Photos Tell the Story of Iraq's Struggle

[leftchick]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050626/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_the_images_1

Numbers and words, words and numbers, repeated so many times they begin to lose meaning. A suicide car bomber rams a military checkpoint. Police find 28 bullet-riddled bodies in shallow graves. A man walks into a restaurant and blows himself up. And so it has come to be that photographs, in many instances, bring home the real story of death and destruction that constitutes daily life in Iraq, a year after coalition forces handed over control of the country to an interim Iraqi government.


Western reporters are often officebound when not embedded with U.S. troops. To step outside a fortified hotel invites being shot or kidnapped. Because of that, Iraqi photographers risk a great deal to document what is happening to their country and to their people.

~snip~

Outside a hospital in town of Tikrit, a father sits on his haunches beside his 5-year-old daughter. She lies on her back on a tile floor, cushioned by a mishmash of clashing, garishly colored sheets and blankets. A strand of dark hair falls over one eye. Her small face is peaceful, as if she were taking a nap. But there is blood under her head, discolored from the passing of time, and an empty, collapsed IV bottle against her shoulder.

She was shot during an Iraqi army raid. She died at the hospital. Her father shields his eyes with his hand. The small of his back is braced against a stucco wall. He does not touch his little girl. The slump of his shoulders says this cannot be true; this is too much to bear.


:cry:.... much more sadly. These photographers are heros...



http://news.yahoo.com/photo/050625/481/xdg10306251833;_ylt=AmumZb
Pduz8GxlIzj57bji4UewgF;_ylu=X3oDMTA3bGk2OHYzBHNlYwN0bXA-

[deutsey]

1. We're turning a corner

and walking away from the scene of our crime as quickly as we can.

[Cha]

2. I remember the videos of

Iraq just before the bombings started..it was just a beautiful city.

I know sadam was a madman but he was rummy's madman and we could have gotten him out without the bombs.

But we couldn't have over taken Iraq with all its OIL!! :nuke:

But, fate intervened on bush's little scheme and the OIL and the water are NOT too available in Iraq.

The bushites must be frothing at the mouth over that one.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

4. Couldn't nix France's and Russia's contracts with Iraq's oil ministry

unless you drop bombs.... thems the simple facts... Saddam or no Saddam.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

5. And of course we all knew Saddam was a madman because....

...uh...the NeoCons told us so.

Hmmmm.

[stepnw1f]

3. fffffreedom's on duh march

Surrrrrrrrrrrrre

[daleo]

6. Bush opened the gates of hell. n/t

[Monkie]

7. a few galleries with pictures by these brave people documenting the horror

#warning#
links contain GRAPHIC material, but they might be useful to help spread the truth and end this ugly war.

http://www.marchforjustice.com/shock&awe.php
http://dahrjamailiraq.com/gallery/ almost 600 images
http://mindprod.com/politics/iraq.html
http://mindprod.com/politics/iraqwarextrapix.html

[bpilgrim]

8. more pictures here...

http://media.GlobalFreePress.com

peace

[leftchick]

9. thank you to bpilgrim and monkie for the links

the photograpghs helped turn the tide in Vietnam. I hope they do the same now.

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. The other thing that helped turn the tide during the Vietnam War

was the returning soldiers telling horror stories. We need to get Iraq vets out in public, talking to community groups, church groups, anyone who will listen.

[Karenina]

11. The l-o-n-g and repeated tours

are DESIGNED with "dead men tell no tales" in mind. Not to mention the "savings" on health care and benefits.

[proud2BlibKansan]

12. All the more reason

we need to get the few who come home to talk about it and talk about it a lot.

[bpilgrim]

18. and they got 0 political capital to spend on a DRAFT

they are DESTROYING our MILITARY & the rest of the world id CAPITALIZING on that bloody FACT, bet.

who just 'invested' in that blue water NAVY, again...


http://media.globalfreepress.com

psst... pass the word ;->

peace

[leftchick]

14. I agree..

That and a powerful anti-war movement would be a fantastic start.

[proud2BlibKansan]

15. We need to get all the youngsters on DU

to watch Born on the Fourth of July. That tells the story quite well.

[bpilgrim]

19. thank GORE he 'INVENTED' the INTERNETs ;-)

psst... pass the word :bounce:

:hi: leftchick

peace

[killbotfactory]

13. Looks just like Houston!

oh wait, no it doesn't.

[leftchick]

16. looks like hell to me

:(

[Old Vet]

21. Health Care and Benefits, PLEASE

Iam receiving chemo from the VA now (2 more months), And I had to fight them every step of the way to cover this disease I contracted 35 yrs ago. I know, Iam at my local VA once a week. Iam waiting with guys half my age all fucked up physically and mostly mentally screwed, WAITING for a doctor. Getting seen by a VA doctor is like getting screened to see the president,They are picky,Nothing is for sure.They are also closing VA hospitals all over the country, Its not pretty. Cant tell you how hard it is to look these KIDS in the eyes returning from war, Scarred,Limping,Confused. Man it hurts, Bad!

[leftchick]

23. I used to work at a VA Hospital in the 1980s

in Bath NY. and it was pretty bad then. I hope you are doing better Old Vet and welcome to DU.

:)

[ms liberty]

17. I've got a question...

I've been thinking for several days now (at least) that a real point could be made without any words if someone had pictures of the following:

An average street in Bagdad, from about December 2001 and June 2005.

Fallujah, about the same time.

Etc, etc,.

I think side by side pictures of Iraq BEFORE we invaded and Iraq today, pictures that showed the same location, would be a telling set of photos. We know SH wasn't bombing his own streets, and we know we and the insurgents have been doing our best (worst) to bomb Iraq back to the Stone Age. They could be shown anywhere, to anyone to make a point without having to use blood and gore pics. I think blood and gore pics have their place, but could boomerang if shown to those of false piety or sensitive stomachs.
I have absolutely no idea how to go further with this. It would be difficult for me to do anything myself. I live in a very rural area, so no access to a city where I might be able to research this out, and I'm on dial up (damn slow dial up too) so it would be almost impossible for me to do anything on the computer. Hell, I can't even look at the pics in the DU photo contest - which I would like to do since I do a little (amateur) photography myself.

Anyone have any ideas or want to take this one?

[bpilgrim]

20. they are hard to find on the INTERNETs for some strange reason

but if you get'm post them hear, too...
http://media.GlobalFreePress.com

we all know what happened to the SAT pics though :argh:

peace

[leftchick]

22. I have seen before and afters of Baghdad...

someone did that last year. I wish I could remember where I saw it. I think you have a great idea. It is very devastating to see the carnage the US has brought to a once mondern, vibrant city and country.

[Say_What]

24. Baghdad before and after. Fallujah after...

Spreading *democracy* and *liberating* Iraq :puke:

Baghdad before and after



http://www.willthomas.net/Convergence/Weekly/Mutiny_In_The_Ranks.htm


Fallujah after...



http://www.krysstal.com/democracy_iraq_fallujah01.html

[ms liberty]

25. Thanks! I knew I couldn't be the only person to think of this! n/t