Interviews with Iraqis on the 3rd Anniversary of War

 

Ahmed, a retired banking official, a Sunni Muslim educated in Great Britain with a background in Economics. Interview by Anita David, CPT Iraq, 9 March 2006

 

The stock market is a good indicator – it's going down fast.

 

I believed the Americans and British were going to run this country as they run their own countries. It turned out they were not running [Iraq] by the standards of their own countries.

 

On occasion, sometimes deliberately, they think they can get more co-operation by force than by developing this country and putting the right people in the right place. Especially they did not develop the majority [of the people], which have the peace in their hands.

 

It is obvious that this constitution and the way of the election have created more trouble for us and for them than if they had used a British.

 

They distributed too much money to certain people and what did they get in return? More trouble. $3 trillion – where is it?

 

They taught all this good democracy although we had it before them. We made a friend with the U.S. and coalition on this basis, to develop this earth and share the benefits. But it turned out we have a brutal force and they spend their money on destroying many things through misunderstanding of good co-operation. I hope they don't go too far to drive us to the terrorists' side. The only way to get rid of this is by conversation by all parties and let the UN General Assembly and not the Security Counsel lead the way. This is real democracy. But we can help them.

 

In all my life even with my enemy, I react only to the amount of harm at the time and I kept, always, on every occasion, my enemies [as friends who] came back to me.

 

It is the truth. The West does have a double standard. If they want the respect of people of the other nations (they must change this).

 

They give us a bigger amount of paper money that buys the same amount.

 

If they want us to believe them, let them walk on the right path – not just talk but walk.

 

For example, if they say they will pull out of the country only if the Iraqi parties abide by the constitution [shouldn't they require the same from] Israel, to hand over the Sheba farms? [But] suggest this and see what happens.

Mahmoud, an air craft engineer, a Sunni. interview by Anita David, CPT Iraq, 9 March 2006

 

This man received his education in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is an air craft engineer. He loves Oklahoma and the people he studied with. He calls the US his sweet home.

 

There is no safety. No change, no use. Not at all. It's worse.

 

We thought we would be better but now we are worse. I have seen America. You cannot fool us. You can fix the electricity easily. Under Saddam the power station was repaired in two days. Electricity is most important.

 

We are waiting to die.

 

We like you. We do not deserve this.

 

It's a big game and we are small people. We have thirty years' experience.

 

I want to leave this country, leave it for them. It's not for us. I want to leave it because I want to live and you will take it. No hope, it's not my job to hope. We don't need hope.

 

We know what's going on. I believe they came to help us. I'm sure, but I don't know why they haven't helped us. It was not for oil.

 

All these people from other countries came and destroyed Baghdad, our capital. They should all stay in their own states. There's no place for us.

 

I'm not interested in anything. Just save myself.

 

It's not easy for the U.S., God help them. They cannot control this country. They got rid of Saddam. This is their country now. You cannot see their help.

 

There is no giving. There is no taking. We are waiting for our turn to die

Well, I'm still alive.

Aiya, a Shia woman business owner. Interview by Anita David, CPT Iraq. 9 March 2006

 

First I must tell you my partner and I were very near you driving back to the shop. We heard a bomb. It was very close. And I looked up and saw these people running toward us. I turned around and the bomb went off 20 meters from our car.

 

That is my new employee. His father was killed and he supports his family. He is eighteen years old. His father worked in a bakery, he was killed and they found him after 9 months in the morgue. The bakery had a contract with the US to supply bread for the Army. He can install computers. He is very curious and ambitious. He began his own very small computer business, formatting, networking computers. I gave him his business card for free.

 

First, before the invasion, people suffered from inhibition. Every transaction was difficult. We were imprisoned in our country. There were religious distinctions. But only for government jobs or school, [did] they look back to your roots. It was a psychological war. You had to work behind a curtain. It was very complicated.

 

With the invasion, people felt friendly with troops and organizations. People expected it to be like America; another small America with open universities, some scholarships, American goods.

 

For me, from the start, I thought one tyrant before, now many tyrants. We are a rich country. Now they waste our riches. It is not our interest but their interest. When they are through, they will give us the remains, if any.

 

People said wait five years. They [the U.S] entered in five days. Did they make a change in one year or two or three. Instead we are going backwards. I see only ruins. Terrorists. They want terrorists to be in Iraq.

 

We stay busy to be safe, to save our lives. We can't think how to build our country. We use all our energy this way.

 

Imagine your are living in the richest country in the world and you are poor. We have two rivers and a shortage of water, shortages of everything in which we are rich. In spite of everything we are hardly making our living. I'm not in Sudan or Palestine or Yemen. It all goes for strangers, not for us.

 

The new generation wants to live this modern life.

 

The occupation wants to distort Islamic religion by making us all look like terrorists. This idea that reaches people is that Iraqi people are terrorists. The media always show that, [but] they don't mention who is the real terrorist. It is all a plan to limit us and to take what they want.

 

They say they provide services like hospitals and ambulances and doctors. But after an explosion they wait and wait. They say they care for human rights and respect [people], but they don't have respect. They have signs on their humvees, “Stay 100 feet behind” or they will shoot you, take your life.

 

                    Aiya cont'd.

Iraqis have live bodies but dead souls. Yesterday was my birthday. My friends called to say happy birthday. I told them don't say that because it's been 28 years of suffering. And the same for 29 and 30.

 

I want to improve myself, my education and to find rest.

 

When you always inhibit something, feel you want to do something and you can't, [you] feel like you are always standing in the same place or moving backward. We need change.

 

The only person who can rule Iraq is the one who suffered. Ask any politician where is your son? He is in Cambridge. Your daughter? She is studying in the U.S. What is your salary. They are doing nothing for us, just quarreling for their chair/position and not for the interests of the Iraqi people.

 

If you made me president of Iraq, I know what Iraqis suffered because I know what I suffered, I can help because I know where the wound is. I know how to heal it.

 

Gas, generators, benzene. Salaries rise and the needs of life go up. And you can travel but we can't build our lives in another country because of this bad reputation.

 

The coalition succeeded in making religious distinctions. We are Shi'a but my brother-in-law in Sunni. We are all related. There is no distinction between us.

 

Even when some of our religious men make some distinctions, all this hard living makes it easier to implant bad ideas. No prophet accepts a criminal to be beside him. It is a distortion of our religion. Our clergymen must say this is wrong.

 

I believe Iraq needs 20 years to be changed. The American troops must leave. The new generation should be finished with their studies. They must be open-minded. The older generations must resign because they can't change because this time took too much from them.

 

The young will learn to be flexible, not just for their own interests. People credit old people with experience but what good is his education and experience when he only uses his old style. The young want to be creative. They have new ideas and are for the interests of others. Our lives can be improved by depending on the new generation. The real problem is inside us.

Hanna, a Palestinian woman interviewed at her home in Baladiat in Baghdad. interview by Allan Slater on Thursday, March 9, 2006.

 

Fatima quoted an Arabic proverb, “A fever is better than death.”

 

Life was bad under Saddam Hussein but at least we had security.

 

During the invasion we were able to avoid the bombs because they were directed at military targets.

 

Now there are about ten brigades embedded in the army and police forces that are arresting, detaining and killing our people. Most of these brigades are led by Iranians that do not understand or respect our culture.

 

Many Iraqis are jealous of the successes that Palestinians have achieved here in Iraq. It is not safe for our children to go to school. They are accused of being terrorists. There is no hope for the Palestinians in Iraq now.