remember what a triumph the elections were, and how glad
the Iraqis were about them? Vote, dip finger, smile, repeat.

Second, I don't have a name for this plan (suggestions, anyone?), but it has to do with getting the Iraqis behind their government at our expense. No, I don't mean with violence or bribes! I mean that the battle for Iraqi hearts and minds is pretty much lost. Many of the Iraqi bloggers I know of have turned against the US-led invasion (if they were "for" it to begin with) and most Iraqi polls want us out or dead. There seems to be an alarming number of Iraqis who can forgive or ignore horrific violence from their countrymen and jihadi allies as long as the US "occupier" gets his, too. A BBC4 documentary BT posted
not too long ago had a scene with a Sadr City cleric teaching a group of young children. "No no no to America" he would say. "No no no to America" they would repeat. Educating a new generation. It may take decades for Iraqis to say they are glad we pulled the plug on Saddam. My dreams for a Disneyland to be built in Babylon have been postponed indefinitely.

So what to do? Advance governance and security by the current government as a viable alternative for Iraqis (i.e. instead of insurgents, militias, or gangs). For example, al-Sadr recently called on his supporters to resist America in Sadr City. Initially I thought, what? Does he want a third round?? But no, he said "peacefully" this time. So they gathered for a peaceful demonstration, and that is
great. They could have thousands of people every day protesting peacefully in Sadr City to get the Americans out. The gov't would enter to negotiate. In exchange for withdrawing US forces from Sadr
City, they could dismantle the JAM and consent to letting the ISF provide security. The clerics, in a show of defiance to the Americans, could urge their supporters to not only cooperate, but to cooperate enthusiastically. No violence, hand over weapons, no death squads, etc. That would show us!

Yes, a similar thing was tried after Fallujah I with the disastrous "Fallujah Brigade", but maybe Iraq has learned its lesson and has a matured enough since then.

We also need the Iraqi parliament to vote us in our out, which is somewhat related.

Getting behind the Iraqi government could finally allow Iraq to move forward as one nation and achieve the peace and prosperity they've been denied for so long.


Do you think the US should withdraw its forces from Iraq now or not? Why?

No. I believe Iraq's chaos would escalate into an even more horrific scale if we left before the government is stable and the ISF can provide security. I believe it is in the interest of the United States
to stay for both national security and moral reasons.


Do you think the war was worth it? Why?

I don't know, it depends on how it turns out. If we leave too soon and Iraq plunges into a deeper civil war for many years, with some new tyrant or radical in the lead when the blood dries... then no, it won't be worth it. If Iraq stabilizes and a just society & government emerges then yes, it will be worth it.

“The Sam and BeckyBoo Show” summed up his/her opinion here.

“The Real Ugly American”

What was your opinion when the US decided to invade Iraq in 2003?

I was for it regardless of WMD and said so publicly. Saddam was an evil man and removing him from power was a good thing.

It has been four years since the invasion. Has your opinion changed since then? Why?

No. I was for the war then, and I am for the war now. Many people say Iraqis are not ready for democracy, or their society is too violent and we should have expected things to turn out the way they have. I believe Iraqis are like Americans and only want to live in peace and safety and have a hope for the future for their children. I believe they deserve this as much as anyone. I think war is always bloody and things nearly always get worse before they get better.

Whom do you blame for the insecurity in Iraq? Why?

There is plenty of blame to go around but the primary blame must lay with the insurgents, terrorists, militias and criminals who are benefiting from the violence. Iraqi politicians who are putting their partisan and sectarian interests ahead of their country, bad decisions by US commanders, and interference from Iran and Syria and the shameful failure of the rest of the free world to lift a finger to help Iraq has also contributed to the current state of affairs.

What do you think should be done to quell the violence there?

Patience, time and the will to persevere and win. Without it Iraq is doomed to chaos for a very very long time. Someone has to be willing to fight for the future of Iraq. The aforementioned militias and organized criminals certainly will continue to fight. If no one fights back the people committing the car bombings, suicide bombings and other violence will surely win. The current reinforcement of troops to Baghdad and recent change of commanders and strategy seem to be having a positive effect but it is far too soon to tell. I think killing Muqtada Al Sadr would go a very long way to making Iraq a better place and it should have happened years ago.

Do you think the US should withdraw its forces from Iraq now or not? Why?

No I do not. Either the US stands for freedom in the world or it does not. I still believe it does and it is our responsibility to stay in Iraq and help the Iraqi people realize some version of the dream we have here.

Do you think the war was worth it? Why?

Yes. Fighting for freedom is always worth it. Saddam is removed from power; he and his sons are dead. Punished for their crimes and will never kill or torture anyone else again. Al-Zarqawi is dead as are thousands more like him and that is a good thing. Iraq may be in turmoil now but Iraqis have a chance at a better future today that they didn’t have before the war and never would have had without it. There are no guarantees; it is up to Iraqis more than anyone else to secure their future.

baghdadtreasure@gmail.com