Interview

Life in Iraq: An Interview - February 2008

Jeff Leys — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 14:34:22 -0600

Short Information Teaser

An interview with Walid Waleed about life in Iraq today.

Excerpt

Walid Waleed, interviewd by John Malkin
February 2008

Walid Waleed is 38 years old and was born in the Alkhaalij quarter of Baghdad. He now lives in the country side in a village in south-east Baghdad. He was married in 1997 and now has two boys and three girls; Ows 10, Mohammad 8, Nowras 6, Nibras 4 and less than one year old Ziena. Before the violence he lived as one big family, with about twenty-two people, but now they live in individual temporary houses. Walid studies journalism at Baghdad University and got practical experience as a guide for foreign journalists for many years. He has done interviews for magazines, newspapers and TV and helped Japanese producers make a documentary film about children during the US/UN economic sanctions. He recently produced an autobiographocal documentary about the US invasion and occupation of Iraq.

John Malkin interviewed Walid in January 2008. John is a writer, musician and author of “Sounds of Freedom”, a collection of interviews with musicians concerning spirituality and social change. He is a regular contributor to Good Times Weekly of Santa Cruz, California.

JM: What kind of newspapers/TV are available in Iraq now? How do people get news there?

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Walid Waleed, interviewd by John Malkin
February 2008

JM: What kind of newspapers/TV are available in Iraq now? How do people get news there?

Waleed: There are many newspapers and TV stations available in Iraq. Most newspapers belong to political parties of the government as well as the religious movement. Very few people actually buy newspapers because they have radical opinions. For example, Al-Iraqia TV is the official TV station. It is the same as a spokesman of government and is supported by American forces and Iraq government. It’s run by radical shiat people.

The Al Hura TV station is supported by the American administration and their main office is in Washington. Al furat TV is 100% Shiat TV and is part of the high Islamic council, a party that was established in Iran during the Iraq - Iran war, and run by the most radical character, Mr. Abdul Azziz Al Hakeem. He met George W. Bush last week in state and his very powerful Bader forces are responsible for killing thousands of Iraqi people, especially ex-Baath party members.

Alkwather TV shows only stories about the history of Islam. Alsharqia TV is one of the most lovely TV stations in Iraq because they are openly modern and they show the suffering of the Iraqi people. Al Rafidain TV belongs to Muslim scholars and scientists and shows the opinion of Sunna people against the American occupation of Iraq.

JM: I think that some Iraqi TV and radio stations and newspapers are now controlled by the U.S. military. Is that true? Can you tell me about the media there now?

Waleed: Generally any TV station located in Iraq is controlled by American forces, while stations located outside Iraq feel free to broadcast any programming. For instance, the office for Alrafidain TV is located in Egypt and they are free to show there independent opinion. The TV stations that are most controlled by American forces are Al-Iraqia and AlHura.

JM: What was life like in Iraq before the 2003 invasion by the U.S. military?

Waleed: It was a hard life because the immoral economic sanctions destroyed people’s lives. The embargo was imposed for more than 13 years (1991-2003) and caused the death of many people because of the lack of medicine. Added to that was the dictatorial regime of Saddam Hussein. But if we compare that with our current life we can say we lived in paradise then because there was some security and our basic needs for life were available like gasoline, kerosene, cooking gas, electricity, clean water, educational institutions like schools and universities. Also, there was no discrimination between the Sunna and shiat people and our life wasn’t targeted like it is now.

JM: What are your living conditions now? Do you have access to water, electricity, healthcare, medicine, food?

Waleed: Nowadays I’m working as a farmer just to stay alive. I am Sunna and Sunna people cannot get jobs in governmental offices because any person who wants to have a job needs to bring a recommendation letter from the political or religious parties in power and as you know, the Shiat parties dominate the government offices. Also, the only two jobs available are either to be a soldier or policeman. Osne week ago my cousin asked me to be recruited into the Iraq police as an officer but I refused because my age does not fit with this job.

Clean water: It’s one of our big sufferings because Cholera has spread across the country and many people have died. We buy tablets from the pharmacy to kill the bacteria in the water but many poor people have no money to buy this medicine. Recently I heard that American forces are tying to provide Iraqi citizens with water purification machines but we haven’t receive any.

Electricity: We are spend our nights with candles and a kerosene lamp.

Health Care: We have very big problem in my country - the Ministry of Health is controlled by the Alsader, a shiat group, and most Sunna people are afraid to go to the hospitals. When my wife was pregnant I couldn’t bring here to the hospital. I brought her to an old woman who helped her to deliver her baby. She was lucky because she delivered her baby naturally.

One of my cousins was injured by an American bullet while he was waiting to get gasoline for his car. The people at the site of the shooting brought him to Alkindy Hospital and when he arrived there he pretended to be a shiat man and they did an operation to remove the bullet from his pancreas. He saw many sunnah patients being kidnapped from the hospital. After he spent four days there he decide to leave the hospital because the hospital staff started to gather information about his house and his origin. He continued his treatment in our village and at that time we asked our friend who is a doctor to treat him.

Food: It’s not easy to go to the market. In my village we decided to send our wives to the market because it’s a big risk if sunna men go there. But I shopped for fruits, vegetables and some other goods by myself especially during the last month of my wife’s pregnancy.

During economic sanctions, the United Nations took money from Iraq oil sales and bought food for the Iraq people and this food was distributed by Iraqi Ministry of Trade. This operation was called “oil-food agreement.” Fortunately this agreement is valid right now but there are big rumors nowadays that the government trying to cancel this food rationing.

JM: Do your children go to school now? Is it safe to travel to school, to the market, to visit friends?

Waleed: I changed my kids school from New Baghdad to the school in our village. Primary schools have no problems but in the intermediate, high school, and colleges most teachers and doctors were killed by terrorists and now those institutions have a lack of staff. My youngest brother is in high school and they don’t have enough teachers. Also, my brother couldn’t go to the final examination last year because the Ministry of Education decide to have the examination in a shiat majority area. He refused to go and at that time we were angry with him but after two sunna students were kidnapped from inside the examination hall we excused him.

This is little funny story; when the final examination in shiat area began, the Al Mahdy army came to the school and ordered the teachers to solve all the questions for the students and when the examination results were distributed it was incredible! All the student got marks between 95-100% .

Visiting Friends: It’s also one of our biggest problems, especially when a relative has a death ceremony or wedding party. We cannot go to there house if it’s far away. Personally, I lost most of my friends in the sectarian war - more than twenty friends were killed without reason.

JM: How do you get around the city? Buses, taxis, cars?

Waleed: I stopped using my car because of traffic jams due to the main roads and bridges being blocked by American and Iraqi forces. Now I use the bus and wherever the bus stops, I start walking.

JM: The Lancet Journal in England estimated that 500,000 children died as a result of the United States/United Nations economic sanctions against Iraq. What was that time like for you and your family?

Waleed: The economic sanctions started just after Iraqi forces were defeated from Kuwait in 1991 and continued until 2003, when the United States invaded our country by reason of weapon of mass destruction. I was student of Engineering at college when the embargo was imposed and it was so hard live. Let me give you an examples to imagine how hard it was;

We ate rice only once each ten days. We were three brothers working day and night to buy bread and eggplant because at that time only eggplant was available in the market. If you talk to any Iraqi person who lived and suffered from the economic sanctions and ask him, “Do you remember the year of eggplant,” he will remember it very well. Three brothers were working, my other two brothers and three sisters were students and there was my father and mother. The style of eating in our poor society is for us to sit all together and eat from one big pan, as you will see it in attached pictures. I don’t remember even one time that I ate until I was full - the adults decided to eat only very little and we’d pretend we were eating in order to give the children and old people a chance to eat enough. At that time I wasn’t married and was just graduated from engineering college but there were no jobs, so I worked as a driver of a minibus, building donkey worker, ice seller, electrician, and as an interpreter for an NGO twice a year.

I once worked as interpreter for Pakistani journalist in 1999 and he bought bananas from the market and gave me one piece of banana. I kept it in my car and when he asked, “Why you don’t eat it?” I said, “I want to share this piece with my family because we haven’t eaten a banana since four years.” So you can imagine how hard life was. I think we’d need a text book to keep all our suffering. By the way my sister got cancer during that period as well.

JM: Have your family or friends been hurt or killed by US soldiers?

Waleed: On 9th March 2003 my cousin was injured. She was a farmer taking care of her cow and an American soldier shot her because they didn’t have the knowledge to see the fashion of women in an Arabic country. She was wearing an Arabic dishdasha that is black in color and the soldier shoot here because at that time Saddam’s fedaieen fighters wore black. But there is big difference between a woman’s dishdasha and man’s pants.

In June 2007 my cousin was shot after an American patrol was hit by a roadside bomb. He survived.

On October 10, 2007 another cousin was shot and arrested by American forces and now he is in jail. Since that time his family couldn’t meet with him. We got information that he had been shot in his back and the effect of the bullet on his spine might cause him to be paralyzed. He is 34 years old. The reason he was walking to visit his friend was that he’d been invited to have dinner at his friend’s house during Ramadan month after sunset and there was an American unit waiting to ambush the Iraqi resistance. They failed in this ambush.

On November 4 people from my village were shot by soldiers in an American helicopter by mistake and this is the only accident that has been compensated. Many relatives have been killed by American forces, but as I told you I would need to write a long list of there names.

Another accident I need to mention is my oldest brother. He was arrested by Iraqi forces while he was working as a taxi driver. The Iraqi forces wanted to kill him but fortunately their prison has been visited by American forces. He was released because an American officer took pictures of the prisoners and did investigations with the prisoners directly, so not all doing of American forces are negative.

JM: What is the most difficult thing now about living in Iraq?

Waleed: Security, electricity, fuel (gasoline, kerosene, cooking gas), jobs, education, medical care, and to get back our houses which had been looted by Almahdy army.

JM: What has changed the most for you since the US invasion in 2003?

Waleed: I lost my freedom and security, my brother was killed, my father in law was killed, we lost our houses in town and the prices for all materials has jumped. For example, before the war the price of 1 liter of gasoline was 20 Iraqi dinar. 1 cylinder of cooking gas was 250 ID. At that time 1US$ = 3000 ID. Today a liter of gasoline is 500 ID and a cylinder of cooking gas is 25000 ID and it’s not easy to get it. The current exchange rate is 1$=1210ID.

JM: Officially, the 1991 United States war on Iraq was finished in 45 days. But the United States continued bombing after that – Does it feel like there has been one long war going on there since 1991? (Perhaps even before that as well, with the war with Iran ?)

Waleed: During the Iraq –Iran war we didn’t feel a direct effect from America. Maybe they were selling weapons to both sides. As an Iraqi person I didn’t blame the United States when they attacked Iraq in 1991 because Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait and he gave them a reason to attack Iraq. But when the immoral economic sanctions were imposed we hated America so much because usually in economic sanctions it is only poor people who will be effect, while the rich people can arrange there lives.

JM: You have written that many people in Iraq do not believe that there are peaceful people in the United States because they have observed the United States invade other countries. And now the US has invaded Iraq. Tell me more about this.

Waleed: When we were young we read about the history of United States and how they invaded Vietnam, Cuba and Nicaragua. How they killed the American Indian, dropped an atomic bomb on Japan, and gave support to Israel to kick out the Palestinian people. Many Palestinian people came to Iraq as refugees at that time. And recently the US has invaded Somalia, Afghanistan, etc… So, we have been saturated by this image. Added to that is that there are no direct relationships between US and Iraqi individuals and very few Iraqi people can believe that there are good people in America.

JM: Why do you think the US military is in Iraq now?

Waleed: The American forces are tools of the American administration and most of them joined for a job, for money. Sometimes I talk to American soldiers and I have found many of them have a good personality. Many of them commit suicide because they have been shocked when they saw the fact.

JM: What do you think is the goal of President George Bush and the US military? Some people here think Iraq was invaded and is occupied to get oil or have more control in the Middle East – what do you think?

Waleed: Yes it’s right because America can not live without war. War means that all the military factories can work, otherwise they would close it down. The main goal is oil and more control in the Middle East, and looking for another war. I think the American administration has never cared about their soldiers and never cared about the fate of American people.

JM: After the World Trade Center in New York was attacked on September 11, 2001, the United States government said that Saddam Hussein had helped with the attack. Many people here still believe this. What do you think?

Waleed: I think the attack of the World Trade Center has been fabricated to have a reason to start war and to convince the American people that they are targeted. If the American people still believe that Saddam Hussein supported the attackers I am really envious of Mr. George W. Bush about these stupid people because they can not see where their future is going. I am sorry - maybe my language is poor in how I describe the American people about this point.

JM: The media here says that there is now a lot of fighting between different religious groups in Iraq ; Shias, Sunnis, Kurds. Is this true?

Waleed: Yes it’s true. It’s still happening but is less. The reason is that America has many enemies in the region so that all of Iraq’s neighboring countries don’t want stability in Iraq, so this fighting has been ignited by Iran, Syria, and Israel as well.

JM: How do you think the fighting in Iraq will end? What is the prospect for peace and safety in Iraq?

Waleed: The situation is now getting very complicated and the American forces are not serious to finish this fighting, because if they were serious they would not have lost four years without doing any reconstruction projects. The main reason behind the terrorism here is the jobless problem because for four years people couldn’t find jobs and the young people have been used by extremists, with thousands of dollars paid to militias. The solution for Iraq will come after America solves its problems with Iran, Syria, and Al Qaeda. And prepare jobs for millions of jobless people.

JM: Have you had encounters with United States soldiers? What kind of violence have you experienced? Have you encountered any US weapons like cluster bombs or depleted uranium?

Waleed: Usually I am trying to avoid American soldiers because talking English language its enough reason to be targeted by terrorist, so that just in urgent cases I am talking with them. .

About cluster bomb I sow it many times but I didn’t get any accident by it.

Depleted Uranium my sister got cancer due the first gulf war, and now my village locate near by the most polluted area by Uranium, we are living around only 2 KM away from the ex-atomic-nuclear energy research center, this center has been looted by people after American invasion and many people took polluted tank to use it for water (I think its very famous accident, it was called by yellow cake ) ,right now no incident show’s and I hope we will be safe

JM: Do you know people who have been taken to Abu Ghraib or other prisons?

Waleed: Yes. Many relatives of mine have been jailed in Abu Ghraib, Puka and Baghdad airport jails.

JM: How do you deal with the anxiety and sadness of living in a violent situation?

Waleed: Frankly talking, I am suffering too much from the current situation. I have seen many death cases and many decaying, dead bodies. I am smoking and sometimes when I feel depressed I have been angry and that’s why I insisted too much that an internet line be installed in my village to kill my time.

JM: What are some enjoyable things that you do you have with your family or friends?

Waleed: When I can help poor people I feel too much comfort and sometimes I play with my kids.

JM: Some people in the United States have been told by the media that the Islamic religion is violent and that the US military is protecting Americans against terrorism. What is Islam to you? Do you do prayer?

Waleed: I am pray five times a day and I think the Islamic religion is good religion. The extremist Muslims ate the people responsible for these bad ideas of Islam.

JM: What do you think about the suicide bombings that have become common in Baghdad?

Waleed: The people who suicide themselves have there own reasons - either they lost their family or kids. I think the same reason that pushes American soldiers to commit suicide is pushing those people to bomb themselves on American forces.

Last year I was in Japan and I was surprised when I saw the high number of people who commit suicide. They live in very good conditions compared with Iraqi people.

JM: George W. Bush has called himself a “compassionate Christian.” What do you think?

Waleed: I think he is the enemy of Christianity because we know the Christian religion is a very peaceful religion and the prophet Jesus was very peaceful.

JM: We are told that the violence in Iraq is a “War on Terrorism.” Does that make sense to you?

Waleed: Who brought terrorism to Iraq? Who let the Iraqi borders open for many years? Al Qaeda was established by America during the Soviet Union war and now they fight against America. George W. Bush has said many times that “we want to fight the terrorists outside of America.” According to this, Iraqi people are victims to keep American people safe.

JM: Private security companies, like Blackwater, have been hired by the US government to be soldiers in Iraq . News reports are saying that Blackwater contractors killed 17 Iraqi civilians in September in Baghdad . Have you heard anything about these private soldiers?

Waleed: Yes we see them almost every day. They drive on the streets in a very brutal way, killing any driver approaching their vehicles. Many people are killed by American forces and only a few cases are announced - this incident is well known because its happened downtown, but many killings happen in the countryside where no media can reach.

JM: Lately there are news reports that things have gotten safer in Iraq and that refugees have been returning to cities like Baghdad. Is this true from what you can see?

Waleed: Yes, some parts of Baghdad are getting better, especially in Sunna areas because there is an agreement between the American forces and the resistance group, except Alqaeda, and as result of this agreement new forces - named waken troops - have been established. Waken troops are fighting against Alqaeda and keeping the security of their region. American forces are paying monthly salaries to them and new projects have been started to clean up the cities and establish electric generators.

Kathy Kelly on Washington Journal, in Des Moines (C-Span, Jan 2, 2008)

Kathy Kelly — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 03:13:37 -0600

Short Information Teaser

Interview with Kathy Kelly, co-ordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence.

Excerpt

January 2, 2008

Interview with Kathy Kelly, co-ordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence, Washington Journal, in Des Moines (C-Span)

Des Moines - With 40 percent of Iowa’s Republican caucus … all » voters expected to come from the ranks of conservative Christians, peace activists occupied Mike Huckabee’s campaign headquarters in Iowa’s capital city today with signs asking the former Baptist minister, “Who Would Jesus Bomb?”

Eight members of the Iowa Occupation Project and Voices for Creative Nonviolence arrived at Huckabee’s Locust St. campaign office early Monday afternoon (Dec 31, 2007), waiting for the former Arkansas governor’s reply to a letter delivered two months ago that sought his pledge to completely withdraw from Iraq within 100 days of assuming office; halt all military actions against Iraq and Iran; fund the rebuilding of Iraq as well as health, education and infrastructure needs in the U.S.; and “…the highest quality health care, education and jobs training benefits for veterans of our country’s Armed Services.”

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January 2, 2008

__Interview with Kathy Kelly, co-ordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence, Washington Journal, in Des Moines (C-Span)

VIDEO: Kathy Kelly Speaking in Anchorage Alaska Oct 2006

voices — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 17:47:47 -0500

Short Information Teaser

5 part video of Kathy Kelly speaking

Excerpt

June 2007

Kathy Kelly presents her experiences of visits to Iraq before the US occupation and her subsequent visits. The video is in 5 parts.

Part 1

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June 2007

Kathy Kelly presents her experiences of visits to Iraq before the US occupation and her subsequent visits.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

VCNV Author

Kathy Kelly

VIDEO: CAN TV Community Forum...Kathy Kelly - Voices for Creative Nonviolence

voices — Mon, 21 May 2007 13:02:25 -0500

Short Information Teaser

CAN TV interview with Kathy Kelly

Excerpt

May 20, 2007

Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV) interview with Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator with Voices for Creative Nonviolence. The video is in 3 parts.

Part 1 Body

May 20, 2007

Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV) interview with Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator with Voices for Creative Nonviolence. The video is in 3 parts.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Democracy Now!: Over 240 Arrested Since "Occupation Project" Launched to Call on Congress to End War Funding

voices — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 10:54:43 -0500

Project

The Occupation Project

Short Information Teaser

Democracy Now! speaks with Kathy Kelly on Capitol Hill

Excerpt

March 27th, 2007

The Senate prepares to vote this week on a $100 billion spending bill that would give the President $100 billion more for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.Last month, the group Voices For Creative Nonviolence launched the Occupation Project. Activists around the country traveled to congressional offices and conducted sit-ins while calling on lawmakers to stop funding the war. We speak with veteran peace activist Kathy Kelly. The Senate is preparing to vote this week on a spending bill that would give the President $100 billion more for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan but also establish a timeline for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq by next year. We speak with veteran peace activist Kathy Kelly On Capitol Hill, the Senate is preparing to vote this week on a spending bill that would give the President $100 billion more for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan but also establish a timeline for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq by next year. On Friday the House passed a similar bill by a margin of 218 to 212.

Listen to the Democracy Now! Radio Program

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March 27th, 2007

Listen to the Democracy Now! Radio Program

Peace Activists Launch The Occupation Project: A Campaign of Sustained Nonviolent Civil Disobedience to End the Iraq War

voices — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 11:41:49 -0600

Project

The Occupation Project

Short Information Teaser

Kathy Kelly talks with Democracy Now!

Excerpt

February 6, 2007

Kathy Kelly Interview with Democracy Now!

Kathy Kelly joins us hours after being released from jail. She was one of ten people arrested in Sen. McCain’s office in Washington. Eight more were arrested in the Illinois offices of Senators Obama and Durbin. Kelly just returned from two months living and working with Iraqi refugees in Amman, Jordan.

The White House won an early victory Monday in the Congressional debate over the Iraq war. Republicans blocked voting on a non-binding resolution expressing disapproval of President Bush’s deployment of at least 21,000 troops. The measure would have marked the first Congressional effort since the invasion to confront President Bush over the war. Joseph Lieberman joined with the Republican filibuster. Republicans Susan Collins of Maine and Norm Coleman of Minnesota switched sides and voted with the Democrats.

As the Senate debated, a coalition of peace activists launched their own effort to oppose the war. Ten people were arrested occupying the offices of the staunchly pro-war and likely-presidential hopeful Senator John McCain. The activists sang the names of seventy-five servicemembers from McCain’s home-state of Arizona who died in Iraq and chanted “We remember you.”

The action is part of a new campaign called The Occupation Project: A Campaign of Sustained Nonviolent Civil Disobedience to End the Iraq War. It’s being led by the group Voices for Creative Nonviolence. Activists have promised to occupy offices of lawmakers who refuse to pledge to vote against additional war funding for the occupation of Iraq.

Kathy Kelly, Executive Director of Voices for Creative Nonviolence. She is a veteran peace activist who’s just returned from two months living and working with Iraqi refugees in Amman, Jordan. She took part in the occupation of Senator McCain’s office and was released from jail just hours ago.

Listen to the Interview with Democracy Now!

Includes a rush transcript of the interview

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February 6, 2007

Kathy Kelly Interview with Democracy Now!

Listen to the Interview with Democracy Now!

Includes a rush transcript of the interview