Riverbend - The Raid

[Richard D]

The Raid...

We were collected at my aunts house for my cousins birthday party a few days ago. J. just turned 16 and my aunt invited us for a late lunch and some cake. It was a very small gathering- three cousins- including myself- my parents, and J.’s best friend, who also happened to be a neighbor.

snip

The gift that made her happiest, however, was given by her father. After she’d opened up everything, he handed her a small, rather heavy, silvery package. She unwrapped it hastily and gasped with delight, “Baba- it’s lovely!” She smiled as she held it up to the light of the gas lamp to show it off. It was a Swiss Army knife- complete with corkscrew, nail clippers, and a bottle opener.

“You can carry it around in your bag for protection when you go places!” He explained. She smiled and gingerly pulled out the blade, “And look- when the blade is clean, it works as a mirror!” We all oohed and aahed our admiration and T., another cousin, commented she’d get one when the Swiss Army began making them in pink.

<snip>

We were gathered in the living room and my aunt and her husband, Ammoo S. were asleep. T., J. and I were speaking softly and looking for songs on the radio, having sworn not to sleep before the cake was all gone. T. was playing idly with her mobile phone, trying to send a message to a friend. “Hey- there’s no coverage here… is it just my phone?” She asked. J. and I both took out our phones and checked, “Mine isn’t working either…” J. answered, shaking her head. They both turned to me and I told them that I couldn’t get a signal either. J. suddenly looked alert and made a sort of “Uh-oh” sound as she remembered something. “R.- will you check the telephone next to you?” I picked up the ordinary telephone next to me and held my breath, waiting for a dial tone. Nothing.

more: www.riverbendblog.blogspot.com

[burrowowl]

1. I always read

Riverbend.
I hope she can cotinue. Sounds like the U$ is installing totaliarism in Irak.

[MsKandice01]

2. Her blog entries truly break my heart...

And make me ashamed to be an American. This one was no different.

[FloridaPat]

3. This blog should be required reading and listening every night on

the stupid TV. A real Reality Show. Real people facing real danger. It makes me sick to hear what our government has become.

[drm604]

4. K&R

Wow. :cry:

On Edit:The OP should have posted the permlink for future reference. The link posted goes to the front page which will eventually change. The following link should always go to that story even if the front page changes.
http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/2006_02_01_riverbendblog_archive.html#113960899464455450

[ClayZ]

5. K & R

:kick:

[realFedUp]

6. kick nt

[leftchick]

7. This Is SO Fucked UP.........

<snip>

“There will be no problem,” My aunt said sternly, looking at each of us, thin-lipped. “You will not say anything improper and they will come in, look around and go.” Her eyes lingered on Ammoo S. He was silent. He had lit a cigarette and was inhaling deeply. J. said he’d begun smoking again a couple of months ago after having quit for ten years. “Are your papers ready?” She asked him, referring to his identification papers which would be requested. He didn’t answer, but nodded his head silently.

<snip>

Suddenly, two of them were in the living room. We were all sitting on the sofa, near my aunt. My cousin B. was by then awake, eyes wide with fear. They were holding large lights or ‘torches’ and one of them pointed a Klashnikov at us. “Is there anyone here but you and them?” One of them barked at my aunt. “No- it’s only us and my husband outside with you- you can check the house.” T.’s hands went up to block the glaring light of the torch and one of the men yelled at her to put her hands down, they fell limply in her lap. I squinted in the strong light and as my sight adjusted, I noticed they were wearing masks, only their eyes and mouths showing. I glanced at my cousins and noted that T. was barely breathing. J. was sitting perfectly still, eyes focused on nothing in particular, I vaguely noted that her sweater was on backwards.

<snip>

We found out a few hours later that one of our neighbors, two houses down, had died. Abu Salih was a man in his seventies and as the Iraqi mercenaries raided his house, he had a heart-attack. His grandson couldn’t get him to the hospital on time because the troops wouldn’t let him leave the house until they’d finished with it. His grandson told us later that day that the Iraqis were checking the houses, but the American troops had the area surrounded and secured. It was a coordinated raid.

They took at least a dozen men from my aunts area alone- their ages between 19 and 40. The street behind us doesn’t have a single house with a male under the age of 50- lawyers, engineers, students, ordinary laborers- all hauled away by the ‘security forces’ of the New Iraq. The only thing they share in common is the fact that they come from Sunni families (with the exception of two who I'm not sure about).

[stellanoir]

8. I've been reading riverbend

for just shy of 3 years. She did a cameo post on Salam Pax's site just before our deceitful invasion. She was a vibrant 24 year old who was walking the streets freely, wearing what she wanted, and earning more in IT than her older male coworkers.

Gradually since she started her own blog in August of '03, I've watched her move from a place of tentative hopefullness to sullen despair. First she couldn't work then she was rebuked for wearing pants, then she couldn't leave her home without male relatives escorting her.

Liberation my butt.

She is an absolute love.

I'll have to wait till the morning to read her latest as I'm way too tired in the same way as she delayed her viewing of the DVD of innocent victims in Fallujha having been burned to the bone by white phosphorus. See her November 17th posting for reference.

These are atrocious war crimes. It brakes my heart. Justice must inevitably be served.
I feel such a global sisterhood with her and Faiza. ( http://afamilyinbaghdad.blogspot.com scroll down past the Arabic for the English translation ) They are both thinking, feeling, caring brilliant women and we've wrecked their lives and their country. It's an abomination.

Peace over time.

[jmatthan]

9. Remember, this is what will be

the condition in the US in your homes very very soon!

'First they came for the Communists, but I was not a Communist, so I said nothing. Then they came for the Social Democrats, but I was not a Social Democrat, so I did nothing. Then came the trade unionists, but I was not a trade unionist. And then they came for the Jews, but I was not a Jew, so I did little. Then when they came for me, there was no one left to stand up for me.' Pastor Martin Niemöller

[Terran1212]

10. Good God