Yesterday, our whole area stood on its feet as something happened for probably for the first time here. It used to happend in a bit farther parts of town, but not here until now.
A car came, and two people whose hands were tied were brought down of the car to a little dump square, and they were both shot in the head on the spot.
Some people even thought that the killers had put detonators under the two dead bodies, in order to kill the police or army or whoever comes to deal with the two bodies.
Furthermore, I heard on the radio this morning that armed men in Ramadi who have the on-the-ground control, have banned satellite TV and wireless internet.
This comes in addition to some other banned things such as (written in bold are confirmed): Shorts, goatie beards, smoking in the street, short (marines-like) hair for men, uncovered hair for women, trousers (even wide ones) for women, t-shirts with English writings; oh and mixing tomatoes (feminine) and cucumbers (masculine) in the same bag!
I just wonder what would come next, where would they stop, and when would the Gov't or even the American Army would wake up and do something or anything about it, if some of these stuff do not happen elsewhere, but in Baghdad?!
Everyday they tell us that they caught 50 terrorists and gangsters, "including key figures", but we are not seeing the effect in the restive areas; so what exactly are the gov't and armed forces doing?
The bigger question is: Excuse me, do we have a government??!! If yes, then don't tell me, SHOW ME!!!!
31 May 2006
30 May 2006
A Message to a Friend...
These lines are quotes dedicated to a very dear friend, a very true friend, who moved away to another town...
I hope that the blessings of God be with that friend wherever that friend may go, and that we meet again someday... Bye, J!
There's a miracle of friendship that
dwells within the heart
And you don't know how it happens
or where it gets its start
But the happiness it brings you
always gives a special lift
Any you realize that friendship
Is God's most perfect gift.
- Anon.
"When I find myself fading, I close my eyes and realize my friends are my energy."
-Anon.
"I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see."
-John Burroughs
"Only solitary men know the full joys of friendship. Others have their family; but to a solitary and an exile, his friends are everything."
-Willa Cather, Shadows on the Rock, 1931
"Be true to your work, your word, and your friend."
-Henry David Thoreau
29 May 2006
The Cookie Monster!
Hello All!
I guess you all know by now, that i am a Google fan.
I don't use any search engine except "The Big G", use Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Talk, read the official Google Blogs, and the list goes on!
However, there is something i would like to report to the world, and i still don't know what it is, or what is causing it!
For a year now, i have been a happy Gmail'er, and it is a pleasant experience to tell you the truth, except for the inability to use it in Arabic (i hope Gmail Arabic/ Arabic text enabled happens one day while i am still breathing!)... But now a new negative point have poped up, and i strongly believe that it is not Gmail's fault, rather than something from my side that i can't put my finger on...
For sometime now, i am having a difficulty signing into my Gmail, the "Google Accounts" page that came right afterwards seems a bit stubborn; and expecting such a problem due to the neat system Gmail works with, (and how backwards my computer is, i may add), i used the auto forwarding feature in Gmail to drop my G-mails into Yahoo!... But Yahoo's Sign in page became stubborn as well! That left me only with the POP feature that saved the day.
It seemed to me that some pages that have the https:// prefix failed to open well... Until two days ago, when something weird happened, which left me "crying", when anything that is Google refused to open! I even tried to go through Google Int'l websites,like Google Jordan or Google Greece, but nothing happened! For a moment i thought it was a Microsoft conspiracy!! :)
I recall that the Google Help pages once said that we should delete the offline files, history and cookies, so i did just that. Man! I even brought the Cookie Monster to eat all the cookies and it didn't work... Again, i think my computer has the glitches big time! But today, things suddenly got better, and everything returned to normal, for now, that is!
I guess you all know by now, that i am a Google fan.
I don't use any search engine except "The Big G", use Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Talk, read the official Google Blogs, and the list goes on!
However, there is something i would like to report to the world, and i still don't know what it is, or what is causing it!
For a year now, i have been a happy Gmail'er, and it is a pleasant experience to tell you the truth, except for the inability to use it in Arabic (i hope Gmail Arabic/ Arabic text enabled happens one day while i am still breathing!)... But now a new negative point have poped up, and i strongly believe that it is not Gmail's fault, rather than something from my side that i can't put my finger on...
For sometime now, i am having a difficulty signing into my Gmail, the "Google Accounts" page that came right afterwards seems a bit stubborn; and expecting such a problem due to the neat system Gmail works with, (and how backwards my computer is, i may add), i used the auto forwarding feature in Gmail to drop my G-mails into Yahoo!... But Yahoo's Sign in page became stubborn as well! That left me only with the POP feature that saved the day.
It seemed to me that some pages that have the https:// prefix failed to open well... Until two days ago, when something weird happened, which left me "crying", when anything that is Google refused to open! I even tried to go through Google Int'l websites,like Google Jordan or Google Greece, but nothing happened! For a moment i thought it was a Microsoft conspiracy!! :)
I recall that the Google Help pages once said that we should delete the offline files, history and cookies, so i did just that. Man! I even brought the Cookie Monster to eat all the cookies and it didn't work... Again, i think my computer has the glitches big time! But today, things suddenly got better, and everything returned to normal, for now, that is!
26 May 2006
The Reason of Killing?!
The following news story is quoted from the Australian newspaper "The Courier Mail" of Brisbane, Australia.
The article can be found at: http://thecouriermail.news.com.au/story/0,20797,19265635-1702,00.html
Coach killed 'for wearing shorts'
From correspondents in Baghdad
May 26, 2006
This article from : Reuters
THE coach of the Iraq tennis team and two players have been shot dead by armed gunmen in Baghdad, the Iraqi Olympic Committee chief said today.
According to eye witnesses, the three men were killed because they were wearing shorts.
"Armed men assassinated the trainer, Ahmed Rachid, and two players, Nasser Ali Hatem and Wissam Adel Odah on Thursday afternoon in the Saidiya district (of Baghdad)," committee secretary-general Amer Jabbar said.
Witnesses said that a Sunni militant group issued a warning a few days before the attack, forbidding the wearing of shorts.
One witness, who requested anonymity, said: "The three men were driving in a car and dropped off some washing at a launderette when they were stopped by the gunmen, who had seen they were in shorts.
"The coach and players were stopped by the armed group. Two of them got out of the car and were shot with a bullet in the head. The third was killed in the car.
"The gunmen took the body out of the car and threw it on top of the other two bodies before stealing the car."
This is not the first time that sportsmen have been targeted in Iraq.
On May 17 a group of 15 members of the Iraq tae kwon do team were taken hostage between Fallujah and Ramadi to the west of Baghdad as they returned Amman in Jordan.
The kidnappers demanded a ransom of $US100,000 ($131,690) for their release, Iraqi Olympic Committee. member Jamal Abdel Karim said.
And on February 25, former national boxing champion Jasseb Rahma was shot dead in front of his family in the town of Basrah.
The article can be found at: http://thecouriermail.news.com.au/story/0,20797,19265635-1702,00.html
Coach killed 'for wearing shorts'
From correspondents in Baghdad
May 26, 2006
This article from : Reuters
THE coach of the Iraq tennis team and two players have been shot dead by armed gunmen in Baghdad, the Iraqi Olympic Committee chief said today.
According to eye witnesses, the three men were killed because they were wearing shorts.
"Armed men assassinated the trainer, Ahmed Rachid, and two players, Nasser Ali Hatem and Wissam Adel Odah on Thursday afternoon in the Saidiya district (of Baghdad)," committee secretary-general Amer Jabbar said.
Witnesses said that a Sunni militant group issued a warning a few days before the attack, forbidding the wearing of shorts.
One witness, who requested anonymity, said: "The three men were driving in a car and dropped off some washing at a launderette when they were stopped by the gunmen, who had seen they were in shorts.
"The coach and players were stopped by the armed group. Two of them got out of the car and were shot with a bullet in the head. The third was killed in the car.
"The gunmen took the body out of the car and threw it on top of the other two bodies before stealing the car."
This is not the first time that sportsmen have been targeted in Iraq.
On May 17 a group of 15 members of the Iraq tae kwon do team were taken hostage between Fallujah and Ramadi to the west of Baghdad as they returned Amman in Jordan.
The kidnappers demanded a ransom of $US100,000 ($131,690) for their release, Iraqi Olympic Committee. member Jamal Abdel Karim said.
And on February 25, former national boxing champion Jasseb Rahma was shot dead in front of his family in the town of Basrah.
25 May 2006
Loss After Loss
I lost a friend a couple of weeks ago to the violence and killings that engulf Iraq.
I learned today about the loss of another friend, making the death toll of those i know reach 3 in as much months.
The latest victim was a shopkeeper. I knew him for about 13 years, since high school days. He was a very nice and a very polite person, who came from a good family that brought him up well.
He was killed with his brother, for relegious reasons.
He wasn't killed for what he worked, he was killed just for being what he was. As simple as that.
What can you say, when seeing people you know, fall all the time?
What can you say, when you see Al-Qaida slogans written increasingly on the walls in parts of your area, right under the noses of the American Army, the Iraqi Army, and the gov't that is busy giving away ministries, and many many parliamentarians who want to fill up their pockets and blab to Al-Jazeera and its likes, and just be served instead of serving the people.
Nobody can bring my friends who have fell dead back, but the big question is: Who would save those who are still alive? Who would save me, among other Iraqis? Would all Iraqis just sit and wait for the threat papers or assassination bullets to come? What is the solution? Would there be a crackdown where and when needed to stop all this?
Love died, feelings died,
The light that shows us the way died,
The human, within us died,
Let's all cry for that loss...
(Kazem Al-Saher)
I learned today about the loss of another friend, making the death toll of those i know reach 3 in as much months.
The latest victim was a shopkeeper. I knew him for about 13 years, since high school days. He was a very nice and a very polite person, who came from a good family that brought him up well.
He was killed with his brother, for relegious reasons.
He wasn't killed for what he worked, he was killed just for being what he was. As simple as that.
What can you say, when seeing people you know, fall all the time?
What can you say, when you see Al-Qaida slogans written increasingly on the walls in parts of your area, right under the noses of the American Army, the Iraqi Army, and the gov't that is busy giving away ministries, and many many parliamentarians who want to fill up their pockets and blab to Al-Jazeera and its likes, and just be served instead of serving the people.
Nobody can bring my friends who have fell dead back, but the big question is: Who would save those who are still alive? Who would save me, among other Iraqis? Would all Iraqis just sit and wait for the threat papers or assassination bullets to come? What is the solution? Would there be a crackdown where and when needed to stop all this?
Love died, feelings died,
The light that shows us the way died,
The human, within us died,
Let's all cry for that loss...
(Kazem Al-Saher)
15 May 2006
Early Morning Blabbings!
It was a quiet morning in Baghdad, and it was around 8:30 am, when suddenly, i was awakened by very close Kalashnikov gun shots!
I jumped from the bed running out of my room shouting: "Where is everybody?!". In 5 seconds time, "everybody" was accounted for, and i took a long sigh of relief!
I was terribly afraid that one of the family was going out, and they got killed -God forbid-. Thank God that we are "in-the-middle" kind of people with no political or relegious or any other affiliations whatsoever, which makes it "safer" for us than other Iraqis, but hey, Iraqis are killed just for being Iraqis!
The range of killing doesn't exclude anyone, of course, from rich and important people, to poor bakers or falafil sellers on the street; why? Because they're Iraqis!
I heard that some Arabists (some Arabs who claim that they are Arabophile and pro-Nationalism and all, but their situations could be sold and bought as cheap as junk) have given a decree, or maybe a fatwa, or whatever it may be called, saying that because Iraqis haven't fought with the former "legitimate" gov't against the "Bushy occupation" or "foreign domination", then they should be all killed!
First, i think it is not of their business, for they danced and benefitted over Iraqis' disasters during the last decade (at least), and now they suddenly appear to like us!
Furthermore, it is kind of stupid, in my humble opinion, because if you come and kill -or pay for the killing of- all the Iraqis then who on Earth would be left running Iraq except the "foreigners"??!!
Kill all the Iraqis, make Iraq empty or weak, and you would get a long smooch between the Bush Administration and its allies from one side, and Iran and all its allies from the other side; that is despite the fact that both blocs have their big differences, of course. But they are a living example of a Iraqi proverb which talks about simultaneous love-hate feelings, and that proverb may not be quite appropriate to be said here!
Meanwhile, the Iraqi gov't is STiLL under construction... It brings to memory a scene from one of Duraid Lahham's (AKA Ghawwar El-Toushe) movies, when he asks about today's newspapers, and he is told by the newspapers seller that they only have last week's newspapers, so he says: "bring them down! The news haven't changed since then!!"
Yes, the news haven't changed. Iraqis get killed by the dozens everyday, while politicians are still there, blabbing, and here you have some "@#$%^*" party threatening or deciding to pull out of the gov't and mess everything up because they were not given a certain ministry to play with!!!
Technocrats, non-sectarians, independent Iraqis: eat your hearts out!
I jumped from the bed running out of my room shouting: "Where is everybody?!". In 5 seconds time, "everybody" was accounted for, and i took a long sigh of relief!
I was terribly afraid that one of the family was going out, and they got killed -God forbid-. Thank God that we are "in-the-middle" kind of people with no political or relegious or any other affiliations whatsoever, which makes it "safer" for us than other Iraqis, but hey, Iraqis are killed just for being Iraqis!
The range of killing doesn't exclude anyone, of course, from rich and important people, to poor bakers or falafil sellers on the street; why? Because they're Iraqis!
I heard that some Arabists (some Arabs who claim that they are Arabophile and pro-Nationalism and all, but their situations could be sold and bought as cheap as junk) have given a decree, or maybe a fatwa, or whatever it may be called, saying that because Iraqis haven't fought with the former "legitimate" gov't against the "Bushy occupation" or "foreign domination", then they should be all killed!
First, i think it is not of their business, for they danced and benefitted over Iraqis' disasters during the last decade (at least), and now they suddenly appear to like us!
Furthermore, it is kind of stupid, in my humble opinion, because if you come and kill -or pay for the killing of- all the Iraqis then who on Earth would be left running Iraq except the "foreigners"??!!
Kill all the Iraqis, make Iraq empty or weak, and you would get a long smooch between the Bush Administration and its allies from one side, and Iran and all its allies from the other side; that is despite the fact that both blocs have their big differences, of course. But they are a living example of a Iraqi proverb which talks about simultaneous love-hate feelings, and that proverb may not be quite appropriate to be said here!
Meanwhile, the Iraqi gov't is STiLL under construction... It brings to memory a scene from one of Duraid Lahham's (AKA Ghawwar El-Toushe) movies, when he asks about today's newspapers, and he is told by the newspapers seller that they only have last week's newspapers, so he says: "bring them down! The news haven't changed since then!!"
Yes, the news haven't changed. Iraqis get killed by the dozens everyday, while politicians are still there, blabbing, and here you have some "@#$%^*" party threatening or deciding to pull out of the gov't and mess everything up because they were not given a certain ministry to play with!!!
Technocrats, non-sectarians, independent Iraqis: eat your hearts out!
10 May 2006
The Explosion
I was asleep in the afternoon, the time was around 6:30 pm, when a huge explosion rocked our area. It was not farther than 250 meters (270 yds) from our house.
The blast was so big to the extent that a 15 cm (half a foot) piece of debris fell in the street right in front of our door.
The American humvees came about 5 minutes after the accident.
The problem that we have in the area are the empty spaces filled with trash, which could be a fertile ground to plant explosive devices, not necessarily aimed at Iraqi or American forces, but civilians. Today's blast was near a market, and there was a blast at the same spot last month. We heard that at least one person was badly hit in the neck and was rushed to hospital.
What can we do... That's life in Baghdad...
08 May 2006
Close Encounter
It was half past twelve at night, and as hot as hell,
And then all of a sudden, off went the bell...
We were scared and bedazzled, who on earth they might be,
We went out, and looked out, and "Americans" we see...
***
Yes, the American army passed by, and they just asked a couple of questions... Something that could've certainly been done at an earlier time that 12:30 am, when nobody moves around except the military & what is known to be "death squads" who wear police commandos uniforms.
That is why it was very scary, and the sky high adrenalin made it difficult to sleep afterwards.
I don't really know till this moment, did they go and ask any other house, and if not then why us?!
One of the funniest things the American officer said was "if there is anything suspicious, you could just apporach the US forces, and tap at any of our vehicles and tell us about it"!!!!!
Excuse you, dude!!!!!
Isn't that how you shoot people!!! When they 'approach' your vehicles. My dad was carrying bread once, and walking some 50 meters (yds) away, and the dude over one vehicle kept shouting to him to 'go'...
Are you out of your mind??!!!
Anyway, they seemed quite 'polite' to say the least... They rang the bell and waited... No smokebombs, no assaults, no armed appearence right in your face... We weren't handcuffed or stepped on or anything... I guess they're learning the 'right' ways (except making stupid "go tap a humvee" suggestions!!!)
And then all of a sudden, off went the bell...
We were scared and bedazzled, who on earth they might be,
We went out, and looked out, and "Americans" we see...
***
Yes, the American army passed by, and they just asked a couple of questions... Something that could've certainly been done at an earlier time that 12:30 am, when nobody moves around except the military & what is known to be "death squads" who wear police commandos uniforms.
That is why it was very scary, and the sky high adrenalin made it difficult to sleep afterwards.
I don't really know till this moment, did they go and ask any other house, and if not then why us?!
One of the funniest things the American officer said was "if there is anything suspicious, you could just apporach the US forces, and tap at any of our vehicles and tell us about it"!!!!!
Excuse you, dude!!!!!
Isn't that how you shoot people!!! When they 'approach' your vehicles. My dad was carrying bread once, and walking some 50 meters (yds) away, and the dude over one vehicle kept shouting to him to 'go'...
Are you out of your mind??!!!
Anyway, they seemed quite 'polite' to say the least... They rang the bell and waited... No smokebombs, no assaults, no armed appearence right in your face... We weren't handcuffed or stepped on or anything... I guess they're learning the 'right' ways (except making stupid "go tap a humvee" suggestions!!!)
04 May 2006
Two AM Shootout
I returned to Baghdad from the North of Iraq two days ago, and this is the first posting about Baghdad.
It was about 1:45 am, when fierce gunshots broke all over the region.
The shooting was very close, and it appeared that there was an attack against one of the mosques, at the far side of the area, maybe on the main highway adjacent to the area.
It went on for about 30 minutes, then faded down. And it was strange to have a shooting round this long with the heavy patrols the US & Iraqi Armies are running through our area on a constant daily basis.
Another bad element is the trash and junk that is filling the streets and squares of our area. They surely attract explosive devices, especially with the many patrols roaming our alleys.
Let's just hope nothing blows up, like what happened about a month ago some 300 meters (yds) away from our home. A couple of people were injured, but luckily, nobody died.
It was about 1:45 am, when fierce gunshots broke all over the region.
The shooting was very close, and it appeared that there was an attack against one of the mosques, at the far side of the area, maybe on the main highway adjacent to the area.
It went on for about 30 minutes, then faded down. And it was strange to have a shooting round this long with the heavy patrols the US & Iraqi Armies are running through our area on a constant daily basis.
Another bad element is the trash and junk that is filling the streets and squares of our area. They surely attract explosive devices, especially with the many patrols roaming our alleys.
Let's just hope nothing blows up, like what happened about a month ago some 300 meters (yds) away from our home. A couple of people were injured, but luckily, nobody died.
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