WARNING: Due to information that may be disturbing, reader discretion is advised. Also, this is nothing to do with being for or against politics and nations.
On March 20th, 2003, the US and the World were outraged when former US President George W. Bush declared War on Iraq. Two years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and United 93, left almost 3,000 lives killed. The War became otherwise known as an invasion and bombing. While the War killed approximately 306,000 Iraqi people and 4,600 US troops. It also led to the assassination of war dictator Saddam Hussian. The former home of the infamous Saddam statue in Tahrir Square is no longer present. Instead, it is replaced by a mural of Khasam Suliami (who was killed in the US Airstrike.) It was also the initial epicenter of protests and conflict. While, luckily, Iraq has returned to peace and a growth of tourists, the road to that was nothing short of anger, frustration, and hostility.
For Dhahi Kareem, he recalled seeing several American troops thrash him after he refused to provide service. He suffered a broken rib and a small scar on his cheek. Kareem tried to remain hopeful during that time, but at the time, the situation worsened. He is initially from Jurf Al Sakhar in Sunni, originally part of the “Triangle of Death.” An area that has often been occupied by malevolent attacks. Kareem was a supporter of the Sunni insurgency before al-Qaida took over. But when the troops invaded Iraq, the death toll of Iraqis suddenly rose. In Twareej in Shia, Jebel Abdel Amir, a former minibus driver, remembered seeing so many tragedies there; he recalled when one American military convoy fired its weapon on his family as he was driving. While the family only had minor injuries, Amir was mainly bruised by that incident. Before that, Shia and Sunni rebelled against each other because of Saddam’s ruling Sunni at the time. During the repression, Amir’s wife, Suheila Shamkhi, lost 5 relatives. While she thought that the Americans coming to Iraq would end Saddam’s hostile regime. Instead, it only made Iraq’s crisis worsen. In 2006, three orphans, Marous, Aaliyah, and Sorah, were some of the thousands of kids in a Baghdad orphanage after their parents were massacred in the friction after Saddam’s defeat. Today, Marous is married and has 4 kids. But unfortunately, her life was not healed. She mentioned that there is no future and that Iraq’s corruption is responsible for Iraq’s poverty. Also, the government is now dominated by Iran.
Also, in 2006, the Shia Shrine bombed Samarra, damaging civil warfare and leaving the most casualties. 2007 was the zenith of the nation’s Civil War. During one of the American invasions, one of their Bazaars was engulfed by a suicide bomb, killing dozens. Yet, the country remained corrupted by the ongoing President Abdul Latif Rashid, Prime Minster Shia al-Sudani, and Iran. The US stayed in Iraq from 2003 to 2011 to “fend off” a civil war. One mentioned that people were bombarded with airstrikes, violence, and danger during the War. While the Coalition Provisional Authority thought to “understand Iraq,” the consortia failed miserably, resulting in the decimating of the Iraqi army. Amir made it very clear the US dropped the bomb on the systems. In 2008, the war did settle down, with the withdrawal of American troops in 2011.
However, in 2014, when al-Qaida became ISIS, American troops had no choice but to return to Iraq to fight the “terrorists.” At that point, 33% of Iraq’s Shia territory was invaded. Kareem’s 3 cousins went missing, and they mentioned that they had nothing to do with religion or politics. He blamed the Shia armed groups for the kidnappings. He hasn’t returned to his family’s 12-acre farm in his original hometown since 2006. Jurf Al Sakhan is now part of the Shia armed group, which fought off the American invasion and ISIS. Both Amir and Shamkhi were unhappy with the elites corrupting the nation. Mohammed Jebel, one of their 6 children, had no choice but to join the Iraqi army because of the poor economy. He lost 5 of his friends when ISIS destroyed their base in an explosion. It also took out a Humvee. Eventually, ISIS surrendered in 2017.
April 9th marked the 20th Anniversary since the US military seized Baghdad, which unfortunately led to a deep dent between the US and Iraq. It also led to massive anti-government rallies and potential battlefields between the US and Iran. Former Iraqi President Dr. Barham Salih (2018-2022) said while slaying Suddam and gaining democracy was critical, he added that the war was the worst idea. Also, unfortunately, Iraq still faces mass corruption, which, Dr. Salih mentioned, has been part of the political economy. Corruption, as he mentioned, allowed extremism, armed militants, and outlaws to further the conflict. Dr. Salih also brought up the 2019 protests from young Iraqis, demanding change and their homeland. While he admitted that the protests failed and that the movements became a struggle for Iraq, he insisted that the group administered alter the government and election laws. When asked about Iraq’s battleground history (which included Turkiye, Iran, and the US), Dr. Salih felt that Saddam was allowing himself to let Turkiye invade Kurdistan and that there were too many battlegrounds for Turkiye and Iran but didn’t mention the US. Even though the US took down former Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. He cautioned Iraq’s neighboring Arab nations, Turkiye, and the US, that there needs to be state-to-state relations and severity. Otherwise, Iraq would be smack dabbed in the middle of a geopolitical war zone.
Today, it is welcoming the World back. A chance for tourists (even several Americans) to look at what the nation has to offer, from its markets to its steeples. Also, what used to be Sudam’s Palace, is now the American University of Baghdad, home to 35,000 students and counting. That University’s President, Michael Mulnix, mentioned that transforming a tyrant’s palace into a University is what he described as “poetic justice.” All are spoken in English and co-ed. Several students at that University say they were able to have freedom, but they also want to change the ideals of being an Iraqi compared to 20 years ago. Initially, they fled the former war-torn nation, but as they grew older, they could finally return to Iraq. Also, Iraqis hope to erect a place formerly known as “Sudam’s Pleasure Palace” as an area for nightlife. There is also a cultural shift in Iraq, including karate. Karate champion, Noor Daoud, wants to empower girls, using and teaching her karate skills to them. This is a reminder that as Ukraine faces War, peace will soon come, like in Iraq.
Message to Iraq: To the people in Iraq, we understand that what happened in 2003 was devastating for you. Most of us in the US and beyond feel the pain, anger, and dissatisfaction that the (Walker) Bush Administration had done to our country. What was more heartbreaking was seeing people (even children) killed by the horrific actions of violence. And just as what is happening in Ukraine right now is almost as reflective as what you went through. Thankfully, we are pleased that Iraq is in peace and is welcoming the World back with open arms.
Newstime with Sophia Melki 